BIG IDEA:
CREDIBLE WITNESSES SUPPORT CHRIST’S CLAIMS BEFORE THE JEWISH RELIGIOUS LEADERS
(:31) INTRODUCTION: ISOLATED TESTIMONY NOT SUFFICIENT
“If I alone bear witness of Myself, My testimony is not true.”
cf. courtroom drama
What makes for an effective witness?
Defendant can take the stand and testify on his own behalf; but that testimony better be supported by credible witnesses. Otherwise that testimony is open to question.
I. (:32-37a) GREATER WITNESS THAN EVEN JOHN THE BAPTIST
A. (:32) This Greater Witness is Fundamentally and Intrinsically True (that of the Father)
“There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the testimony which He gives about Me is true.”
B. (:33-36a) This Witness is Greater than Any Human Witness
1. (:33) You Respect the Witness of John the Baptist
“You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth.”
2. (:34) Christ Not Relying on Human Testimony
“But the testimony which I receive is not from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved.”
3. (:35) John the Baptist Performed His Role
“He was the lamp that was burning and was shining and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.”
4. (:36a) Appeal to a Greater Testimony than that of John the Baptist
“But the testimony which I have is greater than the testimony of John”
II. (:36b) THE TESTIMONY OF THE WORKS OF JESUS = OBJECTIVE CONFIRMATION
A. Works Assigned to Him by the Father
“for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish”
B. Works Completed by the Son
“the very works that I do”
C. Works Validating the Connection Between Father and Son
“testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me”
III. (:37-40) THE TESTIMONY OF THE FATHER THROUGH HIS WORD REJECTED BY THE JEWS = HARDNESS OF HEART
A. (:37a) Irrefutable Testimony
“And the Father who sent Me, He has borne witness of Me.”
B. (:37b-38) Reasons for Rejection
1. Dull: “You have neither heard His voice at any time”
2. Blind: “nor seen His form”
3. Empty: “You do not have His word abiding in you”
4. Unbelieving: “for you do not believe Him whom he sent”
C. (:39) Wrong Reliance on the Scriptures Instead of the Son
“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that bear witness of Me.”
D. (:40) Root Problem Lies with the Will
“and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.”
IV. (:41-44) REJECTION BY THE JEWS ATTRIBUTED TO A WRONG ORIENTATION = HUMAN PRIDE AND SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS
A. (:41,44) Seeking the Wrong Type of Recognition
“I do not receive glory from men”
“How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God?”
B. (:42) Loving the Wrong Type of Character
“but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves.”
C. (:43) Receiving the Wrong Type of Leadership
“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.”
V. (:45-47) THE TESTIMONY OF MOSES WILL END UP CONDEMNING THE JEWS – HYPOCRISY EXPOSED
Turning the tables on the Jews who boasted in their understanding of the Law of Moses
A. (:45) False Hope – Moses will Condemn You Instead of Save You
“Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope.”
B. (:46-47) False Faith – You don’t really Understand and Believe Moses so it is no Surprise that you don’t Understand and Believe Me
“For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”
The problem is not lack of revelation