We're working through the story of Jesus in the Gospel of John, and for the last while
we have been listening to Jesus' conversation that he's having with the religious leaders
here in John chapter 5.
Right now in the story, Jesus is in Jerusalem.
He's just healed a man on the Sabbath day, and the religious leaders are going after
him.
They want him dead.
They're furious with him.
They believe that he is a blasphemer because of the special relationship that he claims
to have with God, his Father.
Jesus has been saying some pretty amazing things.
He's been saying things like, just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life,
so also the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.
He's been saying things like, the Father has entrusted all judgment to the Son.
He's been saying things like, a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear
the voice of the Son and come out, and those who have done what is good will rise to live,
and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.
He's been saying things like, very truly, I tell you, whoever hears my words and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged.
Astonishing claims that Jesus has been making in this conversation.
Well, this morning we're going to finish off this conversation between Jesus and the religious leaders in John chapter 5,
and in these verses that we're about to read, John continues to tell us only what Jesus said that day.
But you can hear in the words and the tone and the flow of what Jesus said that this is a back-and-forth conversation, likely,
and probably a heated conversation.
There's one big question that seems to lie beneath the surface of what Jesus is about to say,
and if the religious leaders are not asking it out loud,
we can be sure that they are at least thinking it in their hearts.
And the question is this,
Why should we believe you, Jesus?
Why should we believe what you say?
You all hear the things that he's saying.
These are claims like no one has ever made.
Why should we believe you?
Let's read it in John chapter 5, verse 31.
This is Jesus' response.
He says,
If I testify about myself,
my testimony is not true.
There is another who testifies in my favor,
and I know that his testimony about me is true.
You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth.
Not that I accept human testimony,
but I mention it that you may be saved.
John was a lamp that burned and gave light,
and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.
I have testimony weightier than that of John.
For the works that the Father has given me to finish,
the very works that I am doing,
testify that the Father has sent me.
And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me.
You have never heard his voice,
nor seen his form,
nor does his word dwell in you,
for you do not believe the one he sent.
You study the scriptures diligently,
because you think that in them you have eternal life.
These are the very scriptures that testify about me.
Yet you refuse to come to me,
to have life.
I do not accept glory from human beings,
but I know you.
I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts.
I have come in my Father's name,
and you do not accept me.
But if someone else comes in his own name,
you will accept him.
How can you believe,
since you accept glory from one another,
but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?
But do not think I will accuse you before the Father.
Your accuser is Moses,
on whom your hopes are set.
If you believed Moses,
you would believe me,
for he wrote about me.
But since you do not believe what he wrote,
how are you going to believe what I say?
This was Jesus' answer,
and there's a lot in that answer.
Why should we believe you?
The first major thing that Jesus says,
the first answer that he gives to their question,
is that there is one who bears witness.
that what he's saying is true.
There is one who gives his testimony
to confirm that Jesus speaks the truth.
Woven through this whole section
is the language of testimony,
and testifying.
Let's listen to Jesus' words there in verse 31.
He says,
if I testify about myself,
my testimony is not true.
Or some translations say,
my testimony is not valid.
What does Jesus mean by that?
Well, people who have studied this much more than I have,
and probably understand it better than I do,
have pointed to a couple of things.
First,
Jesus has already made it clear
that he does nothing by himself.
Back in verse 19 and in verse 30,
he said that he only does
what he sees his father doing.
He only judges
in accordance with what he hears
from his father.
And so we've heard this truth,
and we'll hear it again in the gospel.
Jesus does not act independently
of his father.
As we'll see later in the gospel,
he does not speak independently
of him either.
He says only what the father
has told him to say.
He's not here
to accomplish
his own agenda.
He tells us that he is here
to accomplish the will
of his father.
If I testify about myself,
my testimony is not true
or valid.
And so perhaps,
just as Jesus does not seek
to please himself,
neither does he seek
to testify about himself.
Or we might say,
he doesn't seek
to be his own witness,
to confirm his own words.
Jesus,
you'll know this
from the scriptures,
the story that you've heard already,
that he always had
a perfect answer
to every challenging question
that was asked of him.
