John 5:30-47 WITNESSES TO JESUS
In earlier chapters, we learned that the Jews were very angry at Jesus because He healed a sick man on the Sabbath day. Jesus warned them who were seeking after His life (because He claimed that He is the Son of God, hence His equality to God) that whoever does not honor Him, does not honor the Father and will not inherit eternal life (v. 23-24). To make His claim valid and believable not only to the Jews but to any court of law, Jesus introduced His witnesses and acknowledge that, "If I alone bears witness about Myself, my testimony is not true" (v. 31).
FOUR WITNESS TO JESUS AS THE MESSIAH
1. JOHN THE BAPTIST
"You sent to John, and he has born witness to the truth. He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light." (v. 33, 35)
John was highly respected as a prophet and many came to him for baptism. Aside from preaching about repentance, John witnessed that Jesus is the "Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world" (John 1:29). Most directly, John said that. "And I have seen and have born witness that this (Jesus) is the Son of God" (John 1:34).
2. JESUS' VERY WORKS
"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." (v. 36)
Jesus performed many miracles that pointed out His power and deity as the Son of God. But yet, these Jews chose to not believe in His miracles as signs that He is from God. However, Nicodemus the Pharisee bore witness about His works as well saying, "no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with Him" (John 3:5). Jesus performed many signs without even lifting a finger. He turned the water into wine in Cana and healed the sick man at the pool by purely uttering Words. That is how powerful He is.
3. THE FATHER
"And the Father who sent Me has Himself borne witness about Me." (v. 37)
When Jesus was being baptized by John the Baptist, he saw the Spirit of God descended like a dove and rested on Jesus. And he heard the voice from heaven saying, "This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!" (Matthew 3:17)
4. THE SCRIPTURES
"You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about Me, yet you refuse to come to Me that you may have life." (v. 39)
These Jews are known, or at least made a perception of themselves, to be students of the Scriptures, but yet they did not believe the One whom the Scriptures have written about. They failed to see who Jesus is because He did not fit to what they thought the Messiah would look like. They were so mad at him for exposing their lies and evil deeds without questioning why He had that much wisdom and where it come from. They did not even rejoice about the miracle that He did over to the sick man at the pool; but they instead dismissed the healing that took place. It was very scary to think that these people put their whole trust and salvation based on knowing the Scripture. They studied it day and night. They waited for many signs for many years. But here is Jesus, the One whom they have been waiting for right before their eyes, rejected by them.
“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. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”
Who are the people of influence in our lives? Have they led us closer to God? If so, how did we go about life carrying the wisdom and testimony they left in our lives? Did we follow through or strayed away?
After all, the Lord will not condemn us or accuse us at the day of judgment. But on that day, will the people who shared the Gospel of Jesus to us see that we actually lived as though we really knew the Lord?
PRAYER
Jesus our Lord, all things point to You as the Savior of the world. We believed in You and in who You are. Help us to heed to Your warnings against the false prophets and antichrists. Give us Your Holy Spirit so that we will be able to test all spirits and make sure that they are of God. We don't want to go astray away from Your Word, and ultimately from You. Thank You, Jesus. In Your Name. Amen!