“Now who is the one overcoming the world, except the one believing that Jesus is the Son of God? This is the One having come by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and by blood. [And the Spirit is the One testifying, because the Spirit is the truth.] For there are three bearing testimony: the Spirit and the water and the blood—and these are three in one.” 1 John 5:5-8
This passage is speaking of the witness the Holy Spirit bears of Jesus Christ, through the Scriptures, through mankind and through the witness of the Spirit of God in the believer.
“For we have not made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ having followed out cleverly devised fables, but having been eyewitnesses of His majesty. For having received honour and glory from God the Father, a voice such as follows was brought to Him by the Majestic Glory: “This is My Son, My beloved, in whom I have found delight.” 2 Peter 1:16-17
The Water: The water is a symbol of the word, the Scriptures. Jesus said, “You diligently search the Scriptures because you think to have eternal life in them, and these are they bearing witness concerning Me;” John 5:39 The Scriptures bear witness of Him. And Paul speaking of the Gospel of Christ says, “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised the third day according to the Scriptures” 1 Corinthians 15:3-4
And it is the Holy Spirit that bears witness through the Scriptures, Peter says, “We have the more certain prophetic word, to which you do well taking heed, as to a lamp shining in a dark place,…For no prophecy at any time was brought by the will of man, but men spoke from God, being carried by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1:19,21 So we may say, Jesus Christ came by water: that is He came according to the Scriptures, witnessed of Him by the Spirit of Christ working through men.
[Not by Water Only?]: Jesus is the Word of God, the Scriptures speak of Him. The word of God came to mankind, that is the nature and character of God was expressed in words. So he says not in word only but, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. And we beheld His glory, a glory as of an only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” So not in words only but also in flesh and blood that He might express the true nature of God, “The only begotten God, the One being in the bosom of the Father, He has made Him known.” John 1:14,16
The Witness of the Scriptures.
The Blood: Is to say, Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. John, in identifying the spirit that refuses this truth says, “By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses Jesus Christ having come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not of God.” 1 John 4:2-3 And this fact is witnessed of Him, by flesh and blood through the Spirit. The Lord prayed to His disciples saying, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those believing in Me through their word.” John 17:20
We might ask, why say He came by blood to mean flesh and blood? [Opinion] God in Genesis and in the Law says, the life of all flesh is in the blood. “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for your souls upon the altar; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.” Leviticus 17:11 And Jesus Christ to come in the flesh as mankind, His life also must be in the blood. “Therefore, since the children have partaken of blood and of flesh, He also likewise took part in the same things, so that through His death He might destroy the one holding the power of death, that is, the devil, and might set free those who all their time to live were subject to slavery through fear of death.” Hebrews 2:14-15
And Isaiah prophesying of the Christ says, “Because He has poured out His life unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors. Yet He bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors.” Isaiah 53:12 In order to make atonement for mankind’s sin, Jesus Christ’s life was in the blood, so that He might suffer death for our sake, that we through Him might have life. So mankind who was born flesh, might become spirit in Him, “But if Christ is in you, the body is indeed dead on account of sin, but the Spirit is life on account of righteousness.” Romans 8:10 That is to say, for those who are Christ’s their life is no longer in the blood but in the spirit.
And this truth is witnessed by those who saw Him through the Holy Spirit. The Lord before His departure instructs His disciples to wait on the Holy Spirit and says, “But you will receive power, the Holy Spirit having come upon you, and you will be witnesses for Me, both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth.” Acts 1:8 That is the witness of the truth of Christ is done through the power of the Holy Spirit.
“That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we have gazed upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— and the life was made manifest, and we have seen and bear witness, and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was revealed to us—” 1 John 1:1-2
The Witness of Mankind.
The Spirit: John, continuing from the above verses says “If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater. For this is the testimony of God that He has testified concerning His Son. The one believing in the Son of God has the testimony in himself;” 1 John 5:9-10 Here John points to the fact that there is a greater witness to be had, by the one who has received the witness of men. That is the witness the Holy Spirit Himself will bear in him.
Paul writing on such a witness says, “You have received the Spirit of divine adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” Romans 8:15-16 This is the testimony of God, in the one believing. This can be illustrated in the witness the Samaritan woman gave of Jesus Christ:
“And many more believed because of His word. And they were saying to the woman, “No longer because of your speech do we believe; for we ourselves have heard, and we know that this is truly the Saviour of the world.” John 4:41-42
[These three are one]: Because it is the same Spirit that works in all. The Spirit through the Scriptures testifies of Jesus Christ. The Spirit also testifies through the words spoken by the lips of mankind, of the truth of Christ. And finally the Holy Spirit Himself coming to dwell in the believer, will bear witness to this truth. “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes forth from the Father, He will bear witness concerning Me.” John 15:26
The Witness of the Holy Spirit.
Bread Bait. 
Leave a comment