31 “If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true. 32 There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true. 33 You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. 34 Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved. 35 He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light. 36 But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. 37 And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. 38 But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. 39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. 41 “I do not receive honor from men. 42 But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. 43 I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. 44 How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God? 45 Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”
Commentary
Vs. 31-32 31 “If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is
not true. 32 There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness
which He witnesses of Me is true.
Vs. 33 “You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth.”
Here then the Lord Jesus Christ reminds the Jews that they sent to John, and he without hesitation or reserve bore witness to Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God and Savior of the world! Therefore, he rightly declared in fulfilment of God’s Word truth that the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s Son, the Messiah has come!
Vs. 34 “Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved.”
Even though both God the Father bore witnesses to the Lord Jesus Christ at His Baptism, and John himself bore witness of the Lord Jesus Christ from the time of his meeting Him, until the time of His arrest and death. No one else did, for Jesus did not go around “courting the favor of the Jews” seeking a good testimony from them, rather He knew who He is and He let His Word and His Works reveal to one and to all who He is! And so, in saying these things Jesus is not seeking to condemn the Jews (or anyone else), rather He is saying these things because He wants all people to come to a knowledge of the truth and be saved by Him!
Vs. 35 “He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light.”
Here the Lord Jesus calls John the Baptist “the burning and shining lamp” which the people initially rejoiced in seeing his light, for John harkened back to the days of Elijah in their eyes, and so for them John was someone they could easily identify with, however John did not come to preach Elijah, or Moses, or the prophets, rather John came by the Will of God with the sole purpose of declaring the Lord Jesus Christ, to prepare the way for Him, and thus through his ministry of repentance and baptism John was sent by God to prepare the people of Israel to receive the Messiah! However, many there in Israel did not move beyond rejoicing in seeing Johns ministry, and so they fell short of salvation, because they did not in repentance and faith turn to the One whom he preached. Just like today there are people who will rejoice in seeing a Godly man minister the Gospel, and yet they will not take the personal step of faith and receive our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, whom their ministries declare.
Vs. 36 “But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me.”
If Johns witness (i.e. ministry) convinced people that he was sent by God, how much more than should the Lord Jesus Christ’s! For Jesus’ witness (i.e. ministry) is by His Person and Nature exceedingly greater than Johns, with all the signs and wonders and miracles and healings, along with the very Words of God, which no man had ever heard until He arrived, all bear complete and full witness of Him that He is the Son of God! As Jesus says, “…for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me.” Do not then ever discount the Works of God that the Lord Jesus Christ has done, for these were done to bear witness of Him!
Vs. 37 “And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form.”
Jesus the Son of God now declares that God the Father Himself, who sent Him, has testified of Him (vs. 37). For throughout God’s Word there is an overwhelming and abundant Testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ, telling of His birth, His life, His death, His Resurrection, and His Reign, you name it is in there, and so God the Father has testified that the Lord Jesus Christ is His Son, not only on earth, but also in the heavens where His voice is heard and His form is seen everywhere! Therefore, both angels and demons know for certain that Jesus Christ is the Son of God!
Vs. 38 “But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe.”
Here then is the sad testimony of those Jews who do not believe. For though they were entrusted with the Word of God, with keeping it and preserving it, yet it did not penetrate their hearts and lives, therefore Jesus tells them, God’s Word does not abide in them, “…because whom He sent, Him you do not believe.” For you can have all the religious services and practices that you want, but if you do not have the Word of God abiding in you, you will not have the Son of God abiding in you, for the two are inseparable. Thus, to deny one is to deny the other, to refuse to believe the One, is to refuse to believe the other.
Vs. 39-40 39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.
Here then the Lord Jesus condemns them for their zeal for the Scriptures, and yet not finding Him in them. For though they search the Scriptures, they do find the Lord Jesus Christ in them, who gives eternal life to all who come to Him. And yet they are not willing to come to Him, that they may have life.
Vs. 41 “I do not receive honor from men.”
Here the Lord Jesus declares that He does not receive honor from men, because He does not seek it, nor does He want it, for He will not be conformed to anyone’s pre-conceived notion of what He should be! For Jesus is not a politician who weighs out the advantages or disadvantages of holding this view or that, of saying this thing or that. For He is God, and He is the Truth Personified. Therefore, He does not seek the favor or honor from men by conforming Himself into an image of what they want and desire.
Vs. 42 “But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you.”
Of all the charges that the Lord Jesus could lay against their religious persons, practices, and zeal, none is more damming than this, that they do not have the love of God in them! For God is love and everyone who knows Him loves (1 John 4:8, 16, 20-21 etc.). Religious practices or service then that is devoid of love is useless (1 Cor. 13).
Vs. 43-44 43 I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. 44 How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?
The Lord Jesus Christ came in His Father’s Name, (the Supreme of All), and yet they do not receive Him! Though they will receive others (who come in their own names) who are essentially just like themselves. Therefore, Jesus says to them all, “How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?” For to seek the honor that comes only from God is to put His Word and doing His Will expressed in it above all else. Thus, to seek the honor that comes only from God is to completely shun being a “man-pleaser”, rather than a God pleaser, which is what we are called as disciples of Christ to be. Which than means standing for the truth, both inside and outside of the House of Faith. For anyone can be conformed to this world, and thus receive honor from those who belong to it, when they do, but only a few have the conviction and the courage to stand with the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word when that is not the popular, or even an acceptable thing to do. Therefore, if you’re a “closet disciple” come out of it and make your stand with Christ and don’t be a religious hypocrite, rather be a person of conviction and faith with and for Him!
Vs. 45-47 45 Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”
The Lord Jesus Christ now rebukes their arrogance and false confidence in themselves and their practices by saying to them, He does not need to accuse them to the Father, for Moses in whom they trust accuses them, because Moses in the Law wrote about Christ. Indeed, the whole Law with its sacrifices and services was to foretell of (and or point people) to the Lord Jesus Christ. And so, for them to so zealously uphold these, (as if by observing these they had eternal life) and yet not see Jesus Christ in either the Laws Words, or its religious services and practices, is the most damming thing of all! Indeed, Jesus goes beyond that and says of them that they neither believe Moses, nor Him, 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” For cannot have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ unless they believe the Word of God for the two are inseparable!
Scripture Quotations
New King James Version (1982): Thomas Nelson.
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