My dear Brothers and Sisters, by the grace of God we have come to this blessed time of year that we celebrate the glorious birth of our beloved Savior, Jesus Christ. And as God’s Word clearly indicates, Jesus was not just some person born in Bethlehem, but was the true, the genuine, the one and only Son of the Living God. Holy and majestic, high and lifted up, He was acknowledged as such even before His actual birth. “And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and shalt call His name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest … The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1: 30-32 & 35)
This awe-inspiring season of good will should always remind us how wonderful it is to be privileged to serve a loving God who willingly sacrificed His own Son to atone for our sins and exonerate us from the death penalty that was imposed upon us by that sin. As a result, we have been offered the opportunity to enter into an intimate spiritual relationship with this gracious God through that Wonderful One He sent to save our souls. And whether we know it or not, we had no part in arranging our entrance into His glorious presence because no one comes to the Father but by His Son. “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.“ (John 14: 6) And likewise, no one comes to the Son but by the Father. “No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him.” (John 6: 44)
It is our belief in God and acceptance of the fact that His gracious love alone is all that we need to proceed on the path to paradise that He has paved in His precious peace. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2: 8) And since we know that faith is an indispensable ingredient in our relationship with God, it is by our faith that we have access to the grace that contains the salvation provided by His Son. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11: 6) And we also know that He sent His Son to this earth to carry out the greatest rescue mission of all time. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3: 16)
Yes, God not only sent, but sacrificed His Son for us all. So how, you might ask, could anyone ever ask this question … “How do you know that Jesus is really the Son of God?” This suspicious inquiry has been posed for thousands of years by those needing to see tangible evidence of Jesus’ divinity. Of course, anyone who has undergone the great change that comes from true repentance and conversion knows without a doubt of the undeniable existence of God’s Son and the joy that automatically comes with salvation. “Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation” (Psalm 51: 12) and “…in Thy presence is fulness of joy…” (Psalm 16: 11) And though we may not technically understand the marvelous mechanics of grace, we certainly know that those dear ones who encountered Jesus on the road to Emmaus after His resurrection didn’t understand it either. But just like us, praise God, in the innermost part of their being, they knew it! I can just hear the joy and excitement in their voices as they proclaimed, “Did not our heart burn within us, while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the scriptures?” (Luke 24: 32) They couldn’t explain the intricacies of His glory, but they absolutely could tell you about its virtuous effects because they experienced it, and down in the core of their soul, they felt it.
Nevertheless, there still remain those who, like the Apostle Thomas, need to examine proof that Jesus is who He said He is. “Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe.” (John 20: 25) But let me tell you, when you finally do come to the resolute and irrefutable realization of the life-giving truth about Jesus’ divine identity, you will be just like a reformed Thomas who had to humbly reverse his position and then emphatically declare these heart-felt words, “My Lord and my God.” (John 20: 28) And since we know that the Holy Bible is all about Jesus, pointing us and leading us to Jesus, I will offer specific scriptural evidence of actual occurrences that attest to the fact that Jesus is the Son of the Living God.
Let us start with the statement of the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans where he was speaking of God and His Son when he wrote this account, “Concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” (Romans 1: 3-4) This powerful testimony encapsulates the declarations of the Apostle John's epistle as he bellows out this bountiful blessing of belief: “Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5: 5) But as faith without works is dead, John then moves from belief to actual evidence that his statement is factual and true.
In Verse 6 the beloved disciple offers an explanation of the evidence. “This is He that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood.” John is indicating that there were two separate and glorious events that occurred which proved his point: one event involving water and another event involving blood. As is the typical pattern of writings in the bible, because water is mentioned first this would indicate that the event involving water occurred first, and then the event involving blood. Let us continue to investigate and discover what these two events were.
Verse 6 then concludes with the truest testimony of all time in all of the universe: “And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.” Well, well. The Spirit was an on-scene observer of these events and the Spirit don’t lie. So what was this water event and blood event that was witnessed and certified by the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Son of God? Now before we get to that, according to His own Word, God says, “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.” (2 Corinthians 13: 1) (See also Deuteronomy 17: 6 & 19: 15 and Matthew 18: 16) So in Verses 7 & 8 we learn who these additional witnesses were. “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.” So as you can see, heaven and earth are two witnesses to these events. But also, within each realm there are three witnesses. Again they are:
In Heaven - the Father, the Word and the Holy Ghost
In Earth - the Spirit, the water and the blood
And what do they all have in common? They are all saying the same thing which is, there is heavenly witness and earthly agreement that Jesus is the Son of God. And what are they witnessing and agreeing to as proof? That Jesus came by water and by blood. I believe that the words "water and blood" are symbolic of the following specific events which are proof positive of Jesus being the Son of God. The water being Jesus’ baptism and the blood being Jesus’ death. Let us examine each.
The water event (baptism) is detailed in the gospel according to John, Chapter 1, Verses 33-34. “...He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, the same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.” John not only received prior heavenly instruction, but was an eyewitness to and testified vigorously concerning Jesus’ Sonship. But it was not only him. Others present at this event singled out and identified Jesus as God’s Son as well. First it was the Spirit: “And Jesus, when He was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him.” (Matthew 3: 16) Also present was God Himself who said from heaven, “…This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3: 17) What better evidence is there than the testimony of our Heavenly Father about who His Son is? (See also Mark 1: 9-11 & Luke 3: 21-22).
A few years after the water event (His baptism), the blood event (His death) occurred. As you recall, Jesus hung on the cross after being brutally beaten, savagely whipped and then mercilessly executed by dreaded crucifixion. And then, this happened: “And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom. And when the centurion, which stood over against Him, saw that He so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this Man was the Son of God.” (Mark 15: 33 & 37-39) Glory to God Almighty! Are you stirred up yet?
