If you would please open your copy of God's word to 1 John chapter 5. We'll be reading verses 6 through 12. You can find that on a Pew Bible on page 1023. Before we read the word of God, let us pray together. Father, we praise you for your word. which is living and active and sharper than a two-edged sword. Lord, sanctify us by your truth that we may grow each day in Christlikeness, that we might serve and love you with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength for your glory's sake. Amen. So this is from John's first letter, chapter five, verses six through 12. This is the word of the living God. This is he who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ. Not by the water only, but by the water and the blood. And the spirit is the one who testifies because the spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood, and these three agree. If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater. For this is the testimony of God that he has born concerning his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his son. And this is the testimony that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his son. Whoever has the son has life, but whoever does not have the son of God does not have life. Well, when I was growing up, I used to drive my brothers crazy by singing commercials. Kids are like sponges, and like any other child, I soaked up whatever puddle I was dropped in. I loved music, so whether it was Coke's I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing, or the Oscar Mayer Wiener song, I knew them all and delighted in singing them, loudly. Well, maybe you don't remember songs so well, but you remember mottos. One commercial from the 1970s and 80s said, when E.F. Hutton talks, people listen. Today, E.F. Hutton's website says, quote, in the past, E.F. Hutton was known for the things they said. the information they passed on and the wise advice they gave. We talk, yes, and when we do, so much more happens than just listening. The voices we listen to make a great deal of difference in our lives. The scriptures remind us repeatedly that our ears are the gateways to spiritual success or failure. My grandfather gave me a Bible when I was admitted to the Lord's table for the first time, and he wrote Proverbs 1-7 in it. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Fools despise wisdom and instruction. Later, in chapter one of Proverbs, wisdom declares, whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease without dread of disaster. I'm reminded of the words often spoken by Jesus. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. Our world is full of voices demanding our attention, even our allegiance. If we take only one lesson away from our passage tonight, it should be this, quote, if we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater. Child of God, let that statement saturate the sponge of your soul tonight. The world may have important things to say to us about many things, but may we never forget that one word from God is worth more than a billion words of the world. May that simple truth drown out the competing voices in our heads and keep us focused on serving our God and Father. May he give us ears tonight to hear so that so much more happens than just listening. John's words should challenge us to do three things related to God's testimony. First, we should pay close attention to God's witnesses because they tell us who we need to know. Second, We need to take heed how we receive it. And third, we need to ponder the consequences. So first, we need to pay attention to God's witnesses because they tell us who we need to know. John has been teaching about saving faith in verses one through five of chapter five. As the old hymn says, faith is the victory that overcomes the world. By faith, we believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God. But how can we be sure that we overcome the world if we believe this? We need to know more about who Jesus is and what he accomplished. So in verses six through 12, John makes a powerful case for Jesus with God himself giving his testimony. And the first thing John highlights in verse six is that Jesus came. What blessed words. Perhaps John was reflecting on what Jesus himself said in John 8, 42. If God were your father, you would love me. For I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. God sent his only son to be the savior of the world. Notice the emphasis in verse six that Jesus, that the one who came is Jesus Christ. Earlier in chapter four, verse two, John had emphasized that Jesus Christ had come in the flesh. In chapter five, verse one, he emphasized that Jesus is the Christ. The word Christ refers to God's Messiah, God's anointed one whom he sent to be the savior. In 1 John 2, 22, John had identified the Christ with God's Son. He does so again in chapter 5, verse 1, and chapter 5, verse 5. Jesus is the Christ, and he is the Son of God. By saying Jesus Christ, John is stressing the divine human nature of our Lord. Jesus had to be both God and man to be our savior. We'll speak more of this in a few minutes. For now, suffice it to say that Christ came in his love and mercy to seek and save the lost because we could not go up to him. In John's gospel, chapter 6, 51, Jesus said, I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh. So the great subject matter of God's testimony is Jesus Christ, the Savior. But notice next how Jesus came. God calls his first two witnesses to the stand. This is he who came by water and blood, not by the water only, but by the water and the blood. Now to be honest, verses six through eight contain some significant interpretive challenges. There are two reasons for this. First, to what do the terms water and blood refer? And second, there is a famous text variant which is included in the King James Version of the Bible at the end of verse seven going into verse eight. Let's deal with the text variant first. Look down please if you would at verse seven in your pew Bible, the English Standard Version. It begins, quote, for there are three that testify. At this point, the King James adds the following words. In heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one. Then the King James continues in verse eight by adding the words, and there