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Let's turn in our Bibles to Mark chapter 10 for our New Testament reading. And as you do so, I might just make a brief comment about that one part of that hymn we just sang. Verse 2 actually reflects a mistaken interpretation of our passage in Hebrews 12 .1.
Since we're surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. And the hymn writer sets that great cloud of witnesses as though they're in heaven watching us in our pilgrimage.
Verse 2 speaks of that. A cloud of witnesses around hold you in full survey. And that's not what the writer was talking about. They're not in heaven watching us. But rather, the witnesses are all the Old Testament saints of Hebrews 11 that revealed what true faith is like since we have those witnesses, you know, that testified to us the nature of true faith.
Let's follow their example. It's not because people are looking down at us and watching how we think or live. All right, so here we are in Mark 10 as we work through this gospel. Mark's gospel is rather long chapters.
It was probably the first written gospel of the four, Mark chapter 10. And he, Jesus, left there and went to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them.
And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife? He answered them, what did Moses command you? And they said, Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.
And Jesus said to them, because of your hardness of heart, he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. And therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife.
And the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not men separate. And in the house, the disciples asked him again about this matter.
He said to them, whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery. And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them.
And the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, let the children come to me, do not hinder them. For to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.
And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. And as he was sitting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?
And Jesus said to him, why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments, do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.
And he said to him, teacher, all these I have kept from my youth. And Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, you lack one thing, go sell all you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven and come follow me.
Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful for he had great possessions. And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, how difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God.
And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.
And they were exceedingly astonished and said to him, then who can be saved? And Jesus looked at them and said, with man it is impossible, but not with God, for all things are possible with God. Peter began to say to him, see, we have left everything and followed you.
And Jesus said, truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the gospel who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands with persecutions and in the age to come eternal life.
The many who are first will be last in the last first. And they were on the road going up to Jerusalem and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed and those who followed were afraid. Taking the 12 again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him.
Say, see, we are going up to Jerusalem and the son of man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him and flog him and kill him.
And after three days, he will rise. And James and John, the sons of Zebedee came up to him and said to him, teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you. And he said to them, what do you want me to do for you?
And they said to him, grant us to sit one at your right hand and one at your left in your glory. And Jesus said to them, you do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drank or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?
And they said to him, we are able. And Jesus said to them, the cup that I drink, you will drink. And with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized. But to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.
And when the 10 heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. And Jesus called them to him and said to them, you know that those who are considered rulers are the Gentiles lorded over them and their great ones exercise authority over them.
But it shall not be so among you, but whoever would be great among you must be your servant. And whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the son of man came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.
And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus was sitting at the roadside. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me.
And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stopped and said, call him. And they called the blind man, saying to him, take heart, get up, he is calling you.
And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. And Jesus said to him, what do you want me to do for you? And the blind man said to him, rabbi, let me recover my sight. And Jesus said to him, go your way, your faith has made you well.
And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.
Let's pray.
Father, we pray that you'd help us to be faithful followers of Jesus, disciples of him, living for him, following him day by day. We thank you for the glorious promises that are in Jesus Christ, that as we travel this pilgrimage journey of faith through this life, through this world, it will result in glorious eternal life being freely and fully granted to us.
Help us, our God, as we continue to walk in faith, following our savior. We pray today, Lord, as we consider the words in John's gospel, that you would instruct us and encourage us in our way. And help us to see Jesus more clearly as a result of what we read and consider.
For we pray in Jesus' name, amen. Well, let's turn to John five now and we continue our study. This is what, the 35th Lord's Day that we've been in this gospel? And here we are in John chapter five. We're gonna be here a while, I suspect.
This third discourse of Jesus is rather lengthy. This is the fifth Lord's Day in which we've given our focus upon it. Of course, two of those five days we gave to matters of eschatology, which was suggested by our Lord's words of a general resurrection and a general judgment at the end of the age.
And then, of course, last Lord's Day, we gave attention to an episode in the birth narrative, the annunciation of Gabriel the angel to Mary, that she would anticipate the birth of the savior. But today we wanna resume our progress through this discourse of our Lord.
And so we'll read, we'll dive in and read verses 31 through 40 in which the Lord sets forth four witnesses that bear testimony of his true identity and work. And we might say at the outset that it's really God the Father who's expressing himself, testifying as to the identity of Jesus through these four witnesses.
Jesus said, 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 borne witness to the truth.
Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved. He was the burning and shining lamp or light and you are willing for a time to rejoice in his light. 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.
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 his 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're not willing to come to me that you may have life. It's important for us to recall the context in which our Lord gave these words.
He was speaking to Jewish leaders who were not responsive or receptive of him. They not only did not believe on him, they were bent on killing him at this point for they rejected what he was claiming that he was the very son of God.
And therefore they were resolved to have him killed. In their thinking, he had actually committed two transgressions worthy of death. First, when he healed a man, he did so on the Sabbath day and therefore they accused him of having broken the Sabbath day.
This of course was a false charge. Jesus did not break the Sabbath day according to the Mosaic law, God's law. Rather, Jesus transgressed their view of Sabbath day observance, but he did not break God's law.
He kept God's law perfectly. And then secondly, they believed wrongly that Jesus had committed blasphemy against God and making himself equal with God. Once again, they were wrong. They believe wrongly that Jesus committed blasphemy when he made himself equal with God and he did so when he claimed to be the son of God.
