Certain Eternity Part 40 – Three Witnesses
1 John 5:6-12 August, 31 2025
Introduction
In 2002 a forensic pathologist named Dr. Bennet Omalu was tasked with a
routine autopsy…except the individual was unique, hall of fame offensive
lineman for the Pittsburg Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs, Mike Webster.
Nicknamed Iron Mike for his grit and longevity, Mike Webster was known as one
of the toughest offensive lineman around.
o Quoted excerpts below from https://www.ucs.org/resources/nfl-tried-
intimidate-scientists-studying-link-between-pro-football-and-traumatic-
brain#:~:text=But%20Omalu%20was%20not%20invited,was%20the%20wh
istle%2Dblower.%E2%80%9D
After Iron Mike’s death, Dr. Omalu undertook to examine him and found
significant injury to his brain. Dr. Omalu ordered the brain preserved and
undertook a series of tests that identified that Iron Mike had chronic traumatic
encephalopathy or CTE. When these findings were reported, the NFL
immediately went into damage control mode.
o “High-profile concussion-related retirements and injuries in the early 1990s
had prompted reluctant NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue to create the
NFL-run Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Committee (MTBI).” This committee
immediately set to work publishing articles discrediting Dr. Omalu’s findings
and discrediting Dr. Omalu himself.
o Dr. Omalu as well as additional neuroscientists went on to publish further
findings that showed that CTE was widespread in football players and yet
the NFL’s MTBI continued to reject their findings, publishing their own
studies downplaying the severity of concussions and discrediting reports of
CTE.
o Despite the clear testimony and evidence provided by the doctors and
neuroscientists, the NFL refused to acknowledge the truth.
People don’t often like to hear things that challenge them – their way of thinking,
their way of living, their comfort zone. Often times, rather than engage in
discerning the truth, people will just remove the evidence of a contrary opinion or
perspective. This is exactly what the proto-Gnostics did in Ephesus as they left
the church (1 John 2:19), and in our text today John is addressing the clear
witness that God provided to us to strengthen our trust in and submission to
Jesus.
1 John 5:6-12 “6 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. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the
Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. 9 If we receive the
testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God
that he has borne concerning his Son. 10 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. 11 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in
his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of
God does not have life.”
o 1 main part: The Witnesses…with a brief application of the Walk
Martin Lloyd-Jones “Now there can be no question at all but that these three
verses are not only the most difficult verses in this epistle, but I think … that they
are the three most difficult verses, in a sense, in the entire Bible!”
o While Mr. Jones may be a little overdramatic in his assessment, the fact
remains that many people are confused by this text. The situation isn’t
helped by the fact that the KJV adds in a line at the end of verse seven that
is not in the earliest manuscripts. Most modern translations appropriately
omit the later textual addition or footnote it, and so we will not even be
addressing that today.
o But the confusion that remains is wrapped up in understanding what John
is referring to here by these different witnesses. So let’s break it down.
The Witnesses
“6 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. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit and the water
and the blood; and these three agree.”
We have previously talked about the importance of witnesses in Part 5 of this
series back in chapter 1.
To refresh, “Testifies” (GK martureo) from mártus = witness = one who has
information or knowledge of something and can bring to light or confirm
something. English = martyr) in its most basic sense refers to a legal witness. A
witness is someone who has personal and immediate knowledge of something
and gives a true account of what they know by having seen or heard.
o In scripture, from the OT to the NT, 2 or 3 witnesses are regularly
referenced or required in order to establish the truth of a matter, especially
as it relates to passing judgment on something.
o Hebrews 10:28-29 “28 Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies
without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 29 How much
worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has
trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the
covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of
grace?” (see, also, Deut. 17:6, 19:15+, Matt. 18:15-16, 1 Tim. 5:19)
o Of course, we are all called to testify or bear witness to what Jesus has
done in our lives. But here John is pointing out three different witnesses, in
keeping with the standards of the law, that speak to the validity of Jesus
being the Son of God and the Messiah, the Christ.
It is interesting to note that “testify” here in v7 is in the present tense
signifying that all three witnesses continue to testify to the truth of
Jesus Christ even today – they are ongoing and permanent
witnesses to the person (who He is) and work (what He did/does) of
Jesus.
What are the three: water, blood, and the Spirit
Spurgeon “A priest was always ordained by sacrificial blood,
cleansing water, and oil that spoke of the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
So Jesus also had these three witnesses to His priestly ministry.”
The water
o So, what water testifies to Jesus’s person and work? The waters of
baptism.
Matthew 3:13-17 “13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to
John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him,
saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15
But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us
to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus
was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold,
the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God
descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a
voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am
well pleased.””
John MacArthur explains “Although He was without sin (2Cor 5:21;
Heb. 4:15; 7:26; 1Per 2:22; cf. Jn 8:46), it was still necessary for
Jesus to be baptized. By doing so, He publicly identified with sinners.
Therefore He told John, “Permit it at this time; for in this way it is
fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” (Mt. 3:15). Jesus always
performed what God required of His people; He claimed no
exemption here, just as He claimed no exemption from paying the
temple tax (Mt 17:24-27). His perfect obedience (cf. John 4:34; 8:29;
14:31; 15:10) made Him the sinless sacrifice whose death made
atonement for sin.”
