TESTIMONIALS TO JESUS
(SERMON 13 IN GOSPEL OFJjOHN 2021)
John 5:31-47
GREENMOUNT AND O'LEARY CHURCHES OF CHRIST
APRIL 18, 2021
Video Link to Sermon: https://youtu.be/zwPDT4j1vOU
INTRODUCTION:
1.) “Jesus said “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not valid.” (31)
A.) Jesus was not declaring himself as unreliable to testify about himself.
B.) He was merely stating that one cannot testify on his own behalf.
C.) In John 8:13-15 Jesus will make a similar statement.
2.) Jesus was affirming the principles which God had already established.
A.) Early in Scripture God had decreed that validity of one’s testimony was to be established by at least two, and preferably three witnesses.
aa.) Deuteronomy 19:15
“One witness is not enough to convict anyone accused of any crime or offense they may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
ab.) 2 Corinthians 13:1
This will be my third visit to you. "Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses."
3.) In accordance with that Jesus presents not merely two or even three, but four witnesses to his identity.
A.) These next few minutes I want us to look at these four witnesses to Jesus as Messiah and God.
I. THERE WAS THE TESTIMONY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. (5:32-35)
1.) His testimony was valid. (5:32)
A.) His testimony was valid because God had called him from birth for that purpose.
aa.) Hundreds of years before the birth of John, Isaiah prophesied of him as a voice in the wilderness preparing the way for the Lord.
B.) His testimony was valid because he was filled with the Holy Spirit from birth for that purpose.
ba.) Until the coming of Jesus John was the first person who received the Holy Spirit of God for his entire life.
bb.) God had gifted him in this manner so that he could be a reliable witness of Jesus.
2.) His testimony proclaimed the truth of God. (5:33)
A.) He proclaimed the truth that Jesus is the prophet like Moses.
B.) He proclaimed the truth that Jesus is the Messiah of God coming with the Holy Spirit of God.
ba.) John was made aware of the identity of Jesus by means of the Holy Spirit.
bb.) John taught that it would be Jesus who would bring the Holy Spirit to the world.
C.) John proclaimed the truth that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
ca.) In all these ways God had prepared him in advance to be a reliable spokesman to prepare the way for the Messiah.
3.) Yet human testimony was not needed.
A.) John 5:34
B.) When Jesus said these words, he was neither belittling nor dismissing the testimony of John the Baptist.
C.) While Jesus accepted the testimony of John the Baptist, he was also making it clear that man is not capable to give testimony to God even when it is God who has been incarnated into human flesh.
ca.) It is impossible for finite man to give adequate testimony to the infinite and eternal God.
cb.) How can creation bear testimony to the creator?
cc.) How can the temporal give testimony to the eternal?
4.) His testimony was as a lamp that burned and gave light. (5:35)
A.) John came to be the forerunner of the Christ.
aa.) Just as this verse described John came as a light to reveal Jesus Christ.
B.) The Jewish leaders accepted the testimony of John until John started bearing testimony to the Messiah.
C.) Yet Right from the beginning John’s ministry was meant to be temporary and then disappear to make room for Christ.
D.) In this passage of Scripture Jesus spoke of John in the past tense, and so we know that John has already faded from the spotlight.
da.) It is also quite likely that by this point that John had already been arrested and put to death.
E.) As we come to verse 36 Jesus said: “I have testimony weightier than that of John.”
ea.) While the testimony of John was true, the Declarations of God, the Works of Jesus, and even the Words of Scripture are weightier testimony than that of John the Baptist.
F.) , and so, we move on to our second testimony.
II. THE WORKS OF JESUS ARE A TESTIMONY TO HIM.
1.) The work which Jesus does is from God.
A.) The work of Jesus was heavenly work.
aa.) The very works of Jesus should have by themselves been adequate testimony to prove Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God.
