Believing the Witness

Introduction

Sermon Text Intro

I invite you to open your Bibles to John 5:31.

We are starting in the middle of an argument. The Jewish leaders have had enough. Who does this Jesus think he is? Here in verse 31 we see His reply to their attacks.

Let’s read together John 5:31–47.

John 5:31–47 NKJV

31 “If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true. 32 There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true. 33 You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. 34 Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved. 35 He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light. 36 But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. 37 And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. 38 But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. 39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. 41 “I do not receive honor from men. 42 But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. 43 I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. 44 How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God? 45 Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”

Prayer of Illumination

Heavenly Father, thank You for revealing Yourself to us. As we hear Your Word today, open our eyes and soften our hearts, so we do not harden them like the religious leaders in this passage. Help us to see Jesus clearly, trust His witness fully, and believe all that You have revealed. In Jesus name, Amen.

Intro

In many ways, this passage reads like a public trial.

One trial in America, that made national headlines—and was even live-streamed—was the defamation case brought by Johnny Depp against his former wife.

She had publically accused him of mistreating her, but no one seemed to listen when he declared his innocence. The whole world seemed against him.

Then he went to trial, and witnesses began to speak. With each testimony, the truth came out, and slowly the jury—and the world—saw what was real: the accusation was false all along. That’s the goal of a witness—to testify to the truth.

Here in John 5, the Jewish leaders are trying to put Jesus on trial. They want to kill Him for healing on the Sabbath and for claiming equality with God (John 5:18). But Jesus points to His four witnesses—voices that testify to the truth about who He is.

1. Believe the full witness of Jesus (John 5:31-35)

And so Jesus calls his first witness. It’s not going to be himself. No, it’s John the Baptist.

The crowds and the religious leaders had seen John. They had heard his powerful calls for repentance and his promise that the Messiah was coming.

Then John sees Jesus and proclaims:

“Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)

Later, in John 3—after Jesus speaks with Nicodemus—John makes his testimony unmistakably clear. Jesus is the Christ. He must increase, and I must decrease.

Why? Because John says:

John 3:36 NKJV

36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

That’s a clear witness.

So why aren’t the religious leaders satisfied? Why are they still questioning Jesus?

Because they don’t believe his full witness.

When John says things they like, they’re ready to shout, “Preach it! Amen!” When the Messiah sounds like someone who will bring power and prosperity, they are happy to “rejoice in his light.”

But when John calls them to repent— When he refuses to go with the cultural flow— When the Savior he points to isn’t a conquering general who will defeat Rome, but a carpenter’s son who calls them to be born again by believing in Him—

That’s when they stop listening.

They didn’t believe the full witness of John.

And we can be tempted to do the same thing with God’s witness to Jesus—through His Word.

We’re willing, for a time, to rejoice in the burning and shining lamp.

Until the Bible says something we don’t like.

Until following Jesus means not following the world around us.

Until it says something we don’t want to hear.

Transition: God has spoken clearly; the question is whether we will listen, or will we only believe when it matches what we want to hear?

2. Believe in Jesus, not just about Him (John 5:36)

John was an impressive witness. But Jesus now calls a second witness that is even harder to ignore—His own works.

Jesus is speaking of everything He is doing to accomplish the Father’s plan. This is the plan He told us about in John 3:16—a plan motivated by God’s love, offering eternal life to all who would believe.

These works included private miracles, like turning water into wine; remarkable miracles, like healing a sick boy from a great distance; and public miracles, like healing the paralyzed man on the Sabbath.

And everyone accusing Jesus knew about that healing— because that’s actually why they were so angry with Him.

On one hand, Jesus’ miracles made Him very popular. Who wouldn’t want a miracle? Think of everything a miracle worker could do for you—fix your problems, make your life easier. Everybody loved the miracles, so they should be convinced by Jesus’ works, right?

But Jesus didn’t work the way they hoped.

Jesus didn’t perform on demand. He wasn’t working to give people whatever they wanted or building up the Jewish religious system.

In fact His works exposed how shallow and man-made their rules had become.

Take the Sabbath, for example. God’s command was too open-ended for them, so they “fixed” it. They created long lists defining what counted as work—and Jesus broke those rules by healing a paralyzed man on the Sabbath.

To them, that paralyzed man wasn’t worth breaking their system for.

The real problem was this: The crowds wanted the miracles, but they didn’t want the Miracle Worker.

They were eager for signs. Healing? Yes. Food? Absolutely. Anything that benefited them. Sign them up.

But when it came to accepting Jesus— to believing in Him, not just enjoying what He could do for them— they backed away.

They were interested in the works that served them. But Jesus was about work that served the Father.

And that work reached its climax at the cross, where Jesus willingly laid down His life to bring eternal life to all who believe.

