The Testimony about Jesus
John 5:31-47
Introduction
- The gospel of John screams of the faith that we should have in Christ
-- It is the clearest example of living life FOR the one who redeemed you and I
- On Sunday Mike preached about the authority of Christ
• Jesus always has been God (He was)
• Jesus offers salvation today (He is)
• Jesus will be God in the future and will judge sin (He will be)
- Tonight we will examine the testimony of Jesus as he corrects the Jews
-- Re: These are people who say they know God, and know what His word says
-- Yet, they are outed before everyone within ear shot about their belief and faith
- Read John 5:31-47 / Pray
∆ Point 1 – The Testimony about Jesus
- The Jews are asking an interesting question about Jesus
-- Re: Everything in these times was based on testimony: someone had to say …
-- Their thoughts are always looking for the answer: Who testifies about you?
-- So, He knows what’s in their hearts so he gives them an answer
- But what he does is give them examples (testimony) to corroborate His story
-- To them, they miss the importance of the answer; but we cannot …
- First testimony:
-- There is another (v32) who testifies … this is the Father; the One who knows
-- God already knows what Christ is doing, and will do – they are together
- APP: Consider: If Jesus takes the Father at His word, why do we need more?
-- The call of the Christian is to obey; to trust; and to lean fully on the Lord
-- If we continue to try to figure this out ourselves, we will fail (make lousy God’s)
- Second testimony:
-- We have the testimony of John the Baptist, who the Jews regarded highly
-- The Jews in turn were happy to hear about a coming Messiah, but not who it is
- They do not want to repent and turn to Christ; but they still hope for a promise
-- APP: More than likely Jesus did not fit their mold … so He is rejected
- Third testimony:
-- The works that Jesus is performing (v36) gives weight to who He is
-- Fact: Jesus has come to do things greater than the word John is proclaiming
-- He has come to do what God asked Him to finish (the redemption of creation)
-- Re: Only the creator can redeem what rightfully belongs to Him
- Fourth testimony:
-- However, in rejecting the Christ, they reject the Father as well (v37-38)
-- God Himself testified that a redeemer would come, but they’ve rejected it
- They refuse to believe all that they know is right before their eyes
-- So in rejecting the Son, they are in earnest rejecting the Father! (v38)
-- If they do not believe Jesus, then they can’t/mustn’t believe the Son!
- Fifth testimony:
-- Finally, Jesus refers them to what we have in our hands as well (v39-40)
-- He essentially says: You call yourselves bible scholars, but you’re clueless!
-- You know what you need to do to gain eternal life, but you refuse to believe it
-- APP: Since you refuse that I am the Messiah … you refuse the life that I bring
- APP: It is the doubt of humanity that causes us to reject the Word before us
-- We choose to turn away and deny that Jesus is Lord (to our own detriment)
-- Jesus gives this rebuke so that they would know why they don’t have life
-- However, it is also the same many may hear in eternity: “Depart from me …”
- TRANS: So what will you and I believe about this testimony?
∆ Point 2 – Who will we believe?
- Now, we have a heavy piece of scripture that we have to tackle together
-- It’s my prayer that I will do well in explaining this, but also draw us closer
- Jesus now turns to accuse and condemn those who refuse to believe who He is
-- Re: These are “scholars” of God’s word, yet they have no grasp of the truth
-- From Moses to the Messiah they clung to it, but never accepted what it says
-- Without the love of God in their hearts, they totally miss/refuse Christ’s offer
- (v41-42) Jesus tells them that He does not need human approval/praise
-- This is not what drives Him and not what He seeks as validation
- Re-read John 2:24-25 …
-- Jesus’ knowledge of their true faith is what is represented here in v24
-- His motive is clear: He knows what their heart condition is; not fooled by it
-- IMP: And He also knows what our response is as well … still not fooled by it
- For God, (v25) does not need testimony about you and I
-- He already has the knowledge of who we are, and what we are about
- Re: Even in this time there was an issue with false messiahs coming to town
-- They always came in their own name and these people accepted them
-- They offered simple remedies to sin, and everyone bought into the hype
-- Why? Because everyone wants the simple solution, the easy pill …
- Jesus comes and offers the truth about God, and no one wants to accept that
-- Re: He willingly gives His life, and we reject and turn away from that
- Jesus challenges their faith and what they put their trust in (v44)
-- How can you believe the praise you get from humans but not seek God?
-- APP: What a depraved world we live in when that is where our value is
- Challenge:
-- Whose affirmation matters the most to you? Facebook likes or God?
-- Re: It’s why we should ask, “Is my God pleased with me?”
- For John, he is not interested in making sure that we feel good about us
-- His declaration in writing is: Will we realize that life is Christ and only Christ?
- TRANS: Turning back to the Jews, he then invokes the Mosaic Law
∆ Point 3 – Affirming the Mosaic Law
- These Jews loved to hear about Moses; he was the man of men
-- But, Jesus lets them know that they really didn’t what Moses said, either (v45)
-- If they had, they’d believe what is playing our right in front of them
-- In rejecting Christ, they are rejecting Moses, who already said Jesus was coming
- The Pentateuch, first five books, is loaded with Jesus’ coming
-- However, in their own superiority they’ve missed even this indication
-- Let’s turn in our bibles a little and walk through these prophecies
• Go to Genesis 3:15
• Then to Genesis 12:3
• Then to Genesis 17:6-8
• Then to Genesis 49:8-10
• Then to Numbers 24:17
• Then to Deuteronomy 18:15; 17-20
∆ Big Idea
- Jesus, in John 5, absolutely annihilates their “feel good” position
-- APP: You don’t believe what Moses said, so why believe who I am? (v47)
- If you had believed Him, you would KNOW who I am!
- We are going to stop right here and pick this up on Sunday …
- Pray
