It is significant that in 1:7 the apostle John speaks of “the blood of Jesus His Son.” The name Jesus denotes the Lord’s humanity, which is needed for the shedding of the redeeming blood, and the title “His Son” denotes the Lord’s divinity, which is needed for the eternal efficacy of the redeeming blood. Thus, the blood of Jesus His Son indicates that this blood is the proper blood of a genuine man for redeeming God’s fallen creatures with divine surety for its eternal efficacy, an efficacy which is all-prevailing in space and everlasting in time.
The title “Jesus His Son” is also used by John as an inoculation against the heresies concerning the Lord’s Person. One of the heresies insisted on the divinity of the Lord by denying His humanity. The title Jesus as the name of a man inoculates against this heresy. Another heresy insisted on the humanity of the Lord by denying His divinity. The title “His Son” as a name of the Deity is an antidote to this heresy.
No other verse in the New Testament uses the expression “Jesus His Son.” We have just pointed out that the name Jesus refers to the Lord’s humanity and that the title “His Son” denotes His divinity. Jesus was a true man, a genuine human being, and the blood of Jesus was the blood of a real man. Because we are human beings, we need to be redeemed by human blood. In the Old Testament the blood for atonement was of animals, and was a type of the blood of Christ. However, animal blood could not actually redeem us, because we are human beings, not animals. As human beings, we need the efficacious blood of Jesus, the blood of a genuine man.
The Lord’s divinity indicated by the words “His Son” is a guarantee, a surety, that the efficacy of the blood of Jesus will remain forever. The Lord’s humanity qualifies Him to have the blood to shed for our redemption. His divinity insures the efficacy of the power of this redeeming blood. The efficacy of the cleansing blood of Jesus is insured forever by His divinity.
We have seen that when John wrote this Epistle, there were heresies concerning the Person of Christ. One kind of heretical teaching said that Jesus was divine but not human. A different kind of heretical teaching claimed that Jesus was human but not divine. With one short expression—“the blood of Jesus His Son”—John inoculates us against both kinds of heresies. The words “the blood of Jesus” indicate that Jesus was a genuine man, and the words “His Son” indicate that He is divine. The blood by which we are cleansed is the blood of a wonderful Person who has both humanity and divinity.
In 1:1-7 we see a cycle in our spiritual life formed of four crucial things—the eternal life, the fellowship of the eternal life, the divine light, and the blood of Jesus the Son of God. Eternal life issues in the fellowship of the divine life, the fellowship of eternal life brings in the divine light, and the divine light increases the need of the blood of Jesus the Son of God so that we may have more eternal life. The more we have of eternal life, the more of its fellowship it brings to us. The more fellowship of the divine life we enjoy, the more divine light we receive. The more divine light we receive, the more we participate in the cleansing of the blood of Jesus. Such a cycle brings us onward in the growth of the divine life until we reach its maturity.
In 1:5-7 John uses five important words: light, truth, darkness, lie, and sin. Light is the essence of God’s expression. We may say that light is God expressed. When we walk in this light, truth will come forth, for truth is the issue of light. Light is the source of truth, and truth is the issue, the outcome, of light. Therefore, when we abide in the divine light and walk in the light, we practice the truth.
The lie is the essence of Satan, and darkness is the expression of the satanic essence. This darkness is related to sin. This is the reason that in these verses we have light, darkness, and sin. If we are not in the light, we are surely in darkness. When we are in darkness, we are deceived by the lie, which is the essence of Satan. Furthermore, since the lie and the darkness are related to sin, we are also involved with sin.
Let us remember that light is the essence of God’s expression, and truth is the issue of this light. Lie is the essence of Satan, darkness is the expression of this essence, and this darkness is related to sin. When we are in the light, we practice the truth. But when we are not in the light, we are in darkness. When we are in darkness, we are deceived and are in a condition that is related to sin.
When we are in the light, we shall be exposed, and we shall see our sins. Then we need to confess our sins. As we confess our sins, spontaneously and continuously the blood of Jesus the Son of God will cleanse us from all sin.
When we are in darkness, we are in sin. Moreover, when we are in sin, our fellowship with God is broken. But if we are exposed by the light and confess our sins, our sins will be washed away, and our broken fellowship with God will be restored.