Four Witnesses- John 5:30-47

John wrote His Gospel, as he states in His own words: 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. As we examined in these last few verses, Jesus Christ gave testimony that God was His Father, and, as the Son of God and the Son of Man, he is not only equal with God, He is God. At this point, however, despite the fact that He spoke with authority, his witness about himself could not be held as true standing alone. Jesus knew this, as he spoke in verses 30-31:

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 deemed true.

In antiquity, and even today, a statement to law enforcement and to a judge needs to be corroborated by other witnesses. For the Jews, there needed to be two witnesses to establish the guilt or innocence of another party. For this reason, Jesus went to great lengths to use external sources as witnesses that He was who He said He was. The purpose is deeper than simply to establish innocence; it goes to proving who He says He is and establishing the world as guilty before God for rejecting His messiah. As we will examine in the following verses, Jesus had more than enough testimony from outside sources to establish that He was indeed who He said He was. And the marvelous thing about Jesus’ witnesses was that the Jews did not only hold them in high esteem; they were unimpeachable.

1. John the Baptist 5:32–36; cf. 1:7–8, 15, 19, 32–34; 3:26

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.

In verse 32, it would seem that Jesus is speaking about John, and even his listeners may have assumed this from the context of the following verses. But the Greek seems to say that He is speaking in coded reference about God. But verse 33 -36 speak very clearly about John as a primary witness about Jesus. At the time of Jesus’ testimony before these Jews, the jury was still out on John so to speak, so his testimony did not bear the full weight that it does today. John (the writer) spoke about what John the Baptist had to say in chapter 1:
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. 15 John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me. 32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

John, a human being empowered by the Holy Spirit, gave testimony about Jesus Christ. We see in Chapter one that John was sent from God, that he came as a witness to prepare people for Jesus’ coming, he was not the light, but a witness-bearer. He saw testimony from God Himself as to who Jesus was. John always testified that he was not the Christ, but rather a voice in the wilderness.
Jesus points out that John is a mere man, and uses the illustration of John being a lamp. The difference between a lamp and the light is that the lamp is temporary; in this culture its use was limited to the amount of oil. (In verse 35 it seems that John’s time has run out; he may be in prison or even dead at this time). John’s witness about Jesus was relatively small, and temporary, like a lamp. He enjoyed some success in his ministry, and for a while, the people accepted his ministry and rejoiced in it. Many received his testimony about Christ as John pointed to Him. John even pointed a number of his own disciples to Jesus. But for all of his work, John’s testimony is not the one that stands out, for he is but a man. Jesus has greater witness than even that of John.

2. Jesus' own works 5:36; cf. 10:25, 32, 37–38; 15:24

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.

Jesus’ miraculous works also bear witness about who He is. These works were good in nature in that they benefited those people for whom they were done. The works brought glory to God, as good works should. But their miraculous nature proved that Jesus was more than mere man. Look at chapter 10:

25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me 2 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?”
37 If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; 38 but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”

His works were of the nature that there could be no doubt that he was God. In our study thus far we have seen Him change water to wine, raise the son of a roman official without even seeing him, bringing complete healing to a paralytic, and bringing salvation to the Samaritan woman. When we observe the Gospels, there are many more testimonies of complete healing, feeding 5000 with two loaves and a fish, calming storms, catching fish where there were none, and raising Lazarus from the dead. Jesus asks these Jews in Chapter 10 point blank for which of these works from the Father are you going to stone me? Jesus was stating that these works pointed clearly to the fact that God was His Father and that He was equal with God; in other words He was who he said he was. Denying the works that he did in the name of the Father is the same as denying the Father; another reason Jesus is right to judge them and declare them guilty.

15:24 if I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father.

This passage really connects to part of the theme of John; the desire of Christ and of John is that people would look at the testimony of Jesus’ life and His works and would believe in Jesus and in God the Father who sent Him. However, the very works that Jesus did as a testimony to draw people to the Father through Him left the unbelieving guilty before God. The same rule is in effect today as we proclaim the Gospel. Those who hear the Gospel are making a decision with eternal consequences. If they will not believe the Gospel, they will be condemned, for they despised the sacrifice that Jesus accomplished on their behalf and God the Father who sent His Son. It is also why we must be careful in living and in presenting the Gospel in a complete manner, for we do not want to be held accountable for the blood of those who reject Christ. The final goal is that in all the works that we do would bring glory to God so that many would see and fear and put their trust in Him.

