Witnesses To Jesus
WITNESSES TO JESUS
JOHN 5:30-47
Jesus commends the study of Scripture. But what should the study of the Bible lead us to do?
Such a claim to authority cannot be accepted without evidence. There follows therefore a presentation by Jesus of the evidence upon which he bases it. Again he states that it is derived authority, and adds that the unselfish nature of his motives reinforces his claim to the truth (5:30). A man’s own evidence is not sufficient, and the Law did not allow it without corroboration (Deuteronomy 19:15). But Jesus has another witness of whose testimony he is sure (5:31f.).
On the human level there is the evidence of John the Baptist (5:33-35). His mission is described in similar terms to those used before (1:6-8). He was a lamp which was kindled and shone temporarily, but he was not the light itself (1:8). His evidence could have led to salvation, but it was not the real evidence that mattered in the case.
The real evidence was that the Son was doing the works of his Father (5:36-38). This was supported by the Father’s witness both in Scripture and in experience. This was unavailable to the Jews because they could not see or hear him directly, and they did not accept his Son who gave perfect expression to him. So there came about the extraordinary situation that those who possessed, read and professed to trust in the Scriptures were unable to recognize the One to whom the Scriptures were referring (5:39f.).
As so often, failure to understand has a moral cause (5:41-44). The Jews were blinded by prejudice towards Christ. In his attack on them he had shown that they had no personal knowledge of God (5:37b). Of course, no man could expect to see God physically, but he was revealed in the Scriptures and through Christ, and here the Jews had a massive blind spot. They were motivated by a preference for human approval over divine approval (cf. 11:42f.). The irony is that those who professed to be Moses’ disciples (9:28) were going to have Moses in the witness box testifying for Jesus and against them (5:45-47). When a man is blind to the spiritual truth which lies before his eyes, there is little hope for him (cf. Luke 16:31).
Notes 5:32: “another” is the Father rather than John. 5:39: “you search” almost certainly indicative rather than imperative. 5:45: “on whom you set your hope”—they had fallen into idolatry by confusing the sign (the Law) with the thing signified (eternal life with God through the Messiah). The temptation to do this has not disappeared. Some modern-day evangelicalism is in danger of elevating the Scriptures above the Christ, but life is not in the Scriptures themselves but in the One to whom they point. The Scriptures are the signpost to Christ the Savior.