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The Witness of the Spirit, the Water and the Blood


by Dale M. Sides

       For many years, I have wrestled with the meaning of the witness of the Spirit, water and blood from 1 John 5:6-9. Now that I know the answer, it is so simple. Each has a witness and they all agree in one. Their combined testimony is in 1 John 5:1.

       Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. [1 John 5:1a NKJ]

       The Spirit has a testimony that helps us believe, and likewise, the blood and the water each have a testimony that concurs—Jesus is the Christ and believing on Him gives eternal life. The Spirit and the water and the blood all harmoniously agree in one testimony.

       And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.    [1 John 5:8 NKJ]

       Even though I have wrestled with this verse for years, it was the farthest thing in the world from my mind one morning while praying with my wife. In a simple request, I asked the Lord to pour out some fresh oil of revelation upon me. His response was so quick that it startled me what He immediately said, "The witness of the water and the blood from 1 John 5 is the water and blood that came from my side when I was pierced."

       Not only was I taken back at the quickness of His response, but also the content of what He said left me pointlessly trying to continue in prayer. I finally gave way to the constraining desire to go to my study and verify from the written Word of God what I had heard from the living Word of God. When you see what I saw, you will have the evidence that Jesus knows the Bible; that He is Rabboni, the Master Teacher; and that He still speaks and teaches today. To Him be praise and glory.

       John 19:34 and 35 says exactly what the Lord spoke to me by revelation—that the blood and water coming out of His side was a witness. The Apostle John, the writer of 1 John and also the Gospel of John, bore witness to this event in both John 19 and 1 John 5.

       But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. [John 19:34 NKJ]

       This was a very significant occurrence because it fulfilled a prophecy in Zechariah. This was that Jesus was the firstborn of God and that only through Him could salvation be given. This reference is in Zechariah 12:10. Verse 37 directly shows this.

       "And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they have pierced; they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. [Zechariah 12:10 [NKJ]

       The Apostle obviously referred to this event many times in his life. He saw it and knew what it meant. The next verse simply states this fact.

       And he [the Apostle John] who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. [John 19:35 NKJ]

       He who saw this was the Apostle John. We know that he was standing at the foot of the cross witnessing the events because six verses before Jesus told the disciple He loved, the Apostle John standing at the foot of the cross, to take care of His mother. John saw the water and the blood gush out of the spear wound in his side. This is the testimony of the water and the blood. It is called the testimony of men because John gave this witness.

       If we receive the witness of men, [the testimony of the blood and water from the Apostle John] the witness of God [the testimony of the Holy Spirit] is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son. [1 John 5:9 NKJ]

       Remember that the testimony of the Spirit, the water and the blood agree in one, (1 John 5:8) but that they are different, each contributing to the whole truth.

       And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. [John 19:35 NKJ]

       The water and the blood, the testimony of men, plus the witness of the Spirit, that coming from the Holy Spirit, establishes the truth- Jesus is the Christ and believing on Him gives eternal life.

       The witness of God is the testimony of the Holy Spirit within us that we know that Christ is the Son of the Living God. This witness is in us as the Holy Spirit bears witness in our conscience. (Romans 8:16; 9:1)

       He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself. [1 John 5:10a NKJ]

       This inward is a greater witness than the witness of man (blood and water coming out the wound). As startling as the crucifition was to John, the reality of the inward witness is even more sure. However, through both the witness of men and the witness of the Holy Spirit combined together, relates to another criterion for witnessing truth that the Law of Moses required as a standard.

       …at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established. [Deuteronomy19:15b KJV]

       The witnesses of the Spirit, the water and the blood all agree in one. For this to be veritable, according to legal standard, each one and more than one was needed.

       The conclusion of the matter is simply stated:

       #1. By the witness of man, the Apostle John seeing and testifying of the blood and water coming out of the side, that Jesus was the one they pierced and He was in fact the Messiah, and only our hope of salvation.

       #2. By the witness of the Holy Spirit, as He witnesses in our hearts, we have received the witness of God in us.

       #3. By two or three witnesses, we have an established truth. The testimony of each and all three agrees in one.

       And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. [1 John 5:11 NKJ]

       The Apostle John obviously had testified of the water and blood many, many times. He also knew the reality of water and blood was to consecrate the sanctuary, (Hebrews 9:19) and that the New Testament sanctuary was you. He testified time and again that Jesus was that pierced sacrifice unto whom all Israel would mourn and cry for deliverance. As great as the eyewitness of the water and the blood was to John, he knew that the reality of the inner witness of the Holy Spirit would be a greater witness to us.

       The Spirit and the water and the blood agree in one—Jesus Christ is the payment for salvation. The witness of men and the witness of God agree- Jesus Christ is the only way for anyone to receive the gift of eternal life.

       12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. [1 John 5:12-13 [NKJ]

©1999 Liberating Ministries for Christ International, Inc.
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