John Pt. 25 | John 5:31-40

John 5:31-40 and the Witness of the Father

All right, if you would take your copy of the scriptures and please turn with me to the gospel of John Chapter 5 we will consider verses 31 through 40 the gospel of John chapter 5 31 through 40 that's page 1077 in your pew Bibles and This is our 25th message in this glorious gospel.

I will open us up in prayer. Oh God Lord you Who hold all things? in your hands. We ask in your sovereignty Lord That you are holding me right now as I Am about to speak forth your word and to explain to your people the goodness of What took place? 2 ,000 years ago when you sent forth your son.

Thank you for what you have done and help us to understand more clearly than we have ever understood before and We pray this in Jesus name. Amen. All right. So let's go ahead and read our text John Chapter 5 beginning in verse 31 and we'll carry out to verse 40.

Jesus speaking if I alone bear witness about myself. My witness is not true. There is another who bears witness about me and I know That the witness which he gives about me. It's true you have sent to John and He has bore witness to the truth.

But the witness I receive is not from man. But I say these things so that you may be saved. He was the lamp that was burning and shining and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. But the witness I have is greater than the witness of John.

For the works which the father has given me to finish the very works that I do bear witness about me that the father has sent me and The father who sent me who has bore witness about me you have neither heard his voice at any time nor seen his form and You do not have his word abiding in you.

For you do not believe him whom he sent. You search the scriptures because you think in them you have eternal life. It is these that bear witness about me and you are unwilling to come to me so that you may have life.

And that concludes our text for today. Our theme for this Lord's Day is the witness of who Jesus is. The witness of who Jesus is and my proposition is this God the Father bears witness of his son through the means of three witnesses.

So God the Father is going to tell us who Jesus is in this text. And he does so by means and he gives us three witnesses. So by way of reminder Jesus in the context here is speaking with the Jews and By the Jews, I mean it's it's believed that it's speaking about the religious Jewish leaders.

He is speaking to them because they began to persecute him for healing a lame man on the Sabbath and making himself Equal with God and he did so by calling God his own father. And we can read in Luke and we've looked at it a few weeks ago.

That in Luke Jesus basically says that he can do whatever he wants on the Sabbath. Because he is the Lord of the Sabbath and that and by that He is saying that that men were not made for the Sabbath, but that the Sabbath was made for man.

Is it is as if excuse me, the Sabbath was a shadow. The Sabbath was given to men not men. For the Sabbath meaning the Sabbath was given to give mankind a day of rest. So the substance is Jesus is our rest.

Right you and I we don't have to work in order to try and please God. Jesus Christ Pleases God and now we can work rest from our labor by looking to Jesus Christ in faith the Sabbath the Sabbath altercation what happened here is it led to a bigger altercation and That altercation was Jesus making himself equal with God.

You see they accused Jesus of Making himself equal with God by calling God his own father. We looked at this. No, let's kind of go back in verse 16 and 17. Excuse me, so verse 16 and 17. For this reason The Jews were persecuted in Jesus.

Because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. So what was this things that Jesus was doing? According to the text he healed a lame man verse 17. But he answered them speaking about Jesus my father is working until now.

I Myself am working. So because Jesus said my father and not our father. The Jews said that he was he was making himself equal with God so that's their argument because he says my father and not our father and we can see that when the High Jesus when he teaches his disciples how to pray.

He says pray our father. He wants us to include one another in our prayer as we petition God. When Jesus said my father he was not including the Jews and we get into chapter 7 chapter 8 will kind of. We'll dig more into that and so we see their accusement in verse 18 for this reason Him healing him calling God his own father for this reason.

The Jews were seeking all the more to kill him. Because he was not only breaking the Sabbath. But also was calling God his own father. Making himself equal with God. Then in verses 19 through 32 Jesus shows how he's equal with the father his father and It's in the way of the works that Jesus is able to perform and these works that Jesus is able to perform.

He's performing them because these are the works that God is performing. He says that my father is working until now, right? Isn't that what it says and then you look at verse 19? It says therefore he answered them truly truly.

I say to you the son can do nothing from himself unless it is something that he sees the father doing. And so the very things that Jesus is about to pronounce that he is able to do. He says this is what the father does.

