The Pulpit Commentary — 1 John — Section 164

but be that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?" 'fhe complete victory over the world can be attained only by genuine faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God.-W,J. Vere. 6-ll.-Tl1efour/old witness to the Divine Sonship of Jesus. "This is he that came by water and blood," etc. We omit the interpolated clauses, and take the text as it is given in the Revised Version. St. John here states the basis of that faith by means of which the Christian overcomes the world. We have the most convincing testimony that the confidence which is reposed in Jesus Christ as the Son of God is well founded. That testimony is manifold. We have- I. '1'1m TESTIMONY OF HIS BAPTISM. "'l'his is he that came by water, . . . even Jesus Christ." The coming here meant is not that of his incarnation, his entrance into this world; but his coming forth from the retirement of Nazareth to enter upon his great redemptive mission. His coming "by water" we regard as referring to hi~ baptism by John. That baptism was: 1. The inauguration of his great mission, When Jesus went to John for baptism he had finally left his private life, and was just a.bout to enter upon his public ministry, and his baptism was a fitting introduction to that ministry. 2 . .An inauguration characterized by supernatural and Divine attesta- tion. Probably it is for this reason that St. John here refers to our Lord's baptism: "Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway from the water: and lo, the heavens were opened unto him," etc. (Matt. iii. 16, 17). And John the Baptist testified, "'l'his is he of whom I said, After me cometh a Man which is become before me: for he was before me. And I knew him not; but that he should be made manifest to Israel," etc. (John i. 30-34). II. THE TESTIMONY OF HIS 0BUOIFIXION. "This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood." 'l'he reference is to the blood which he shed upon the cross for the redemption of man- kind. But how did his death witness to the truth that he was the Son of God ? 1. By the extraordinary phenomena associated with his death. "Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. . . . And Jesus yielded up the ghost. And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom," etc. (Matt. xxvii. 45, 50-54; Luke xxiii. 47, 48). 2. By the trans- cendent moral grandeur expressed in his death. He voluntarily submitted himself to death for the salvation of the lost world. Our Lord said, "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life that I may take it again. No one talreth it away from me," etc. (John x. 17, 18); "He gave himself for our sins," etc. (Gal. i. 4); "He gave himself a Ransom for all," etc. (1 Tim. ii. 6); "He gave himself for us," etc. (Titus ii. 14); "Christ also suffered for sins once, the Righteous for the unrighteous," etc. (1 Pet. iii. 18). He freely surrendered himself to the most painful and shameful death, not for himself, or for his frienil.s, but for sinners and rebels against him and his Father, and in order that they might have eternal life. Such self-sacrifice was more than human, more than angelic,-it was strictly and properly Divine. "This was compassion like a God, That when the Saviour knew The price of pardon was his blood, His pity ne'er withdrew." (Watts.) III. Tm: TESTIMONY OF ms SPIRIT. "And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three who bear witness, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood : and the three agree in one." Notice : 1. The nature of the testimony of the Holy Spirit. At our Lord's baptism the Spirit bore witness that he was the Son of God (Matt. iii. 16, 17). Our Lord said, "The Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall bear witness of me" (John xv. 26). Again he said, "The Spirit of truth . . . he shall glorify me; for ho shall take of mine, and shall declare it unto you." He bore witness to the Messiahship of Jesus by coming down, according to his promise, upon the apostles, and by making the gospel of Christ which they preached o. saving powor to thousands of souls (Acts ii.; iv. 31). And he beo.re witness for Christ in the hearts of Christiani (eh. iii. 24; 1 Cor. xii. 3). 2. ',"l,e J, JOflN, ¥  162 THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF JOHN, [cH, v. 1-21,