What do you believe about Jesus? Most of you reading this have already made up your mind. However, there are many in the world who do not know what to believe about Jesus. Some have never even seriously considered the question. If they have been raised in a nominally Christian nation they will likely accept the idea that Jesus is the son of God, but many have never considered what that means for them on a personal level.

John is writing to both Jews and Gentiles who have heard about Jesus, and he says that no one has accepted Christ’s testimony about himself. John does not mean literally “no one” but rather by the use of hyperbole he is saying that most have not accepted Christ as Savior. John is especially disappointed in his fellow Jews.; they had been taught to expect the coming Messiah. Jesus came from above, but because they belong to the earth and were invested in earthly matters, they failed to acknowledge the truth of Christ’s testimony about himself.

John calls them to once again consider the question of what they believe about Jesus. If they would not accept the words of Christ himself, he hoped they would examine the testimony of those who had accepted Christ as their personal savior. The NIV translation says that believers certify that God is truthful. A better paraphrase would say that the lives of believers put a seal of authority and authenticity upon the claims of Jesus. Jesus declared that all who believed would receive forgiveness, the Holy Spirit, and eternal life. He promised that faith in him would gift them with a rebirth into a new life; a life guided by the Holy Spirit and his love.

John believed that the authenticity of born-again Christians could lead nonbelievers to repentance. When our faith in Christ results in new life, we become a living parable. Our lives become an earthly truth that has a spiritual parallel. Our new life today validates our faith in eternal life tomorrow.