We read of that in John 5, 18. Therefore, the Jews sought all the more to kill him because he not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was his father making himself equal with God. Well, in the passage before us, the verses that we read, verses 31 through 40, Jesus defends his identity as the son of God who is equal with God by calling forth four witnesses to his claim.
As we consider these witnesses, we should recognize the irrefutable evidence that God the father has given through them, through these witnesses, to substantiate the claims of Jesus to be the son of God.
And yet in spite of this overwhelming evidence, it's not sufficient. The evidence is not sufficient to bring sinners to faith in him. And he makes this clear also. People who hear these testimonies of Jesus set before us today will respond in unbelief just as these Jewish leaders responded in unbelief.
That is, unless the Lord does an inward work of grace in their souls to bring them to repentance and faith and thereby be saved from their sin. I think that the Lord is really setting this up and the spirit of God is setting up what he declares in John chapter six.
The salvation is due to the sovereign grace of God. And so let's first consider, however, Jesus' witness of himself and his father's witness of him as expressed in verses 31 and 32. The Jews had rejected the claims of Jesus as to his identity as the son of God, but the Lord declared that there was ample testimony to validate his claim.
He acknowledged in verse 31 of his own witness to his identity was not sufficient. This is interesting. If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. What did he mean by that? Of course, he was not confessing that his own witness was false, but rather that it was simply insufficient alone to substantiate his deity before others.
He said, my witness wouldn't be true with regard to my testifying of myself, as one wrote. But Jesus is not declaring that his witness is untrue or false, nor is he claiming that it is invalid. Rather, he is declaring with verse 30 and in the context of the rest of the pericope that even if it is true and valid, it's still not sufficient on his own.
And that's the point of emphasis that Jesus is making in verse 30. Perhaps our Lord was alluding to the principle in the Old Testament. A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed.
Only on the evidence of two witnesses or three witnesses shall a charge be established. And he's saying basically that my witness of myself is not sufficient, I realize that. He's acknowledging that. F .F. Bruce put it this way, a testimonial to oneself is no testimonial.
No one can witness his own signature. If Jesus's claims were made without the Father's authority, there would be no obligation on his hearers to accept them. In other words, if he gave testimony of himself, you know, I'm the son of God, it wouldn't be incumbent upon his listeners to accept that testimony because a man is not allowed to give a testimony for himself.
And that's even true in today's law, I believe. It's not to be accepted as valid in and of itself. Rather, one's own personal attestation of one's understanding is generally regarded with suspicion and rightly so, as reflected in Matthew Henry's words on this, universally mankind does not accept the testimony of a man toward himself reveals the sinfulness and selfishness of mankind.
And then Matthew Henry wrote, it reflects reproach on the sons of men and their veracity and integrity. In other words, their willingness to tell the truth. Surely we may say deliberately what David said in haste, all men are liars.
Else it would never have been such a received maxim that a man's testimony of himself is suspicious and not to be relied on. It's a sign that self-love is stronger than love of the truth. And that certainly is true, isn't it?
And so Jesus is not saying that he would be false in giving evidence that he was the son of God. He's just saying it's not sufficient. It's not a valid argument if he gave testimony regarding himself.
But in addition, this reflects also our Lord's gracious condescension to us and that although he was a faithful witness, that's the truth itself. Nevertheless, he chose not to call upon his own witness because it might have been received with suspicion.
For they would have viewed him too as but a man whose witness of himself was not a trustworthy source in their opinion. And so he didn't press that upon them, his own claim. However, Jesus might have been declaring that his own witness is insufficient simply because in speaking, he wouldn't be bearing witness himself, but rather his father would be bearing witness through him.
And so Jesus does not act independent of his father, but rather all that he thinks and does was the father working through him. And this would follow with verse 32, which reads again, there's another who bears witness of me.
And I know that the witness which he witnesses of me is true. In other words, it may be that Jesus was simply saying he did not give an independent witness for himself because he never acted on his own.
For everything Jesus said and did was actually the father working and speaking, bearing witness through him. Maybe both things were true. Before we move on, however, I want us to compare this verse with another verse because sometimes say an opposer of the gospel, opposer Christianity might throw this up before you as an inconsistency in scripture.
If we compare verse 31, our Lord said, if I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. You turn over to John 8, 14, however, and it reads, even if I bear witness of myself, my witness is true.
Wow.
In one verse, he says, my witness, if I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. And then in John 8, he said, if I bear witness myself, it is true, which is right. In fact, this seems to be such an apparent contradiction that there was a pastor, he was quite a significant Baptist leader at the beginning of the 19th century.
He addressed these two verses in a sermon entitled Passages Apparently Contradictory. And these were his words. Our Lord in one of these passages expresses what was to be admitted as truth in the account of men.
In other words, again, men wouldn't accept a man witnessing for himself, testifying of himself. In the other, what his testimony was in itself. In other words, it was true. Admitting their laws or rules of evidence, his testimony would not have been credible.
And therefore, in the verses following, he appeals to that of John the Baptist, the works with which he had wrought in his father's name, which amounted to a testimony from the father. But though he in a manner gave up his own testimony, yielding himself to be tried even by their forms of evidence, yet would he not so far concede as to dishonor his character.