are three that bear witness in earth. And then it continues as the ESV, the spirit and the water and the blood. And these three agree. As read in the King James, these verses give what would be the most concise statement of the Holy Trinity in the entire Bible. The Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost. And these three are one. But there's a big problem. That is, these words do not appear in any Greek manuscripts before the 14th century. Also, none of the early church fathers quote these words in their commentaries. Since almost all of the New Testament can be recreated simply by reading quotations from the fathers, it's most telling that these words appear nowhere, especially since they would have included a doctrine which was hotly debated in the early centuries. The reason they were included in the King James is because Erasmus reluctantly included them in the third edition. of his Greek New Testament in the early 1500s, which was subsequently consulted by the 1611 translators of the King James Version. So what's the bottom line? Do we need to be concerned that those words from the King James Version are left out of our ESV Bibles? Absolutely not. The New Testament clearly contains the doctrine of the Trinity without these extra words from the King James Version. So no vital doctrine is missing as a result. As an aside, no vital doctrine in the whole Bible is compromised by any textual variant that we have in the Greek or Hebrew manuscripts. Now let's go back to verse six. What are we to make of the references to water and blood? Commentators over the centuries have provided many suggestions. Some have suggested that water and blood refer to the sacraments. This is problematic for two reasons. First, it would be unusual to say that Jesus came by the sacraments. And second, while water is the sign for baptism, blood is not the sign for the Lord's Supper. The signs for the Lord's Supper are bread and wine, which signify Christ's body and blood. Another interpretation is that water and blood is a reference back to John chapter 19, verse 34, when the soldier pierced Jesus' side on the cross and blood and water came out. This is strengthened by the fact that in John 19.35, John goes on to say, he who saw it has borne witness. His testimony is true. While the link to testimony is strong, the messages of the two passages are different. In John 19, the water, the blood and water are the evidence by which John gives his testimony to the death of Jesus. In 1 John, the water and blood themselves give witness to the divine human nature of Jesus. And again, in 1 John it says, Jesus came by water and blood. And in John 19, blood and water came out of Jesus. So what is John indicating by saying Jesus came by water and blood? A good starting place is to look at verse 11. which gives a summary of God's testimony. John says this, and this is the testimony that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his son. So, water and blood must have something to do with the salvation God has provided through Christ. Next, it's helpful to check the pronouns in the text. The ESV uses the word by three times in verse six. But the Greek text actually employs two different prepositions in this passage. A more literal translation of verse six would be, this is he who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ. not in water only, but in the water and in the blood. I think our children would tell us what we find from Tertullian's writing. He suggested that water and blood refer to Christ's baptism and death respectfully. Taken this way, the passage reinforces the strong Christological argument John has been making, that Jesus is the Messiah, God come in the flesh. Now there was an early heresy which claimed that Jesus was just a man, born of an earthly father and mother. But then the eternal Christ descended upon him at his baptism. only to leave him just before his crucifixion because the eternal cannot suffer. On the contrary, John is saying that this one Jesus Christ was the God-man throughout his entire ministry. The Son of God came not in the water only, but in the water and the blood. We need a God-man to save us. Jesus needed to have a human nature to save sinful humanity. As Gregory of Nonsiasis famously said, that which is not assumed is not healed. But he also needed a God nature to bear the infinite wrath of God and to be a sufficient sacrifice for the sin of the world. Again, Jesus coming by water and blood points further to his high priestly work. At his baptism, Jesus was consecrated for his work as our Redeemer. Exodus 29 tells how Aaron the high priest and his sons were consecrated before entering the tabernacle. They were brought to the entrance on the east side and washed in water by Moses. Even so, Jesus came and tabernacled among us. Our great high priest came to the Jordan on the east side, an entrance to the promised land, and was baptized by John and anointed by the Holy Spirit to inaugurate his ministry. John the Baptist's work was a baptism of repentance. Jesus did not need to repent, but through his baptism, Christ identified with the sins of his people. The Baptist identified him as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. John has made several references to this in his letter. For example, in chapter two, verse two, he said, if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins. Which leads us to the next thing. Christ not only identified with us through his baptism, he's our advocate, but he represented us on the cross as an atoning sacrifice. He's our propitiation. We need both things. Christ's baptism points to his sufficiency as savior. But it was not until the God-man, Jesus Christ, died on the cross that we see his full efficacy as Savior. It's one thing to have a slugger on a baseball team. It's quite another thing to have a slugger who actually hits home runs. Christ is the slugger who hit the home run. He not only had the power to save, but he actually saved his people on the cross. It was there that Christ declared, it is finished. How can we be assured of this salvation? Enter God's third witness, the Holy Spirit. Look at the text. And the spirit is the one who testifies because the spirit is the truth. How does the spirit testify to Christ, specifically