Can I Get A Witness? | John 5:31-47

Opening Remarks: Back in John 5 one more time this morning. We started this a few weeks ago with Jesus Christ healing the paralyzed man at the pool of Bethesda. Then last time we saw how He presented Himself to the Pharisees, claiming to be the Son of God and presenting why that’s the case. Today’s text is a continuation of Christ’s attempt to teach the Jewish religious leaders about His deity. He presents three forms of validation to do so.

Let’s READ John 5:31-47.

There’s a lot of information here. We get straight from the lips of Jesus reasons why we should believe He is the Messiah, the Son of God.

TITLE: Can I Get A Witness?

Introduction: You’ve probably heard the phrase, “Can I get a witness?” It originated in southern churches during the 18th century. It became best known for its use in African American churches when members of the congregation would share a personal testimony and “bear witness” of how God has worked in their lives. After speaking, the preacher might say, “Can I get a witness?” and the congregation would respond with a resounding “Amen,” as if to say, “I’ve experienced that in my life too!”

So the preacher might say something like, “God is good, can I get a witness?” And the congregation would say, “Amen!”

The preacher might say, “I’m grateful that Jesus died on the cross for my sins, can I get a witness?” And if you agree, you would respond with, “Amen!”

Maybe the preacher would say, “South Dakota summers are better than South Dakota winters, can I get a witness?” And you might say, “Amen!”

I knew that one would be controversial. We have a few that like winter better than summer around here.

Let’s get really controversial, “Chevy is better than Ford, can I get a witness?” Just kidding. It’s not worth a church split.

But the idea of a witness is that someone else backs up that what you’re saying.

It’s interesting how often the concept of a witness comes up in John’s Gospel. From the time John the Baptist showed up as a witness for Jesus Christ, the idea of someone offering a personal testimony of an event in order to lend it credibility is a major part of this Gospel.

The reason is John isn’t just expecting people to read and believe. His goal is to provide evidence that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that people would believe and have eternal life. To an end that important, John majors on witnesses, those that testify.

In this passage alone, some variation of the word witness or testify is found seven times.

In many ways, Jesus is saying, “I am God the Son. Can I get a witness?” And He does. He points to those people or things that would testify that His claims are true. We’ll look at that in just a few moments, but before we do, let me remind you what’s going on in this passage.

REVIEW

Jesus goes to Jerusalem during a feast and heals a man that has been paralyzed for 38 years. And while we’d think that would excite the people, their upset that He healed the man on the Sabbath Day.

The Sabbath Day, which for the Jews was Saturday, was a holy day of rest. It was meant to be a day of rest and focus on the Lord. And Israel had suffered severe consequences over the years for ignoring God’s command and continuing commerce and carrying on business as usual on the Sabbath. So rather than focus on the spirit of the day, they had added countless rules that made it impossible to keep straight.

There were 39 categories of prohibited work on the Sabbath, and one scholar claims over 1,500 restrictions under those headings.

For example: You weren’t supposed to carry a burden, so they defined a burden as “food equal to weight to a dried fig. Milk enough for one swallow. Honey enough to put on a wound. Water enough to moisten an eye-salve. Ink enough to to write two letters of the alphabet.”

They would argue about whether a tailor sinned if he went out with a needle accidentally attached to his robe. Or if a woman wearing jewelry was carrying a burden. There were those that said if a man went out with artificial teeth or an artificial limb, that’s carrying a burden and thus breaking the Sabbath.

But remember, the spirit of the Sabbath was, Don’t do business as usual.

So tell me, is it business as usual for a paralyzed man to be healed, stand up, and carry his mat after laying in one place for 38 years? No!

This is a demonstration of the limitless power and compassion of God. The Lord of the Sabbath told the man to rise, take up his bed, and walk. The Sabbath was supposed to be a time of worship and joy, but their added rules made it a burden.

That’s why they told the man in verse 10, “It is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.” It was the Jews’ tradition (not the Old Testament) that taught that if anyone carried something from one place to another on the Sabbath intentionally, he deserved death by stoning.

That is not the spirit of the Sabbath. But that was the problem that arose between Jesus and the religious leaders. They wanted Him dead for healing on the Sabbath. And they got even more upset when He said, in vs. 17, “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.”

Jesus was saying, “My Father works on the Sabbath Day. And because He’s my Father, I also work on the Sabbath Day.”

Jesus was claiming to be co-equal with God. And that made the religious crowd even more mad. You see, this text at its roots is dealing with the authority of Jesus Christ. And the issue of authority is exactly what Christ deals with in this mini-sermon He preaches to them in response to their wanting to kill Him.

Last week we looked at Verses 19-30 in which Jesus lays out the greater works He was going to do. Greater than healing a paralyzed man. Jesus said, “If you think this was impressive, you ain’t seen nothing yet.”

But Wait, There’s More! Jesus makes it clear that He’s working in cooperation with, not in opposition to the Father. He wasn’t in rivalry with the Father, He was in unity with the Father.

Then Jesus goes on to talk about how His Father granted Him the authority to give life through salvation and the future resurrection. Those are greater works. He also deals with His authority as the Judge of all. One day we will each stand before Him and be judged. The unbelievers will be judged and found guilty for their sins. The believers will be judged for the works for God.

And the people needed to understand that Christ’s works weren’t limited to a paralyzed man or turning water into wine. He has power over the biggest issues in life - Death and Judgment. That’s who Jesus is.

So He spends time trying to get them to see there’s even more in store. They were just seeing the tip of the iceberg.

If you want to summarize His sermon here, you might say that Jesus was presenting His case for authority. And the first way He does it is this:

My Father Has Granted Me Authority Over Life And Judgment

You don’t deal with two issues any bigger than those. But the second way He presents His case for authority is this:

My Father Has Provided Witnesses As Evidence Of My Authority

Vs. 30-31 - It’s important to note that these are really the Father’s witnesses.

Jesus says, “If I came claiming to be my own witness, you would consider me to be arrogant and self-promoting and wouldn’t believe me. So I don’t come bearing witness of myself. I come with the testimony of others that my Father has provided.”

We all know the importance of witnesses in a court case. Witness testimonies often turn a trial and convince a jury. There was a unique trial of a former President this week and witnesses were a key part of it. Many of us are questioning the timing and motives behind said trial, but whatever your opinion about it is, witnesses played a role in convincing a jury to come to a certain conclusion.

God the Father knows as well. It’s not good enough for someone to claim they’re innocent on their own. Witnesses are needed. So the Father uses witnesses to help convince some hard hearted Pharisees that Jesus really is good.

Now understand, Jesus is God, witnesses or not.

John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

But the Father isn’t just concerned that people are convinced, He wants them to believe and have eternal life. He wants people to be convinced so they can be saved. That’s what matters to the Father.

We might say, “Why does He feel compelled to defend Himself?” His motivation is not just being right. His motivation is love. Love causes the Father to make a reasoned, logical case. He wants them to believe and have eternal life. He wants you to believe and have eternal life. So Christ says, in essence, “Can I get a witness?” And the Father provides at least three:

The Witness Of John The Baptist - 33-35

The Witness Of His Works - 36

The Witness Of The Scriptures - 37-47

I. The Father Calls To The Stand The Witness Of John the Baptist

John came before Jesus Christ as a voice crying in the wilderness. His job was to point to one true Light, Jesus Christ. He came as a witnesses saying, “Look at the Light!”

vs. 34 - Jesus says, “His testimony didn’t change anything for me - I am who I am without His witness. But John the Baptist’s witness was for your sake.” John came for the sake of the people that they might be saved. John brought attention to the coming Messiah and helped prepare hearts for Him.

So the people came to John and he told them the truth and many repented of their sin and were even baptized by him.

Vs. 35 - John was a lamp pointing to the coming light of Christ. And Jesus says that John was popular, even among the Jews, for a season. Many listening to Jesus here may have even assumed the Messianic age was upon them. That He would appear and conquer Rome. But when they realized Jesus was a Lamb, not a warrior, they soured quickly.

Still, John held the greatest privilege any of us could ever hold - pointing others to Jesus Christ. I get the privilege to preach Christ. It’s my greatest honor. But you have the opportunity to point souls to Christ, which is just as big a privilege. DT Niles said evangelism is just, “One beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.”

That’s all we’re asked to do. John was a Witness to the Light. And Jesus points it out.

And many of us were drawn to the light of Christ by the lamp of another Christian who pointed to Him. You have people in your life that have clearly pointed to Jesus Christ. That’s a strong witness that you should not ignore.

Some of you have parents that pointed to Jesus. Or a co-worker. Or a friend. Maybe a random stranger.

The point is a lamp shined a light on Christ. Don’t waste the light you’ve been given.

If you’re not saved, look to Jesus.

If you are saved, be a lamp and make a difference. Don’t waste your opportunities to shine.

II. The Father Calls To The Stand The Witness Of Christ’s Works

Vs. 36 - Jesus says His works are an even more important witness than John.

Jesus often used His works as a witness to His deity.

John 10:25 “Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.”

John 10:37–38 “If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.”

The Pharisees standing there were pushing back against His claim to be God, but Jesus makes it clear that they had a major problem. They could dispute what He said and counter what He claimed, but how would they explain away the supernatural works that He was doing?

JC Ryle wrote that there are five reasons unbelief is unbelievable when it comes to the works of Christ:

“ 1) Their number: they were not a few only, but very many indeed.

2) Their greatness: they were not little, but mighty interferences with the ordinary course of nature.

3) Their publicity: they were not done in a corner, but generally in open day, and before many witnesses, and often before enemies.

4) Their character: they were almost always works of love, mercy, and compassion, helpful and beneficial to man, and not mere barren exhibitions of power.

5) Their direct appeal to man's senses: they were visible, and would bear any examination."

Friend, you may be resistant to believing in Christ, but there is a large amount of historical evidence that He regularly and publicly interfered with the course of nature. He healed the sick. Made lame to walk. Even brought the dead back to life.

Don’t ignore that witness. Truth is, many in this room have experienced the work of Christ in our lives. All we can say is, “Only Jesus could have done that.”

III. The Father Calls To The Stand The Witness Of The Scriptures

Vs. 37-38 - The Father bears witness of Christ in many ways, but the primary way He does so is through the Scriptures.

Jesus says God hasn’t been physically seen or heard, but you’ve seen His heart and heard His voice through the Scriptures. The OT scriptures had been pointing to Jesus for over 1,400 years at this point.

Jesus could be seen on every page from Genesis to Malachi. If anyone knew the Scriptures, it was this group of religious scholars. But it’s like a veil covered their eyes. Jesus was the fulfillment of the OT sacrifices, and they missed it. He was the Son of David, the promised seed, the great High Priest, all of that. Moses and the law all pointed to Jesus (vs. 46). But they refused to come to Him for life.

Vs. 39-40 - It reminds me of what Jesus told Nicodemus, another religious scholar, in John 3.

John 3:19–20 “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.”

Their self-righteousness hid Jesus from their view, even though He stood right in front of them. They rejected Him because they refused to believe the evidence and the witnesses that made it so very clear.

Wouldn’t it be a shame to be so familiar with the Scriptures and miss Jesus? That’s what the Pharisees did.

Jesus indicts them on three accounts:

(37) “You have not heard the Father’s voice at any time” - If they had open hearts, they would have recognized God’s voice in Jesus.

(37) “You have not seen his shape” - They were looking at God in the flesh and didn’t recognize it. Blinded by their own self-righteousness.

(38) “You don’t have His Word abiding in you” - They studied the Word intensely. Many of the rabbis had memorized most of the OT. But to them, the Word was an academic and religious exercise only. They were experts in Scripture, but they completely missed Jesus, who all of Scripture points to.

Vs. 39-40

Can you imagine being familiar with this book your whole life and missing the Person it’s all about?

That’s what happened to these scholars. And unfortunately I believe it’s happening all around us. Maybe even in here.

The witnesses are saying, “Jesus is God! Place your faith in Him! Have eternal life by believing!”

But many read the Bible for its intellectual and literary value. Or they find the prophecy interesting. Or they love the history. And they miss Jesus.

Friend, the witnesses point to Jesus as God, but if you miss that, you miss Heaven.

Can you imagine being raised in a country with free access to the Bible and completely missing what it’s all about?

It can happen. If evidence and witnesses can point to one thing and a jury can completely miss it all, then it’s possible for you to have everything laid out in front of you and still miss it.

Christian, same question. Can you imagine reading this book your whole life and missing the Person it’s all about?

I think it happens all the time. We read this book and it becomes exercise. Religion. But it’s supposed to be a relationship.

It’s not about check-list. It’s about a Person.

It’s not about memorization. It’s about a Person.

It’s not about trivia and knowledge. It’s about Jesus.

Even believers can be guilty of missing what the Bible is all about.

Jesus said, “Can I get a witness?” And the Father provided.

But you’re the Jury. And it’s up to you. Will you believe? Or will you ignore what’s in front of you, miss Jesus, and miss eternal life as an unbeliever. Or miss a fulfilled life as a believer.

Either way, if you ignore the witnesses and miss Jesus, it’s an eternal tragedy.

The Father has given us everything we need. Will you believe what the evidence and witnesses all point to?

With all the witnesses that the Father has provided, unbelief is unbelievable.