He was, in fact, whatever they might judge of him, the amen, the faithful and true witness. And as such, he taught many things, prefacing what he delivered with that peculiar and expressive phrase, "'Verily, verily, I say unto you.'".
In other words, in John 5 .31, Jesus declared that his testimony was not valid to others. But in John 8 .14, Jesus declared that his own witness of his identity was a true witness. And so it only appears to be contradictory.
Both things are absolutely true. Now let's consider the four witnesses that Jesus calls upon. And these are found in verses 30 through 40. And the first is the witness of John the Baptist, verses 33 through 35.
Jesus declared to his detractors, "'You have sent to John "'and he is 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 the burning and shining lamp, "'and you are willing for a time to rejoice in his light.'".
Let's consider these clauses. First, "'You have sent to John "'and he is born witness to the truth.'. Here, Jesus said that these very Jewish leaders, who were so bent on killing him, have sent to John.
When we first read of John the Baptist back in John chapter one, we read that he was a witness that God sent to testify of Jesus. He was a faithful witness. We read in John 1, 6 through 8, there was a man sent from God whose name was John.
This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the light, that all through him might believe. He was not that light, but was sent to bear witness of that light. And so it's fitting that Jesus calls upon John the Baptist as a testimony for who he was, truly the son of God.
And then later in the chapter, in John 1, 19 and following, we read of the Jewish leaders coming from Jerusalem to see John. And we read of John's witness to these Jewish leaders. John was faithful and declared to them that he was only there as a witness to Jesus Christ.
John said to these Jewish leaders, the same ones apparently that Jesus was speaking to, John the Baptist had borne witness to the truth of Jesus's true identity as the son of God. And notice, by the way, Jesus did not say directly that John bore witness of me, or to him, but rather John bore witness to the truth.
And the truth was that Jesus is the son of God. John was a faithful witness toward that. And then we read our Lord's word. Secondly, yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved.
What is that all about? What Jesus was declaring is that though John had testified truthfully of the deity of Jesus as the true light from God, Jesus did not depend on John's witness for his own self-identity.
He knew he was the son of God apart from John's witness. The father had revealed to Jesus that he was his son. Jesus himself, as one wrote, did not, could not accept human testimony. He himself did not depend on it to establish who he was in his own mind.
John bore witness of who he was, but Jesus basically said what John said or didn't say didn't contribute in any way to my own understanding. I knew I was the son of God and the father revealed that to me.
And so Jesus spoke of the witness of John the Baptist for the purposes of those present, that they may be saved. People are saved through putting their faith in Jesus Christ. But one aspect of this faith is believing Jesus for who he is in truth.
And since John the Baptist had testified of this truth, it could lead to them coming to faith in Christ for salvation. As one wrote, people are saved by believing in Jesus. John the Baptist's witness may help them believe and that was its purpose.
And hence Jesus's appeal to such witnesses justified. He called upon John's witness for their sake, not for his own. We next read of Jesus's assessment of John the Baptist's witness in verse 35. He was the burning and shining lamp or light and you are willing for a time to rejoice in his light.
You know, you thought he was a prophet. You favored him at one time. This verse again describes John the Baptist. He was a faithful man. And for quite a while, he was quite popular and respected. And even the Jewish leaders for a while seemed to acknowledge him as a prophet.
They came to him in John chapter one and he bore testimony to them regarding Jesus. But take note that their interest and enthusiasm was only temporary. You are willing for a time to rejoice in his light, in the knowledge, in the light that John the Baptist had communicated.
Matthew Henry wrote of this. Note many that seem to be affected and pleased with the gospel at first, afterwards despise and reject it. It is common for forward and noisy professors, in other words, those who profess to believe, to cool off and to fall off.
These here rejoiced in John's light, but never walked in it and therefore did not keep to it. They were like stony ground. And that's always been the pattern in church history and in churches. There are some that seem to respond to the gospel.
They're excited. They're enthused. They rejoice. They believe. They say they believe, but only for a while. And these Jewish leaders seem to be responsive. In preparation to this morning's message, I came across a sermon delivered by Jonathan Edwards, and it was very rich.
I read it, and I passed it on to our men, to our men's group. He gave this message at an ordination of a young man in Pelham, Massachusetts. Pelham is a little community just west of the Quabbin Reservoir, just about 40 miles west of us.
And he gave this sermon, this ordination charge to this man being ordained based on John 535, which described John the Baptist. And I found it very stirring. And so he organized his sermon in the following manner.
And so here's the outline of Edwards on this day. I would, by divine assistance, handle the subject in the following method. First, I would show that Christ's design in the appointment of the order and office of ministers of the gospel is that they may be lights to the souls of men.
See, he makes the application. As John the Baptist was a light, you know, he probably pointed to this young man being ordained, so you're called to be a light. Second, I would show what is implied in there being burning lights.
Third, I'd show what's implied in there being shining lights. John the Baptist was a burning and a shining light. Fourth, I would show that it is the proper excellency of ministry of the gospel to have these things united in them to be both burning and shining lights.
They were pretty thorough in the way they treated matters. And fifth, I would apply these things to all that Christ has called to the work of the gospel ministry, showing how much it concerns them earnestly to endeavor that they may be burning and shining lights.
Six, show what ministers of the gospel ought to do that they may be so. And last, say something briefly concerning the duty of a people that are under the care of a gospel minister, correspondent to those things that Christ had taught us concerning the end and excellency of a gospel minister.
