John 5:30–38 (ESV)
Witnesses to Jesus
30 “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. 31 If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true. 32 There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. 33 You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. 34 Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. 35 He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. 36 But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. 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. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, 38 and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent.
My wife and sons enjoy watching TV shows where a crime is being investigated. Not the made-up drama of Hollywood mind you, they like to watch reality shows that document the process of investigation on the part of police, detectives, forensic investigators, and prosecutors. Real-life investigations ultimately lead to the discovery of evidence and the conviction of those who have committed serious, sometimes infamous, crimes.
Evidence. That’s what Jesus is speaking about in this passage. As the passage begins, Jesus seems to be defending Himself against some sort of accusation which we find back in 5:18. As chapter five unfolds, Jesus points to a variety of proofs that He is indeed the Messiah.
There has been the testimony of John the Baptist (1:7). John clearly denied that he was the Messiah and constantly pointed to Jesus as the Son of God, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (1:29).
There has also been the evidence, the testimony, of the three miraculous signs that John has recorded for us so far. However, if we jump ahead to John 20:30-31 and John 21:25, John informs us that Jesus did many other miraculous signs, some of which are recorded in the other gospels.
20:30-31 (ESV)
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
John 21:25 (ESV)
Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.
By the time we get to this passage, the evidence as to Jesus' identity and purpose is overwhelming. Which causes us to raise a fair question about this passage, “Who is really on trial here?”
Those who are present with Jesus, those who are watching and listening to all that Jesus is doing, they are the ones who are really on trial. They have the incredible opportunity to see and hear Jesus and yet, many of them will ultimately reject Jesus.
However, while they reject Jesus, know that this is not God’s heart for the people. Remember that Jesus was given to the world, sent into it, to save.
In fact, if you go back and read John 20:31, we see John’s heart in writing the Gospel, “these things are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have LIFE in his name.
As we read on, the evidence is being laid out before us, more will come with the cross and the ultimate evidence is found in the resurrection. The question before the people then is still the question of us today, “What will we do with Jesus? How will we respond to His forgiveness, love, mercy, and grace?”
So what’s your answer?
God bless you and know that you are constantly in my prayers.
Scott