But I think what Jesus is saying
is that his goal
was never to just vindicate himself.
in the eyes of others
or to prove
beyond the shadow of a doubt
to everyone
that every word he said
was true
or to make others believe
what he was saying.
His goal was not
to win the argument,
to be his own witness.
His goal
was to say
just what the father
told him to say.
The second thing
that people point to here
seems to have to do
with the Jewish law.
According to the Jewish law,
one witness
was not enough
to convict someone
of a crime.
And so,
in the same way,
we're not expected
to believe
any guy
who comes along
and claims things
like Jesus
has claimed
just because
he claims them.
of course,
God would give us more.
He would give us
another witness,
other testimonies
that bear witness
to confirm
what Jesus is saying.
And Jesus tells us
this in verse 32.
There is another,
says Jesus,
who testifies
about me
or in my favor.
And I know
that his testimony
about me
is true.
So,
who is this other
who testifies
about Jesus?
Well,
if we keep reading,
it would seem
like Jesus
might mean
John the baptizer.
The next verse says,
you have sent to John
and he has testified
to the truth.
If you remember
how this gospel started,
right at the beginning,
John the gospel writer
told us
that John the baptizer
came to bear witness
to the light
that was coming
into the world.
And so,
it's reasonable,
it seems reasonable
to think that Jesus
is talking about
John the baptizer,
this other witness,
this other person
who bears witness
or testifies to Jesus.
But,
that being said,
most scholars,
commentators,
think that Jesus
is referring
not to John the baptizer
but to God himself,
his father,
as the one
who bears witness
or testifies
about him.
And there's some good reasons
to go with that as well.
In verse 34,
Jesus says,
I do not accept
human testimony.
So,
perhaps,
Jesus meant
the father
all along
but maybe
the religious leaders
thought he was referring
to John the baptizer.
And so,
the line of thinking
goes that maybe
Jesus is acknowledging,
yes,
John has testified
to the truth.
You've heard it from him
when you sent
the delegation
out to him.
But I don't receive
testimony from man.
That's not the other
testimony I'm talking about.
I affirm
John
so that you might
listen to him
and believe
what he's saying
and be saved.
he goes on
to talk about
John in verse 35.
He says,
John was a lamp
that burned
and gave light
and you chose
for a time
to enjoy
his light.
But notice
Jesus'
careful choice
of words.
You chose
for a time.
you were excited.
You were happy
that a prophet
of God
seemed to be here
after all these years.
But eventually
your excitement
with John
wore off.
Maybe it was
when John
began calling
some of you
a brood of vipers
and calling you
to repent.
Maybe it was
when he started
pointing people
towards me.
No.
I have testimony
weightier
than that of John
says Jesus.
I have something
much greater
that confirms
the words
that I say.
A greater reason
why you should
believe me.
A testimony
that bears witness
to the truth
of my words.
What is it?
Who gives
this greater testimony?
I think Jesus
is referring
to God the Father.
And the Father's
testimony
comes
in the form
of giving the Son
works
to do.
I have testimony
weightier than that
of John
for the works
that the Father
has given me
to finish.
The very works
that I am doing
testify
that the Father
has sent me.
When Jesus
speaks of works
he probably means
more than just
miracles.
but for sure
when he says
works
I think he's
including
the miracles
that he's been
performing.
You might remember
earlier in this
discussion
he told the
religious leaders
back in
verse 20
you will see
greater works
than these
so that you
will be amazed.
They'd already
seen or at least
heard of how
he'd healed
healed the man
at the pool
of Siloam
the guy
who couldn't
walk for 38
years.
An amazing
miracle.
Jesus says
you're going to
see greater
works than
these.
So when he
says works
I think he's
talking about
miraculous things
but even more
than that
there's a bit
of a testimony
in the works
themselves.
That Jesus
does miracles
points to
the reality
that the
Father has
sent him.
Nicodemus
got it right
back in
chapter 3
when he
went out on a
limb and said
this
no one
could perform
the signs
you are doing
if God
were not
with him.
Nicodemus
has been
connecting the
dots in the
right way.
He sees
this couldn't
happen unless
God were
with you.
