Water, Blood, Spirit
This week, we’ve been reflecting on 1 John 5:6-12, where John presents a powerful testimony about Jesus Christ through the water, blood, and Spirit. As we prepare for worship, let’s take a moment to summarize what we’ve learned and explore some important historical context that shaped this letter.
In the first-century church, Gnosticism was a rising threat. This belief system claimed special "knowledge" (gnosis) for salvation, often separating the spiritual from the physical. Gnostics viewed the material world as corrupt and denied that a divine being like Christ could take on human flesh. They believed that Jesus either only "appeared" to be human or that the divine Christ temporarily inhabited the man Jesus but left Him before His suffering and death. This heresy undermined core Christian beliefs, particularly the truth that Jesus was both fully human and fully divine.
John likely wrote his letters, including 1 John, partly to confront these false teachings. The Gnostics’ denial of Jesus’ authentic humanity and suffering was a severe threat to the gospel message. If Jesus weren’t truly human, His sacrifice on the cross would be meaningless, and there would be no atonement for sin.
Had the Gnostics interpreted 1 John 5:6-12, they might have accepted the reference to Jesus coming by water (His baptism) but denied that He came by blood (His crucifixion). They likely would have claimed that the divine Christ left Jesus before His suffering, making the blood irrelevant to their theology. To the Gnostics, the Spirit may have been seen as a mystical, spiritual element detached from the physical suffering of Jesus.
However, John emphasizes water and blood, showing that Jesus' identity and mission are inseparable from His baptism and sacrificial death. The Spirit bears witness to both of these realities, affirming that Jesus is fully God and fully man.
John presents three witnesses—water (Jesus' baptism), blood (His crucifixion), and the Spirit—who testify to Jesus as the Son of God. These witnesses affirm the historical reality of His life, ministry, and sacrificial death, essential to understanding who He is.
John provides multiple witnesses to counter false teachings like Gnosticism. The Spirit, water, and blood together confirm Jesus' full divinity and humanity, ensuring we don’t fall into the trap of a one-sided view of Jesus that denies His humanity or His sacrificial death.
Our own lives should reflect this testimony. Just as God testifies to the truth of Jesus through the Spirit, water, and blood, we are called to live in a way that testifies to His transforming power in us. Our actions, words, and love should reveal the work of the Holy Spirit.
It’s tempting to embrace only the water—the renewal and healing of baptism—while avoiding the blood—the suffering and sacrifice of the cross. But both are essential to following Christ fully. Without the blood, there is no forgiveness or salvation.
As we conclude, take time to pray and thank God for the fullness of Jesus' life—His birth, ministry, death, and resurrection. Reflect on whether your life testifies to the truth of Christ, and ask the Spirit to strengthen your witness to the world.
John’s letter was written to preserve Jesus's true identity—the fully human, fully divine Son of God. Without embracing both His baptism and crucifixion, we cannot know the true Jesus. The false beliefs of Gnosticism denied this, but John’s testimony stands firm: "Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life."
As we prepare for Worship this coming Sunday, let’s reflect on the fullness of who Jesus is—both His life-giving water and His life-saving blood—and commit ourselves to living as true witnesses to His gospel.