Witnesses of Christ, Part 1 (John 5:30–47)

Series: John: Life in Christ’s NameText: John 5:30–38

By: Shaun Marksbury Date: April 2, 2023

Venue: Living Water Baptist ChurchOccasion: AM Service

Introduction

It’s Easter or Resurrection Morning! This is the morning that the women came to the tomb and found it empty. The guards assigned to Jesus’s tomb fled in fear. The disciples, who were already scattered, now begin to regather to discuss what they were hearing. The Lord has risen, and everyone is talking about what it means.

This includes the chief priests, elders, and Pharisees. Some guards came into Jerusalem and, as we read in Matthew 28:11–15,

reported to the chief priests all that had happened. And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, and said, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.’ And if this should come to the governor’s ears, we will win him over and keep you out of trouble.” And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this day.

So far gone were the religious leaders of that glorious day that they were willing to do anything to cover up the truth of what really happened. While there’s evidence that a few repented, as a body, they refused to believe that Jesus could be the promised Messiah. They would not even allow the sign of Him rising from the dead to sway them.

Sadly, some people have that attitude concerning Jesus. He could appear before them today and they would still reject Him. It’s not that they haven’t seen enough evidence — they’ve already made the choice that no evidence will ever be enough. I hope I’m not describing any of you this morning.

Such a stiff-necked, hard-hearted state is what Jesus is warns the religious leaders of Jerusalem ahead of time. He does this as a mercy to them. They have time to repent at this point, to turn from their self-righteousness and submit to His authority and truth.

He is the true Messiah, the true King they should follow. In the text before us, Jesus gives His case for why He is true. There are two points to note from it: Jesus is true because God is true, and Jesus is true because of testimony. That first point is just in v. 30. The second point, however, is the biggest and runs through v. 47, which is why today is just a part one. We’ll see that the testimony of Christ provides multiple lines of evidence as to His truth as we dig into it. For now, though, let’s consider the first point.

Jesus is True Because God Is True (v. 30)

I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

Now, some of you might note a shift in language here from where we were. In the previous verses, where Jesus has been discussing His equality with the Father, He’s been referring to Himself in the third person as “the Son of God” and “the Son of Man.” Now, He’s switching to first-person. He increases the pointedness of His words through the rest of this chapter in evidencing His claims; it’s vital that His hearers understand Him and believe.

Yet, with that perspective, what He says next might catch people off-guard. He says, “I can do nothing on My own initiative.” Not, “I may do nothing” but “can do nothing.” He underlines this in the original language; we might translate this, “I, I am not able to do anything from Myself at all!”

At first reading, you may be stunned by this because this may seem like an confession that He is not, in fact, equal with the Father. Remember what we’ve been saying, though — this is the Son of God with a human nature in submission to the Father. The words translated “from Myself” or “on My own initiative” are the essential ones for understanding His meaning; He is so submitted to the Father’s will that He can do nothing unless the Father allows it (and there’s a lesson for us all in His example).

So, He continues, “As I hear, I judge.” Recall that, in vv. 22–29, Jesus said that the Father has granted the Son judgment, and He will wield it. However, we see here that this judgment isn’t exercised apart from the Father. He said this in John 8:16 — “But even if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone in it, but I and the Father who sent Me.” Here, He says His judgment is “just” or “righteous,” definitionally, a judgment that aligns with the Father’s righteous will.

People would rather settle for superficial, selfish judgment. They “call them as they see them,” but only the judgement of the Son of God is just and right. This is the judgement that will either cause us to rejoice or fear, should we desire independence from God.

Jesus says that His is a judgement which depends upon God. He explains here, “because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” Remember that, after the woman at the well departed, Jesus said in John 4:34, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.” Jesus finds satisfaction in being aligned with the will of God.

Praise God for that. We are not aligned as we should be. Part of the good news is that Jesus lived the life we should have lived, being righteous in our place. Those who place their trust in Him receive righteousness from Him, credit for a life never lived. We need that so that, on the last day, we’re judged according to our own works and found wanting.

Jesus is true because God is true. That alone should be enough evidence. However, Jesus then proceeds to give multiple witnesses which can testify to His truth throughout the rest of the chapter. We turn there next.

Jesus is True Because of Testimony to His Truth (vv. 31–47)

If I alone testify about Myself, My testimony is not true. There is another who testifies of Me, and I know that the testimony which He gives about Me is true.

Now, we have been noting that Jesus is true, but maybe His words here surprise you. He says, “If I alone testify about Myself, My testimony is not true.” He’s certainly not confessing to being a liar in the midst of all this, so what does He mean?