But the Roman centurion was not the only one who was there to see and testify at the event. There were others at the scene as well to witness these happenings. But as the old saying goes, “actions speak louder than words,” notice if you will, that God Himself was also there and He spoke, not with words, but through awesome demonstrations of His glorious power. Let us recap what He did …..
· The land was plunged into darkness in the middle of the day!
· The veil of the temple was ripped in half from top to bottom!
· A powerful earthquake rumbled through the area!
· Even rocks and rock formations were split apart!
This reminds me of when Moses was about to go up on Mount Sinai and the glory of God was on full display. “And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.” (Exodus 19: 16 & 18) Oh, my!
And if these things weren’t enough to move you, is it possible to even imagine this happening? “And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.” (Matthew 27: 52-53) WOW! The incredible, spectacular, unlimited and amazing power of God! (See also Matthew 27: 45 & 50-54 and Luke 23: 44-48)
But wait, there’s more. There is another blood and water event that is separate and apart from the ones we’ve been discussing, but is nonetheless relevant and directly related to the subject at hand. However, in this event described in the Gospel According to John, not only is the blood mentioned first then the water, but it is a singular, not multiple, event. John tells us that after Jesus had died on the cross having paid the full penalty required for our sins, His belligerent antagonists examined Him to make sure that He was dead.
Now the Romans soldiers were very experienced in these matters and were well aware that Jesus’ life had already expired. “…He (Jesus) said, It is finished: and He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost. The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with Him. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that He was dead already, they brake not His legs.” (John 19: 30-32) But, though Jesus was already dead, to satisfy their own morbid desire for assurance that He was absolutely, undeniably and certifiably deceased, they performed one final barbaric act: “But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.” (John 19: 34)
However, what they meant for bad, God meant for good. I believe their quest for assurance of His death actually resulted in a powerful statement for the assurance of His life. How so? By the issuing of blood followed by water out of His body. Huh? Let me explain. In the Bible, blood is typically symbolic of death where water is typically symbolic of life. For example, “For My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken Me the fountain of living waters.” (Jeremiah 2: 13) And also, “O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake Thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters.” (Jeremiah 17: 13) Not to mention, “Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water. But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4: 10 & 14). And finally, “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” (John 7: 37-38)
Now we can see this event from a different perspective. We certainly know that Jesus has conquered death for us all and turned it into life, but get ready for this. As His precious blood (His death) flowed from His beloved body while He hung on that rugged cross, there also came a stream of glorious, virtuous water (His life) from whence comes the righteous revelation and the divine declaration as if Jesus’ own dead body hanging on the cross was saying, “Yes, I’m dead now (the blood), but watch out world because I’m coming back to life (the water)!” Coincidence? Far-fetched? Unbelievable? You be the judge. But who other than the true Son of God could do this? “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” (Revelation 2: 7, 11, 17 & 29 and 3: 6, 13 & 22) Jesus is alive and well. And He's coming back for His church.
Now there are many who have outright and unashamedly declared that Jesus was the Son of God. Here are a few: Jesus Himself (John 10: 36), unclean spirits (Mark 3: 11), Jesus’ followers (Mark 14: 33), the angel Gabriel (Luke 1: 35), John the Baptist (John 1: 34), the disciple Nathanael (John 1: 49), the Ethiopian treasurer (Acts 8: 37) and the convert Saul, later the Apostle Paul (Acts 9: 20). All of these were absolutely positive about their conviction concerning Jesus’ identity. So back to 1 John 5 as we conclude with Verse 9 which says, “If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which He hath testified of His Son.” So, if the eyewitness accounts of the Apostle John, the Roman centurion and others who were present at both events are to be believed, then how much more should we believe Almighty God that Jesus is His Son?
Nonetheless, there are some on this earth that are still hesitant or refuse to believe what has been written about Jesus. To those hesitant ones I ask, “Do you believe there was an American Civil War or that George Washington was the first president of the United States?” I’m sure most people would say yes to both questions. My response would then be, “Why do you believe that? You weren’t there.” The only answer there could be is that we have to rely on documented evidence of eyewitness accounts. And if that’s the case, then consider this. Why not believe the Bible which is the most reliable source document of any type in the history of mankind?
With that being said, I will conclude this message in which the goal was to present incontrovertible evidence that Jesus is not just a prophet, not just a teacher and not just a good man, but is the Son of God. But as sayeth the Samaritan people who were told about Jesus by the woman at the well in John 4: 42, “Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard Him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.“ I therefore submit to you that the most compelling and convincing confirmation you will ever get about who Jesus is, is to know Him for yourself. And I don’t mean to just be educated about who He was. I mean to submit to Him, follow Him, trust Him, obey Him, rely on Him and rest in Him. To feel Him deep in your soul and know without a doubt that your relationship with Him is solid, intimate, up close, personal and real. To have the unshakeable confidence that you have been changed by a divine and holy touch from heaven and are now a new creature in Christ and have been forgiven. “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:” (1 Peter 1: 8) “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5: 17)
So if you don’t know or you are straddling the fence or have wandered away, I have some loving advice for you: don’t hesitate and don’t delay. Believe the heavenly and earthly evidence, and receive the blessings contained in our Father’s Holy Word which affirms that Jesus Christ is His only begotten Son and is the only way to everlasting life. “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (1 John 5: 11-13)
To God be the glory, Jesus is the answer to everything.
Now be blessed by the following song of praise.
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