I'm doing what he does. And we spoke about this being in his his omniscience. Jesus his omniscience. He know him knowing everything and in his omnipresence. He is able to be with us on earth. But in his deity, he's holding all things together by the word of his power.

He's able to still have fellowship with the father. He's able to see the father working in him on earth is able to perform the works that the father is doing. So in our outline today The witness and I want today We'll see the witness that God the Father bears about God the Son and three different means.

We have the means of a human being the means of works. The means of Scripture so point number one the means of a human being. Point number two the means of works. And point number three the means of Scripture now as we transition.

That's the question just in case. Anyone needs enlightened. What are means right? What what do I mean by means? Means are an action or a system by which a result is brought about and I've made this Connection before I said because Trinity She she doesn't keep a clean room and so if God has predetermined her to clean her room tomorrow God will cause me to open her door and see her messy room.

And when I see that her room is messy, I say Trinity clean your room. Right, so God's will can be done by means and I would be the means by which carries out God's will by telling her to clean this nasty room, right?

So that's just a way of means the Scriptures gives us. A good one too. We see this one in 2nd Thessalonians. 2nd Thessalonians chapter 3 verse 10 says this Paul speaking for even when we were with you We used to Commend command this to you if anyone is not willing to work.

Neither let him eat. So the means by which a person would eat is if they worked. And if you bring this to our context today. The means by which we eat is money and the means by which we make money is working.

If you don't work you don't have money to buy food and so You have to perform an action in order to get this. In order to eat you have to earn Money, so so the means by which someone eats today if they're not a child.

Right like for me in order to feed my family. I For you to feed your family you have to work so on so forth we have to work. So that's the means by which we eat. This is what God has put into place. So, let's look at the first means.

The first means is the means of a human being and Part of this is taken from chapter 5 verses 31 through 35 the verses 31 through 32. Mm-hmm. Informs us that God the Father Excuse me that it is God the Father who bears witness in the actions that brings about the means.

We have heard it stated in the negative or by way of punishment. That it is on the evidence of two or three witnesses that I charge May be established. We see this in Deuteronomy chapter 19 verse 15 a single witness Shall not rise up against the man on an account of any iniquity or sin.

Which he has committed at the mouth of two or three witnesses a matter shall be established. We also see this in Matthew. My tablet was messing up excuse me. We also see this in Matthew chapter 18 in verses 15 and 16 this concerning church discipline.

Jesus speaking he says now if if your brother sins Go and show him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you take one or two witness take one or two more with you so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed.

So in verses 31 to 32 we see that God is the one who is bearing witness about Jesus. Now this is not concerning church discipline, and it is not concerning a charge. But it's concerning the witness of who he is.

So let's read verses 31 through 32 real quick. Jesus speaking listen what he says if I alone bear witness about myself. My witness is not true. Jesus affirms the evidence of two or three witnesses if I alone bear witness about myself.

My witness is not true. There is another who bears witness about me and I know that the witness which he gives about me is true and These witnesses that God the Father gives is the witnesses the very witnesses that I have in my outline we know that the witness of Jesus is true because it was In fact given by the evidence of two or three witnesses we have God the Father.

Who is a witness? Gives three witnesses about Jesus. So in verses 33 to 35 it tells us who the human agent is by which He brought about the means. This human agent is our first witness. Now, we'll start back at verse 31 and read to 35.

Jesus is speaking if I alone bear witness about myself. My witness is not true. There is another who bears witness about me. I know that the witness which he gives about me is true. Verse 33 you have sent to John so this is John the Baptist and He bore witness to the truth.

But the witness I receive is not for man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. He was a lamp that was burning and shining and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. So this human agent this first witness is John the Baptist.

When Jesus says in verse 34, but the witness that I receive is not for man. What he's not doing here. Is that he's not discrediting John the Baptist. There was a time when the religious leaders That the Jews and actually all the Jews Held John to be a prophet.

We see this in in Matthew chapter 21. Matthew chapter 21 beginning in verse 23 Jesus speaking. And we need well About Jesus he's gonna be telling this parable and when he entered the temple the chief priest and the elders of the people came to him and while he was teaching and said by what authority are you doing these things and Who gave you this authority and Jesus answered them?