And it was just an excellent sermon. And so Edward said a pastor should be like John the Baptist, a man who is a burning and shining light. I would like to consider the application of these words more broadly, not to just a pastor, but let's desire these things for our own church.
And obviously, as we look at some of these, it's gonna, might think it applies simply to me. That's not the case. It's certainly what I desire for myself, but it's what I desire for our church. And another reason I included this, you know, these notes went out, we sent them out to about 230 addresses every Sunday morning.
I think about 110 of them are pastors. And so I thought this would be helpful for them as well. And so I included them and I almost apologize for the length of some of these block quotes, but I thought they were valuable for us.
And so let's consider these in the light of our own church and what we desire for ourselves. So the top of page five, here we consider Edwards opening up the idea that John the Baptist was a light. The use of a light is threefold, to discover, to refresh and to direct.
The first use of a light is to discover things, to make them manifest. Without light, nothing is to be seen. Ephesians five, whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Ministers are set to be lights in the souls of men in this respect, as they are to be the means of imparting divine truth to them, bringing into their view the most glorious and excellent objects and of leading them to and assisting them in the contemplation of those things that angels desire to look into.
And the means of their obtaining that knowledge is infinitely more important and more excellent and useful than that of the greatest statesmen or philosophers, even that which is spiritual and divine.
They are set to be the means of bringing men out of darkness into God's marvelous light. Again, think about our church. This is what we desire. And bringing them to the infinite fountain of light that in his light they may see light.
They are set to instruct men and impart to them that knowledge by which they may know God and Jesus Christ, whom to know is life eternal. Another use of light is to refresh and delight the beholders. Darkness is dismal.
The light is sweet, a pleasant thing. It is to behold the sun. Light is refreshing to those who have long sat in darkness. They therefore that watch and keep awake through a dark night long and wait for the light of the morning.
And the wise man observes that the light of the eyes rejoices the heart. Spiritual light is especially refreshing and joyful. Psalm 97, light is sown for the righteous and gladness for the upright in heart.
They that see the light of Christ, the star that hath arisen out of Jacob and are refreshed and do rejoice. And the wise men that saw the star that showed them where Christ was. And when they saw the store, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
Ministers are set in the church of God to be the instruments of this comfort and refreshment to the souls of men. To be the instruments of leading souls to the God of all consolation or comfort and fountain of their happiness.
They are sent as Christ was and as coworkers with him to preach good tidings to the meek, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound and to comfort all that mourn.
They are to lead those that labor and are heavy laden to their true rest and to speak a word and season to him that is weary. They are set to be ministers of the consolation and joy of the saints. As Paul wrote, we have not dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy.
And then the third use of light is to direct. It is by light that we see where to go. He that walks in darkness knows not where he goes. And is in danger of stumbling and falling into mischief. This by light that men see what to do and are unable to work.
In the night, Christ tells us no man can work. Ministers are set to be lights to men's souls in this respect also. As Zacharias observes John the Baptist, Luke, to guide our feet in the way of peace. Ministers have the record of God committed to them that they may hold that forth, which God has given to man as a light shining in a dark place, to guide them in the way through this dark world to regions of eternal light.
I can't imagine being a young man ready to be ordained and having this charge laid forth, the great responsibility. Privilege, yes, but great responsibility. Well, that's what it is for a minister to be light to his people.
Then Edwards went on to explain more fully what characterizes a true minister. And again, based on John the Baptist, John was not just a light, he was a burning light as well as a shining light. And so by burning, Edwards spoke of the fervor of the heart of the man of God.
And these are two things that seem naturally to be understood by this expression of burning light. And again, I wanna make the comparison and application to our church. May this characterize us as a church body.
First, that his heart be full of much of the holy ardor of a spirit of true piety. We read of the power of godliness. True grace is no dull inactive ineffectual principle. It's a powerful thing. There is exceeding energy in it.
And the reason is that God is in it. It's a divine principle, a participation of the divine nature and a communication of divine life, of the life of a risen savior who exerts himself in the hearts of the saints after the power of an endless life.
They that have true grace in them, they live, but not by their own life, but Christ lives in them. His holy spirit becomes in them a living principle and a spring of divine life. The energy and power of which is in scripture compared to fire.
Matthew three, I indeed baptize you with water, but he that comes after me is mightier than I whose shoes I'm not worthy to bear. He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire. True piety is not a thing remaining only in the head or consisting in any speculative knowledge or opinions or outward morality or forms of religion.
It reaches the heart, is chiefly seated there and burns there. There is a holy ardor in everything that belongs to true grace. See, one's affections should be characterized with this ardent enthusiasm and excitement about the things of Christ.
And then second, the inward holy ardor of his soul is exercised and manifested in his being zealous and fervent in his administrations. For he is a burning light. This implies that his spiritual heat and holy ardor is not for himself only, but is communicative and for the benefit of others.
He is ardent and he is a light or in the performance of the duties of that office where he is set to be a light in the church of Christ. His fervent zeal, which has its foundation and spring in that holy and powerful flame of love to God and man that is in his heart appears in the fervency of his prayers to God for and with his people.