In other
words
the very
things that
Jesus is
doing
turning water
into wine
at the
wedding
flipping the
tables in the
temple courts
and chasing
out the
sellers and
the money
changers
the other
signs that
he performed
that weren't
written down
by John
the healing
of the royal
official's son
from a distance
all the things
that the other
gospel writers
have told us
that Jesus
has been doing
up until this
point in the
story
casting out
demons
preaching the
good news
of the
kingdom of
God
all of
these
the very
works that
I'm doing
says Jesus
testify
these very
things I'm
doing are
themselves
a testimony
from the
father that
he has
sent me
they're his
signature of
authenticity
upon my
words that's
how you can
know that
what I'm
saying is
true
notice the
little word
Jesus uses
there for
the works
that the
father has
given me
to finish
there are
even more
to come
that I
have not
yet
finished
that you
will
see
in verse
37
he says
the father
who sent
me
he himself
has testified
concerning
me
he is my
witness
so that's the
first answer
that Jesus
gives
why should
we believe
you
the answer
because
God
my father
has been
testifying
that what I
say is true
through the
works that he
has given me
to do
possibly when
he spoke
from heaven
with an
audible
voice
and as we'll
see in a
moment
he has also
testified
through the
prophets
that penned
the scriptures
long ago
but at
this point
what Jesus
goes on to
say takes a
bit of a
turn
up until
now this
discussion
has kind of
been focused
on Jesus
but now
there's a bit
of a shift
and Jesus
turns the
focus of
the conversation
onto them
the religious
leaders
he says
you have
never heard
his voice
nor seen
his form
nor does
his word
dwell in
you
for you
do not
believe
the one
he sent
we've seen
this many
times throughout
the gospel
of John
already
Jesus has
this amazing
knowledge
of people
he knows
what they're
thinking
he knows
what they're
feeling
he knows
what's going
on in their
hearts
he knows
details about
their lives
that he has
not been
present in
the flesh
to see
you'll remember
that with
Nathanael
when Nathanael
came to
follow him
Jesus told
him something
about
Nathanael
and Nathanael
said you
are the
son of
God
he knew
what was in
the hearts
and minds
of the
people
the last
time he
was in
Jerusalem
when he
didn't
entrust
himself
to anyone
he knew
what was
going on
in Nicodemus
his thoughts
he knew
about the
five husbands
that the
woman at
the well
had
and here
we see
again
Jesus
knows
what's
going on
in the
hearts
of the
religious
leaders
who are
challenging
him
and he
declares
it out
loud
to them
he says
you have
never heard
his voice
nor seen
his form
nor does
his word
dwell
in you
for you
do not
believe
the one
he sent
Jesus
goes on
to tell
them more
about what
he knows
about them
in verse
40
he says
you refuse
to come
to me
to have
life
that word
refuse
in the
original
a more
literal
translation
you are
unwilling
you do
not want
to come
to me
so that
you may
have
life
the
evidence
the
testimony
the
witness
to the
truth
of my
words
is
clear
it's
clear
in my
works
it's
clear
in the
scriptures
it's
not
for lack
of
evidence
that
you
don't
come
to
me
it's
because
you
do
not
want
to
you
do
not
will
to
come
to
me
in
your
heart
you
do
not
believe
the
one
he
has
sent
not
because
there's
no
clear
evidence
not
because
there's
not
a
witness
not
because
there's
nothing
to
confirm
the
truth
there's
lots
of
that
when
Jesus
says
you
do
not
believe
the
one
he
sent
I
think
he
means
you
choose
not
to
believe
you
do
not
want
to
believe
you
are
not
willing
to
believe
despite
the
clear
evidence
and
testimony
of
the
father
in
my
works
and
in
the
scriptures
and
so
Jesus
goes
on
to
state
what's
really
true
about
them
as
only
Jesus
can
do
he
says
you
have
never
heard
his
voice
nor
seen
his
form
nor
does
his
word
dwell
in
you
do
not
believe
he
die
the
evidence
that
you
have
truly
heard
God's
voice
his
testimony
about
his
son
is
that
you
believe
the
one
he
sent
the
evidence
that
the
word
of
God
lives
in
you
dwells
in
you
will
be
that
you
believe
you
take
seriously
and
as
true
the
words
of
Jesus
the one he has sent.
