God's Testimony

Introduction

Last week we Jesus justified His authority by stating that His authority comes from God the Father.

And Jesus stated that the deeds or miracles that He did were God’s proof of Jesus’ authority.

Jesus concluded by saying that He does nothing on His own. He only does what He is told to do by God the Father.

When we come to our passage today, we are going to see the various testimonies that were given to prove Jesus’ deity.

The Testimonies about Jesus

John 5:31 NIV

“If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true.

Jesus tells the religious leaders that if he were to testify about Himself, no one would believe His testimony (v. 31a).

No one in Jesus’ day would accept a person’s testimony of themselves. Thus, no one would believe Jesus’ testimony of Himself. Rather they never trust/accept His self-reporting as true (v. 31b).

John 5:32 NIV

There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is true.

Jesus states that there is another who testifies about Him (v. 32a). This is a reference to God the Father’s testimony that Jesus was/is His Son.

The Father’s testimony has to be true, because “lying” goes against his very nature (v. 32b).

John 5:33 NIV

“You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth.

The religious leaders may have immediately thought of John the Baptist as the testimony to which Jesus is referring.

So Jesus even says, they (the religious leaders) sent messengers to John, and John testified about the truth of Jesus (v. 33).

John 5:34 NIV

Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved.

Not that Jesus needed a human to testify about the truth of who He is (v. 34a).

Still, Jesus mentioned John’s testimony so that the religious leaders might believe and be saved (v. 34b).

John 5:35 NIV

John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.

Then Jesus equates John as a lamp that burned brightly giving light to all around him (v. 35a).

In fact, the religious leaders enjoyed John’s light for a period of time (v. 35b).

John 5:36 NIV

“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.

Jesus says that He has someone with a testimony about Him that is greater than John the Baptist’s testimony about Him (v. 36a).

The testimony about Jesus are the works (Gk. works, deeds, actions, tasks, occupation, undertaking, business, message, or toil) that God the Father gave him to finish (Gk. finish, complete, perfect, fulfill, or accomplish) (v. 36b).

Jesus says that the works that He is doing are the works that the Father has given Him to do (v. 36c).

These very works testify that God the Father sent Jesus (v. 36d).

John 5:37 NIV

And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form,

But it gets even better because God the Fathe—the One who sent Him—testifies concerning (Gk. concerning, about, with regard to) Jesus (v. 37a).

The Problem

You—the people to whom Jesus is speaking, which were the Jewish religious leaders—have never heard God’s voice (v. 37b).

You have never seen God’s form (v. 37c).

John 5:38 NIV

nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent.

It gets even worse, because God’s Word was not living in them (v. 38a).

And the reason God’s Word is not in them is because they do not believe what God says! THEY DO NOT BELIEVE GOD! (v. 38b)

John 5:39 NIV

You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me,

These religious leaders diligently study the Scriptures, but they study them for the wrong reason! (v. 39a)

They study them because they believe that by studying them they will gain eternal life (v. 39b).

They miss the point of the Scriptures! The Scriptures TESTIFY about Jesus (v. 39c).

John 5:40 NIV

yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

PROBLEM: The religious leaders refuse to respond to Jesus to gain eternal life (v. 40)!

QUESTION: How many times do I study God’s Word looking for answers to some problem, but fail to see Jesus? Or even worse, how many times do I study God’s Word and fail to apply it to my life so that it effects change in me?

Jesus’ Response

John 5:41 NIV

“I do not accept glory from human beings,

Jesus refused to accept “glory” (Gk. glory, praise, honor, greatness, brightness, splendor, reputation, or opinion) from human beings—from “man” (v. 41).

John 5:42 NIV

but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts.

The reason is that He knew them (knew their hearts) (v. 42a).

What Jesus knew was that these people did not have the love of God in their hearts! (v. 42b).

QUESTION: What does it mean to have the love of God in our hearts?

I immediately think of 1 John 4:16,

1 John 4:16 NIV

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.

Or I think of 1 John 4:7-8:

1 John 4:7–8 NIV

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

It seems as though not loving people means that we do not have God’s love in us!

Jesus has already given the two greatest commandments: (1) Love God, and (2) Love people (cf. Matt. 22:36-40; Mk. 12:30-31; Lk. 10:27).

Thus, loving God is seen in our expression towards humanity (loving people).

QUESTION: So how well am I loving people?

John 5:43 NIV

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.

Jesus makes it clear that He did not come on His own. He came as a representative of the Father (v. 43a).

But the Jews did not accept Him AT ALL! But for sure they did not accept Him as God’s messenger (v. 43b).

The sad thing was that the Jews would have accepted Jesus testimony if He had come in “His own name” (v. 43c).

They accepted all kinds of self-promoting testimonies (v. 43d).

John 5:44 NIV

How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?

Jesus asks a rhetorical question: How could they believe? After all they accept “glory” (see notes on v. 41) from one another (v. 44a)

They don’t seek the “glory” that only comes from God (v. 44).

Their Accusers!

John 5:45 NIV

“But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set.

Jesus says that He will not accuse them before the God the Father (He won’t have to) (v. 45a).

No, Moses will be their accuser because they have placed all their hopes on Moses (v. 45b).

John 5:46 NIV

If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me.

After all, IF they had believed what Moses said they would have believed in Jesus (v. 46a).

Because Moses wrote about Jesus (cf. Gen. 3:15) (v. 46b).

Their Problem

John 5:47 NIV

But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?”

If they didn’t believe what Moses wrote, who in the world are they going to believe what Jesus says (v. 47)? (cf. Lk. 16:29, 31)

So What

Did you catch the key about who it was that would condemn the Jews? Look back at verses 46.

John 5:46 NIV

If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me.

Today, you and I will be judged by Jesus, but not be accused by Jesus.

The truth is there will be several things that will accuse us and ultimately lead to our condemnation.

And like the Jews, our lack of acceptance of their testimony about Jesus will accuse us and lead to our condemnation!

The Scripture will will accuse us.

Hebrews 4:12 NIV

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Our own actions—our sin—will accuse us.

Romans 3:23 NIV

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Nature will accuse us.

Romans 1:20 NIV

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

The Book of Life will accuse us.

Revelation 20:12–13 NIV

And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done.

The Good News!

Romans 8:1 NIV

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,

If you are living in Christ Jesus—that is living in obedience to Him, and like we talked about last week, making Him LORD, MASTER, RULER of your life—then you no longer face the accusations of the Scripture, or of your sin, or of nature, or of the Book of Life. And you and I will not face the condemnation of Jesus.

There is NO CONDEMNATION for those who follow Jesus and are living in obedience to Him!