And in the earnestness and power with which he preaches the word of God, declares to sinners their misery, warns them to fly from the wrath to come, reproves and testifies against all ungodliness and the unfeigned earnestness and compassion with which he invites the weary and heavy laden to their savior, and the fervent love with which he counsels and comforts the saints, and the holy zeal, courage, and steadfastness with which he maintains the exercise of discipline in the house of God, notwithstanding all the opposition he meets with in that difficult part of his ministerial work.
I think he wrote this after he got fired from his church because he was trying to exercise discipline in Northampton. I believe that's the case. And Edwards set forth that the man of God was not only a burning light, but as John the Baptist, he's to be a shining light.
What does this intend or mean? First, that he be pure, clear, and full in his doctrine. A minister is set to be a light to men's souls by teaching or doctrine. And if he be a shining light in this respect, the light of his doctrine must be bright and full.
It must be pure without mixtures of darkness. And therefore he must be sound in the faith, not one that is of a reprobate mind. In doctrine, he must show uncorruptness. Otherwise his light will be darkness.
He must not lead his people into errors, but teach them the truth only, guiding their feet into the way of peace and leading them in the right way of the Lord. He must be one that is able to teach, not one that is raw, ignorant, or unlearned, but little versed in the things that he has to teach others, not a novice or one that is unskillful in the word of righteousness.
He must be one that is well studied in divinity, well acquainted with the written word of God, mighty in the scriptures, and able to instruct and convince gainsayers. And in order to be a shining light, he must be one that really knows what religion is, that is how to live the Christian life.
One that is truly acquainted with that savior and the way of salvation that he is to teach to others, that he may speak the things that he knows and testify the things that he has seen and not be a blind leader of the blind.
He must be one that is acquainted with experimental religion and not ignorant of the inward operations of the spirit of God nor Satan's devices, able to guide souls under their particular difficulties.
And thus he must be a scribe well instructed in things that pertain to the kingdom of God, one that brings forth out of his treasure things new and old, almost a verbatim quote, scripture. And in order of his being a shining light, his doctrine must be full.
He must not only be able to teach, but apt to teach, ready to instruct the ignorant and then that are out of the way and diligent in teaching in public and private and careful and faithful declare the whole counsel of God and not keep back anything that may be profitable to his hearers.
Some years ago, I had a pastor come up to me. I knew him. He came up to me and I was in his church at a funeral. And it was during the reception. He came up to me and whispered to me, you know, I'm reformed like you are.
I hear you on the radio, but I can't preach that here. They wouldn't receive it.
Mercy.
No, the minister needs to be a shining light and declare the word in all of its clarity and fullness and not tear off things that he thinks people, they're gonna offend people. We don't have that kind of authority.
And so his being a shining light implies that his instructions are clear and plain, accommodated to the capacity of the hearers, tending to convey light to their understandings. And then second, another thing requisite in order to a minister's being a shining light is that he be discreet in all his administrations.
The fervent zeal that thus should animate and actuate him in his administrations should be regulated by discretion. He should not only be knowing and able to communicate knowledge and form to do it, but he must be wise and know how to conduct himself in the house of God as a wise builder and as a wise steward.
And as he is one that God has sent forth to labor in his field and committed the care of his vineyard too, so he should conduct himself there as one whom his God doth instruct to discretion. He should not only be as harmless as a dove, but wise as a serpent, showing himself a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth, one that knows how to govern the church of God and to walk in wisdom toward those that are without.
And then the last section of this, and again, I apologize for the length and detail, but third, another thing implied in a minister's being a shining light is that he shines in his conversation, old English word for the way he lives.
If he shines never so much in his doctrine and administrations in the house of God, yet if there be not an answerable brightness in his conversation, it will have a tendency to render all ineffectual.
Christ in Matthew five says to his disciples, having undoubtedly a special respect to those of them that were to be sent forth to preach the gospel, year the light of the world. Men do not light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and he gives light unto all that are in the house.
And how does Christ direct them to give light to others? Let your light, says he, so shine before men that others seeing your good works may glorify your Father which is in heaven. Now that's just a part of this sermon.
And again, I know this is going into the hands of a lot of pastors in third world countries and whatnot, but also I thought that this is something good that we should desire, characterize our church both now and into the future.
Before we move on to the next witness that Jesus cites beyond John the Baptist, let's consider our Lord's own words, his own witness to John the Baptist. John may have been killed by King Herod by this time.
Maybe he's still in jail, I don't know. And perhaps many had forgotten John, but our Lord had not. John honored Jesus, and Jesus honored John for having honored him. And so here are the words of J .C. Ryle, really appreciate him.
Let us observe for one thing in this passage the honor Christ puts on his faithful servants. See how he speaks of John the Baptist. He bear witness to the truth. He was a burning and shining light. John had probably passed away from his earthly labors when these words were spoken.
He had been persecuted in prison, put to death by Herod, none interfering, none trying to prevent his murder. But this murdered disciple was not forgotten by his divine master. If no one else remembered him, Jesus did.
He had honored Christ, and Christ honored him. These things ought not to be overlooked. They are written to teach us that Christ cares for all his believing people and never forgets them. Forgotten and despised by the world, perhaps they are never forgotten by their savior.
He knows where they dwell and what their trials are. A book of remembrance is written for them. Their tears are all in his bottle. Their names are graven on the palms of his hands. He notices all they do for him in this evil world, and though they think it not worth notice, and he will confess it one day publicly before his father and the holy angels.
