Lately John the apostle has been sharing with us about the fact that Jesus came to the Earth and dwelt as a man. There were some factions in John's day that believed that Jesus was only a spirit, a phantom of sorts, and they often said things like, “when Jesus walked on the seashore, he didn't leave footprints.” Their idea was that nothing material could be pure and holy, therefore Jesus could not have had a material body. These to whom John is referring were known as the “Gnostics”, which in its base form means “know”. In other words, these people were “in the know”, and the implication was that everyone else was “out of the know”. Today's verse found in the book of First John in chapter five and verse eight is another attempt for John to show that Jesus did indeed come in the flesh. He wrote:
And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.
John declares a threefold proof that Jesus came into the world. First, he uses “the Spirit”. This is the Spirit of God who bore testimony that Jesus was here. The Spirit descended upon Jesus when He was baptized, and He bears witness within our hearts when we receive Jesus as our Savior. Then John writes of the water and blood. John witnessed the crucifixion and saw as the Roman Centurion pushed a spear into Jesus' side to insure His death. John saw the blood and water flow from Jesus' side, and there was no phantom aspect to that at all.
There are those in the world who doubt Jesus' reality or may only give credit to Him being a “good man” or a “historical figure”, but this is not the reality or credit of God. God sent His Son Jesus to live as we do, in a human body, in a body that suffered, and can relate to any temptation we may incur. Paul the apostle wrote it this way in his book to the Philippians in chapter two and verses five through eleven:
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth; And [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Jesus came to identify with all of mankind. He desires to have fellowship with everyone who will simply believe in His sacrifice for their sins. Jesus is and will be exalted by each person as they bow their knees and confess with their tongues that Jesus Christ is Lord. If this is something you have not done, today is your day of salvation. Simply believe in your heart that Jesus died for your sins and was raised from the dead, confess with your mouth of the same, and the Bible says you can be saved. May all who read consider this great offering of the Living Savior Jesus Christ.
Next time we will look at the witness of men and the witness of God about Jesus Christ, so read ahead and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow...there is more...
Look for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
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