The Five Fold Testimony of Jesus Christ: Part 4

We continue our study Of the fivefold testimony or you could call it a fivefold witness of who

Jesus is a testimony of Jesus given by himself this is part four and As we continue this study through the gospel of John today

Would like to conclude this particular section We're trying to pack in a lot here

And it's so important. So we're going to give application to everything that we we have already seen from this entire chapter verse 31 to verse 47

Actually from the beginning there to the end of this chapter is the conclusion of it and it's a powerful conclusion that Jesus speaks to these

Jewish people that basically the Jewish leaders that Were actually in I mean in flame with him as specially they were mad enough as they saw that the

Lord healed this man and They had an affliction.

We don't know exactly what it was. He was lame Jesus told him to take up his bed and walk and And Afterwards that's exactly what happened and He told them then he saw them

Jesus found him in the temple told him not to He said see you've been made.

Well sin no more at least a worse thing come upon you Then the man departs and he tells the

Jews that it was Jesus who had made him. Well and at that As a it's really a sad

Commentary on this man's life because you see he's not thankful after Jesus heals him he goes to the

Jews the Jews sought to persecute him sought to kill him and Because he'd done these things on the

Sabbath we see the story and it unfolds right before us as the

Lord first of all heals this man on the Sabbath day and Everything has a snowball effect there and they just become more inflamed and their hate to kill him and It even gets worse as the

Lord Tells them that he's equal with the

Father and he is and They thought he was really insane. You see this in other parts of the gospel

Some they even came to the point that they they said that he had a demon It was that bad and here he is the son of the

Living God he came to do nothing but good to save men's souls and actually it's

Grace that he gives him such truth in a lengthy detail of himself here

Giving it to them to pierce their hearts, but we will see that They were not convinced and you know, the the ultimate end of it they come to the realization that This is not the

Son of God and they hang him on a cross and they crucify him. That's what happens but there's much for us to learn here in this wonderful lesson as we

Encounter and we look at this wonderful story and we're looking at the five -fold witness It's really a fourfold

I say fivefold because Jesus himself is the witness So a lot of the commentators do not include

Jesus in it, even though he is the way the truth in the life He's the very truth, but he Jesus brings in other

Testimonies of him for himself in this so it's fourfold actually But I've included the

Lord Jesus Christ making it fivefold. So I don't think that there's any wrong in that Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe

Jesus himself He said in verse 31 if I bear witness of myself My witness is not true and then he speaks of the witnesses the four witnesses so let's look at this story and we'll

I'll be reading I like to read the text from verse 31 to verse 47 and Conclude this and we're going to see what the

Lord has in store for us today as we look at the application Here for us, let me begin verse 31

To the end of the chapter verse 47 here the Word of the Living God Jesus says if I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true

There is another who bears witness of me and I know that the witness which he witnesses of me is true

You have sent to John and he has born has born witness to the truth Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved

He was a burning and a shining lamp and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light

But I have greater witness than John's for the works which the father has given me to finish the very works that I do

I bear witness they bear witness of me and the father has sent me and That the father has sent me and the father himself who sent me has testified of me

You have neither heard his voice at any time nor seen his form But you do not have the word abiding in you

Because whom he sent Him you do not believe You search the scriptures

For in them you think you have eternal life and these are they which testify of me

But you are not willing to come to me that you may have life I do not receive honor from men

I But I know you that you do not have the love of God in you.

I Have come in my father's name and you do not receive me If another comes in his own name him will you receive?

How can you believe? Who receive honor from one another? Who receive honor from one another and do not seek the honor and that comes from only

God? Do not think that I shall accuse you to the father there is one who accuses you

Moses in Whom you trust? For if you believe

Moses you would believe me for he wrote about me But if you do not believe his writings

How will you believe? my words Stop there and let's pray and ask the

Lord Lord's favor and his blessing within this hour as we hear

God's Word our Father and our God in heaven we

We come now Lord humbling beseech you beseeching you Lord we've come to meet in your name, and we thank you father that you have gathered us together today like this to Encourage our hearts and souls we come to honor you father and praise you

To glorify you through your son the Lord Jesus Christ your beloved son and whom you well pleased

Lord I think about what your word has spoken in Hebrews chapter 1 at various times various ways spoken times past to the fathers by the prophets

Has in these last days spoken to us by your son And whom you have appointed heir of all things

Through whom also he made the worlds Who being in the brightness of his glory and the express image of your person and Upholding all things by the word

His power when he had by himself purged Cleansed our sins and sat down at the right hand of your majesty on high

Heaven becomes so much better Than the angels as has by an inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they

Lord Our prayer Oh God speak speak

Lord For your servant hears open the eyes Lord of our hearts

That we would see only Jesus the Lord Jesus Christ Lord we need this more than Anything else we need this more than just a challenge

Lord We need changing Change us Oh God Creating us a clean heart.

Oh God and renew a right spirit within us Lord I pray that your blessed Holy Spirit would change us and To make us more and more like your son the

Lord Jesus Christ, and we will forever give you the praise and the glory We ask this in Jesus name for your honor and glory.