He that bore witness to John the Baptist never changes. Let believers remember this. In their worst estate, they may boldly say with David, I am poor, needy, and yet the Lord thinketh upon me. And I thought that would be an encouraging word to some.
Now let's move on to the next witness of four. In addition to the first witness of John the Baptist, who testified of the person, work of the Lord Jesus, we have a second witness, and this is the witness of the works of Jesus.
They testified that Jesus was indeed the son of God. Verse 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.
And so the second witness is called forth by Jesus. Jesus was declaring that although John's testimony was true of him, his works were a greater witness to his identity as the son of God. Later in this fourth gospel, we'll read of John's witness identified by many to Jesus.
John 10 41 reads, then many came to Jesus and said, John performed no sign, but all things that John spoke about this man were true. Yes, what John declared to Jesus was true. What Jesus declared regarding himself was also true.
But in addition, his words came forth with confirming miracles, but not just miracles with his words, with everything that he accomplished in his life. The father bore witness to the true identity of Jesus through his works, which was a witness greater than the father had given even to John the Baptist as great a man as he was.
Now, again, however, when we, it should be noted that when our Lord made reference to his works that he did, he wasn't just speaking about miracles that he performed, although certainly they'd be included.
His works included his words. Herman Ritterboss wrote regarding this, as it as is evident from the previous mention of Jesus's works, this term refers to the content of Jesus's entire mission, his miracles and his words.
For the words Jesus speaking with the authority of God's son to make alive and to judge also belong to that which the father has granted Jesus. And so his works here should not be limited to the miracles that he performed, but includes his words.
Back in John three, we read that the Jewish leaders had concluded regarding Jesus. We read of Nicodemus and his words when he first came to Jesus. Rabbi, we know that you're a teacher come from God, for no one can do these things that you do unless God is with him.
Nicodemus didn't come to Jesus saying, I know that you're from God because the works you do testify. He said, we know. Nicodemus was speaking as one of the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem at the time.
We know.
The miracles testified as to Jesus's identity. Let's remember our context now. This is important. Jesus was telling his Jewish opposers that they had ample witness given to them of his true identity. John the Baptist had borne faithful witness before them.
The father had testified to them through the works he did through Jesus. And yet in spite of this true and clear testimony from these two witnesses, they refused to believe on Jesus. This shows that merely the observance of Jesus performing miracles and being convinced that God was working through Jesus to perform these miracles is not sufficient or capable of bringing about conversion in those who are lost.
And this is a common false thinking today. There's an entire book written about power religion. If we really wanna see people converted in the world today, we need to have faith that God's gonna do miracles through us that they really believe.
Miracles are not sufficient to produce saving faith. Even though we could raise the dead, say, I remember down in Guatemala when Jason and I were there years and years ago and talking to the about 15 of these pastors who were science and wonders guys who didn't teach their people the Bible clearly and they were reciting.
In fact, some of them couldn't even read. Some of them, there wasn't a Bible in the church. They said, no, no, God shows himself powerful through miracles. And they began to recount all these miracles that take place.
They lived way up in the mountains. They were Mayan Indians. They didn't have hospitals, doctors, they prayed and they claimed to have all these healings and miracles. And I told him how insufficient that was in bringing about true conversion.
And the thing that the Lord really used to break through, you could tell it. In fact, one of them responded after this, men, we've got to change everything we've ever done.
We've been wrong.
And I basically told them, I could stand up in church, if I could stand up in church every week and raise a dead man from physical death to physical life, it would not transform anybody into a Christian.
And the Lord made that clear in Luke 16, didn't he? You know, he told the rich man, you know, Lazarus coming back from the dead, going to his five brothers, wasn't gonna bring about their salvation. They've got Moses, they've got the scriptures.
Oh, they won't read or they won't hear the scriptures. They'll hear a man that comes back from the dead. Jesus said, if they won't hear Moses in the scriptures, neither will they respond to a man who comes back from the dead.
And they didn't, did they? When he came back from the dead. Miracles don't convert anybody through their observation. It takes a miracle of grace that's inward to bring about true conversion. Not the observation of great and mighty signs.
They had signs, but they, and miracles, but that wouldn't produce saving faith. Let's see, I dropped down, let's see the quote I gave of William Hendrickson here. The works in which Jesus is engaged are his, the Father's miracles, including the healing of a man at the pool.
The works to be sure do not of themselves produce faith. They are never as important as the words of our Lord. Nevertheless, they must not be ignored. They should serve to strengthen faith. And also they have evidential value for there was truth in the remark of Nicodemus.
No one can do these signs, which you do unless God is with him. These signs were a seal of the Father's approval, specifically of the fact that the Father had commissioned him. But these miracles did not convert people from sin to salvation in Jesus.
The gospels make a very strong case for the miracles of Jesus, having substantiated his identity. J .C. Ryle wrote, this is a distinct appeal to the miracles as an important proof of our Lord's Messiahship and divinity.
Four times in this gospel, we find the same appeal. The evidence of miracles should never be lightly esteemed. We're apt to underrate their value because they were wrought so long ago. He makes a good argument here, by the way, and this is the reason I included this.
But in the days when they were wrought, they were great facts, which demanded the attention of all who saw them, even these Jewish leaders, and could not be evaded. Unless the Jews could explain them away, they were bound as honest and reasonable men to believe our Lord's divine mission.