So the Pharisees were speaking to the chief priests and elders and Jesus answered them and said to them I will ask you one thing. Which if you tell me I will also tell you by what authority I do these things the baptism of John Was from what source?

From heaven or from man. And They began reasoning among themselves saying if we say from heaven and he will say to us then why did you not believe him? But if we say for men We fear the crowd. For they all speaking of the Jews regarded John regarded John as A prophet and they answered Jesus we do not know and he said to them neither will I tell you by what authority I Do these things.

Jesus is acknowledging that they held John to be a prophet. They were basking in his light for a while. So by saying what he said Jesus is actually excuse me identifying John as a prophet. That God was not using I mean that God was using John the Baptist to be a witness of His son.

Now with that information you go back and you listen to verse 33. And 34 you have sent to John remember when they sent to John Asking him. Are you are you the prophet? Are you the one that was got you Elijah?

Who are you they were traveling to John? That's what this is pointing to you have sent to John and he bore witness about The truth that one was coming right. But the witness that I receive is not for man.

So right here not for man. He he's not actually saying he's not receiving John's witness. Watch this. He says but I say these things that you may be saved. He was a lamp that was burning and shining and you were willing to rejoice in his light for a while.

And we're about to Notice something about John momentarily. I don't want to part of me wants to skip ahead, but I'm not going to the witness of John the Baptist post Jesus being revealed. Was that one was coming?

John said one was coming and he was going to baptize with Holy Spirit and fire. This is before right this is Excuse me. This is pre his coming. I said post I meant to say pre this is pre his coming. One was coming and he was going to baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.

We read this from Matthew chapter 3 verses 10 to 12. He says that the axe is laid to the root of the tree. Speaking of this the the Oh covenant system the Jewish Oh covenant system. He says that there's an axe and it's laid to the root of the tree and any tree that does not bear good fruit.

It's going to be chopped down and thrown into the fire. He spoke of himself. He says that I am John the Baptist and I baptize you with water. That's literal water into repentance. But one was coming. So here's his witness one is coming who is going to baptize two baptisms.

Holy Spirit. Figurative thank new birth eternal life being resurrected from spiritual death and Fire thank figurative. Thank the eternal judgment. Both body and soul thrown in to hell. That one is coming and he's going to be able to Baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with judgment with fire.

The witness of John when Jesus is revealed. So this is the post is found in chapter 1. So chapter 1 verse 29. This is when John the Baptist lays eyes on Jesus. This is on the next day. He saw Jesus coming to him.

And he said here's his witness. Behold the Lamb of God. Who takes away? the sin of the world. This will be referencing back. Referencing referencing. I can't even say it referencing back. It's referent.

It's referent back. Referencing back. Excuse me to the Passover the the the pascal lamb in which we had preached to us beautifully two weeks ago. No longer were the Jews to be required to purchase a spotless lamb and and have it Sacrificed for the forgiveness of their sins, but but that God himself Was going to send a perfect lamb and sacrifice it in their stead.

The witness of John the Baptist was a burning and shining Light that's what we see here in verse 35. He was speaking of John the lamp that was a burning and shining and You were willing to rejoice For a while in his light.

This pointing to the true light that has come into the world. You look at chapter 1 of John and in verses 6 through 9 but 6 through 9 don't make sense without verses 4 and 5. 4 and 5 talk of speaking about Jesus in him was life so in Jesus was life and The life was the light of man.

The life of Jesus is the light of man. We understand that God has brought life and immortality to light through The gospel of Jesus Christ. Verse 5 says and the light has shine in the darkness and the darkness does not overtake it now verse 6 speaking of John.

And there was a man having been sent. So you see here haven't been sent by God. Whose name was John. He came as a witness. His first witness is John. He came as a witness. To bear witness. Remember he says that His witness was true.

You have sent to John and he has borne witness of the truth. To bear witness about the light. So that all man who believed through so that all may but might believe through him. He was not the light speaking of verse 5 and verses 4 and 5.

Which was coming into the world to enlighten everyone. And when I whenever I was walking through this text, I spoke about it was the idea I gave the analogy of the Sun and the moon, right? The Sun is in order for the moon to possess light it.