Transition: God has spoken clearly; the question is whether we will listen, or whether we will only believe in what Jesus can do for us—and not in Him, for who He is.

3. Believe with spiritual eyes (John 5:37-38)

For the third witness, Jesus calls God the Father.

God has, in fact, publicly testified about Jesus. At Jesus’ baptism, a voice from heaven declared, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17).

And even if some in the crowd were unaware of that audible voice, it was still obvious that God had sent Jesus. God was clearly at work through Him.

So why didn’t they believe?

Because, as Jesus says in verse 37, “You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form.”

The problem wasn’t that God hadn’t spoken—it was that they weren’t able to hear Him. They lacked spiritual perception.

You can be religious and still have no real knowledge of God.

You can believe many things about God and yet not have His Word abiding in you.

To truly recognize God’s witness, you must see with spiritual eyes.

This doesn’t mean having strange mystical experiences, or reaching some elevated plane of consciousness. Jesus makes it clear: when we see with spiritual eyes, we see what the Holy Spirit is revealing—Jesus.

We hear God’s voice and receive the Holy Spirit through: Believing in Jesus.

When we reject Jesus—clinging instead to religious practices, personal ideas, or worldly priorities—God’s Word does not abide in us, because we do not believe the One He sent.

To believe with spiritual eyes is to believe in Jesus.

Transition: God has spoken clearly. The question is whether we will listen—or whether we will settle for believing about God without truly listening to God.

4. Believe the whole Bible (John 5:39-47)

Then Jesus calls His final witness. And He spends more time on this witness than on any other—and it may be the most relevant witness for you and me.

This witness isn’t a memory of what John said.

It isn’t just a record of what Jesus did.

It isn’t an unseen voice from heaven.

In fact, if I’m not mistaken, this witness is physically present in the room right now.

If you have a Bible with you this morning, would you hold it up? (pause—hold up Bible and wait for congregation to join)

This is Jesus’ final witness. (lower Bible)

Jesus says in verse 39: “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life.”

And they were right. The Scriptures they had, what we call the Old Testament do point to eternal life.

The Old Testament clearly reveals the problem of sin in every human life.

It teaches it in instruction and illustrates it repeatedly through history.

The Bible is not a storybook of made-up heroic tales. It is a grand story of God’s redemptive plan, filled with real events and real people. Even the stories of our “heroes” of faith show that none of us can overcome sin and death on our own.

But Scripture doesn’t stop there. It also reveals the solution—the promise of eternal life through God’s love and redemption.

The storyline of Scripture is all about God’s rescue plan.

We see it begin with a covenant with Abraham, promising to bless the world through his offspring.

We see God rescue Abraham’s descendants from slavery and give them a covenant including holiness, worship, and the promise of a greater priest and greater sacrifice to atone for their sin.

We see God covenant with King David, promising an eternal King over His people.

And over and over, the Old Testament Scriptures points to the promised Savior.

When that Savior finally came, many were still unwilling to come to Him.

They were focused on receiving honor from men, they were more concerned with how others would view them than what God thought.

And it’s easy to point fingers at those Pharisees, the “terrible religious hypocrites.” But aren’t we tempted to do the same thing today?

How easy is it to open the Bible, find a teaching that clashes with our traditions or culture, and just overlook it? How easy is it to pride ourselves on our religious practices while ignoring so much God actually says?

But Jesus has a higher view of Scripture. He doesn’t discard any of it, in fact- He fulfills all of it! It’s much more than a book of rules, or a choose-your-own-adventure for our own glory.

The Bible—the holy Scripture—is inspired by God.

From the Old Testament to the New, it testifies to Jesus, the Savior God promised and has sent to the world.

Transition: God has spoken clearly; the question is whether we will listen, or will we believe our own ideas over Scripture?

Conclusion

In a trial, once both sides have made their case and presented their witnesses, the jury goes back to deliberate. And sometimes juries see the same evidence and hear the same testimony—but come to very different conclusions.

Why?

Because they believe different things.

That’s exactly what happened with Jesus.

Some were angry—furious that Jesus would say these things. They rejected Him and wanted to lash out.

Some were confused—they couldn’t disprove what He said, but they weren’t willing to leave the comfort of their traditions—even if those traditions might be wrong.

But others believed.

The witnesses didn’t say what they wanted to hear—but spoke truth, and they believed.

The witnesses didn’t point to Jesus meeting their desires—but to Jesus meeting their deepest needs, and they believed.

The witnesses didn’t just reveal facts about God—but showed people how to know and experience God through Jesus, and they believed.

And the witnesses didn’t speak from human tradition—but from the holy words of Scripture, and they believed.

God has spoken clearly through His witnesses.

