Don't Mishandle Truth

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John 5:30–47 (ESV)

30 “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. 31 If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true. 32 There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. 33 You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. 34 Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. 35 He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.

36 But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me.

37 And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, 38 and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. 39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. 41 I do not receive glory from people. 42 But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. 44 How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?

45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

Opening Prayer

Setting the Stage

So, for much of John 5, Jesus has been teaching how we are to understand the relationship of Himself with God the Father.

In the opening words of John’s gospel, you may recall him saying...

John 1:1–4 (ESV)

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

In Chapter 5, John is showing us how Jesus taught such truths...

What does it mean to have God walking among us?

How can that be?

Is there more than one God?

When John states in v.1 that the Word was with God and the Word was God...

—> That informs us of a unique personhood of God.

When John says He was in the beginning with God...

And, that nothing could have been made without Him.

—> He’s informing of us of the unique actions of God.

He’s wanting us to know in greater detail of the Truth that Christ is...

Immanuel, God with Us.

How can we understand that God became flesh?

—> Isn’t God immutable, unchanging?

—> Yes. Certainly the Bible teaches this clearly.

How can God take upon Human Nature and not change?

—> By taking upon Himself a human nature without the two natures mixing.

—> So, that you have two natures, in one person.

—> But, those natures being distinct, and therefore two.

Is Jesus just doing His own thing or is He carrying out the will of God revealed since the beginning?

Is He carrying out the redemption promised all the way back in Genesis 3?

Jesus has revealed that there is perfect unity between Himself, the eternal Son of God incarnate, and God the Father.

His mission is to do the will of His Father.

There are not two wills, but one.

There are not two agendas, but one.

There are not two plans of action, but one.

Complete unity, completely in sync, complete agreement.

Jesus has the same nature as God has…

Colossians 1:19 (ESV)

19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,

Yet, He also has a human nature in order to represent His bride.

Both of these realities are true…

And, both taught explicitly in the NT.

And, in John’s gospel he goes back and forth with these truths to show the reality of such.

Now Jesus transitions us into a new element of this relationship by saying…

John 5:30 (ESV)

30 “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.

Trust this, everything I do is divine.

Everything I say is divine.

Now, Jesus moves us to

The Trustworthiness of Christ

John 5:31 (ESV)

31 If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true.

Jesus knows that someone saying something of themself doesn’t equal it being true.

There were many who claimed to the Messiah over the centuries.

Here’s what Jesus is not saying...

Jesus is not saying that if He speaks of Himself whatever He says must be counted as untrue.

Obviously, there were some, especially the opposition, who twisted Jesus’ words to mean such a thing…

John 8:13 (ESV)

13 So the Pharisees said to him, “You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.”

But, this is not what Jesus meant.

Jesus did not mean that He cannot speak truths of Himself.

What Jesus is saying is that if my Words were all you had to verify Myself and what I speak……then you would be right to ignore me…

But, my words are not all you have…

He moves on to tell us of the testimony regarding His identity is from others, as well.

John 5:32 (ESV)

32 There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true.

Now, we’ll come back to who Jesus is specifically speaking about in this verse…God the Father…

But to note, the Father is behind the one Jesus goes to in v.33…John the Baptist…

John 1:6 (ESV)

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

And, it is God who uses John the Baptist as a means to authenticate that Jesus is the Messiah.

Jesus uses their own experience and behavior against them in their interaction with John the Baptist.

They sent a delegation to JB and he told them the truth about Jesus.

JB told them that he was the Messiah…

And, pointed all to the Messiah…

JB even publicly identified Jesus as the Lamb of God…

And, the Spirit-anointed Son of God.

Jesus makes an interesting statement here as He moves us into the testimony of John

John 5:33–34 (ESV)

33 You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. 34 Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved.

Jesus is saying that what John said about Him was true.

These leaders heard the truth from JB.

But, then v.34…What does Jesus mean?

Is Jesus saying that John’s testimony is unimportant all-together?