Amen well

Over 600 years ago in church history in Wittenberg Germany from a little town of about 2 ,000 people roughly a little monk by the name of Martin Luther Would set the world on fire as God would use him and as he would recover the biblical gospel and It all started from as God revealed this to him from Romans chapter 1 verse 17 and It speaks that as it is written the just shall live by faith and it's quoted several times

From the scripture from the Old Testament it's also quoted again in the book of Hebrews and and in Romans The just shall live by faith sola alone and he

Said all of heaven Was poured into a it's like he saw all of heaven.

He was I really believe that's when he was born again the Spirit of God took a hold of him through the

Word of the Living God and He taught it and he wrote it and he preached it and he lived it One of the things

Luther did remarkably well was Also, he used the printing press we kind of think that's insignificant, but I think there's a very important part the printing press played

He published a number of small booklets and Those booklets was

Defending that the faith that was once delivered to the Saints, but also was attacked potpourri rightly, so because of The Pope as and even in that day was a

Antichrist not the Antichrist A lot of them thought that he was the Antichrist in the last days, but no doubt he was in Antichrist But rightly so he published a number of small booklets and he included also his sermons

Babylonian captivity was one of them and and in the language of the people in Wittenberg Germany He wrote it in their language

Which many things many of the languages of that day as you well know in which the church kept from the common people the poorer people

Was in Latin and they didn't know how to read it So it was namely the church that had to read the scriptures and what they little got was they got a lot of lies

They never got the truth rather. There was indulgences. There was lies upon lies

But Luther was used of God in many respects and the printing press played a great part of that so he wrote these pamphlets and in in German and Gave it to the people in Wittenberg, Germany and and From the church in which he pastored there and pamphlets spread across Germany, and he also had some

This is something else. We don't think of quite often, but he had some artistic help from a man by the name of Lucas Kranich, I hope

I've said that right but Kranich was the artist of the

Reformation time period and he not only Made portraits of the famous reformers of that day, but he also made little gospel gospel pamphlets

And gave a lot of artwork to it attractive artistically and in a church

Building in Wittenberg, Germany and I believe it's still there It's considered

To be the mother church of the Reformation it was known as st. Mary's where Luther preached from in Wittenberg in 1514

I believe And onward and to the end of his life and there you could still see the paintings from Kranich this artist that Was used in an influential way

Along with Luther's pamphlets that was printed now at the center of Of the auditorium in this church, you could see the

Reformation Altarpieces that's in this church paintings of communion confession and other ministries and the point that I'm getting to here this morning in this introduction is this is

One picture that stands out and I have it not been there to see it

I'm sure those that have traveled there has seen this but there's a picture of Luther and He's preaching with the with the

Bible open and and I and in this picture, it's a beautiful picture of how we see that he is pointing to the scriptures and he has his finger pointing to the text and I believe there's a great message to that for us and the opening of this is

It's a beautiful picture of what we intend to do every week and on the Lord's Day at Redeeming Grace Church Is open our

Bible and we point to the text? We point to the text

We point and that is my desire point you to the scriptures To the scriptures alone a finger on the text

Pointing to the text and another finger pointing to the Lord Jesus Christ Now we have the written word and which has revealed the living word the

Lord Jesus Christ and That's what Luther was on fire about it was the love of Scripture and it was as law his love for the

Lord and That's what I like to present before you that this morning is we open up I open up this text before you as a

Servant of the Lord and humbly as a privilege Pointing you pointing people to the Lord Jesus Christ with all eyes on Jesus and no eyes on man and not on the preacher

And my aim and my goal in preaching is to want to To walk the bride down so to speak to that down the aisle each week to see the groom to see

Jesus Christ and him only be captured and captivated by him

That's what this wonderful banner is about back here Soledad Gloria to God be to God be the glory alone and This is what we're about at redeeming grace church.

The goal is not for people to walk away saying Wow, what a great sermon But what a great

Savior and that's what they said about ch Spurgeon There was a critics that came to criticize him one time to focus on how they can trip him up focused on sermon and after they got there and they started pinning this stuff down and they were trying to find some some flaws in this man

They left a lot they left that place and said what a great Savior is Jesus Christ are they forgot about criticizing

Spurgeon may that be our goal today and our aim is to See Jesus in him only

Now the Apostle Paul said this in Corinthians 1st

Corinthians 2, I believe he says I'm determined Or I'm resolved to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified

Jesus Christ and him crucified sadly to say the religious leaders in John chapter 5

We're saying we know everything except Jesus Christ and him crucified they knew everything else and why

I say that is they search the scriptures as we would see and in the text they and Jesus gives them a loving rebuke and he says you search the scriptures for in them

You think you have you think you have eternal life and these are they which testify of me?

