John 5:31-47, Testimony that Christ Has Told the Truth

Jesus made great, and important, claims: He is able to bring life to those who are dead, and He is the judge of all mankind.  Jesus anticipated what the Jews were thinking, and perhaps what you are thinking.  How do we know this is true?  His testimony about Himself wasn’t enough.  Even Jesus acknowledged this (v31).  He could be lying, or He could be crazy.  How can we know?  Because Jesus gave solid proof for His claims, bringing five witnesses to the witness stand. 

·       The Testimony of John the Baptist, 5:32-35.  This was important to the Jews but should be to us as well.  The Old Testament predicted a “forerunner” who would announce the coming of the Messiah (Isaiah 40:3; Malachi 3:1).  John was that forerunner (John 1:6,33-34).  Of Jesus he said, “It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose” (Jn. 1:27).

·       The testimony of the works of Jesus, v36.  Jesus was referring to the miracles by which He revealed His glory.  We have studied some of these already: turning water to wine, healing the nobleman’s son, and healing the man by the pool of Bethesda.  We have seen how His miracles are a sign of who He is as the Son of God and how they encourage us to believe in Him.

·       The testimony of God the Father, v37-38.  The Gospels tell us about three times that God the Father spoke from heaven, honoring His Son (Matt. 3:17; 17:5; John 12:28).  Undoubtedly there were people in Jerusalem, as He said this, who had been with John the Baptist when Jesus came and was baptized.  The Father spoke for all to hear: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

·       The testimony of the Old Testament Scriptures, v39-40.  There are many prophecies recorded by the Prophets in the Old Testament, about the coming of the Messiah.  He would be born of a virgin (Isa. 7:14).  He would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2).  He would be of the lineage of King David (2 Sam. 7:16; Psalm 2:6-9).  Jesus fulfilled all these and many more.

·       The testimony of Moses, v45-47.  Moses is part of the Old Testament, of course.  But Jesus singles Him out because the Jews held Moses in such high regard.  Moses predicted that Messiah would be descended from Eve (Gen. 3:15), then Abraham (Gen. 12:2-3), and the tribe of Judah (Gen. 49:10).  Moses wrote of the sacrificial system of worship, all of which predicted the Messiah who would be the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.  Yet, the Jews were resisting Jesus; they did not believe what Moses said.

Why did they reject their Messiah?  In 5:41-44, Jesus gives the answer.  They did not really love God.  They did not seek to honor God.  They were more interested in honoring each other, but not God.  That is the bottom line for all who will not receive Christ.  They are unwilling to submit themselves to their Creator.