The Spirit, and the Water, and the Blood: And the Three Agree in One

 

John 19:32-34 “32 The soldiers therefore came, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other that was crucified with him: 33 but when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: 34 howbeit one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and straightway there came out blood and water.”

 

Thus, although Jesus is God (Philippians 2:6), He came by water and blood, cleansed us from our sins, fulfilled the law, and revealed the gospel, that is, newness of life (Romans 6:4), to all people. And the One who bears witness to this is the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is truth. Jesus had already revealed to His disciples at the Last Supper that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth.

 

John 14:16-17 “16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may be with you for ever, 17 even the Spirit of truth: whom the world cannot receive; for it beholdeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he abideth with you, and shall be in you.”

 

John 15:26 “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall bear witness of me.”

 

John 16:13 “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he shall guide you into all the truth: for he shall not speak from himself; but what things soever he shall hear, these shall he speak...”

 

However, we must remember that in the Old Testament Jehovah God is called the God of truth, and Jesus also said that the word of the Father is truth.

 

Psalm 31:5 “Into thy hand I commend my spirit: Thou hast redeemed me, O Jehovah, thou God of truth.”

 

Isaiah 65:16 “So that he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes.”

 

Psalm 119:142, 151, 160 “142 Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, And thy law is truth. 151 Thou art nigh, O Jehovah; And all thy commandments are truth. 160 The sum of thy word is truth; And every one of thy righteous ordinances endureth for ever.”

 

John 17:17 “Sanctify them in the truth: thy word is truth.”

 

Then, who is Jesus?

 

John 1:1, 14 “1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth.”

 

Since the Word of the God of truth became flesh and came to us, and that One is Jesus, Jesus also is truth. John the Baptist came beforehand and bore witness to this truth.

 

John 5:33 “Ye have sent unto John, and he hath borne witness unto the truth.”

 

And Jesus Himself spoke concerning Himself as follows:

 

John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

 

Therefore, Jesus spoke only the truth.

 

John 8:45 “But because I say the truth, ye believe me not.”

 

By contrast, those who believed the words of Jesus were able to be made free by the truth.

 

John 8:31-32 “31 Jesus therefore said to those Jews that had believed him, If ye abide in my word, then are ye truly my disciples; 32 and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

 

Likewise, the apostle Paul also preached to people that, because truth is in Jesus, they should put on the new man, which after God hath been created in righteousness and holiness of truth.

 

Ephesians 4:21-24 “21 if so be that ye heard him, and were taught in him, even as truth is in Jesus: 22 that ye put away, as concerning your former manner of life, the old man, that waxeth corrupt after the lusts of deceit; 23 and that ye be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new man, that after God hath been created in righteousness and holiness of truth.”

 

Thus, the fact that truth is in Jesus shows that Jesus Himself is the truth. Now, to summarize again:

 

Jehovah God is the God of truth, and the word of the Father is truth. And because the Word of truth became flesh and came by water and blood, this One is Jesus; therefore, Jesus is truth. And the One who bears witness to this is the Holy Spirit, and this Holy Spirit also is truth.

 

Because “truth is one,” there is only one truth and one God for us, and He is our “Lord Jesus Christ.”

 

1 Corinthians 12:3-6 “3 Wherefore I make known unto you, that no man speaking in the Spirit of God saith, Jesus is anathema; and no man can say, Jesus is Lord, but in the Holy Spirit. 4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are diversities of ministrations, and the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of workings, but the same God, who worketh all things in all.”

 

Therefore, now we all must, according to this witness of the Holy Spirit of truth, become witnesses of Jesus by obeying Him.

 

2 Corinthians 13:8 “For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.”

 

Acts 1:8 “But ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

 

Amen.