The scriptures the motive as we open up the Word of God is all about Jesus Christ and him crucified

It's all about his person his works of who he is And these religious leaders were blind to this this is a very powerful text before us today from John 5 and It's it's a passage of G from Jesus that basically says

He testifies of himself and he testifies to the Holy Scripture And like I said, it concludes in verse 31 to verse 47

This particular section of discourse Jesus takes up the motif Established in John chapter 1 verse 7

Which says this this man came for a witness? To bear witness of the light that all through him might believe

That all through him might believe through Jesus Christ and and and it discusses the witnesses who have been sent to Testifies of his identity as the son of the

Living God and being equal with God the Father And the witnesses listed here in the text as I've briefly mentioned is first of all, we see

Christ himself I include Christ himself as for witnesses, but I I'll say Christ himself because I believe he is one of the witnesses of himself in verse 31 and verse 32 verse 32

He basically Jesus says there's another who bears witness of me and it's not said he doesn't say who it is

Specifically some people believe he's speaking of John the Baptist some commentators is the Holy Spirit But I would say he's speaking about the father.

He does say that later on second John the Baptist from verse 33 to verse 35 specifically

John the Baptist and third God the Father in verse 37 to 38 and You see the signs.

I'm sorry. That should be the signs is third Jesus Jesus's signs Of the wonders and fourth in verse 37 to 38.

He speaks of God the Father fifth and last It's the

Scriptures. It's the Holy Scriptures in verse 39 to verse 40 45 to 47 all five

Testimonies are all for you could say testified to God sending Jesus to bring eternal life to those who would believe in him

Believing in Jesus Christ is the the key theme of the entire fourth gospel the gospel of John and And where we get this from John chapter 20 verse 31 you hear this repeated time and time again

Because as we go through this entire book, it's all about this one verse folks

This is the application but these are written that you may believe

That you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing you may have life in His name

That is the application to believe in him and Only through him and believing in him.

Can we have life and life eternal through his name? John chapter 21 verse 24.

He says this and John speaks of himself This is the disciple who? testifies of these things and Wrote these things and we know he has an assurance here.

Listen, we know that his Testimony is true Amen God's testimony is true of himself and Jesus's testimony is true of himself and he brings

Four other witnesses along with himself here to testify of who he is

John chapter 1 verse 12. Here's another one. I think we can we can add in there as an application

But as many as received him To them he gave the right or the power to become children of God to those who believe in his name

Do you believe in his name today? Do you believe that he is the Son of the Living God and I'm not just talking about making a confession with your mind

I'm talking about with the heart man believes unto righteousness. Have you believed with your heart?

That's what matters Now notice with me in chapter 5 here of John's gospel verse 46 and 47

Jesus says to these Hard -hearted unbelieving Jews if you believe

Moses you would believe me For he wrote about me and if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe in my words?

How? So Jesus sets This great truth in question form before them at the conclusion of this discourse.

He leaves it with a question That they may search their own hearts

He gives them the truth so these So -called theologians these so -called

Bible scholars that studied from the law like Nicodemus we're missing the whole point of the

Scriptures for They testified of Jesus Christ. They the Scriptures testified of Christ Again, verse 39 you search the

Scriptures you pour over the Scriptures you study the Scriptures You look into the Scriptures and he says because you here's a key word you think

That In them you have eternal life and it is they that bear witness of me

They testify of me Jesus said so that word think basically is saying you're you're deceived

You think you have eternal life, but you don't They were missing the whole point

They missed the hero of the story and that is the Lord Jesus Christ.

He is the hero of Scripture He's the he's the point he is he's the whole person he's

Everything he's the subject of the whole entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation And instead of glorifying

Jesus they sought glory from one another They sought their glory and their applause from one another

And they formed these crowds of these these groups These Pharisees in a crowd in a in in a

Click so to speak it's possible. Let me say some things here. Hear me out on this and This is gonna be some strong truth.

I'm gonna bring before you but it's the truth. It's possible to be on It's possible to be a

Bible scholar and not be a follower of Jesus Christ It's possible to study the

Scriptures But not believe in Jesus Christ It's even possible to be very religious and go to church all your life and not to be captivated by Jesus Christ it's even possible to have your eyes on all sorts of religious personalities in the

Bible and know all about the Bible and quote the Bible But not have your eyes on Jesus Christ, even the demons know who

God is and they tremble A W Tozer says the devil is a greater theologian than any of us and he's a devil still

The point of studying the Scriptures beloved is not to have intellectual

Bible knowledge about God The point of Bible study and knowing the

Scriptures is to see Jesus Christ in his beauty and Know him and come to know him and to be conformed into his likeness

That's the point of Scripture That we would be like Jesus after all a disciple is what a

Disciple is a follower a learner of Christ, but he follows his master to be like his master

And Jesus said that now It points us to the study of Scriptures and Jesus Christ is all about it

The third witness was the father thirst verse 37 and 38 He said this 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 he came to do the will of God bear witness of me and The father has sent me and then he said this in verse 38, but you do not have his word abiding in you he was direct and And said that were clarity.

He told these religious Jews But you do not have his word abiding in you

Because Whom he sent him you do not believe that's the reason why they did not believe in Christ They did not believe in the one that was speaking to them

That's serious. Jesus has already referred to the father in verse 32 as I mentioned. There's another who bears witness of me.

