God’s Word always has appropriate timing. Some translations head this section, “Testimonies About Jesus.” We’re reading this the week after Easter, when certainly testimonies about Jesus, especially his resurrection, flew among his followers. Let’s read what people said before the last week leading up to the crucifixion.
John wrote one word, “witness,” with several different meanings:1
vs. 31 – bear witness concerning a person
vs. 32 – Jesus’ declarations about himself
vs. 33 – “in favor of whom one bears testimony”
vs. 34 – a “declaration by a witness who speaks with [the] authority of one who knows”
vs. 37 – God testifying by his Spirit
vs.39 – the Scriptures testify about Jesus
Read John 5:31-35.
- Some translations start the new paragraph after verse 31, including Jesus’ words about his testimony with description of his judgment.
- Either way, this passage continued Jesus’ speaking to the Jewish leaders who persecuted him.
- Jesus said a true, credible, valid testimony requires someone else testifying about the person.
- He reminded the Jews John already testified to the truth of who Jesus is, evidenced by facts.2
- John’s (human) testimony pointed those who heard to the light that shines in the darkness that people might have spiritual salvation from God’s wrath on sin and eternal separation from God.
Let’s not gloss over Jesus’ description of John (the baptist) as a light. John (the disciple) used four different words in one verse to describe that light, meaning 
- John’s life shone and burned brightly as a distinguished teacher.3
- His teaching illuminated “spiritual light and truth.”4
- His life and teaching gave light to those around him.
*Who throughout history has testified to who Jesus was?
*What is the significance of John’s testimony being light and pointing to the Light?
Read John 5:36-40.
- Jesus returned to his main message: the Father sent the Son and the Son worked to complete the Father’s plan.
- The Father testified about the Son.
“And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased’” (Matthew 3:17).
Jesus was sent with the Father’s authority.
- Those who do not believe and accept Jesus as God’s Son do not hear the Father’s voice and do not see or understand him.
- They do not believe Jesus as the Messiah sent from God, the divine revelation and Word of God, and so God does not dwell or remain in them.5
“If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God” (1 John 4:15; see also 1 John 5:10-12).
- Strong’s identifies the word used for voice as also meaning “to shine.”6 Interesting, in this passage about light.
- Last week we considered John’s references to sensory detail.
- Here, Jesus says those who do not believe will not experience God in any way.
- Based on John’s first words about the good news about Jesus, it’s almost as if Jesus told a riddle.
- They cannot experience God is real unless they first believe God is real.
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).
- Jesus said the Jews studied the Scriptures because they believed that was how they could obtain eternal life.
- He then reminded them God’s Word itself is the testimony, or witness, about who Jesus is and what he offers.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).
- Even after John testified Jesus was the Word of God and was with God and was God, they did not come to Jesus for eternal life.
*Why is it important that the Father testified about the Son?
*What role does hearing God’s voice play in our coming to Jesus for salvation?
*How does God’s voice “shine” in our lives?
Read John 5:41-47
- Jesus said he would not accept praise or glory from men. In this he showed us how to live: we also should not seek our own honor or glory, but only God’s.
- Even when Jesus’ time had come to be glorified—recognized fully for who he is, the Son of God,7 it was for the Father’s glory.
“And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, ‘Surely this man was the Son of God!’” (Mark 15:39).
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you” (John 17:1).
- Jesus called out their hypocrisy: they did not have God’s love in their hearts and lives.
- Even if they did, he would not accept their praise, because his reward was to do the Father’s will.
“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work” (John 4:34).
- They accepted teachers who came with no greater authority than their own word.
- Jesus came in the Father’s name, which in their culture was the same as God’s authority, and they would not accept him. He came with authority from God, as his messenger.8
- To not accept Jesus was to also deny God, their heavenly Father.
- They sought only the praise of people, instead of seeking God’s favor.
- Jesus called them out for their unbelief. How could they truly receive his teaching, knowledge, and follow his instructions,9 if they refused to believe who he was and seek to know God?
- The law Moses gave would serve as their judge, since they placed all their hope and trust in keeping the law.
“… I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. … through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering”(Romans 7:7, 8:2-3).
- Jesus reminded them Moses wrote God’s Truth and instructed them to listen to Jesus.
“The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him” (Deuteronomy 18:15).
- When they refused to believe Jesus’ words, they showed they also didn’t truly believe Moses.
- If we don’t trust the foundation of God’s written word, how on earth will what Jesus said make any sense?
*Why do you think Jesus said he would not accept praise or glory from men?
*Why are we content to accept praise only from other people and not seek God’s approval?
*How is doing God’s will our reward and glory?
*How does believing in Jesus and seeking to know God help us follow Jesus?
*What role does God’s spoken and written Word play in our salvation and relationship with God?
Now we follow in John’s footsteps as bearers of the light, shining in the darkness, leading others to faith in Jesus.
- Spiros Zodhiates Th.D., The Complete Word Study New Testament, King James Version (AMG Publishers, 1991), 945, 946.
- Zodhiates, 120.
- Zodhiates, 931.
- Zodhitaes, 1434.
- Zodhiates, 924, 960, 1161.
- Bible Hub. https://biblehub.com/greek/5456.htm
- Zodhiates, 478.
- Zodhiates, 1048.
- Zodhiates, 908.