Christians can be confident that Jesus is the Son of God because God has provided several witnesses that testify to his divine nature, which gives us all hope and assurance that we are truly saved by faith alone in him.
1. The first witness that John calls to the stand is Jesus’ baptism.
2. The second witness that John calls to the stand is Jesus’ death on the cross.
“The cross says the King of Heaven has come down, and that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself” (2 Corinthians 5:21). —Daniel Atkin
3. The third witness that John calls to the stand is the Holy Spirit.
“The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth in that He is true and, therefore, the source and revealer of divine truth, particularly about Jesus Christ. The Spirit was involved at Jesus’ conception, baptism, temptation, and throughout His ministry. Jesus always did the will of the Father in the power of the spirit.” —John MacArthur.
“God the Holy Spirit draws you to Jesus and teaches you the spiritual truth of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. It’s his job to press to your heart the truth of these things.” —David Allen
4. The fourth witness that John calls to the stand is God the Father.
“The Father’s witness concerning His Son is singular and unique. Therefore, it demands a response from each and every one of us. Neutrality and indecision are not an option. In fact, to not believe that Jesus is the Son of God is to not believe God and to make Him ‘a liar, because (you have) not believed in the testimony God has given about His son’” (v.10). —Daniel Atkin
5. The fifth witness that John calls to the stand is our own present-day confession of Christ.
“The internal witness of God’s Spirit in the heart confirms to the child of God that he or she was right to believe that Jesus is the Son of God who alone gives the gift of eternal life. This internal testimony or witness is the personal presence of God in us, and it beautifully balances and complements the external and historical witness of the baptism and crucifixion of Jesus, all witnessed by the Holy Spirit.” —Daniel Atkin
6. The final witness that John calls to the stand is Eternal Life.