A charactiture of a Black Gospel preacher—of whom I’m a big fan—has him periodically bellowing, “can I get a witness,” as he wipes his brow with his handkerchief. Jesus Christ, however, does not need to beg for a witness.
6 This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. (1 John 5:6–8)
That Jesus Christ was baptized in water, and the Spirit of God descended upon him, and testified as to who he is, is well documented (Luke 3:22).
21 Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.” (Luke 3:21–22)
That he died a bloody death on a cross is well documented.
Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. (John 19:30) And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” Having said this, He breathed His last. (Luke 23:46)
The early church appears to have been beset by Gnostics, who claimed that Jesus was a person, not deity. At best, they saw him as divine only from His baptism to the cross. What John was really battling was the attempt to remove the word “Christ” from its association with Jesus.
Theologians tell us that the single title “Christos” is sometimes used without “Jesus” to signify the One who by His Holy Spirit and power indwells believers and molds their character in conformity to His likeness. If you can disavow his continuing deity theologically and practically, Christianity falls apart.1
While we have the sacraments of communion to physically “testify” to these facts, thank God his Spirit engrains these truths within us, making sure that Jesus Christ is more than a historical figure, but one who has saved us and actively participates in our lives through his Spirit.
And as such we can testify, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. (Galatians 2:20)
Paul says, “Every fact is to be confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses.” (2 Corinthians 13:1) Here we have three, and they are in agreement: the water, blood, and Spirit. Case closed.
1 I. IWuest, K. S. (1997). Wuest’s word studies from the Greek New Testament: for the English reader (Vol. 13, p. 175). Eerdmans.
Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W., Jr. (1996). Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Vol. 2, p. 101). T. Nelson.
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