The question is not whether He has spoken, but will we believe?

Invitation

As we sing ’Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus, I invite you to respond to the truth God has shown you about Jesus today.

If you are a believer, this is a moment to reflect on God’s witness and to respond with renewed belief and trust in Christ.

If you have not yet begun a relationship with God, may today be the day you place your trust in Jesus and receive eternal life.

There is nothing sweeter than trusting in Jesus.

Will you stand and sing?

John Reading Plan

John 6:1–71 – After feeding five thousand with a few loaves and fish, Jesus walks on water and then teaches that He Himself is the true bread from heaven. Many disciples struggle to accept His words, but Peter confesses that only Jesus has the words of eternal life. This chapter emphasizes Jesus as the one who sustains, provides, and gives eternal nourishment.

☐ Day 1 – John 6:1-14 + Exodus 16:11–15

☐ Day 2 – John 6:15-24 + Psalm 77:16–20

☐ Day 3 – John 6:25–40 + Isaiah 55:1–3

☐ Day 4 – John 6:41–59 + Proverbs 9:1–6

☐ Day 5 – John 6:60–71 + Joshua 24:14–18

Sermon Notes

1. Quotes & Illustrations

Depp v. Heard Trial:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depp_v._Heard

Cornerstone Biblical Commentary

The idea of witness or testimony appears often in this Gospel (cf. 1:7). Boice (1970:24) points out that 60 percent of the New Testament occurrences of the verb for “witness” (martureō [3140, 3455]) occur in John’s writings (47 of 77 times, with 33 in his Gospel). Boice links the theme closely with that of divine revelation. Witness refers to official, objective testimony to the truthfulness of God’s revelation in Jesus.

Grant Osborne, Philip W. Comfort, Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, Vol 13: John and 1, 2, and 3 John (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2007), 87.

In reality there is only one true witness, the Father, and the others are expressions of that one ultimate testimony. Jesus spoke of another witness (5:32, “someone else”) who was completely qualified to speak, and his testimony would be completely valid. This, of course, is the Father, whose testimony doesn’t appear until 5:37.

Grant Osborne, Philip W. Comfort, Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, Vol 13: John and 1, 2, and 3 John (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2007), 88.

Pillar New Testament Commentary (my formatting)

But Jesus’ assessment of his hearers’ openness to God’s revelation is not sanguine. The damning indictment that follows runs along three lines.

First, You have never heard his voice—unlike Moses, who heard God’s voice (Ex. 33:11). Since Jesus speaks the words of God (3:34, 17:8), and the Jews do not hear God’s voice in Jesus, it follows that they are not true followers of Moses. In fact, Moses turns out to be their accuser: if they had believed Moses, they would have believed Jesus (cf. notes on 45–47).

Second, You have never … seen his form—unlike Jacob (Israel), who saw God’s form (eidos, both here and in LXX Gn. 32:30, 31). Since Jesus is the very manifestation of God (1:18; 14:9), and the Jews do not see God in Jesus, it follows that they are not true Israelites.

Third, nor does his [God’s] word dwell in you—unlike, say, Joshua (Jos. 1:8–9) or the psalmist (Ps. 119:11), who hid God’s word in their hearts, meditating on it, learning not to sin against God, understanding that divine blessing in their lives was vitally dependent on the indwelling of this word. Since Jesus is the very word of God (1:1), and the Jews have no time for him, it follows that they share neither in the experience of nor the blessings upon Joshua and the psalmist.

Jesus insists that there is nothing intrinsically life-giving about studying the Scriptures, if one fails to discern their true content and purpose.

This is one of six passages in the Fourth Gospel where Scripture or some writer of Old Testament Scripture is said to speak or write of Christ, even though no specific passage is adduced:

John 1:45

John 2:22

John 3:10

John 5:45–46

John 20:9

By predictive prophecy,

by type,

by revelatory event and

by anticipatory statute,

what we call the Old Testament is understood to point to Christ, his ministry, his teaching, his death and resurrection.

D. A. Carson, The Gospel according to John, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans, 1991), pg. 262-263.

2. Scripture References

To understand the context of this passage read John 5:9-18.

You may also want to read Jesus’ first response to the religious leaders in John 5:19-30. In this section Jesus outlines his God-given authority to give everlasting life and execute judgement. It is this authority that the four witnesses are testifying to in our passage.

3. Additional Questions

What does Jesus mean by saying his witness isn’t true if he bears witness to himself in John 5:29?