That's the father I know that the witness which he witnesses of me is true

And in that Christ knows the father has sent him and he sent him on a mission

To rescue the perishing he keep he came to seek and save the lost and call sinners to repentance

Repentance is huge folks That's the message He comes to save us

And to the uttermost but he comes to save us from our sins, but we must repent that's the command

Repent and believe the gospel repent believe the gospel

This is the fact that's established with truthfulness of his claims Being equal with God the

Father now Christ was equal with God, right? We saw this in his works We see that he's in verse 19 to verse 20

He's also Claimed that he was equal with God in his person from verse 17 to verse 18

That's first actually then his works in verse 19 to verse 20 He's equal with God the

Father in his power and his sovereignty in verse 21 He's equal with God the

Father in his judgment in verse 22 He's equal with the father in his honor in verse 23 and verse 24 and in all that He's equal with the father and in verse 18 says therefore the

Jews sought all the more to kill him because he not only broke The Sabbath, but mainly wrought but also that he said that God was his father making himself equal with God That's the reason they put him on the cross.

That's the reason that they crucified the Lord of glory Because of the claims that he made right here in this chapter

Now despite the father bearing witness about him and giving obvious proofs in which

I mentioned there in that text of that Jesus doesn't anticipate the Jews will accept him.

He knows this Why does he tell him if he already knows they're not going to say let's just say it's sheer grace and The mercy of God that God has given them even a an opportunity to to hear his word

Because of but you see he he gives them the word But but because of the blindness and the hardness of their heart

They are they're just eaten up with unbelief folks unbelief of who he is

They refuse to believe him. They refuse to believe in Christ Then he gives them three powerful

Indictments we looked at this from verse 37 to verse 38 those two verses notice in verse 37 and the father himself who sent me has

Testified of me again that word testify has testified of me That's the first indictment then you have neither heard his voice.

This is what he said You have neither heard his voice at any time. You don't know you don't you have not heard

God's voice. You're deaf You are not only spiritually blind. You're spiritually deaf

Second indictment. He says nor seen his form. You have not even seen his form You do not know him

You have never heard his voice at any time second indictment You have not seen his form third indictment verse 38

But you do not have his word abiding in you because whom he sent him you do not believe

In these closing statements in this chapter it is to the scriptures that Jesus now turns as his final witness

With special attention given to Moses the Prophet Moses and there's a reason why he uses

Moses That's not accidental Because he knows that they trusted

Moses he was the main prophet that wrote and gave us the

Pentateuch and We still we do believe and by the way, Jesus uses Moses because that tells us something else doesn't it?

It tells us that the Word of God all of the Word of God is inspired. It's God breathe It's given by God Men wrote it but God was breathing through them as they were just writing this down It was just not in the mere language of men

It was God the Holy Spirit breathing upon them moved by the Holy Spirit. They gave the

Word of God Thus sayeth the Lord There were like instruments conduits that God was just breathing upon them

Moses was one of those prophets that he used in a great way because Moses Scripture says he was one of the meekest man on the face of the earth at that time

And he was a prophet that knew God face to face. He saw the glory of God the backside of God's glory anyway

Moses wrote about Jesus Christ And this is not only in the passage in here and only passage in John that claims that the

Old Testament points to Jesus But we've already gone this way, but let me stir up your memory.

Once again, if you remember in John chapter 1 verse 45 Philip found

Nathanael Nathanael is also known as Bartholomew and Said to him what did he say?

We have found him we have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote

Jesus of Nazareth the son of Joseph We have found him and they believed he was the

Messiah Now as we know from Genesis Chapter 3 verse 15 was a great

Pro -evangel God himself is the first one that gave the gospel to fall in humanity to Adam and Eve when they fell in the garden, he gives them the promise and onward from that point

We anticipate the one the one true Messiah the Savior the

Lord to come in the future and They they they knew this and that that's why

Eve When she first if you noticed in the scripture when she first had Cain I have

I have given birth to a man She was excited because at that time she thought this could be the

Messiah But it wasn't as we've come to find out it wouldn't not come to over 6 ,000 years later

Actually the firstborn she had there was Cain, right? Then she had another one Abel and you know the story

Cain ended up being the first Religious man, by the way, he was a worshiper of God and he ended up killing

Abel who was Really a true believer and worship and worship

God because he loved God Cain was like a false believer a false worshiper and the promise is given of the one who will crush the head of the serpent in Genesis 3 15 and We read about him here in the fourth gospel

Jesus Christ and and also in the book of Acts. It gives us numerous sermons Showing how the

Apostles viewed the Old Testament We said they are preaching Jesus Christ and him crucified buried and resurrected.

That was the message and They preached it and Peter preaches it on the day of Pentecost and 3 ,000 souls were saved

And the power of the Holy Spirit used that sermon by by Peter preaching Christ 3

Thousand came in three thousand were added to the to the church and Stephen sermon as you well know

Stephen one of the first deacons of the church as he preached Christ to the self -righteous to Sanhedrin and by the way

That was some of the same credit some of the same crowd that crucified Christ They were cut to the heart

Because he preached Christ he went through the entire Bible Paraphrased and pointed to Jesus Christ and They hated what they heard.