It borrows light from the Sun, right? There's an old song. It says that that made me remember is. If anyone's familiar with with Linkin Park, I'm kind of dating myself and year 2000. It says that the Sun doesn't give the light to the moon.

Assuming that the moon's gonna owe it one. Right, and it's that idea that the light that we see here in John. It's it's like that reflection that the only way that John has any kind of light. They say he's pulling it's reflecting from the greater the true light that's coming into the world.

And that John was this road worker. He was here on earth preparing the way For Jesus Christ. So point number two the means of Works we see this in verse 36. You don't know how bad I wanted to sing those words instead of just speak.

Wanted to wrap them out, sorry. All right in verse 30, sorry y 'all forgive me in verse 36. We're going to see that each witness listen each witness is greater than the previous witness. That's what we're going to be looking at.

Each witness is greater than the previous witness in verse 36. The witness of works is greater than the human witness. The works done by Jesus is greater than the witness of John spoken about by Jesus here.

So look at verse 36. Like I'm not making it up. It's in the text verse 36. But the witness I have is greater Than the witness of John. But that's X of Jesus right there. The witness I have is greater than the witness of John as great as John's witness was.

The works that he is performing is greater than what John is speaking about. For the works which the father gives me to finish. The very works that I do bear witness about me that the father has sent me the works done by Jesus Should tell us who sent Jesus and Jesus is telling us that it's the father.

He's only able to do these things because he sees the father doing them. And that the very works that he does is what the father is doing. The witness of John was a prophetic was of prothetic significance.

The Jews had had no Prophet appeared to them for 400 years and then out of nowhere all of a sudden John the Baptist Appears in the wilderness with a prophetic ministry. John prophesied about the one who was coming.

Jesus is the fulfillment of his prophecy. The prophecy was the shadow. The fulfillment was the substance. It was Jesus appearing behold the Lamb of God. John was sent to prepare the way Jesus Christ is the way.

So, of course the works of Jesus is greater than the witness of John because the works of Jesus is Given to him by the father. To finish. That's the key word to finish once he's done. No other work is needed.

So what are the works? We're just going to take from our text, right? We're gonna take from what it's given to us healing the sick. Jesus healed a lame man miraculously and gave him the ability to walk.

Also, he is able to do this on the Sabbath. And we quoted it earlier. How is that? He is able to do this on the Sabbath because he is the Lord of the Sabbath. The very one who wrote the law with his finger had come into time and fulfilled that which he ascribed.

Imagine that the one who wrote you shall keep the Sabbath came into time and fulfilled it. He can do whatever he wants. He can do whatever he wants. I Have rules in my house for my kids to follow. That doesn't mean I have to follow.

Right, I do whatever I want in my rules, right? Y 'all might say Jeff that's selfish. My house my rules. I can do whatever I want. It's my house. I pay the bills right? Can I get out of you? Come on, man.

If you don't have kids please have kids and do whatever you want. He is able to raise the dead. Ladies and gentlemen, this is literal and figurative right in our text. Literally, he is able to raise the dead and we'll see this clearly when it comes to John chapter 3 concerning Lazarus.

I mean John chapter 11 concerning Lazarus, but also speaking of a second advent when he comes again He's going to raise the dead. The dead will be raised and he will judge the living and the dead. We see this in verses 25 through 29.

Figuratively this points us back to the baptism of Jesus right him. He's able to raise the dead figuratively through the spiritual resurrection. This is where I was talking about to Having being able to hear the voice of Jesus Christ through the preaching of the Gospel that when someone's preaching the gospel if Jesus speaks in the gospel, they're given spiritual life.

They're baptized in the Holy Spirit if they only hear my crackly voice. Nothing happens right. They might even be given something a heart a harder heart hearting to hate God all the more if all they hear is my Voice, but if they hear the voice of Jesus, they're given spiritual Life.

The spiritually dead person can be given spiritual life and we see that in verse 21 but also through this. All judgment is given to him and all judgment is given to him if you remember we spoke about it.

For no other reason than honor God the Father wants us to honor the Son. God wants all man everywhere to honor the Son. Even as they honor him. Kind of pointing to they honor him because they know that he is their judge.