And when He was baptized, the father testified to who Jesus was, the
Son of God, with whom he is pleased….talk about an endorsement.
The blood
o The shed blood of Jesus on the cross also testifies to His being the Son of
God who is the Christ.
First of all, Jesus was the perfect spotless lamb who was slain…His
spilled blood was an acceptable atoning propitiation (1 John 2:2,
4:10)…and we know this because Jesus rose from the dead,
meaning death could not hold Him. His shed blood therefore testifies
to His who He is and what He has accomplished.
Secondly, all of the events surrounding the crucifixion itself testify to
the person and work of Jesus: the darkness that fell (Matthew 27:45-
46), the earthquake, veil of the temple being torn, and saints being
temporarily raised (Matthew 27:51-53) and ultimately the testimony
of the gentiles who saw all these signs and proclaimed themselves
“truly this was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:54)
o Importance of “not by the water only but by the water and the blood”(v6)
John MacArthur, “[this phrase] is not redundant, but addresses an
important theological point. The Father did not, as the false teachers
whom John was combating insisted, affirm Jesus at His baptism, but
not at His death. Those heretics, purveyors of an incipient form of
Gnosticism, taught that the “Christ spirit” descended on the man
Jesus at His baptism, making Him the anointed One of God.
According to this heresy, Jesus, under the control of the “Christ
spirit,” gave valuable ethical teachings during His ministry. But the
Christ spirit left Him before the crucifixion and, the false teachers
further claimed, He died as a mere man, not the God-man whose
sacrificial death atoned for the sins of all who would ever be justified.
Like any teaching that denies the efficacy of Christ’s substitutionary
atonement, that teaching was a satanic lie, since “Jesus Christ the
righteous… is the propitiation for our sins” (1Jn 2:1-2; cf. 1Jn 4:10;
Ro 3:25; Heb 2:17). If He did not possess His divine nature on the
cross, Jesus could not and did not conquer sin and death for
believers. But the glorious truth is that “He… who knew no sin
[became] sin on our behalf, so that we might become the
righteousness of God in Him” (2Cor. 5:21+).”
The Spirit
o Everything the Spirit says is truth. And all spiritual truth is from Him (2Pe
1:21+, 2Ti 3:16+). It is only as He teaches us that we come to know truth
(Lk 12:12+, Jn 14:26). When He testifies or bears witness about Jesus
(Jn. 15:26), what He says is true and we do well to receive this truth and
live by it as He guides us through this world’s lies and darkness.
o We’ve already seen the Spirit alight on Jesus at His baptism, marking the
beginning of His public ministry. So we know in that very public display, the
Spirit was already testifying to Jesus.
o The Spirit continued of testify of Jesus as the Son of God who is the Christ
through all of the miracles, signs, and wonders that Jesus performed
through the power of the Holy Spirit
Luke 4:18-21 “18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has
anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to
proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to
set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the
Lord’s favor.” 20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the
attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were
fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture
has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
o And it was the power of the Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead
Romans 1:4 “and [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”
o After Jesus ascended into heaven, the Spirit continues to testify to the
person and work of Jesus. (see e.g. Acts 4:8-12)
The Walk
To what do the witnesses agree, that Jesus came (v6, “came” is in the aorist
tense indicating a past, historical event) in the flesh and is the son of God, the
messiah, and the only way for us to have our sins forgiven, to be made right with
God the Father, and to have eternal life. John has written at length about this but
repeats it here again.
“9 If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is
the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. 10 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. 11 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal
life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does
not have the Son of God does not have life.”
o [quickly exposit each verse in plain terms]
Trust the word of God and all of God’s promises.
Trust the witnesses found in scripture.
Trust the life that only comes through Jesus and then walk with Him….and if you
haven’t trusted in Jesus, turn to Him because He is the only way to life.
o We are victorious overcomers of this world only through Jesus….yet many
of us can fall into deception and lies that convince us not to trust in the
testimony we have before us. By God’s grace, turn back to the truth of the
overwhelming evidence presented by these witnesses.
Conclusion
Eventually, in 2017, after the Dr. Omalu and others had continued to amass
evidence, “the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published
findings from a study of the brains of 202 deceased football players, 111 of whom
had played in the NFL. The results were stunning. Of the 202 players, 177 had
CTE. And of the 111 former NFL players, 110 had CTE—a 99% percent result.”
The NFL could no longer ignore the evidence, the MTBI was disbanded, it
donated tens of millions of dollars for brain research, redesigned their player
helmets, changed rules of the game to limit head trauma, and set aside a billion
dollars to pay for the damage to former players throughout the years who are
suffering with the effects of CTE, memory loss, confusion, impulse control
problems, aggression, depression, dementia, and other neurological diseases.
In the face of such witness the NFL had to respond, and it seems that it is finally
taking the evidence seriously.
As Josh McDowel’s book puts it, the word of God presents to us evidence that
demands a verdict. The bible presents even more overwhelming evidence than
that faces by the NFL.
o The baptism of Christ, the death and resurrection of Christ, and the
continual ministry of the Holy Spirit all testify to the eternal life that only
comes through Jesus.
The evidence is overwhelming. Stop trying to fight it, stop trying to discredit it,
stop trying to deny. Give your life to the truth of Jesus. Confidently embrace His
love and receive the joy, peace, and hope that only He can give.
Amen. Amen.