They stopped up their ears prick to the heart ran after him and stoned him to death They preached

Christ and he preached it to the self -righteous Sanhedrin. They're full of pride and We see the epistles

We see Peter and we see Paul and Paul that gave us most of the New Testament And we see these

Apostles how we they sum up really and I like what MacArthur says here

All of the epistles is basically commentary on the life and teachings of Jesus it's the commentary and the person works of Jesus Christ and then then we got the book of Revelation that read that tells us about the consummation to come about the great glorious coming of Jesus Christ when he's going to come back and it tells us warnings of the wrath to come and to flee from it and that Christ is going to soon return and by the way, we anticipate that today don't we and he's coming and He will come back in power and glory as Jesus says with all the holy angels and the

Saints and and by the way It's not going to be like this left -behind series as we see it like it's man be pambi

Jesus when he comes back it's going to be the wrath of the Lamb and he's going to smite nations down and the enemies will lick the dust as it says in Psalms and He's going to do it with the word of his mouth because out of the word of his mouth

He only has to do is speak a word There's a sharp two -edged sword John 2 22 notice this

The scripture says therefore when he had risen from the dead speaking of Jesus his disciples

Remembered that he said to them this to them and they believe the scriptures the scriptures

And the word which Jesus has said John 7 42

Has not the scripture said that Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem where David was?

the scriptures It's reliable I'll speak into a family member that later this week when

I have a heavy burden for in my own family to come to repentance and believe the gospel and She happened to get on this thing

She's watching so much television and hearing all this garbage on the television and she started telling me about the shroud the shroud

This could be the image of Jesus. This could be Christ and oh, it's They're guessing that this was

Jesus and it had so many marks on it There's this image that's almost like he that's still there and I said

I told her I said this is almost as bad as the Roman Catholics worship at this image of this shroud and I said and all along you got dust on your

Bible in your house and There is the more reliable source the

Word of God Don't get caught up. I told her don't get caught up here and all that trash on the television

It's distractions to take you away from the Word of the Living God you've got the Bible It's more reliable than anything else this world where even if it is true not about the shroud

But let's just say the Ark on Mount Ararat with the archaeologists say in Russia that it is

I don't believe we don't believe that because they tell us right we believe it because the

Word of God tells us and It's true because God's Word is reliable the scriptures the scriptures

Jesus says this of the scriptures in John Chapter 8 you could turn with me there.

Look at a few chapters over look at John chapter 8 look at verse 56 through 59

Notice what Jesus says He's speaking to the same self -righteous

Pharisees and These religious people your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day and he saw it and was glad he saw it

He saw it by faith. It was accounted unto righteousness righteousness because of his faith

Moses saw him by faith in verse 57 then the Jews said to him you are not yet 50 years old and you have seen

Abraham and Jesus said to them most assuredly I say to you before Abraham was

I am Jesus says right there. He is the great

I am and how do they respond look at verse 59?

Then they took up stones to throw at him But Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple going through the midst of them and so passed by not that he was afraid

To be martyred. No, he he knew his time was not yet come.

He knew why he was here He was to go to the death of the cross to die and bleed for our sins

That's why he hid himself and went to the temple going through and misted them and so he passed by and also if you go to chapter 20 of John Look at verse 8 and 9

This is after Jesus rose again from the dead Let me go to verse 8 then the other disciple speaking of Johnny speaking of himself when he says the other disciple

Whom came to the tomb first he out. He outran Peter probably because he was younger than Peter He went also and he saw and believed he saw and believed

Notice verse 9 and for as yet they did not know the scripture

That he must rise again from the dead then the disciples went away again to their own homes the scriptures they believed the

Apostle Paul Speaks of this in 1st Corinthians chapter 15 turn with me there, please and you will see

That he has a great commentary on this. And by the way, I want you to think about this for a minute the

Apostle Paul Being a terrorist at that time terrorizing the

Church of the Living God Was not seeking after Christ Christ came seeking after him

Christ converted him Christ that that is such a powerful testimony of the grace and the power of God Never give up on your loved ones folks

Christ could go after them Christ goes after them as you pray for them and intercede for them

Christ can change them and here's a man that had a one -on -one experience with Jesus Christ and I Bring that out because notice what he says moreover in verse 1

Brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you which also you received in which you stand

By which also you are saved was saved by the gospel You stand by the gospel

You're saved by the gospel and he says this if you hold fast that word which

I preached to you So there's a holding fast to continue perseverance of the Saints Unless you believed in vain

Unless you believed in vain and notice what he says

Verse 3 for I delivered to you. First of all that which also received he received it in his conversion

That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures I want you to notice how many times he says according to the

Scriptures here That he was buried that he rose again the third day according to the

Scriptures according to the Scriptures He didn't say according to my experience

He didn't say because I met Jesus and I saw the Christ and I was blind blinded on the road of Damascus No, he says according to the

Scripture notice. He never pointed people to his conversion to his experience he pointed people to the

Scriptures and That he was seen by Cephas Tom at Peter then by the twelve after that he was seen by over 500 brethren at once what a confirmation of testimony 500 brethren at once of whom the greater part remain at present, but some have fallen asleep.

Basically the they've died They've died After that he is he was seen by James then by all the

Apostles and then last of all he was seen by me Also as one by one born out of due time and he says with great humility here

For I am the least of the Apostles and he meant every bit of this folks Whom I'm not worthy to be called in an

Apostle because I persecuted the Church of God that just reaps with such

Such affection, doesn't it? Because I persecuted the Church of God.