God the Father wants everyone to know my son is Your judge and you better honor him. So because that's the case and all judgment has been given to him has been given to the Son his witness of Himself in his works that he's performing that's given to him by the Father because he sees what the Father is doing and he is Able to do that which the Father is doing.

That's greater than something spoken about him in a prophecy as we transition these works are a witness. They testify. Right you ever been in a Pentecostal church. I say testify his works testify who he is.

They are the means by which God the Father is testifying To his son that he is his son. And we've seen this time after time that people believe in him because of the miracles only because of the miracles.

But their belief was shallow. It was not tangible. It was not real. It was a head knowledge. It wasn't a belief in the heart. We see this in John chapter 2. John chapter 2 beginning in verse 23 Says this now when he speaking of Jesus was in Jerusalem at the Passover during the feast.

Many believed in his name. There's the key when they saw the signs which he was doing. But Jesus on his part was not entrusting himself to them for he knew all man and Because he had no need listen that anyone bear witness concerning man.

For he knew what was in man. God sent the witnesses. He didn't need a man not sent from God to be his witness. Chapter 3 verses 1 2. There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus a ruler of the Jeep of the Jews.

This man came to Jesus by night and said rabbi. Listen, we know that you have come from God as a teacher. For no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him. They believe because of. The signs we see this again in chapter 4 verses 46 through 48 speaking of the royal official.

Then he came again to Cana of Galilee. Where he had made the water into wine and there was a royal official whose son was sick at Capernaum or You can say Caperim but Capernaum is The best way English wise I guess.

And when he had heard that Jesus had come Out of Judah into Galilee. He went to him and was asking him to come down and heal his son. For he was about to die. And Jesus said to him unless listen people unless you people see signs and wonders.

You will never believe in chapter 6. We will see that many believe in him because he feeds thousands with a sack lunch. But once he starts preaching once he starts saying hard things. They leave him they show That they were unbelievers and not true believers.

The Witness of Scripture and the Fulfillment of the Old Testament

Point number three the means of Scripture. This is taken from verses 37 through 40. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the greatest testimony given to us of Who Jesus is? It's in the Scriptures. This is the greatest testimony we could ever ask for we couldn't ask for anything better.

You couldn't ask to be in the presence of Jesus seeing the works because you could see the works and think you believe in not Scriptures is the greatest Testimony given to us. Jesus in the context is speaking of the Oh Covenant Scriptures the Oh Testament while we in hindsight right now.

We have a better witness a Scripture being that we have the writings of the Apostles. That tell us about the Christ in the Old Testament. Right without the writings of the Apostles, it would be hard to make clear headway of shadows to the substance.

How would we know that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Paschal Lamb if John the Baptist had not said behold? That's him. He's the one After year, let's say that's him. How would we know? The witness of Scripture is better because We were not living in the first century and The Scriptures tell us about these great miracles done by Jesus Christ.

Look at verses 37 through 40 Jesus speaking and the father Who sent me he has bore witness about me. You Have neither heard his voice at any time nor seen his form and You do not have his word. Imagine hearing that If you were a Jew and you had the whole Old Testament memorized.

You do not have his and you do not have his word abiding in you. For you do not believe him whom he sent. You can memorize the whole Bible if you don't believe in Jesus. You do not know his word. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them You have eternal life and it is these speaking of the Scriptures that bear witness about me.

And you are unwilling to come to me that you may have life. So how has the father bore witness about Jesus? Through John the Baptist through the works of Jesus Christ and through Scripture. Concerning Scripture Jesus points out.

He has come to fulfill What was spoken about him? I mean, that's why that's what it says right here verse 37 and you do not have his word I'm gonna see verse 37 and The father who sent me has bore witness about me.

You have neither heard his voice at any time or seen his form. And remember Jesus says if you see me you've seen the father. There's a lot going on here and you do not have his word abiding in you for you Do not believe him whom he sent.

You search the Scriptures. Because you think that in them you have eternal life, right? Here's the key. It is these the Scriptures that bear witness about me. So we're going to look at a couple things here.

Luke chapter 24 beginning in verse 44 and we'll read to verse.

47 verse 44.

