Four Testimonies
Notes
Transcript
Last week in the gospel of John, in the first 18 verses of chapter 5, we read and shared about Jesus healing a lame man on the Sabbath. The man was in trouble with the Jewish leaders because he was carrying his mat, or “working”, on the Sabbath. Jesus was in even more trouble for healing, or “working,” on the Sabbath.
But he waded into deeper troubled waters than breaking the Sabbath. He said, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.”
Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 5
Jewish tradition held that God was constantly working (sustaining the universe), but that this did not constitute a violation of the Sabbath (according to the Jewish text Exodus Rabbah 30.9). Jesus’ assertion puts Him on the same plane as God the Father and was clearly understood as a claim to deity by His audience (John 5:18).
Let’s see how Jesus responded.
Please stand as we honor the reading of God’s Word:
18 For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
19 Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.
20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed.
21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.
22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son,
23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.
24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.
25 Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.
26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.
27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.
28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice
29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.
30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.
31 “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true.
32 There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is true.
33 “You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth.
34 Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved.
35 John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.
36 “I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing—testify that the Father has sent me.
37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form,
38 nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent.
39 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me,
40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
41 “I do not accept glory from human beings,
42 but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts.
43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him.
44 How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?
45 “But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set.
46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me.
47 But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?”
THE WORD OF GOD, FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD
This reading is the first time in the Gospel of John where we have a fully developed discourse of Jesus words.
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5:19–47 This discourse focuses on the person and authority of Jesus. This passage is the clearest summary of Jesus’ relationship with the Father, His position as judge of all things, and the witnesses to His mission as Messiah found in the NT.
John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Jn 5:19–47.
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Verses 19-30 - finds a lot of repetitive statements as Jesus explains His relationship to the Father.
The last two verses of our reading - Jesus points out - “if you believe Moses - you should believe in me - because he wrote about me”
“But if you don’t believe what Moses says how will you believe what I say?”
In Deuteronomy - Moses says:
15 The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.
Like many prophetic OT quotes - for the near future and for far away. Eight NT references (in John and Acts) to this statement of Moses with Messianic meaning.
So we are asked to listen to Jesus. To listen as he describes the relationship between the Father and the Son.
The first half of our reading - Jesus testifies about Himself. But in a trial - that would not be valid.
Jesus also shares four testimonies in the latter half of today’s reading. Jewish law requires two or more witnesses.
John the Baptist
++Jesus’ Works
++The Father Who Sent Him
++Scripture
John the Baptist
Mere human - powerful message - many came to hear - Pharisees came to “test/judge” his validity.
Billy Graham, the Wesleys of centuries gone by, Peter, Paul, me?, others in our lives.
Jesus doesn’t just rely on a human witness
Jesus’ Works
“Look at my works,” he says.
They are only possible because of the...
The Father Who Sent Him
Even though you haven’t seen Him - he sent me - but since you don’t know Him like you should - you don’t recognize me.
Scripture
You diligently study and search for the “answer” - for eternal life - but Jesus says - Scripture testifies about me
Josh McDowell - atheist turned Christian - after starting to disprove the Bible - OT scribes meticulousness - NT proliferation of original manuscripts
So many translations so that we might understand in our own language. NT - everyday Greek.
In my office I have a wall of bookshelves:
One bookshelf of various Bibles. Two bookshelves of commentaries and reference books.
Five shelves of Christian related books/DVDs full of experiences and teachings.
BUT - the most important shelf - is the one with the Bibles.
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The Bible consists of sixty-six different books, composed by many different writers, in three different languages, under different circumstances; writers of almost every social rank, statesmen and peasants, kings, herdsmen, fishermen, priests, tax-gatherers, tentmakers; educated and uneducated, Jews and Gentiles; most of them unknown to each other, and writing at various periods during the space of about 1600 years: and yet, after all, it is only one book dealing with only one subject in its numberless aspects and relations, the subject of man’s redemption.
M. G. Easton, Illustrated Bible Dictionary and Treasury of Biblical History, Biography, Geography, Doctrine, and Literature (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1893), 98–99.
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A redemption that is fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ.
Man was created, he sinned; banished from the perfect garden; he received the Law and offered sacrifices to deal with sin; God sent Jesus, as the ultimate sacrifice; He was crucified as a sin offering; Jesus arose from the grave, displaying power over death; He provides eternal life and an eternal home; He is coming again to draw this age to a close and begin the age of eternity with Him.
Black’s New Testament Commentary states:
The Gospel according to Saint John (ii) Jesus’ Discourse on His Relation to the Father, Judgement and Testimony (5:19–47)
In the light of the divine testimony merely human assessment is to be rejected, but the earlier witness of the Scriptures and of Moses remains significant as long as both are interpreted in terms of God’s present and decisive witness in Jesus.
Our gospel reading today puts a focus on Jesus - as does all of the Bible.
Jesus says - “Scriptures testify about me!” That is a significant statement. Jesus says - “If you don’t listen to what is written - how are you going to believe in what I say?”
17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Grace: The words of Jesus in verse 24 - NLT - “I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.”
Truth: Four witnesses in addition to Jesus own testimony about who He is.
Begs two questions for us to consider: Who is Jesus? How do we respond to Jesus?
Maybe I should be blunt:
Ask yourself: Who is Jesus?
Ask yourself: How do I respond to Jesus?