Verse 6: This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.
John begins with an emphatic declarative statement of undeniable truth: that this Son of God (v. 5), Jesus Christ, is the One who came. Who came refers specifically to the factual historic event of His Incarnation when the preexistent Son of God was sent from His heavenly dwelling to do God’s will (John 6:38); and that the effectual agency of water and blood was the means that authenticated His coming. The quality of the water and blood in the opening phrase is not regarding merely these physical elements but is designed to accentuate significant spiritual truths.
The Water
The water indicates His baptism by John the baptizer, inaugurating His earthly ministry and certifying that He was the One sent by the Father (John 5:37–38). The explanation that follows may come as a surprise revelation for some. For Jesus was not sent to earth for the Church, but for the Jewish nation as their long awaited Messiah, their priest (Hebrews 3:1), prophet (Luke 13:33; Deuteronomy 18:15; cf. Acts 3:22) and king of their restored kingdom (Matthew 2:2; John 1:49).
The baptism that John administered was for repentance in preparing the nation for their Messiah, as he had proclaimed: “Repent, for the “kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2, 11). Chafer clarifies that “This is not a gospel call, but one leading to restoration of a covenant people into its right and original relationship to God (cf. Matthew 4:12-17).”1 There was nothing mystical or magical in the physical water used in this baptism, it was a symbolic ritual for the cleansing of their sin.
It is the view of many scholars that believe Our Lord was baptized by John “in order to be identified (the real meaning of the word ‘baptized’) with sinners”2 or to demonstrate “His solidarity with sinners.”3 However, His baptism was not to identify with sinners, nor did He need cleansing from sin, for He was sinless (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 John 3:5). Instead, as He told John, His baptism was “to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15), meaning that in order for Our Lord to commence His earthly ministry, He needed to be anointed according to the customary practice of the Jewish Law. Since Jesus is our great High Priest (Hebrews 3:1; 4:14) it was necessary for Him to submit to the ordination of priests prescribed by Moses in Leviticus 8, which included a ceremonial washing (v. 6); this was satisfied by His baptism.
The Blood
The Levitical requirement for the ordination of priest also included the offering of a blood sacrifice (Leviticus 8:15ff). Our Lord satisfied this requirement by personally being the blood offering (Hebrews 10). Here, John reference of the blood relates to Our Lord’s violent death of crucifixion as the completion of His earthly ministry. This was confirmed on the cross when He declared: “‘It is finished!’ And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit” (John 19:30).
The accurate meaning of the blood of Christ was discussed in 1 John 1:7, but it is worth repeating for clarification. Carson, among other biblical scholars, agrees that for decades speculations regarding the literal blood of Christ have been “irresponsibly mystical and theologically misleading.”4 The truth is that the Greek word for ‘blood’ does not always refer to the literal liquid that is “indispensable for the maintenance of life in both human beings and animals.”5 But instead, as defined by the highly regarded Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, it is variously denoted in Greek literature as a “‘violently destroyed life’, ‘death’ or ‘murder’” It is “also used for ‘to kill,’ though with no specific reference to the actual shedding of blood.”6 The article goes on to explain that “The interest of the New Testament is not in the material blood of Christ, but in His shed blood as the life violently taken from Him.”7
The blood of Christ represents His atoning work of bearing our sins and the sins of the world on the cross (1 John 2:2; 1 Peter 2:24). Since all mankind are considered spiritually “dead in our transgressions [sins]” (Ephesians 2:5), this makes us enemies of God. Thus sin spiritually separates mankind from God and dooms man to eternal death—“The soul who sins shall die” (Ezekiel 18:20a ESV). This is spiritual death, eternal separation from God. The Apostle Paul concludes that even though we were enemies, God the Father resolved our predicament “through the death of His Son” (Romans 5:10):
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
It is beyond our ability to comprehend how the Son of God as the sin bearer could experience spiritual separation from God, but that is exactly what His atoning work entailed. He suffered that same spiritual death we deserved—separation from God. And while He was still alive on the cross, He suffered that awful penalty for our sins, crying out: “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:54). Then when it was concluded He declared, while He was still alive: “It is finished” (John 19:30).
Mission Accomplished
The water and blood signifies the events of the earthly mission of Jesus Christ, the unique God-man, the One Who came, sent by the Father. At Our Lord’s baptism of water, the Father certified the onset of His mission when “a voice out of heaven said, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased’” (Matthew 3:17). And the blood indicated the completion of His earthly mission; a finale being as equally dramatic as His baptism:
It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour, because the sun was obscured; and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” Having said this, He breathed His last. (Luke 23:44–46)
“It is finished!” (John 19:30)
[1] Chafer, Lewis Sperry (1976). Systematic Theology, Dallas, TX: Dallas Seminary Press, 7.266.
[2] Barbieri, L. A., Jr. (1985). In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck, Eds.). Victor Books, 2.25.
[3] Beetham, Christopher A. (Ed.) (2021). The Concise New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology and Exegesis, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, p.134
[4] Carson, D.A. (2004). Exegetical Fallacies. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, p. 34.
[5] Beetham, p. 32.
[6] Behm, Johannes (1964–). αἷμα. In Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (G. Kittel, G. W. Bromiley, & G. Friedrich, Eds.). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1.173.
[7] Behm, 1.174.
© 2025 David M. Rossi
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