3. God the Father 5:37–38, 40-44; 8:18

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. 40 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. 41 I do not receive glory from people. 42 But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. 43 I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. 44 How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?

God the Father has borne witness about Jesus as well, in the writings of the Old Testament, God the Father gives a blueprint of what His Messiah will look like. From Genesis to Malachi, Jesus Christ is identified very clearly. This is the Father’s testimony! Immediately, as we enter the time of the New Testament, we see God’s testimony first to John the Baptist in stating that the Messiah, the Lamb of God, would be the one on which the holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, would rest after his baptism. God the Father also bore witness in the miraculous works that Jesus did in his Father’s name. Paul in Colossians 1:15 says that Jesus is the image of His Father. John in the 1st chapter of this Gospel says that

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

So, just as my sons are in my image, it is very clear that Jesus, being full of grace and truth (quite the opposite from normal humankind) was the image of His Father. There also seemed, as John testified, a manifestation of glory that identified Jesus. This is the same word that describes God’s presence in the holiest of holies, the same presence that shone on Moses’ face after He had been in the presence of God.

In verse 38, we see Jesus making a striking and harsh judgment about his hearers: That in not seeing Him as the Messiah, God’s one and only Son, they do not have God’s Word abiding in them. He goes on to say that they do not have the love of God in them.

8:18 I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.”

Indeed, if God the Father bore witness about Jesus, and the hearers refused to hear, and were blinded by their own self-righteous pride, then they were going to be condemned. Jesus brought the offer of life to the Jews, but they refused his offer (v. 40). But it is not just life that they are rejecting; they are rejecting God the Father because they refused to believe the one He has sent (v.38). When people reject the Jesus Christ today, they are rejecting the very same thing. God, in His infinite kindness sent Jesus Christ that mankind would not be condemned for their sin and their rebellion. But as the Jews rejected this offer of life, so do many people today. Jesus Christ came in the name of the Father (v.43) meaning that he came in the authority of God as well as represented the very image and character of God. But people would rather follow those religions and men that come in their own name because the God of this world has blinded them to the truth (v.44) There have been and will continue to be people and religions that come in the name of God that are more attractive to the world than is Christ. They desire the favor and attractiveness of a man and the approval of others rather than the approval of God. (44) In their rejection of this gift of God they will find their deserved condemnation.

4. The Scriptures, by Moses 5:39, 45–47

39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, 45 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. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

So, at least in those who truly searched the scriptures with an open heart towards God could see Jesus as the promised Messiah. The problem was with the Jews of this time and the people who are blinded in our time is that they sometimes miss the point. They search the scriptures in hopes that in them is some sort of secret to eternal life, and yet fail to see the clear witness to the Messiah, Jesus Christ. They search the scriptures perhaps with others in mind in terms of behavior instead of themselves. They are those who have a log in their eye and are trying to clean out the speck in someone else’s eye. They search the scriptures to build evidence for their own conclusions. They search for ways to live by the letter rather than by the Spirit of the law, and to be self-justified. In reading the scripture with wrong motives, the Jews really missed the point. We can also miss the point if we are not careful.

As mentioned before, the very scriptures from Genesis to Malachi proclaim the coming Messiah. But the Jews focused on the Pentateuch, written by Moses. Even there, the Messiah is clearly seen and testified to.

Deut. 18:15 “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen—

Indeed, the entire five books of the Pentateuch are filled with types and shadows of Jesus Christ. The most famous one, the Passover where a lamb is slaughtered and the angel of death passes over those who have the blood of the lamb on the doorposts is a very specific type and shadow, as is the entire sacrificial system (see Leviticus). Jesus is the Lamb of God, which takes away the sins of the world. As mentioned in John 3, Moses lifted up a serpent on a pole so that those who would look to it would be healed. This is another type and shadow of Jesus, used by Jesus to illustrate what He would do to save the world. The apostles recognized these types and shadows in the writings of Moses very clearly as Jesus Christ (See Acts 3:22, 7:37) and even in his testimony to Nathanael, Philip noted this:

John 1:45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

In this Chapter, Jesus makes the claim to be the Son of God, the Messiah. He lays out clear and compelling evidence of the testimony of John the Baptist, his own works, God the Father, and the Scriptures, specifically found in the Pentateuch. The Jews, in large part, did not accept what Jesus had to say, and made the determination to kill him. In large part to this day, people will accept their own made-up view of who Jesus is, and how He ought to look, but they will not take Jesus at His word and the evidences found in scripture. What are you going to do with Jesus? Have you seen enough evidence to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God?