I'm not worthy to be called an Apostle And what does he say? But by the grace of God It's by God's grace.

I Am what I am. That's our testimony here today, isn't it? each and every one of us that are saved by Not anything we have done or any right works of righteousness.

We have no but because because of his mercy and his grace And his grace toward me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than they all he's not bragging here

He's just basically saying I I labored and I believe he did that in a sense because he felt like he owed a

Greater debt to the church because he persecuted him He put

Christians to death until Jesus came and knocked him down and said why do you persecute me?

Do you get that? He didn't realize he was persecuting the Messiah the

Christ he says But I labored more abundantly than they all and yet not

I but the grace of God which was with me Therefore whether it was I or they So we preach

And so you believed No accolades to a man

It's the grace of God that saves to the uttermost Well, then the other disciples you have that we used of God but here

Paul Basically sums it up there according to the scripture. So the studying the believing of the scriptures is all about the

Lord Jesus Christ So, let me ask a question here, so how did these religious

Bible scholars of the law the Torah The Torah the Old Testament miss.

How did they miss Jesus? How did they miss who he really was? How did they miss him?

Well, we know that they were blind that we know that they would deceived. That's big because of their unbelief

But the scriptures here gives us the answers to that question. There are several reasons and I'm going to give them in an outline here

Toward the conclusion of this message. Let's look at them. Well, first of all First of all, according to the scriptures they had a problem of approach

They had a problem of approach and John chapter 5 notice verse 39

You search the scriptures for in them. You think you have eternal life and These are they which testify me they did not realize the

Old Testament scriptures was telling them of the coming Messiah We're actually was telling them about Jesus and Jesus was himself was saying that to them.

It's terrible. It's awful a horrible thing to think of To think that these men with the scriptures in their very hands and the light that they had could be so blind and so deceived

But it was even more inexcusable that after the Lord Jesus spoke to them in this way that they still

Refused and they still refused to accept him hardness of their heart their coldness their self -righteousness their pride

All goes together The latter part of this verse carefully notice the latter part of this verse.

These are they which testify of me? These are they which testify me this simply means that the main subject of the old the

Old Testament Of the coming of the Messiah the Lord Jesus Christ if anyone misses this in their study

They have missed the whole meaning of the whole text of the whole Bible Especially the

Old Testament and that was Jesus Christ Jesus himself

Spoke of this go with me to Luke chapter 24 after he rose from the dead

He comes alongside to these two on the road of Emmaus one

One is given by name Cleophas and this is known as a stranger

It says in verse 18 Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem and have you not known the things which happened?

There in these days and now if you if you notice in verse 17 Jesus comes alongside him Verse 16 is interested notice

Jesus himself draws near to them verse 16 their eyes were restrained

And they did not know him Isn't that interesting? He did not know him and then

Jesus says they didn't know that he was he does this he does this That shows you he has the power to open our eyes

Unstop our ears. Here are two disciples here He said to them he gives a question what kind of conversation is this you have with one another as you walk and are sad and The one of the whose name was

Cleophas answered and said are you the only stranger in Jerusalem and have not known the things which?

Happened there these in these days and he said to them what things? And that wonderful Jesus Christ is teaching them these disciples.

He knows all that. This is he he's risen from the dead They thought he was a stranger. He said what things he's why he just pulls them in To answer and notice what they said

So they said to him the things concerning Jesus of Nazareth Who was a prophet mighty indeed and word before God and all the people and how the chief priest and our rulers delivered him to?

Be condemned to death and crucified him But we were hoping that it was he who was going to redeem

Israel Indeed besides all this today is the third day since these things happen.

Here he is. He's risen from the dead. He's a stranger They don't recognize them. Their eyes are restrained

Notice what happens? Then they say yes a certain woman of our company who arrived at the tomb early astonished us and when they did

They did not find his body they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said he was alive and A certain of those who were with us

Went to the tomb and found it was just a woman had said but him they did not see

Verse 25. Here we go. Listen to this And he said to them

Oh foolish ones foolish ones foolish ones

Slow of heart to believe and all that the prophets has spoken Ought not the

Christ have had suffered these things and enter into his glory. Oh, I don't you love verse 27

Beginning at Moses and all the prophets wouldn't you love to heard the Lord himself? He had spounded to them and all the scriptures the things concerning himself

You get that The Living Word was commenting on the written word all about himself.

This is God in flesh any wonder later on They say in verse 32.

They said to one another did not our heart when did they heart when did they get heartburn folks?

They they got heartburn within us that our heart burned Within us while he talked with us on the road while he opened the scriptures to us

The power of the Word of God is like a fire. It literally burned their heart.

Oh The power of the Word of God Well, you see here

There's something here that the scripture tells us they had a heart problem They had a heart problem you see in verse go back to chapter 5 of John Look at 40 and this is basically verse 40 to 44 the heart the problem of the heart was the heart

But I know you that you do not have the love of God in you what he's talking about in you

He's talking about their hearts Their hearts. How about your heart today? Do you have the love of God in you

They had a problem of the heart the problem of our Jesus goes beyond Intellectual approach to the scriptures to get to what lies at the bottom of rejecting him in any context.