Jesus isn’t claiming his testimony is factually false—rather, he’s making a point about the nature of his witness in relation to his identity and mission. His statement that his testimony wouldn’t be valid doesn’t mean it’s actually false; it’s true precisely because it comes supported by the Father.[1]

The key lies in understanding what Jesus has just established about himself. He emphasizes his complete dependence on the Father, unable to act independently, and this dependence is metaphorically expressed through both “seeing” and “hearing” the Father.[1] Given this radical unity with the Father, if Jesus were to bear witness to himself in isolation, that would actually make his testimony untrue, because the kind of witness he’s bearing requires the Father’s support.[1]

This reflects a deeper theological principle: Jesus points out that no one can be accepted based solely on their own word—the law requires two or three witnesses—so he agrees that if he bore witness to himself alone, that witness shouldn’t be accepted.[1] But Jesus isn’t standing alone. Given his emphasis on oneness with the Father, his witness cannot possibly be true without support, and independent confirmation is available.[1]

The apparent paradox dissolves when you recognize that all Jesus says and does—including his witness—reflects his perfect obedience to his Father, so his witness is not simply his own but the Father’s.[2] Jesus isn’t denying the truth of his claims about himself; he’s asserting that those claims derive their truth from their alignment with the Father’s will and testimony. His self-witness is valid only because it’s simultaneously the Father’s witness.

[1] Leon Morris, The Gospel according to John, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1995), 286–287. [2] D. A. Carson, The Gospel according to John, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans, 1991), 259–260.

Who is the other who bears witness to Jesus in John 5:31?

The “other” who bears witness to Jesus in John 5:31 is God the Father[1]. Though Jesus acknowledges the Jewish legal principle that self-testimony lacks validity, he points to the Father as his primary witness, while also having other corroborative witnesses[2].

The passage unfolds Jesus’s argument by introducing additional witnesses after establishing the Father’s testimony. John the Baptist serves as the first corroborative witness, having conducted a public ministry focused on bearing testimony to Jesus[2]. However, Jesus clarifies that he does not require John’s testimony to establish his truthfulness; rather, he mentions it for the benefit of his hearers, hoping they might accept John’s testimony and be saved[2].

Beyond John the Baptist, Jesus introduces his works as a second corroborative witness—the very works the Father commissioned him to perform testify that the Father sent him, and these works carry greater weight than John’s testimony[2]. The passage also references Jesus’s own works, God the Father, and the Scriptures, particularly those written by Moses, as witnesses to Jesus’s identity[1].

The structure of Jesus’s argument reflects the reality that the Father is the one true witness, with other testimonies serving as expressions of that ultimate testimony, though the Father’s direct testimony doesn’t appear until verse 37[3]. This layered approach strengthens Jesus’s case by appealing to multiple forms of evidence his opponents would recognize as authoritative.

[1] Andreas Köstenberger, “John,” in Holman Illustrated Bible Commentary, ed. E. Ray Clendenen and Jeremy Royal Howard (Broadman & Holman, 2015), 1138. [2] Colin G. Kruse, John: An Introduction and Commentary, ed. Eckhard J. Schnabel, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (London: Inter-Varsity Press, 2017), 176–178. [3] Grant Osborne, Philip W. Comfort, Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, Vol 13: John and 1, 2, and 3 John (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2007), 88.

4. Bible Translation

I’m choosing the NKJV for preaching because I believe it offers the strongest balance of faithfulness to the historic text of Scripture, clarity for modern readers, and continuity with the church’s worshiping tradition.

At the same time, I deeply value other faithful translations—such as the NASB, ESV, CSB, and NIV—which also serve the church well and can enrich our understanding of God’s Word.

5. Commentary Recommendation's

I have found the following commentaries helpful in my study of John.

Introductory

Explore the book in greater depth. Ideal for curious church members, Bible study leaders, and Sunday School teachers who want a clearer understanding of the text without being overwhelmed by technical detail.

1. Holman New Testament Commentary: John by Kenneth O. Gangel

2. Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in John by Matt Chandler and Josh Wredberg

3. Be Alive (John 1-12) and Be Transformed (John 13-21) by Warren Wiresbe

4. The Life Application Bible Commentary: John Editor: Grant Osborne

Intermediate

More advanced, with increased attention to historical context, theological nuances, and interpretive questions. Best for teachers or small group leaders seeking a scholarly yet accessible examination of passages.

1. Signs of the Messiah: An Introduction to John’s Gospel by Andreas J. Köstenberger

2. Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: The Gospel of John by Grant Osborne

3. ESV Expository Commentary: John by James M. Hamilton Jr.

In-Depth Study

These are a bit more advanced than the previous recommendations and go into more depth. These resources are ideal for those preparing lessons or sermons and looking to engage more deeply with the biblical text.

1. New American Commentary: John 1-11 and John 12-21 by Gerald L. Borchert

2. Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel According to John by D.A. Carson

3. New International Commentary on the New Testament: The Gospel According to John by Leon Morris