The Spirit, Water, and Blood Agree

God Loves Us
God's Caring, Saving, and Upholding Love

God's Love as Victory over Death

1 John 5:6-12 The Message

6-8 Jesus—the Divine Christ! He experienced a life-giving birth and a death-killing death. Not only birth from the womb but baptismal birth of his ministry and sacrificial death. And all the while the Spirit is confirming the truth, the reality of God’s presence at Jesus’ baptism and crucifixion, bringing those occasions alive for us. A triple testimony: the Spirit, the Baptism, the Crucifixion. And the three in perfect agreement.
9-10 If we take human testimony at face value, how much more should we be reassured when God gives testimony as he does here, testifying concerning his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God inwardly confirms God’s testimony. Whoever refuses to believe in effect calls God a liar, refusing to believe God’s own testimony regarding his Son.
11-12 This is the testimony in essence: God gave us eternal life; the life is in his Son. So, whoever has the Son, has life; whoever rejects the Son, rejects life.

For Reflection

When we study the life of Christ, we study God.  The life of Jesus is the Christian paradigm for understanding God and God's will for humankind.  What could be more profoundly important, than to emulate Christ?  

Pray

Pray that you will imitate Christ's sense of justice, Christ's grace, Christ's capacity for forgiveness, and Christ's ability to be guided and obedient to God.  Pray for the courage to become a disciple of Christ and follow the Way of Jesus.