Jesus goes on to say even more
that he knows about them in verse 41.
He says, I do not accept glory from human beings,
but I know you.
I know that you do not have the love of God
in your hearts.
What would that feel like to hear Jesus say that to you?
Can you imagine that?
God, I know you.
I know that you do not have the love of God
in your hearts.
We're not going to go as closely with the rest of it here,
but he goes on to say that he knows
what's at the root of their stubborn unbelief.
He tells them that they're caught up
in seeking glory and honor and praise
from other people.
They don't have a love of the Father in their hearts.
They have a love of the attention of other people.
Jesus says, essentially, in this next section,
you truly care more about what they think of you
than what God thinks of you.
That's why you choose not to believe.
It's not because the scriptures don't clearly point to me.
It's not because the many signs and miracles I've done
have gone unnoticed.
It's not because my words are unpersuasive and unconvincing.
It's not mainly about reason.
It's about love.
The religious leaders are having a love affair.
They love the attention and praise of one another
and of the people for their showy religiosity.
They love it so much that they aren't willing to give that up
to this carpenter from Nazareth who works wonders
such as they have never seen before.
Do you remember those words that we saw earlier in John 3?
Verse 19.
This is the verdict.
Light has come into the world,
but people loved darkness instead of light
because their deeds were evil.
Why should we believe you?
Jesus answers the question,
God the Father has testified about me.
How?
He's done so in the works that he's given me to do,
some of which are amazing.
He did so in an audible voice
which thundered from the heavens at my baptism.
This is my Son whom I love.
With Him I am well pleased.
And the third big way that the Father has testified
about Jesus is through the scriptures,
through the words that God has spoken
all through human history,
which were penned by the prophets
and preserved by God through the ages.
In verse 39, Jesus says,
You study the scriptures diligently
because you think that in them
you have eternal life.
These are the very scriptures
scriptures that testify about me.
Just a little bit down
in verse 46,
Jesus brings up Moses.
The religious leaders were very big on Moses.
He's the one who,
the law,
the first five books of the Old Testament
came through.
Jesus says,
If you believed Moses,
you would believe me,
for he wrote about me.
He prophesied about me.
Do you hear what Jesus is saying?
There's a clear testimony about me
in the scriptures.
God spoke it long ago
through the prophets.
Yet even though you've made
a thorough effort to study
or search the scriptures
in order to find the way to God,
to find eternal life,
you've missed it.
In fulfillment of the scriptures,
I am here,
right now,
in front of you.
I'm telling you that I am he.
As we heard last Sunday,
because he is,
the son of God is,
the son of man.
I performed a miracle this morning
at the pool of Siloam,
which gives further confirmation.
Yet you do not want to come to me
to have life,
to receive the gift I offer.
Again,
it's not that they made
a careful and humble study,
but just innocently didn't see it.
I think if we're listening carefully
to what Jesus is saying,
he knows about their hearts,
it's that they do not want
to see it.
Probably most of you,
by now,
have had that kind of a conversation
with someone.
Whether it's about a controversial topic
in the Bible,
or about politics,
somehow you find yourself
reading the same articles,
the same news pieces,
the same Bible passages
as someone else,
and yet you come to
completely different conclusions
about them than they do.
And there comes that point
in those conversations,
oftentimes,
where you can sense that
no matter what you say,
no matter what evidence,
or passage,
or articles,
or links you put in front of them,
you know that it simply
won't change their mind.
They are deeply committed
to their view.
They do not want
to change their view.
And even as you try
to persuade them,
you notice that instead
of what you're saying,
drawing them closer
to what you believe,
to your point of view,
it's like it's only serving
to further entrench them
in their view.
This is a picture,
I think,
of how it sometimes goes
as we seek to share
the message of Christ
with people in our world.
Not always,
but sometimes.
We throw them
the gospel rope,
a lifeline,
to pull them to safety,
to salvation.
And we pull on it,
trying to persuade them
and draw them across the line
to safety,
to salvation,
and yet in their hands
and in their minds
as they look at that rope,
they don't see it
as a lifeline.
