1 John 5:1-10 NKJV
John expresses in today’s reading something he also wrote about in the first chapter of his Gospel: “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (Jn. 1:12). Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, who came in the flesh to make atonement for our sins, is born of God. And those who are born of God not only love God. They also love all the others who are born of God. That’s the way it has to be in our Father’s house. But this love isn’t so much a feeling as it is a heartfelt devotion to God and to our brothers, a devotion that’s defined by God’s commandments. How do we love God and our brothers? By keeping God’s commandments, which we only truly begin to keep from the heart when we are born of God, when we are brought to faith in Jesus.
There are some significant differences in the Greek manuscripts of vv. 6-10, so that the (N)KJV reads very differently from the ESV/NIV. Nevertheless, they all agree that Jesus came by water and blood, and that the testimony of the Spirit, the water, and the blood agree that Jesus is indeed the Son of God in whom we should believe.
The water seems to refer to Jesus’ Baptism, when He stepped forth to fulfill all righteousness for us and when the Father gave His testimony about Jesus as His well-pleasing Son in whom we should believe. The blood seems to refer to Jesus’ death for our sins, after which the Father raised Him up, testifying again that Jesus is His well-pleasing Son in whom we should believe. The Spirit foretold Jesus’ Baptism (e.g. Is. 61:1) and His suffering, death, and resurrection and tells us the significance of it all (e.g. Is. 53:6-10). Those events themselves, combined with the Spirit’s testimony, are God’s reliable witnesses that Jesus is the Christ in whom we should most definitely believe, lest we make God out to be a liar. Let us pray: Father, You have given us ample testimony about Your beloved Son and have drawn us to Him by Your Gospel. For this we give You praise and thanks. Grant us Your Spirit, that we may always keep Your commandments. Amen.