That they really were wrought, the Jews never appeared to have denied. In fact, they dare not attempt to deny them. What they did do was ascribe them to satanic agency. He's casting out demons by the fields above.
All who attempt to deny the reality of our Lord's miracles in the present day would do well to consider that those who had the best opportunity of judging, namely the men who saw these miracles, lived within the hearing of them, never disputed the fact that they were wrought.
If the enemies of our Lord could have proved that his miracles were only tricks, ledger domain, there's your word for the day, sleight of hand, and impostures, it stands to reason they would have been only too glad to show it to the world and to silence him forever.
And there are people today that deny his miracles. The people that saw them knew they were real. They didn't even attempt to deny that they took place. They tried to, of course, credit them to the devil rather than the Lord, and in doing so, they were in danger of committing the unpardonable sin.
Before we move on from this verse, and I know we're moving into time here, but we really don't have a great deal left. Before we move on from this verse, take note of how our Lord carefully showed the unity of the Father, working even as he was working.
There's perfect unity between what Jesus did and what the Father does. But just as our Lord carefully showed the unity of his Father and him and his works, elsewhere, Jesus gives the same idea regarding the words he spoke.
We read in John 17, eight of our Lord's words to his Father, for I have given them the words which you have given me. It was the Father working through Jesus to do these miracles. It was the Father speaking the words when Jesus spoke.
The witness of the Father to the identity of Jesus as the divine Son of God could not be more clearly asserted in the gospel by the gospel writer. D .A. Carson, Donald Carson, wrote of this. However valuable the testimony of John the Baptist to Jesus, before our watching world, Jesus enjoys testimony to his person and mission that is far weightier.
This weightier testimony is the witness of the Father, which takes several forms. For a start, the works, which the Father has given Jesus to finish and which he is in the process of completing, testify that the Father sent him.
These works include all of Jesus's ministry, including the signs which point to the climatic work, the work of redemption achieved in the cross and exaltation of the Lamb of God. Anyone who has followed John's gospel thus far will know that these works are not some mere demonstration that Jesus is a notable human being, perhaps a prophet, following the conclusion of Nicodemus.
The argument in this verse turns the exposition of the Father-Son relationship found in John 5. All that Jesus does is nothing more, nothing less than that what the Father gives him to do. The works he does are thus peculiarly divine.
They are the works of God. Once the Father-Son relationship is grasped, everything Jesus does simultaneously attests who he is and who the Father is. And that's why the works that he did testify that he was the Son of God, because they testified God, his Father, was working through him to accomplish these things.
We might conclude, I would argue, that our Lord's statement in John 5 .36 is one of the clearest, indisputable claims to his deity. He and the Father are one in the works they do. The Son shows his unity with the Father in that all that he did and he does, the Father did and does.
And similarly, all that Jesus said, the Father said through those very words. Jesus is the divine Son of God, and Jesus declared that the witness of the Father, that he was the Son of God, was made very clear to these Jewish leaders who desired to kill him.
He's not trying to persuade them, he's laying down a case of just how decadent and guilty they were in the face of all the clear evidence they were seeking to kill him. Let's consider the witness of the Father himself in verse 37 and 38.
This is the third witness that Jesus calls upon. Jesus went on to say, and the Father himself who sent me is testified of me. You've neither heard his voice at any time or seen his form, but you do not have his word abiding in you because whom he sent, him you do not believe.
This is quite significant. Some see the statement of verse 37 as just a further explanation of verse 36, and so they say this is not a third witness, but really an exposition, further exposition of the second.
I don't think that this is right. Edward Klink, a modern commentator, he's quite good in his gospel, I'm John, he wrote of this argument. The third of four co-participatory witnesses, and what he means by co-participatory, the Father and the Son working together, participating with one another, is the Father.
The connection between verse 36 and verses 37 and 38 is so apparent that the and, in other words, the and that begins verse 37 might also carry the meaning and so, serving not to introduce a new testimony, but to draw a conclusion.
And then he argues that that shouldn't be understood this way, though. While it cannot be denied that the witness of the works of Jesus and the witness of the Father are intimately connected, this does not mean they cannot serve as independent witnesses.
He is speaking about a third witness here, the Father himself, more directly, as declared, has testified as to the Sonship of Jesus Christ. Some have argued that what's referenced here, Jesus was referring to when the Father testified, this is my Son, this is my beloved Son in whom I'm well pleased at the baptism of Jesus, or the testimony of the voice from the cloud, the Father on the Mount of Transfiguration, this is my beloved Son, hear him, say over against Moses and the prophets.
But that would be too narrow. Rather, the Lord was speaking of the continual, far-reaching witness of the Father in and through all things. In a sense, throughout all of history, the Father has been testifying and pointing to his Son, Jesus Christ.
That's how extensive this witness is. However, in spite of this continual, persistent witness of the Father, his witness was not received by them, Jesus said, you have nearly neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his form.
Here we read of the general inability of mankind to hear God, know God, or come into his presence. In spite of all this evidence, John the Baptist, my own works, the Father himself, yet you have not received this witness.
Here we see the sinfulness of man, and the inability of sinful man to respond to God. Just through external witness, the fact is we cannot see God. He says you've never heard his voice or any time seen his form.
We are finite creatures within history. God is infinite spirit outside of history. We cannot know him personally, intimately, fully as the creator to us as creatures. And Jesus said, but you do not have his word abiding you because whom he sent him you do not believe.