They refuse to see it
as a lifeline.
They see it as a tug-of-war rope.
And they dig in their heels
even harder.
The more you pull,
the more they dig in.
Not always,
but sometimes.
It's kind of a picture,
I think,
of what's happening here
with the religious leaders.
though the evidence
is clear enough,
there is an unwillingness
to acknowledge
that Jesus is the one
standing here right now
that the scriptures
are talking about.
They were not willing,
the religious leaders,
to humble themselves
before the people
and admit that
they had been wrong,
that they had been wicked,
that they had been proud
and arrogant.
They didn't want to admit
that they had used traditions
to take advantage
of the needy
and the poor.
They loved
what their sinful
and wicked ways
had got for them.
They loved the wealth.
They loved the applause
and the respect
and honor
they got from people.
Jesus gives them
a very thorough answer
to the question
of why they should
believe in Him.
God the Father
has testified about me
through my works,
at my baptism,
through the scriptures,
Moses himself
wrote about me.
But there's a bigger
problem here,
says Jesus.
Verse 47,
you do not believe
what Moses wrote.
Truly,
the word of God
does not live in you.
Verse 38,
you have never heard
His voice.
Verse 37,
you do not have
the love of God
in your hearts.
you're not living
for His approval
because you are
in love with
the approval
of other people.
And so in many ways,
Jesus turns the question,
why should we
believe in you?
He turns the question
on its head
and He challenges
those who are asking it.
The question
you should be asking
is not so much
why should we
believe in you?
That's obvious.
Look at the works.
Look at the miracles.
read the scriptures.
The question is
why are we
stubbornly choosing
not to believe
despite the clear
testimony
and witness
that God has provided?
And Jesus knows
the answer
because you love
the darkness.
You love
what is wicked,
what is evil.
You do not love
the light
as you should.
God is worthy
of your committed love,
of the love
of your whole heart.
It's as though
Jesus is saying,
I've been sent
to make this
relationship
between
you and Him
right
and good.
but the reason
you reject
me
and choose
not to believe
is because
you are deeply
entangled
in a love affair.
One you are not
willing to surrender
and let go of.
That's how the
conversation ends
here in John
chapter 5.
There's no description
given about
their response
to Him
but we have
to know
that the religious
leaders are
infuriated
and seething
with hatred
towards Jesus
after hearing this.
It was this
infuriation
and hatred
towards Jesus
that fueled
them as they
went after Him
with relentless
tenacity
until they had
finally secured
His death.
So what do we
take from all
of this
for ourselves
today?
There's so many
ways that Jesus'
words here in
John 5
could speak to
us,
could speak to
our hearts,
could speak to
our lives.
Of course
at the forefront
we hear this
amazing offer
of eternal life
from Jesus.
We hear the
clear claims
that He is
the Son of God
who has come
on behalf
of His Father
with God's
own words
for people.
And we hear
the call again
and again
to believe
Him.
And so let me
ask you this
morning,
do you believe
what Jesus
is saying?
Do you believe
that God the
Father has sent
Him into the
world to deliver
these very
words to
you?
Perhaps
you're sincerely
wondering,
well how can
I know that
what Jesus
says is true?
Jesus'
answer,
look at what
I did.
Look at the
miracles.
Look at the
works.
Look at the
prophecies made
long ago in the
scriptures.
Have you looked
at those
things?
Have you
seen them?
If not,
I encourage you,
look at them
again,
read them,
study them,
pray,
and ask God
to make it
clear to you.
This matters a
lot because as
we've heard from
Jesus,
eternal life
and eternal
punishment
hangs in the
balance.
perhaps you're
here this
morning and
you've heard
lots of the
story of
Jesus,
but you
know in
your heart
that there's
this deeply
rooted
skepticism
and that you
do not
really believe
it.
Not all
of it.
Maybe some
of the good
parts that
Jesus says,
but not all
of it.
If that's
you this
morning,
Jesus has a
word of
challenge for
you.
Is it that
you don't
believe it?
Or is it
that you
don't want
to believe
it?
Is it that
you don't
like the
implications
of all
that Jesus
said being
true?