in his baptism and death? If you would, turn to John chapter one in your Bible and look at verse 32 and following. It reads, and John bore witness I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, he on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God. Here the Spirit is testifying to the saving power of Christ and to his divinity as the Son of God. The Apostle Paul then helps us understand how the Spirit testifies to the efficacy of Christ's death and his divine nature. Paul says in Romans 1-4 that Jesus was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord. In other words, the resurrection is God's testimony that he has fully accepted the sacrifice of Christ on behalf of his people and vindicated Christ as the perfect Son of God. What John has been showing us, therefore, in only these short few verses is amazing. He's been showing us the sufficiency of the person and work of Jesus the Son to save his people. The three witnesses, the water, the blood, and the spirit testify and agree to the human and divine nature of Jesus and to the completeness and the salvation of the salvation that we have in him. So we would do well to pay attention. But secondly, we need to take heed how we receive this testimony. Look at verses nine and 10. If we receive the testimony of man, the testimony of God is greater. For this is the testimony of God that he is born concerning his son. Whoever believes in the son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar because he has not believed in the testimony that God has born concerning his son. It is the nature of sinful human beings not to take God at his word. Sin began through doubting God's word. Satan asked Eve, did God really say? Throughout his ministry, Jesus struggled with those who insisted on seeing a sign rather than believing the words that he spoke. Jesus said in Luke 11, 29, this generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. Then later in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, remember how the rich man has died and is in torment, and he pleads with Abraham to have someone go to his five brothers and warn them about the torments of hell. Abraham says to him, if they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead. John tells us the testimony of God is greater than man's, so we should believe it. And then he adds, this is the testimony of God that he is born concerning his son. Now there's possibly nothing more compelling on this earth than to witness the love of a mother for her child. Anyone with common sense knows not to say anything negative when a mom is speaking lovingly about her children. Can we even begin, therefore, to put into perspective the eternal love of the Father for the eternal Son in all of its perfection and purity. To reject God the Father's testimony about his Son is simply unthinkable. Yet that is exactly what people do all of the time. People say things like, well, Jesus was a great teacher, a great humanitarian, but he's not God. Jesus might be your savior, but he's not my savior. John says in verse 10, whoever does not believe God has made him a liar. Let us not be fooled. God does not take unbelief lightly. In contrast, John says at the beginning of verse 10, whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. There are several fascinating things about this statement. First, it teaches us about the nature of belief. It might be better translated, whoever believes into or on the Son of God. Belief is not simply intellectual assent, but laying our lives onto Christ. It is complete joyful dependence, even as a child throws itself into its father's arms when daddy comes home. But second, this passage refers to the inner testimony of the spirit. We've already spoken of the outer testimony. The spirit gives witness to Christ through the scriptures. But once we believe the testimony of God in the scriptures, the spirit comes and gives additional assurance through an inner testimony because he dwells in the hearts of believers. John had already spoken of this earlier in chapter two, verse 27. He said, but the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. We are taught the word and accept the word through the Spirit, and then the Spirit continues to teach and assure us. The order is important. We hear and believe and then the testimony dwells in us. The Apostle Paul puts it this way in 1 Thessalonians 1 verse 5. Our gospel came to you not only in word but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. That's it, full conviction. An old divine used to say, I believe in order to understand. This leads us to the last point. We need to pay attention, we must take heed, and we need to ponder the consequences of God's testimony. Now John puts this as clearly as possible. Verses 11 and 12. And this is the testimony that God gave us eternal life. And this life is in his son. Whoever has the son has life. Whoever does not have the son of God does not have life. You can understand that, can't you? God has spoken. Are you listening? Have you yielded your life to God and trusted in Christ? Do you see that God has provided everything you need in Christ? Do you know him as your advocate? Are you trusting that his blood is sufficient to pay for your sins, take away your guilt, and fit you for heaven? In a few minutes, we're going to come to the Lord's table. It is a table for sinners who know the Son of God has died and risen again for their justification. The Apostle Paul exhorts us, for as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. Whoever therefore eats the bread and drinks the cup in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself then and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. Let us then draw near through faith that we might receive from Christ himself the blessings he has purchased for us through his blood. Let's pray together. Our gracious Heavenly Father, we praise you for your life-giving word, that in it we have your very own words assuring us of the perfect salvation offered through Christ our Savior. We thank you for the grace we receive through the table of our Lord. We pray that by your Holy Spirit we might feast again on your goodness and mercy, and that you would keep us in that grace until we see our Savior face to face. Amen.