Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

1 John 5:1-12

Most of the Bible is written in a straightforward way, but the writing style of 1 John is more like an intricate dance of ideas, where the same dance steps are often repeated with slight variations and different embellishments. The author frequently introduces one thought and starts to discuss it, but soon spirals off to consider another thought and then yet another, and eventually ends up back at the beginning, ready to explore something else or perhaps repeat the steps that have gone before.

Thus it is with today’s passage, which comes late in the letter and revisits many earlier ideas while introducing new ones.  Finally (in 5:13) the author zeroes in why he wrote this letter:

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God,

so that you may know that you have eternal life.

Even this statement needs to be unpacked.  What does it mean to “believe in the name of the Son of God”?  Our passage refers to believe several times.  In 5:1 it is “believes that Jesus is the Christ”, and in 5:5 it is “believes that Jesus is the Son of God”.  These both mean the same thing, since the Christ (same as Messiah), is, by Psalm 2:7, also designated the Son of God and (by all of Psalm 2) is appointed by God as the King who will reign forever over all nations, bringing them into conformity with God’s will.  

Between these two references to believing, the author whirls by several other assertions:

• “born of God”
• “love God”
• “love the children of God” 
• “obey God’s commandments” 
• “overcome the world”.

Every one of these ideas was a major focus for the dance in previous chapters, and every one of these ideas reminds us of the life of Jesus and his teaching on how we are to follow him.  For example, “overcome the world” sends us back to 1 John 2:15-17 and refers to overcoming “the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions.” (2:16, ESV)  Each of the other assertions also is discussed more fully (and often circuitously) earlier in 1 John. In other words, without saying so, 1 John is really following the pattern of Psalm 2, where the Christ as king of all nations means that all nations will honor and follow the pattern and teaching of the Christ.  John is now telling us that to confess “Jesus is the Christ / Son of God” means much more than mere words; it means living our life in conformity with the way of Jesus, with the way he modeled and taught his disciples.

But now we come to the second half of today’s reading (5:6-12), and we find that the author suddenly takes the dance off in a whole new direction, exploring part of the dance where he hasn’t gone before.  Yet, after we work through this new part, we encounter verse 10 that bring us right back to the same theme, believe in the Son of God, as we found in the first half.  See how the author starts this section:

This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood.  And the Spirit is the one that testifies, for the Spirit is the truth. (5:6)

 What does it mean that Jesus Christ came by water and blood?  A sacramental, Eucharistic interpretation comes from John 19:33-35, when, on the cross, Jesus’ side was pierced and water and blood flowed out.  This interpretation, however, doesn’t really speak of Jesus’ coming as the Christ.  For this, let us first recall that Jesus’ public ministry began with his baptism, his coming by water.  At his baptism, the Spirit descended like a dove on him, and a voice from heaven said, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:9-11) So the Spirit testifies that Jesus is the Son of God and affirms his baptism, his coming by water.  

What about coming by blood?  In the Bible, blood often means sacrificial death, and Christ’s coming by blood refers to his sacrificial death on the cross for us.  Indeed, Jesus himself (Luke 12:50) calls his impending death a baptism, a coming baptism causing him distress.  Jesus had his baptism of water at the beginning of his ministry and his baptism of blood at its end.  Just as a voice came from heaven after his baptism of water, shortly before his crucifixion (John 12:28-30) a voice came from heaven affirming that Jesus was glorifying the Father’s name.  So the Spirit testifies of his coming by blood.  Furthermore, these two times of a voice from heaven, along with one at the Transfiguration, are the only incidents the Gospels record when a voice came from heaven.  Therefore (1 John 5:7-8):

There are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood, and these three agree.

Historical note:  This interpretation of Jesus coming by water and blood, of the baptism by blood, goes back a long way in church history, at least to the early third century, when St. Tertullian (On Baptism, ch. 16) gives this same interpretation, referring to the same scriptures.

Finally, Jesus not only calls his followers to take up the cross daily and follow him; he speaks of their deaths, like his own, as a baptism of blood.  Referring to his death, he asks his disciples (Mark 10:38):

Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?

Jesus thus asks his disciples if they can suffer as he does, if they will embrace martyrdom with willingness, so that they may share in his victory and joy afterwards.  The affirmation of this truth too goes back a long way in church history, to the very first martyrs, who met their death with anticipation and joy.  In the third century, St. Cyprian (c.200-258) wrote of the baptism of blood (Exhortation to martyrdom, Preface):

In the baptism of water is received the remission of sins, in the baptism of blood the crown of virtues. This thing is to be embraced and desired, and to be asked for in all the entreaties of our petitions, that we who are God's servants should be also His friends.

Indeed, Romans 8:16-17 affirms this truth for believers in all times:

It is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, …

if, in fact, we suffer with Christ so that we may also be glorified with him.

– Robert Kruse