It's a spiritual problem It's a heart problem What does the scripture say in Jeremiah?

The heart is desperately wicked. It's wicked. It's deceitful above all things. We don't know where our hearts

And that world out there from Disney World from Pinocchio teaches let conscience be your guide follow your heart

It's a lie folks If we followed our heart we would end up in the abyss of hell today

We go to the scriptures now, we're talking about the religious people here. We're talking about just heathens

We're talking about people that supposedly knew the Word of God if you go to John chapter 3

We've already gone there But look at let's be reminded of this verse 9 Nicodemus answered after Jesus spoke about the

Spirit of God About being born again. Do not marvel that I said to you you must be born again The wind blows where it wishes you hear the sound of it

You cannot tell where it comes from or where it goes. So is everyone that is born of the Spirit you don't see the wind, but you see the effects of it and Nicodemus said to him how can these things be?

What is Jesus how does Jesus answer in verse 10 Jesus answered him and said are you a

Teacher of Israel and do not know these things Ezekiel speaks of it of the new covenant of regeneration

Jeremiah 31 31 speaks of the regeneration the new covenant that about the new birth in the

Old Testament That God speaks of the new birth that I will cause you Calls you calls you that that that I mean telling you folks that wipes out our meaning is them all together

We don't cause it. We don't make it happen because of our self will our will

It is God's will that people are born of the Spirit of God and Jesus says to Nicodemus you a teacher of Israel and you do not know these things you should have know

What is he saying most assuredly I say to you notice what he says We speak what we know and testify what we have seen and you do not receive our witness

If I've told you earthly things and you do not believe how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

There's a problem of the heart the corruption of the heart a hard heart of unbelief full of self -righteous pride

And notice how Jesus our Lord breaks down the corruption of the heart It was a corrupt heart a corrupt heart in verse 40

But you are not willing to come to me that you may have life You're not willing to come to me that you may have read the real

Reason people do not receive and believe Jesus Christ is because they cannot understand the gospel

It's not because they cannot understand the gospel folks. I Clearly here.

There's a lot of people that understand the gospel Get this on the intellectual side they know it here.

Have you realized that? They know it here But they don't know it down deep in their hearts

The real fault is their arrogance and their pride, but it mainly lies in man's unwillingness

To believe I refuse to believe They're full of pride Basically, you may tell you what it is.

They love their sin more than they love Christ Can you back that up with chapter and verse you bet

I can John chapter 3 Verse 18 for he who believes in him is not condemned but he who does not believe is condemned already because he has not

Believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God Listen what he says and this is the condemnation that light has come into the world and men loved what?

darkness rather than light Christ is that light they love their sin more than Christ Because their deeds were evil.

Jesus is basically say they're corrupt The heart is corrupt and depraved and wicked

For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light that basically says people who love their sin

That's why they practice evil because they love their sin Why do why do they don't do why they refuse to come to the light?

least his deeds Should be exposed They said

I'm gonna be embarrassed if I humble myself before God the pride keeps him back Unbelief keeps him back.

They don't want to be exposed before but by the way, you better be exposed now You're gonna be exposed at the judgment.

You hear me? It's better to confess Christ up Thousand times here and be rejected at the judgment judgment folks

But he who does not I'm sorry. He who does the truth Jesus as comes to the light

If you do the truth you come to Christ you come to the light

That his deeds may be clearly seen that they have been wrought in God done in God in other words it's a great great deliverance in Healing in that now not only was a corrupt heart there's a corrupt desire

They were unwilling a corrupt desire that corrupt heart produces a corrupt desire, doesn't it?

and a corrupt love Notice in verse 41 and 42 Back in John 5.

I I do not receive honor from men You know men love the praises that they love the praises of men, but not

Christ Christ did not come to be praised by men. He came to do the will of God He's he was he came for one reason to be the pleased the

Father The Jesus came not to receive glory from people

He did not come to please people chapter 2 verse 24 and 25 is my reference here.

Look at this He's the discerner of hearts Jeep in verse 24

Jesus did not commit himself to them because he knew all men He had no need that anyone should testify of man for he knew what was in man

He's the searcher of hearts He's the revealer of hearts he came to please the

Father and the Father only man's failure to receive the Son of God is Here traced back to its cause and these men did not have the love of God in them

He says the love of God is not in you and in them That is they love themselves rather than God.

They had a self -love. That's why Jesus says to deny yourself To follow him take up your cross and follow me.

That's what Jesus said If they had loved God, they would have received Christ whom

God the Father sent John 3 16 And by the rejection of the

Lord Jesus Christ, they showed their utter lack of love to the Father Because they did not honor

Christ. They did not honor the Father last not only did they have a corrupt heart a corrupt desire a

Corrupt love they had a corrupt motive verse 43 and 44

Back in John 5. How can you believe?