That's a very clear and significant statement. Jesus is declaring here, you cannot know God, you've never seen him, you've never heard him, and you'll never know him because you don't believe in me. Jesus is basically saying the only way you can know God is if you believe Jesus is the son of God.
That's what he's declaring here in these verses. And so here we see the unwillingness of man to be impacted by the words of God because they refuse and fail to believe the son of God whom the father sent into the world.
From all this we see the father's witness is accessible only to those who believe on the son. And here's a significant statement I found very interesting, very accurate. As Barrett says, the observer cannot sit in judgment upon it and then decide whether or not he'll believe in Jesus.
He must believe in Jesus first and then he'll receive the direct testimony from God. That's what we're called to do. We're called to believe on Jesus and then the God the father is gonna flood you with confirmation in so many different ways.
The witness of the father was extremely significant for Jesus personally, but to the ones that he was addressing the witness was unintelligible and inadequate to bring them to faith. And then the last witness, the fourth witness, the witness of the Holy Scriptures.
Jesus then said, you search the scriptures, they knew the scriptures. For in them you think you have eternal life and these are they which testify of me, Jesus says, but you're not willing to come to me that you may have life.
Here we have one of the most important statements in the Bible on how to understand the Bible rightly. Here is a hermeneutical key to understanding the Bible. Hermeneutics is just a science of understanding.
This is how you understand the Bible. You look for Jesus on its pages. And he basically declared that they weren't doing that. And so here we have one of the most important statements in the Bible, how to understand the Bible.
The Lord Jesus was here, of course, referring directly to the Hebrew scriptures, the Old Testament. The New Testament hadn't been written yet largely when he spoke, well, at all, when he spoke these words.
Some of it, most of it had been written by when John recorded them, but one of the unique qualities of historic reformed Bible interpreters is that they've seen all scripture as Christian scripture. We believe the Old Testament is Christian scripture.
And the key to rightly understand the Bible is to read it revealing Jesus Christ to us. And so we advocate, and this is a foundational principle as reformed people. We advocate to read the entire Bible.
You read it and you interpret the Old Testament Christologically, it testifies of Christ. This is in contrast to those who hold to dispensational theology, who claim that they interpret the Bible literally.
We argue, no, we interpret the Bible Christologically. Christ is there. And that's why you can have these Jewish people who knew the scriptures thoroughly, but they didn't know Jesus because they didn't interpret it rightly.
They didn't read it rightly. They testify of Jesus. And we'll close with this good statement that was put forth by Edward Klink about this matter in a little theological note, the subject matter scripture.
With his instruction to his Jewish challengers, Jesus gives to the reader the hermeneutical key for the reading the scriptures, the Old Testament. They were written about me, Jesus said. This is neither the position of the human author nor the professor of hermeneutics.
It is rather and rather an instruction from the Lord. The Bible, yes, even the Old Testament is about Jesus. To read the Old Testament in another way is according to Jesus to read the Old Testament like disbelieving Jews.
It is unfortunate that the divide is so wide between covenantal and dispensational methods of interpretation, at least in practice. It's also unfortunate that terms like literal have become more political than practical.
Jesus is the fullest and ultimate subject matter scripture. This does not imply it speaks about him only implicitly, but that which the Old Testament is speaking about is and always has been about Jesus.
To read the Bible in another manner is to read the Old Testament as a non-Christian. And he's absolutely right. If people began to read the Old Testament looking for Jesus, they would come out differently than reading it merely as a historical record.
But in spite of all their privilege and opportunity, these Jewish leaders refuse to believe in the Lord Jesus. He declared to them in verse 40, you're not willing to come to me that you may have life.
Something more than just testimony was needed, something more than just information or proof that Jesus is the son of God. Their fallen condition could only be corrected through the grace of God working inwardly in them.
And I believe, again, he's setting it up for John chapter six, where he says in so many different ways, you're not gonna come to me unless the father draw you. It's not possible, you won't. It's all of sovereign grace.
Conclusion, the Lord Jesus spoke of both their inability and their refusal to believe the witness of the father, though testified to them regarding the identity of son in these four distinguishable ways.
The conclusion that must be drawn is that God must do a great work of grace in the soul or fallen man will and cannot come to him. Yes, we're still to bear witness as he did in these four different ways.
And thankfully, God may use this witness in this work of conversion of his people. But again, as we come to John chapter six, there the Lord Jesus declares quite clearly in a number of places that in order for people to be saved from their sin, the sovereign grace and God must be at work in order to bring them to embrace Jesus Christ as their Lord and savior.
These four words, these four means of testimony of witness was not gonna convert these hardened men, Jewish men, very skilled in their understanding of the scriptures because they had a heart problem.
And that can only be remedied by the grace of God.
Amen.
All right, let's pray. Thank you, Father, for your word. This has been a difficult passage to consider, but we pray that you would help us, Lord, to receive insight from it. Again, Lord, as we're mindful of the wonderful testimony of John the Baptist as a burning and bright light, we pray you'd help us as a church, Lord, to be a faithful witness in this generation, in this world to Jesus Christ.
We pray, Lord, that you would help us to enjoy and love your word that testifies of Jesus. And Lord, even in a couple of days, as many of us will begin reading our Old Testament, we pray that you would reveal Jesus to us through its pages.
For we ask these things, Father, in Jesus' name, amen.