So so this will be after Jesus was crucified. He was buried and rose again, and he is walking With some of his followers on the road to Emmaus. And right here Jesus reveals himself to them. So verse 44 now he said to them these are my words which I have spoken to you While I was still with you.

That all things written about me listen in the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms must You hear that must be? Fulfilled. So everything that was written about him must be fulfilled. Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures and then this beautiful truth first 46 and he said to him thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise again on the third day and That repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed in his name to all nations beginning from Jerusalem.

You are witnesses of these things. So these things that they are witnesses of that's we read that in the New Testament. We read that in the New Testament. Matthew chapter 5 Verse 17. Jesus speaking do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.

I Did not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. And I could preach a sermon on how this passage of Scripture is Misinterpreted. All that's really being said here is what was written in the law and the prophets Have to be fulfilled.

He did not come to not fulfill to abolish. What was spoken about him? He came to fulfill everything that the law and prophets said about him. He came to fulfill meaning he came to fulfill. If you don't get anything else get this what was spoken About him an easy way to understand in English the separation of the additions of the Hebrew Bible is the law the prophets and the writings.

The law the prophets and the writings the law the first five books of Moses the Torah. Everything written in them spoken about Jesus. He came to fulfill the prophets all the prophets that spoke about the coming Messiah.

He came to fulfill everything else in the Psalms and the letters and the everything that Concerned in the writings that spoke about him. He came to fulfill. He did not come to abolish meaning if he does not live that life and die that death He would have abolished them.

They wouldn't have been fulfilled. By fulfilling it's him living that life. We could not live and taking our punishment in his death. That's all it's speaking of again, I can do a message on the misinterpretation two weeks ago at the conference you saw a fragment a Fragment when we sit down and thought about some of the shadows and the substance within minutes.

We had 20-something and we could have kept going. So a fragment of the shadows that point to Jesus from the Old Testament. Now for the sake of time, we will look at one given to us that we've already spoke about and next week We're going to focus in more on This last point the scriptures.

It's going to carry us out to the end of the paragraph. John sees Jesus. He sees the substance of something that the Israelites had celebrated year after year. The lamb the Paschal lamb. The Passover wherever you want to call it.

At the very first Passover we heard it preached beautifully, right? The very first Passover lambs were slaughtered. Blood was applied to the doors and the lamb was Consumed until nothing was left. And when John saw the substance He recognized the shadow.

When he saw the substance He recognized the shadow. He knew that this thing that they celebrated year after year the stain that brought bloodshed the stain that caused them to to gather together. And to take innocent blood he knew that it was coming to an end.

And Jesus looks at the Jewish leadership and he says to them in verse 39 and 40. You search the scriptures because you think that in them. That in the scriptures you think that in them you have eternal life.

You think that in your knowledge of them you have eternal life. It is these These scriptures that you have memorized that bear witness. About me the Word of God bears witness about Jesus. Listen to verse 40 and You were unwilling to come to me.

So that you may have life. Look at verse 34 B, but I say these things so that you may be saved. Jesus is speaking forth the witness of his father. So that they the Jewish leadership May be saved, but they were unwilling to come to him.

Unwilling to come to him. The gospel was laid out for them. The Christ should suffer and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins be proclaimed. The father has spoken through John the Baptist. Through the works of Jesus Christ and through the scriptures.

This is the Word of God, right? If I remove the New Testament, it's still the Word of God, right? It's the Word of God. God has spoken and It's a witness of who his son is. He gave three witnesses. Question is this.

Have you Come to Jesus. Do you have life in his name? He has spoken through the Baptist. He has Spoken through the works of Jesus. He has spoken through scripture. And I would just say if you if you have not why not.

If you have not why not. What? More do you need to? Believe. You ever thought of that. What more evidence do I need to believe. He has spoken by human agents. He has spoken by the works done by Jesus that no one can deny the Jewish leadership.

Could not deny the works. And he has spoken by scripture which transcends time. What other? Proof. Do you need let's pray father. Lord in Jesus name. I thank you and Lord. I just ask that you be merciful to us a church.

Who have not gathered together? For any other purpose than to worship you and Lord. I ask in the name of Jesus Christ. That if there be any here that don't know you that today they did not hear my voice.