Perhaps
like the
religious
leaders,
you love
other things
in this
life or
this world
that you
know Jesus
has a
problem
with.
Jesus is
graciously
offering to
you this
morning an
opportunity to
change your
mind, to
change your
heart, to
repent, to
believe, and
to find his
forgiveness and
receive the
life that he's
been talking
about.
We all know
that the
darkness has a
draw to it.
There's
something appealing
about it.
But deep
inside we all
know that the
light of our
creator is far
better.
So I invite you
to come to
Jesus if you
have not, to
give your life
to him
fully.
Even if it
scares you to
consider the
cost of that.
Listen to
Jesus.
He's got lots
of reasons for
why it's
absolutely worth
it.
Sprinkled
throughout his
teachings, which
we have in
the Bible.
Perhaps you're
here this
morning and
you do believe
with all your
heart that
every word that
Jesus said is
true.
So what
should you do
with all this?
Well, first I
hope you see the
beauty and glory
of Jesus in this
passage.
church.
He is God
and was with
God at the
very beginning.
He is the
very son of
God and yet
he will only
say what his
father has told
him to say.
He will not
go off the
script on his
own to vindicate
himself, to win
the argument so
that he can gloat
over his
opponents and
look awesome in
the eyes of his
disciples and
followers.
again we see
that beautiful
glory of Christ,
meekness and
majesty, manhood
and deity, grace
and truth in
perfect harmony.
Nobody in
Jesus' day had
the courage to
say, to speak
the things that
he spoke to
these conniving
and ruthless
religious leaders.
I love how we
see just how
fearless Jesus
is.
He speaks for
God as he
exposes the
sins of their
hearts and yet
he is gracious.
He knows that
some may listen
and repent but
he also knows
that most will
not.
Jesus has not
come to be
popular.
He's not
come to be
loved by
people.
He's come
out of his
own love for
people and
for his
father who
sent him.
And so he
does even the
difficult work
that the
father has
given him to
do.
He says even
the difficult
words that the
father has given
him to say like
in this
conversation.
I hope we
see the glory
of Jesus
here.
Even though
he did not
come to seek
praise and
glory and
honor for
himself.
Oh he is so
worthy of it
from us.
Finally I
don't know about
you but I
find in these
words an
anchor and a
firm foundation
as I think
about sharing
the good news
of Jesus with
other people.
I find comfort
and strength
in knowing
that Jesus
knows exactly
what it's like
to look into
the eyes of a
person who
he knows does
not believe in
him.
Not just does
not believe but
into the eyes of
a person who
is choosing not
to believe in
him.
Despite having
witnessed miracles
he knows what
it's like to
look into the
eyes of people
who are choosing
not to believe
in him and
yet plead with
them to grab
a hold of the
lifeline.
To come to
him and to
receive what
they do not
deserve.
Grace.
Mercy.
Eternal life.
Forgiveness.
I couldn't help
but think if I
was Jesus and I
knew that they
were as hard
hearted as they
were how
tempting it would
be to just say
well why bother
reasoning with
them?
Why bother
telling them the
truth?
It's only going to
make them mad and
stir up a hornet's
nest against me.
Why bother?
But if Jesus knew
that some would
reject his words
and yet he still
graciously and
faithfully spoke
the truth and
called them to
repent and
believe how much
more should we be
willing to do
the same?
No matter what
we know about
how they might
respond or what
we think we know
about how they
will respond.
When it comes to
sharing the good
news of Jesus we
need to be like
him.
We need to love
him and the
person that we
are sharing with
more than we
love the praise
of that person.
Some will be
offended by the
truth no matter
how graciously we
share it but
some will hear
and believe and
receive Christ's
gift of life.
And for that it
would be worth it
a hundred times
over.
Let's pray.
Lord Jesus thank
you for your
word.
We pray and ask
that you would
cause it to
take root deep
in our hearts.
Bring your
conviction over
us in every area
of our life that
we need it.
Give us your
comfort too.
Give us your
encouragement.
Fill our hearts
with faith.
And help us to
declare graciously,
lovingly,
faithfully the
good news of who
you are and hold
built that
lifeline.
We ask this in
your name.
Amen.