John Series Sermon 27 The Five Witnesses To Jesus’ Authority And Power John 5:31–39 Series

Sermon 27 JOHN SERIES The Five Witnesses to Jesus’ Authority and Power JOHN 5:31–39

(5:31–39) Introduction: there are five witnesses to Jesus’ authority.

1. The fact: one’s own testimony must be supported by other witnesses (v.31).

2. The first witness: the Holy Spirit within Jesus (v.32).

3. The second witness: John the Baptist (vv.33–35).

4. The third witness: miraculous works (v.36).

5. The fourth witness: God Himself (vv.37–38).

6. The fifth witness: the Scriptures (v.39).

1 (5:31) Jesus Christ, Deity—Witness—Judicial System: a man’s own testimony is unacceptable and suspicious. The witness of a man has to be supported by other witnesses, and at least two witnesses are required. This is one of the most fundamental laws of society throughout the world. (See De. 17:6; 19:15; Mt. 18:16; 2 Co. 13:1; 1 Ti. 5:19.) This is the point that Jesus was making. Note how He was stooping down to the level of man. What He had said was true. He was the Son of God; He could not lie. He was precisely who He claimed to be and the fact should have been known. Men should have been searching and seeking after God so diligently that they could not miss the fact that He was the Son of God. He was so different and so Godly. However to meet their need, He would prove the fact by meeting the demands of justice. He would call forth five witnesses to prove His claim.

Thought 1. The fact that a man’s word is untrustworthy reflects the poor stuff of which men are made. Man’s word, his honesty and integrity, cannot be trusted—not even in a court of law. Note his nature of self-centeredness: he loves himself much more than truth, even when the life of society and its laws are threatened.

Thought 2. Note the love of Christ for man—His seeking after man, using every method He can to convince men so that they might be saved.

2 (5:32) Holy Spirit—Jesus Christ, Witnesses to: there is the witness within, the Holy Spirit. Christ did not identify who He meant by another (allos). (See Jn. 14:16.) Most commentators believe He was referring to God Himself. There are three reasons why the Holy Spirit is thought to be the One to whom Christ was referring.

a. The Holy Spirit had already been given to Christ “without measure” (see note—Jn. 3:34). He was, of course, very conscious of the witness of the Spirit both within and without Him. The Spirit was empowering Him and doing the works of God through Him.

b. The Holy Spirit is One of the witnesses that bears witness of Christ (see 1 Jn. 5:6–12). When John the apostle discusses the witness to Christ in his epistle, he mentions the Spirit. If the present verse is not referring to the Spirit, then the Spirit is not listed as one of the witnesses in the present passage. This would be most unlikely, especially since the witness of the Father is covered in vv.37–38, and the ministry and witness of the Spirit is covered so thoroughly in this Gospel. (See outline and notes—Jn. 14:15–26; 16:7–15.)

c. Note how the verse reads. Christ seems to be talking more about an inner witness, the witness of a Presence which He senses within His innermost Being, a Power that works in and through Him. This of course could be God, but again it could also be the Spirit which would fit more naturally in the context.

Note the Lord’s words, “I know that the witness He witnesseth of me is true.” The Lord meant at least two things.

1. He knew the truth of the witness within His own heart and life. He had the consciousness, the sense, the awareness, the personal knowledge of the Spirit’s witness within His own inner Being. The Spirit bore witness with Jesus’ own Spirit that He was the Son of God.

2. He knew that the witness and the work of the Holy Spirit, in and through Him, was true. The Spirit was convicting men, working in their hearts and lives, convincing them of the claims of Christ. (See outline and notes—Jn. 16:7–15 for the Lord’s discussion of the Spirit’s work.)

“For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him” (Jn. 3:34).

“It is the spirit [Holy Spirit] that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (Jn. 6:63).

“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him” (Ac. 10:38).

3 (5:33–35) John the Baptist: there was the witness of John the Baptist. The religionists had sent some men to ask John about his witness, and John bore witness to the truth. Note several points.