6 January 2017 - the three who testify

[ Today's Readings ]

So there are three that testify,
the Spirit, the water, and the Blood,
and the three are of one accord.
The testimony of the Spirit and the water is seen in the gospel reading.

On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open
and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him.
And a voice came from the heavens,
"You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."

The Spirit descends and water is so sanctified by the presence of Jesus that it can now represent the divine. Living waters renew us in baptism. Living waters flow those who believe in Jesus. There is a very real sense in which, because the Holy Spirit descends on Jesus here, the Spirit himself is the living water which flows from believers.

The water is made to give testimony because of the presence of Jesus by the Spirit. The testimony of the blood is also present but it is present only implicitly. Jesus contains the only blood which has significant testimony in himself. It is a testimony better than the blood of Abel because only Jesus is truly innocent.

and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel (see Hebrews 12:24).

This blood gives testimony the most truly at the crucifixion. The water has not yet had its ultimate say, either.

Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified (see John 7:39).

Yet all of this testimony is already implicit as the Spirit descends and the Father speaks. But what of it? What difference does it make for us?

If we accept human testimony,
the testimony of God is surely greater.
Now the testimony of God is this,
that he has testified on behalf of his Son.
Whoever believes in the Son of God
has this testimony within himself.

We read these things so that we might know:

that you have eternal life,
you who believe in the name of the Son of God.

Do we believe that? If not, let us hear the testimony once more.

"You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."

And hearing it, let us rejoice.

Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion.