Search and Know That I Am God

Introduction

This morning, we are jumping right back into our Journey through the Gospel of John. We are still in chapter 5. Christ is in the middle of a great dissertation concerning His deity. You may recall that this was precipitated by the religious Jewish leaders questioning the formerly lame man. This is the same man that Christ healed on the Sabbath by the pool of Bethesda. These religious hypocrites ignored the fact that this man experienced a wondrous miracle in his life. A miracle that completely changed his life forever. Instead, they were more worried that they had violated their man-made rules of carrying his bed on the Sabbath. Some would argue that God made the rule by giving the Law to Israel. My rebuttal is that it is true. However, these religious dictators bent the intent of God’s Law to benefit themselves. On several occasions, even Christ testified that these men had a form of godliness but denied the power thereof. This very indictment prompted Christ’s dialogue, which we are now studying.

‌Now, remember this message from Christ is 28 verses long. Thus, I have divided it into three messages so we might glean as much as possible from it. Two weeks ago, we considered verses 19-29. In that message, Christ made His divinity quite clear. He helped us understand the importance of His relationship with the Father. Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions about Christ that still remain. Just as in His day when He ministered on earth, many still deny His deity. Denying Christ’s deity has catastrophic spiritual results. Our eternal existence in Heaven depends on whether we accept Christ as God. By the way, Christ’s deity is not theological speculation but reality. In the end, those who hear the message of Christ, His deity, and His willingness to die for their sin have a decision to make. There is coming a day when everyone will be resurrected. This fact is noted in our text and where we will pick up our message today.

John 5:29–39 KJV 1900

29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. 30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. 31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. 32 There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. 33 Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. 34 But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved. 35 He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. 36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. 37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. 38 And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. 39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

There are several things that God wants us to know and understand this morning. Let’s start with...

The Universal Truth of Christ’s Deity

John 5:30–31 KJV 1900

30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. 31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.

The number one truth about Christ, which was always a thorn to the religious leaders of His day, was Christ’s deity. Each time Christ proclaimed He was God, they accused Him of blasphemy. In a way, we can understand this. For centuries, the people of Israel believed Jehovah was the only true God. And their belief was valid. It was founded upon God’s revelation to Israel, beginning with Moses at the burning bush and continuing throughout Israel’s history. Christ now comes on the scene as a man. Remember, Christ is a man of very humble birth. He was born in Bethlehem, a lowly town with a royal heritage, but was raised in Nazareth. As Pastor Will preached last week, no one believed anything good could come from Nazareth. Yet, here is this Nazarene claiming that He is God. It was something they could not wrap their heads around. By the way, many people still today cannot wrap their minds around this truth.

‌I find it interesting that Christ always responds to those who doubt with love and grace as He does with all people. Even in dealing with these so-called religious scholars and teachers, He responds with truth as He speaks passionately, seeking to help them understand that He is indeed God come to them in the flesh. Our text continues to prove this.

‌In these verses we just read, Christ once again states three important, undeniable facts about Himself.

First,

Christ is God.

This undeniable truth is understood in the context of what He is saying. In the verses leading up to today’s text, Christ already stated...

John 5:23 KJV 1900

23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.

John 5:26 KJV 1900

26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;

In addition to these statements, Christ states again, “I can of mine own self do nothing...” In other words, I do what I do because I am God. The fact that He, the Father, and the Holy Spirit are one demands that He do nothing other than what God chose for Him to do. They are inseparable. They are One. Christ affirms this truth: "As I hear, I judge: my judgment is just.” Why is His judgment just and others are not? He is God. That is the simple truth. All of which leads to another critical and undeniable fact.

Christ Can Do Nothing Outside of God’s Will

Everything Christ did, He did ultimately as God willed. He could do nothing else. Again, it is another testament to the fact that He is God. Thus, Christ could do nothing less as God the Father and the Son. Not once did Christ seek His own will, for His will could not be separated from the will of the Father. I know that this is hard for us to comprehend. We are feeble people. And, yes, we are made in His image. However, we are not God. God is so unique and different that there is not one person here this morning who fully comprehends the Trinity. It is so utterly unique that we struggle with its concept. Yet, just because we struggle to understand does not make it untrue. Instead, it is true whether or not we can comprehend it. God is God. He is forever God. He was God long before we existed and will remain God for all eternity. Our responsibility is not to fully understand everything about God, for it is beyond our comprehension. Our only responsibility is to believe He is God.

Hebrews 11:6 KJV 1900

6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

It was the same in Christ’s day. He said these things not for them to comprehend fully but to believe the truth of Who He is.

‌We must understand this as we move into the rest of our text. Many, especially the religious Jews, did not accept Christ's divinity. Christ’s statement was not enough for them. In fact, under the Law, the validity of truth was established by the witness of two or three people. Listen to God’s instruction to Israel concerning a witness.

Deuteronomy 19:15–19 KJV 1900

15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established. 16 If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong; 17 Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days; 18 And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother; 19 Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you.

Even later, Christ established the importance of a witness for the local church.

Matthew 18:16 KJV 1900

16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

For this reason, as He is asserting His divinity, Christ states...

John 5:31 KJV 1900

31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.

Christ understood that He Himself established the validity of truth by having two or more witnesses. One witness of the truth was not enough. Thus, in keeping with His established law, Christ offered three witnesses authenticating the fact that He is God.

Christ now presents...

The Undeniable Testimony of Three Witnesses

John 5:32 KJV 1900

32 There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.

Here is the first of these witnesses. Note that Christ states “There is another that beareth witness of me.” It would seem that Christ, at first thought, was speaking of none other than John the Baptist. However, as we will see, Christ does speak of John the Baptist as one of these witnesses, but in this verse, He is thinking of someone greater than John the Baptist. Christ expounds on this by saying, “I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.” The subtle use of language here underscores the fact that Christ was referencing someone other than John the Baptist. Let me demonstrate what I mean.

‌Note carefully that Christ says there is “another” that beareth witness of me, and His witness is true. Christ was referring to God the Father and not John the Baptist. This verse explains verse 31.

John 5:31–32 KJV 1900

31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. 32 There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.

You see, Christ could never sever His own witness from that of the Father’s witness. Thus, the very first witness that He calls forth in defending His deity is God the Father. Later, in John 8, we find these words.

John 8:14–18 KJV 1900

14 Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go. 15 Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man. 16 And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me. 17 It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. 18 I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.

Again, we see the reality of God the Father and God the Son being one. They are inseparable, and therefore, they are one witness.

‌The second witness called to the witness stand is John the Baptist.

John 5:33–35 KJV 1900

33 Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. 34 But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved. 35 He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.

In Chapter 1, the Holy Spirit recorded how the religious Jews sent a contingent of representatives to confront John the Baptist.

John 1:19 KJV 1900

19 And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?

Even at that time, John “bare witness unto the truth.” He authenticated that he, John the Baptist, was not the promised Messiah. Instead, John declared...

John 1:23 KJV 1900

23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.

However, in that same conversation with the religious Jews, John said...

John 1:26–27 KJV 1900

26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; 27 He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose.

John the Baptist fulfilled his mission. He was God's additional witness to verify the TRUTH that Christ is God.

John 5:33 KJV 1900

33 Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth.

It is essential to understand that Christ did not need the testimony of a mere mortal such as John to authenticate His divinity. Thus, Christ states...

John 5:34 KJV 1900

34 But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved.

Christ appealed to John’s testimony for no reason other than that they might be saved. John indeed bore witness to the “truth.” God used John’s testimony to reach the hearts and minds of the Jews. God used it to prepare them for His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Without a doubt, the unique ministry of John the Baptist, a voice in the wilderness who ate nothing but locusts and honey, aroused their attention. John’s message stirred within them their need for a Savior. Many of them believed and were baptized.

‌Unfortunately, there was a sad ending to John’s ministry.

John 5:35 KJV 1900

35 He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.

John burned inwardly and his light shined outwardly. Never once did John hide his light under a bushel. No, it shined so that all men might see.

SIDE NOTE: What a testimony this man had for the Lord! The question for many of us today is this. Do we have the same testimony? Are we burning inwardly so that our light, which reflects the true Light, shines so brightly that others cannot miss it? Or, are we hiding our light under a basket, and no one truly knows the Light of Christ in us? The greatest need in this world today is this. The world needs believers who are burning with great spiritual fire inside that cannot be contained and are bursting forth outwardly proclaiming the good news of Christ. Why is this so important?

Romans 13:11–12 KJV 1900

11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

Returning to our text, we see the sadness of man’s rejection. John’s testimony was clear and sure. No man could deny it. For a time (a season), even the religious Jews were drawn to John’s witness of the truth. They were willing for a season to “rejoice in his light.” Yet, in the end, their unbelief remained.

‌What is the one thing that determines the difference between a religious unbeliever and a true believer?

John 8:31 KJV 1900

31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

Not how you begin that matters as much as how you finish. The Jews began by hearing John’s testimony and were even amazed by Christ’s miracles, but, in the end, the overwhelming majority stood before the cross of Calvary shouting, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!” The actual proof of a true disciple is that they continue in Christ’s word and persevere with faithfulness and obedience to Him.

‌Now comes the last witness. Three witnesses established and authenticated Christ’s deity and fulfilled His own command of having two or three witnesses. The first was the Father. The second was John the Baptist. Here is the third.

John 5:36 KJV 1900

36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.

The very miracles of Christ were an unmistakable witness to Him as God. He gave hearing to those who were deaf. He loosed the tongues of those who could not speak. He opened the eyes of the blind. He cleansed the lepers from their awful disease. He released those who were in complete bondage to Satan. He resurrected the dead. He walked upon the waves of the sea. He commanded the wind, calming the sea. He turned water into wine. He fed the multitudes with just a few loaves of bread and some small fish. Every miraculous work testified to His inherent power. These miracles were just one more witness furnishing proof that He is indeed the God of the Universe.

‌One Bible Commentary noted the following about Christ’s miracles.

‌“First, their number: they were not a few only, but very many.

Second, their greatness: they were not little but mighty interferences with the ordinary course of nature.

Third, their publicity: they were not done in a corner, but generally the open, before many witnesses, and often before enemies.

Fourth, their character: they were almost always works of love, mercy, and compassion, helpful to man, and not merely barren exhibitions of power.

Fifth, their direct appeal to man’s senses: they were visible and would bear any examination.”

‌These were the “same works” that He did, and they “bear witness” to Him. All in all, they testified that the Father had indeed sent Him.

‌Note verse 37, and we will move on to the next point.

John 5:37 KJV 1900

37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.

Christ returns to the first of three witnesses in this verse. The Father was the most important of the three. However, something about the Father in His witness of Christ speaks volumes more than the other two witnesses. Christ states, “Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.”

‌At first, this seems like an odd statement. Some believe this statement relates to the moment Christ was baptized and the Father spoke from heaven. However, I think the context of the following verse provides another avenue of consideration. Remember that these men to whom Christ is speaking are Bible scholars. I used that term for, indeed, these were men well versed in the Old Testament. They knew the Pentateuch, the Law, and the prophets. The entire Old Testament is God’s revelation to man about Himself. God, through the many writers of the Old Testament, bore witness of His Son. He prophesied that His Son would come and even named the very town in which He was born. Even the entire economy of Israel itself was characterized by an invisible God. Yet, despite all that God did throughout Israel’s history in revealing His Son, they did not hear His voice or even recognize His shape.

‌With that thought, Christ proceeds to give us our next point.

The Unabated Denial of Christ

Note the charges Christ brings against these men.

John 5:38 (KJV 1900)

38 And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.

John 5:40 (KJV 1900)

40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

John 5:42 (KJV 1900)

42 But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you.

John 5:43 (KJV 1900)

43 I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.

John 5:44 (KJV 1900)

44 How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?

John 5:47 (KJV 1900)

47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?

Did you see it? Despite all the three witness of Christ which include the Father, John the Baptist, and all of Christ’s miracles, they still deny His deity. Carefully note verse 38 again.

John 5:38 (KJV 1900)

38 And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.

Why did the not believe? They did not have “his word abiding” in them. The only way any person can come to Christ is when they invite God’s Word into their heart. If you do not accept and believe God’s Word, you will not come to Christ, you will not receive Him, you will not love Him, and you will not know the honor of belonging to Him.

Psalm 119:11 KJV 1900

11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, That I might not sin against thee.

Romans 10:17 KJV 1900

17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

These men were unabated in their denial of Christ. They did not have God’s Word in their heart. They may have studied, heard it, and even debated it. However, in the end, they did believe it. They did not accept it by faith and walked away, not knowing the God of the Universe and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. I stand amazed as I read the Gospel accounts of how Christ, the God of all creation, stood among these men. He taught them with great power, and He demonstrated His incredible power. Yet, despite all they saw and heard, they determined to kill Him.

‌For this reason, Christ gives us this next verse and our last point for today.

The Unending Testament of God’s Word

John 5:39 KJV 1900

39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

Christ returns to this all-important point. You must have His Word in your heart to know Him and believe. You must open your heart to Scripture. Note the emphasis Christ places upon Scripture in this verse. He says, “Search the scriptures.”

‌“Search” is a Greek word connected to hunting wild game. It refers to stalking game. Stalking wild game requires intense focus. Once you discover the foot tracks of an animal, you have to concentrate all your attention on the ground, looking for the next set of footprints. Stalking is difficult simply because of the forest and the terrain. Sometimes, you lose track of the next set of footprints and have to circle back to the last set. From there, you begin working in circle patterns all around, looking for any signs that would lead to where your quarry might have gone.

‌Similarly, Christ calls upon every person to study His Word. Examine each verse and chapter with a minute examination. Trace it out. Ascertain what God wants you to know. As you do, you will find the truth of Christ’s statement.

John 5:39 KJV 1900

39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

Search God's Word if you are here this morning and have yet to receive Christ as Savior. Read His Word. Study His Word. If you do, God makes the following promise.

Isaiah 55:11 KJV 1900

11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: It shall not return unto me void, But it shall accomplish that which I please, And it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

What will you accomplish by searching Scripture? I can assure you that it will always testify of Christ, God’s Son, that He is God, and that eternal life is available through Him.