Whenever we’re trying to understand Scripture, it’s imperative that we understand the context of the biblical world. In this case, we must understand what testimony was considered admissible in a court of Law. It was not acceptable that there only be one person making a claim in court. In Deuteronomy 19:15, we read, “A single witness shall not rise up against a man on account of any iniquity or any sin which he has committed; on the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed.” This helped protect people against false accusations; a neighbor who doesn’t like you couldn’t take you to court over some fabricated transgression.

Here, Jesus could be making this all up, lying to them about who He is and His relationship with the Father. He acknowledges this possibility when He says, “If I alone testify about Myself, My testimony is not true.” As such, He emphasizes the personal pronoun (“If I testify concerning Myself”), and it comes out in the English translation in the word “alone.” He’s saying His solo testimony is inadmissible in the court of their opinion of Him, which is why the old NIV translation replaces the words “not true” here with “not valid.” He’s operating on the basis of the Law.

Interestingly, on another occasion, the Jewish leadership jump to this claim. When Jesus tells them that He’s the Light of the world in John 8, v. 13 says, “So the Pharisees said to Him, ‘You are testifying about Yourself; Your testimony is not true.’ ” Jesus removes this claim from them in a different way there; v. 14 says, “Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Even if I testify about Myself, My testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from or where I am going.’ ” Jesus as the true God-man has the unique right to self-authenticate His own Words.

Here, though, He condescends to their thinking and operates within legal requirements of the Law by giving the testimony of another. In fact, He gives four lines of evidence here, exceeding the requirement of the Law — the testimony of John the Baptist, the testimony of His own works, the testimony of God the Father, and the testimony of Scripture. We’ll note the first three today and save the last one for next week.

John the Baptist Testified of Christ (vv. 33–35)

You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth. But the testimony which I receive is not from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. He was the lamp that was burning and was shining and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.

If you have been here since the beginning of our study in this book, you will probably remember all that we read about John the Baptist. He’s first introduced near the beginning of the first chapter, and He was the prophesied forerunner to the Messiah. Even John himself acknowledged this when he said, “I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said” (John 1:23). This means that his job was to be a witness of Christ.

And testify he did. John 1:7 says, “He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him.” In vv. 19–34 of that first chapter, he even testified to the Pharisees who came. He proclaimed Jesus as the Lamb of God taking away the sins of the world, the Son of God.

Now, Jesus says this is testimony for their benefit, not His own. He says, “But the testimony which I receive is not from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved.” It was within the providence of God that the Pharisees would decide to send a delegation to investigate John, and it would have been fitting for them to take his testimony to heart. They could have been saved!

Indeed, it seems that they (and the rest of Israel) was happy with John for a time. Jesus says, “He was the lamp that was burning and was shining and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.” Now, of course, Jesus is the Light and John denied being the Light himself. Still, he was a lamp pointing them to a greater light source. They rejoiced for a short time, perhaps in some of the good that John was accomplishing in calling people away from their sins. However, the Jewish leadership here refused to follow the lamp away from their sins toward Christ.

They were not saved, despite their lip service to God, and despite their knowledge of Scripture. They were not going to heaven just because they were Jewish. They were unbelievers, Jesus argues, and needed salvation just like the rest of us. Being religious did not save them. Yet, within God’s grace and providence, they had another line of testimony, bringing us to the next point.

The Works of God Testify of Christ (v. 36)

But the testimony which I have is greater than the testimony of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish—the very works that I do—testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me.

Jesus calls His next witness, and He says it’s greater than that of John the Baptist. It’s the testimony of His works, His signs, which John didn’t have (John 10:41). Incidentally, this shows us something about the “two or three witnesses” requirement in the Law of Moses — evidence can stand as a witness. To apply that principle today, if a woman is harmed but there are no witnesses, forensics and medical exams stand as her second and third witnesses against an attacker. In this case, Jesus asks the Jewish leaders to look at the evidence of what He has been doing as a witness.

As they considered His signs, they should come to a consistent conclusion. Scripture prophesied that when the Messiah comes, “Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. Then the lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will shout for joy” (Isa. 35:5–6). Remember, Jesus had just healed a lame man at the beginning of this chapter, a miracle which sparked the leaders present interest in Him. If they only thought about this a little more, they would connect Him to the promised Messiah.

He says His works testify “that the Father has sent Me.” Some of these thoughts were already brewing. When Nicodemus came to Jesus, he said, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” In John 11:47, we read that “the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council, and were saying, ‘What are we doing? For this man is performing many signs.” Even the people came to similar conclusions; they ask, “When the Christ comes, He will not perform more signs than those which this man has, will He?” (John 7:31).

