WordLive - Year OneSample

Prepare: What does your faith predominantly rest on? Facts? Feelings? Logic? Experience? No doubt Unlike the false teachers, John has no doubts that Jesus was who he claimed to be: the Son of God who became real flesh and blood. But John doesn’t want us to take just his word for it. They also have God’s own words: compare verse 10 with Matthew 3:13–17. Verses 6–8 are more tricky. The ‘Spirit’ is God’s Holy Spirit who teaches us the truth about Jesus (see 1 John 2:27). He is the Spirit who came to rest on Jesus at his baptism. The ‘blood’ undoubtedly refers to the cross. Jesus was fully human and genuinely suffered in his death. The false teachers disagreed. Firm foundations That leaves the ‘water’. This might allude to Jesus’ death when both water and blood came from his side (John 19:34) or, more likely, to his baptism. Either way, the important thing is that Jesus lived and died a real life and was – and is – truly human and truly God. Our faith rests on the facts of Jesus’ life: his birth, baptism, death and resurrection. And because these are firmly founded, we can trust God when he says he wants to give us eternal life (vs 11,12). Respond: Stand up and take a careful look at the chair you’ve been sitting on. Without thinking, you’ve been trusting it to take your weight. Give thanks that your faith rests on something far more solid! http://www.wordlive.org/Session/Classic/2012-10-02