Is Jesus saying that John’s testimony means nothing to Him personally?

v.34 contrasts with v.33…

This is what Jesus means…

You needed John to inform you.

I did not need John to inform me as to who I am.

I know who I am because of who I am.

Because of my divine nature and my perfect communion with the Father is why & how I know who I am.

And, then v.34 concludes with a statement of the graciousness of our Savior.

He brings up John to show His opposition that the proof is overwhelming and all around them…

Why? So they may be saved.

Don’t forget…

John 5:18 (ESV)

18 This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

Jesus is speaking and arguing for truth…

Revealing Himself to them in splendor…

So, that the very ones who are scheming to kill Him might be saved.

I think this puts on display…

The Absolute Perfection of God’s Love

We cannot attain such love in its perfection.

We cannot love the people we love with such love...

Much less our enemies.

Wars have been started over much less…

And here, Jesus is loving His enemies…

Those who want to kill him…

With a love that desires their salvation.

Extraordinary grace and benevolence.

JB’s role was to be a witness.

A good witness tells the truth as he knows it.

JB was a very popular prophet with a widespread ministry.

People came from all around to hear John preach.

To be baptized by JB.

Jesus says…

John 5:35 (ESV)

35 He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.

John tells us in the beginning of his gospel…

John 1:7–8 (ESV)

7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

John was faithful to walk people through darkness to bring them to the light.

The light was Jesus, the eternal Son of God.

John spoke the truth as revealed to Him by God.

Speaking the Truth is Meant to Point us to the Source of All Truth

John’s testimony pointed people to have faith in Jesus.

Faith in Jesus is how one is saved.

Jesus appeals to the testimony of JB in order to show that what Jesus says in no different than what John says…

Jesus just says it with Divine Authority.

Where John said it as a Prophet, Jesus says it as the Son of God.

Look at the second half of v.35…

John 5:35 (ESV)

35 He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.

What does Jesus mean here?

We Are Okay with God As Long As We Are Getting What We Think We Need

As soon as that changes, we take up arms against God…

Through rejection…

Through rebellion…

Through changing God into the God of our imagination…

Whatever the way we scheme to do it, we reject God when He gives us something different than we perceive we need.

This is what Jesus means when He says...

John 5:35 (ESV)

35 He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.

They were excited about the possibility that John the Baptist was right.

That they were living in the Age of the Messiah.

But, that excitement was all steeped in their preconceived ideas of what the Messiah would do…

Deliver them from their enemies?

—> Yes.

But, their greatest enemy was self, sin, and death.

But, that is not what they perceived, nor were willing to accept.

So, when the Messiah comes on the scene and lets them know the kind of deliverance they needed and He came to provide…

Their rejoicing went away…

And, they doubled down on their rejection of God.

It’s one thing to receive a sinner speaking of righteousness.

It’s another to behold One who is perfectly righteous.

It was too much for sinful man.

And, they crucified Him for it.

We can confess truth, but never understand it.

We can speak truth and never be intimate with it.

We can know truth, yet still miss the Source of it…Jesus Christ.

Let’s think about this…

Do you feel that same sinfulness in your won heart?

Do you ever feel disappointed, even angry at God for His providence in your life?

Do you ever feel like your better than the Bible says you are?

If you’re breathing, there are times, even as Christians that we still succumb to such feelings…

Sometimes for very short snippets…

Sometimes, maybe for longer seasons of time.

Now, I don’t know about you, but it is comforting to know that my heart has been changed by the power of the HS…

To react differently to God when He gives me what I need rather than what I want or what I perceive I need.

I’m glad that the HS is within me to minister to my Spirit in those times when I doubt or even balk at God…

To trust God and His wisdom…

To rest in His presence with me…

To rest in His abiding care for me…

To be satisfied with His love for me…

To love God over circumstances…

To know that I’m kept by His grip on me, not my grip on Him.

Hallelujah, what a Savior!

May we continue to rest in Him!

Closing Prayer