How can you believe? Who receive honor from one another and do not seek the honor that comes from the only

God you see what he's saying here It is their pride They love to receive the praises of men

How many preachers you have dad how many people that's on the spotlight that love the praises of men

Jesus says to the Pharisees you love to sit in Moses's seat and be praised look at the

Pope You think he loves the praises of men, but he's going to stand before the

Lord Jesus Christ one day I must bring this to a conclusion Paul spoke of this and Galatians chapter 1 verse 6 through 10 don't have time to go there

But he talks he's a baby. He says if I was a pleaser of men. I'm not the servant of Christ in the conclusion

They had a problem with belief and that problem of belief was their unbelief their pride

Jesus's pointed question How can you believe when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that comes from the one only

God? This gives us reason that why did Jews rejected him? They were engaged in seeking glory from one another and they did not humble themselves to believe in Christ and By the way,

Moses spoke of Jesus of that prophet to come in Deuteronomy 1815 and 18 through 18

It should come as no surprise that those who did not believe in Moses his writings would not believe in Christ's words either, right?

Well, the reliability has no doubt in the

Word of God for the law was given by Moses But grace and truth came through Jesus Christ The story in the

Bible is all about the Lord Jesus Christ from Genesis to Revelation The subject is all about Christ and Christ alone.

It's him and him alone Let me give you some conclusion application to this

Brother Keith didn't know this but my application comes from Psalm 119 Praise God Praise his name

What is Psalm 119? Well, first of all Psalm 19 verse 7 says this The law of the

Lord is perfect Converting the soul the testimony notice what it says

The testimony of the Lord is sure Making wise the simple the testimony of the

Lord is sure If you go to Psalm 119, you can follow along with me

But this is application folks, and I want you to get this application because this is an application

Psalm I'm telling you if you want to know about the Christian life and how to walk this wall

And I tell you this is before the Spirit of God was given on the day of Pentecost in the sense the church of the church

But this man was so full and drunk with the Holy Spirit. He gives us constantly a hundred and 76 reasons to love

God Notice the first one verse 2 blessed are those who keep his testimonies who seek him with the whole heart

Seek him with the whole heart Keep his testimonies.

I want to just go through these quickly because of time is going by here, but Notice verse 24.

I'm sorry. Let me back up verse 22 Remove from me reproach and contempt and I for I have kept your testimonies.

You notice the word kept Notice verse 24 your testimonies also are my delight and my counselors

My counselors or is is the Word of God your counselor today is the

Word of God your delight this morning The notice verse Let me see verse 36 verse 36 incline my heart to your testimonies and not to covetousness

Notice verse 59 I thought about my ways and turn my feet to your testimonies

Have you turned your feet have you thought about your ways this morning have you turned your feet to God's testimonies this morning

Go to verse 79

Look at verse 79 and let those who fear you turn to me those who know your testimonies

Your testimonies Look at verse 95 The wicked wait for me does the wicked wait for you to destroy you you bet they do they don't care about you

But God cares But what is this sojourner do but I will consider your testimonies

We'll consider God's testimonies. I will consider have you considered God's testimonies this morning Look at verse 99

Well, I can't leave out verse 97. Oh how I love your law. It is my meditation all the day

Amen verse 99 I Have more understanding than all my teachers for your testimonies are my meditation

That's verse 99. Look at verse 111 Your testimonies

I have taken as a heritage forever for they are the rejoicing of my heart or God's Testimonies the rejoicing of your heart.

Why are you rejoicing God? Look at verse 119 you put away the wicked of the earth like dross

Therefore I love your testimonies Do you love God's testimonies this morning verse 129

Your testimonies are wonderful Therefore my soul keeps them.

Do you keep God's testimonies? verse 138

Your testimonies which you have commanded are righteous and very faithful verse 144 verse 144 the righteous of The righteousness of your testimonies is everlasting.

They give me understanding and I shall live verse 152 Concerning your testimonies.

I have known of old that you have founded them forever How about 160?

167 My soul keeps your testimonies and I love them exceedingly

Verse 168 I keep your precepts and your testimonies For all my ways are before you

Listen to that folks All the testimonies of God what else what more can he say than he has said?

We have a sure foundation we have a sure reliability in the Word of the Living God And by the way

It's all in Jesus Christ Jesus Christ and him crucified

And this is what the Lord Jesus said All that the Father draws will come to me and he that comes to me

I would know wise cast him out He says in Matthew 11 Come to me all your labor and heavy laden.

I'll give you rest. My yoke is easy. My burdens light Come to Christ Why today is the day of?

Salvation tomorrow may be too late Let's pray Father we thank you so much for your

Holy Word We praise you for your testimonies And we thank you for this wonderful wonderful Exhortation given by your son the

Lord Jesus Christ From John chapter 5 of his testimony of himself

That he is the true son of the Living God the Messiah That came to save sinners like us

Thank you father for the salvation that is in your son. You have made a way You did not have to do this.

You did not have to send you actually the one thing you could still be just Lord You could have wiped out all humanity and still be just But in your loving kindness and your mercy you sent your son

The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ Lord, we thank you for the death of Christ on the cross for the blood that he shed the precious blood that he shed that we may be saved today and Father as your word says as true as it was then as it is today

Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord who repents turn from their wicked ways turn toward you in faith

Lord, they shall be saved. They shall be delivered We praise you for that great truth

Because it's all in Jesus and in Jesus alone to him be the glory