1 John 5:8 - We Are All A Part Of The Story
Step 1: Pray. Select.
Today, as I began to pray and ask for the Holy Spirit to guide me to my scripture, there seemed to be a message or deeper understanding he needed me to focus on regarding the significant moment during the crucifixion where water flowed from Jesus’s rib and poured out instead of blood. The words birth, water, and blood also seemed to keep coming to mind.
As I read through the scripture options that pertained to the themes, one that clearly stood out was 1 John 5:8. This is where I began my journey, friends, so I moved on to STEP 2.
Step 2: Write. Read. Circle
After reading the scripture three times, the following words stood out amongst the others:
And there are three that bear witness on earth:
the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.
Step 3: Re-Write
With a focus on the words I circled that stood out, here are the personalized sentence(s) that came alive in my heart.
Jennifer, three that bear: the Spirit, the water, and the blood.
If you are doing this alongside me today, add your name in front of your unique sentence so the Lord can speak directly to you.
Step 4: Visualize
As I close my eyes to visualize the words from my sentence today, I picture the moment when Jesus was pierced on his side by the Roman soldier to see if he was still alive. At first, when I began my prayer time, I thought the Holy Spirit would speak to me about how the water symbolized the cleansing and atonement of our sins. Or that the Holy Spirit wanted to touch on how this is similar to baptism. But in obedience, and now redirecting to where he is taking me, I hear the Holy Spirit direct my focus to the soldier in the story of events.
The Holy Spirit is telling me that without the grotesque act of the soldier, making the final piercing into the body of Jesus, the prophecy would not have been fulfilled. The final act of death, before rebirth for the world, took place in a seemingly inhumane moment. But it was as the prophecy was told; they did not break his bones. Instead, the spear that opened up his last wound was the very thing for the LORD to pour out His cleansing on the Earth for His people.
The Holy Spirit is telling me how grand the plans of the LORD are. I personally want to hate the soldier for defiling the body further after Jesus’s death. I want to cry out and say, “Isn’t it enough already!” But the Holy Spirit tells me things are not finished and completed until the LORD says they are.
What the Holy Spirit tells me next is what he wants me to remember most. In those days, if that soldier had not done this, the people might have questioned whether or not Jesus was really dead when they took him down from the cross. This public display of confirming his death was the key to providing an eternal testimony. There could be no mistake that when Jesus was taken to the tomb of his grave, there was absolutely no human living blood or water within his physical body. With the blood pouring out and the water pouring out, there was no way for him to resurrect unless he could in Spirit. He no longer needed the physical but was alive and well in the spiritual realm.
I believe the main point the Holy Spirit is addressing for me today is that good or bad, we all have a part in the story. He didn’t die for some of us. He died for all of us to provide a testimony that would bring all God’s children back home to him. He did not abandon us or forsake us when Adam’s rib or Eve sinned in the garden; he sent his only begotten son to us to show us that God is who he says he is, and by a stabbing to the rib just as he did with Adam, the LORD has dominated over the sin committed in the Garden of Gethsemane.
I have a question in my mind, so I proceed to Step 5.
Step 5: Ask. Seek
The requests/questions that came to mind are:
Holy Spirit, I keep returning to the themes of birth and rebirth in today's readings. Can you help me understand what I am supposed to know about those themes concerning this moment during the crucifixion?
Step 6: Hear. Write. Receive
Here is the answer I received:
”You are born in blood and water. The water breaks, and you are blood and flesh. This is the way Jesus came into the world. He was like you. He was human. He was flesh. You are born into a sinful world, and so as the water goes before you from your mother’s womb, it paved the path to bring you into the world, but you are mine. Upon birth, I promise to deliver you surrounded by my living water. I have made my covenant with you to save you from the sin of the world upon your birth, but there comes a time when you must choose to covenant with me. You must choose to believe I will guide you home and save you from the sin that exists amongst you. The flesh of my flesh, bone of my bone. You are mine. This is why, in baptism, you feel like you are announcing you are coming home. I am always with you. Jesus is always with you because his Spirit, my Spirit, is with you while you are blood and water. I will never leave you and will never forsake you as long as you choose me. The moment sin came into the world, I had a plan to bring you home. Just say yes to the life I give to you during your time on Earth and focus on spreading the good news to others, so if they are lost, they will be found. Go forward in peace, knowing that I always have a plan. One that will prosper you and never harm you. Remember, it is not finished until the day of Jesus’s return. Stay comforted that I am not a man that I shall lie, but a loving Father who has a place in eternity for you. In my house, there are many mansions; if it weren’t so, I would not have told you. So invite others; I have more than enough room for my children to come home.”
Step 7: Pray. Confirm
Heavenly Father, I come to you in the name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus.
Thank you for this new, more profound understanding of the significance of the soldier and the act of the final piercing during the crucifixion. Thank you for letting me know that even in the good and the bad, we all play a part in the testimony of Jesus, for which he died. Let us be aware of the significance of our lives as our Father carefully planned for us to be here and to be a part of the story.
Today, I ask that you help me spread the good news and testimony of Jesus by making my life an honorable altar, paying homage to you, and acknowledging your greatness.
Help me to finish strong in life, always in gratitude and never forgetting the ultimate sacrifice of Christ Jesus.
In Jesus' mighty name, I pray and seal this prayer with the blood of Jesus - Amen.
Step 8: Share. Testify
If you used the 8-Step Prayer Practice today, we would love to hear how God works in your life! You can comment below or share your miracle or testimony HERE.
Conclusion:
Friends, believe God when He says who He says He is.
He did not abandon or forsake us during the act of the crucifixion; he fulfilled his prophecy to save us from the sin of the world—the sin in the garden.
The soldier had a part in the story, so make sure you know that God has a part in the story for you! You are not forgotten and are a part of his testimony.
God bless you. See you soon!