Jesus’s works were testifying of Him. Jesus emphasized this for the skeptical again, though, in John 10:25: “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me.” He goes on to say in vv. 37–38, “If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.” So, this is a consistent argument for our Lord.

And Jesus said His purpose was to accomplish the works the Father gave Him. After talking with the woman at the well, Jesus said, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work” (John 4:34). This is a great comfort to us, because this is tied to the gospel and our personal salvation. As we noted Wednesday night, in John 6:37–39, Jesus said, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.” Jesus will accomplish the Father’s will, and that means He will save and exalt every soul who comes to Him!

His works evidence that He is true. This aligns with John the Baptist’s testimony, as well. Still, Jesus gives one more testimony that we will examine today:

The Father Testifies of Christ (vv. 37–38)

And the Father who sent Me, He has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time nor seen His form. You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent.

In a sense, we might even include v. 32 here. I don’t know if you noticed, but if you’re reading from the NASB, LSB, HCSB, or NKJV, you read a capitalized “He” there referring to the testimony concerning Jesus. That’s a bit of commentary, as the original text doesn’t have capitalization like that, with the translators concluding that Jesus is talking about the Father’s testimony there. Whether it is the testimony of John the Baptist in view in that verse or the Father’s, Jesus knows this testimony is true.

In v. 37, this point is clear — God the Father witnessed concerning Jesus. Jesus said that the Father sent Him, which again, Nicodemus recognized on some level (John 3:2). And Jesus says that the Father “has testified of Me.”

Of course, we could ask when that might be. The verb is in the perfect tense, indicating that this is a completed action. So, we might think of past events, like when the Father testified at the baptism (Matt. 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22). However, Jesus immediately goes on to say that “you have neither heard His voice.” It seems fitting here to apply this to Scripture, which Jesus will emphasize in the immediate context. It may also be some combination of these, even in their ignoring of the obvious works of God. In any case, they were not hearing the Father.

Moreover, they were not seeing Him, either. This is interesting because of how the Apostle John starts this book: “No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him” (John 1:18). Later, Jesus’s disciple Phillip will say, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us,” to which Jesus will reply, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (John 14:8–9). Jesus is God incarnate, “the exact representation of His nature” (Heb. 1:3), so the Jewish leadership stand condemned for not recognizing the Father in Jesus.

So, if you’re keeping score, that’s two strikes against these religious leaders. They have enough information, especially as Jesus gives them their third strike: “You do not have His word abiding in you.” These are the same men Jesus will acknowledge “search the Scriptures” in v. 39, but they don’t have God’s Word remaining or dwelling within them. They don’t treasure it in their heart (Psa. 119:11), so they are currently out of the kingdom.

How does He know this about them? He gives His reason in the last part of this verse: “for you do not believe Him whom He sent.” His words are pointed, emphatically stated and could be translated, “because you, you all, do not believe Him, this one, whom He sent.” Jesus’s words are sharp because, of all people, they should know better, having all the testimony of the Father and Scripture before them.

Conclusion

Sadly, we see that being religious doesn’t necessarily bring a person closer to the truth. Even with all the right doctrine before them, and the evidence of miracles and even the resurrection of Christ, they can still choose to reject Him. The sad legacy of the Pharisees is a cautionary tale, and we must recognize it within ourselves.

There’s a great irony in the reasons people give for not obeying the Bible and trusting in Jesus. Some say that they like Jesus fine, but they don’t like all the Pharisaical, religious leaders out there. And, it’s sadly true that some pastors and ministers abuse their position and have a dishonest relationship with God like these men. However, it’s also sadly true that non-religious people who use the religious as an excuse not to come to Jesus have more in common with the Pharisees than they would care to admit — they have a self-righteous pride that keeps them standing rather than kneeling before the Lord of Glory.

Thankfully, for the religious and the non-religious alike, Jesus stands as the Savior of all. He came to bring Light to those who dwell in darkness, truth to those who have only heard lies, and life to the spiritually dead. If you have found yourself as someone who has failed to live up to His Word, someone who has sinned and needs forgiveness, find in the finished work of Christ on the cross complete forgiveness; find in His resurrection a promise of new life for you. This is the good news of the gospel, and He calls us to respond by repenting and believing in His name. Don’t follow the error of the Pharisees; accept the testimony of the witnesses of Christ and find in Him the true Messiah you desperately need.