B.) He was finishing the work which God had given him to complete which testified He was from God.
ba.) When Jesus healed it was the work of God.
bb.) When Jesus cast out demons it was the work of God.
bc.) When Jesus stilled the wind and waves it was the work of God.
bd.) When Jesus rebuked and corrected the religious leaders it was the work of God.
be.) When Jesus gave new and heavenly teachings it was the work of God.
bf.) When Jesus fed the multitudes with a boy’s lunch it was the work of God
bg.) When Jesus brought mercy, grace, and forgiveness to sinners he did the work of God.
bh.) When Jesus resurrected the dead, it was the work of God.
bi.) When Jesus raised his own body from the dead it was the work of God.
C.) Without any doubt each of these things bore powerful testimony that Jesus had come from God.
ca.) In and of themselves these works gave proof of Jesus.
D.) It was only the religious leaders who out of hatred and jealousy could not accept these testimonies that Jesus was from God.
III. GOD HIMISELF BORE TESTIMONY TO JESUS.
1.) God himself spoke from heaven at the time of Jesus’s baptism.
A.) Matthew 3:16-17
aa.) “He saw” … “On Him” (5:16)
ab.) John the Baptist was the “He”, and Jesus was the “Him”.
ac.) John was probably the only one who saw the Spirit descend on Jesus as a dove.
ad.) John was also the only one to hear the voice of God identify Jesus.
B.) This was a miraculous confirmation to John of the ministry of Christ and the Holy Spirit upon Him.
2.) God spoke a second time from heaven identifying him at the time of the Transfiguration.
A.) Matthew 17:1-7
B.) This was again witnessed by only a few: Peter, James, and John.
C.) It was an encounter to prepare Jesus for his upcoming death.
ca.) Beyond that, we are not given any of the details of the conversation between Jesus, Elijah, and Moses.
D.) On that occasion Peter not knowing what to say or do suggested they build up there a shrine to worship Jesus, another one for Elijah, and a third one for Moses.
E.) Before Peter even finished his statement they were swallowed in a cloud and God’s voice spoke:
ea.) “This is my son whom I love.”
eb.) “With Him, I am well pleased.”
ec.) “Listen to Him.”
F.) That heavenly declaration put the fear of God in these men and gave them a new reverence for Jesus.
fa.) That audible voice of God clearly made a clear distinction in elevating Jesus over Moses and Elijah.
faa.) When the cloud disappeared, these men were alone with Jesus.
fab.) God had left no question that Jesus and Jesus alone was worthy of their worship.
3.) There is a third time when the voice of God spoke this time during the final week of Jesus’ ministry.
A.) John 12:20-33 (esp. 28-30).
B.) This account involved some Greeks who had come to observe the feast.
C.) Jesus was speaking to them of his upcoming death, and of the necessity of it.
D.) Jesus prayed: “Father, Glorify your name.”
E.) At that very moment, the voice of God echoed from the heavens “I have glorified it and will again.”
F.) The crowds who were there heard it:
fa.) Unlike the other two times this time there were many who heard the voice of God.
fb.) Some said it thundered.
fc.) Others had said an angel had spoken to Him.
fca.) When God speaks, he directs his voice to some but not necessarily to all.
.01) That day some thought it had thundered; others thought an angel had spoken to Jesus.
.02) Jesus and possibly a few others heard the voice of God.
G.) Jesus told them that the voice of God had come for their benefits not his.
ga.) It was they who needed the affirmation from heaven.
IV. THE FOURTH TESTIMONY TO JESUS WAS AND IS THE WORD OF GOD.
1.) The Jews study the Scriptures to find eternal life. (5:39b.)
A.) The Scriptures gave testimony to Jesus. (5:39b.)
aa.) After the resurrection Jesus took his disciples through the Scriptures to see Him.
aaa.) Luke 24:25-27
aab.) It was not until after the Resurrection that the Scripture and the prophecies of Jesus made any sense.
B.) Even though the Scriptures testified of Jesus, they refused to come to him for eternal life. (5:40)
ba.) Some rejected Him out of ignorance.
bb.) Others rejected him out of pride, arrogance, and jealousy.
C.) The bottom line was that they did not have the love of God in their hearts. (5:42)
ca.) They refused to come to Him. (5:40).
2.) Jesus did not need human praise any more than human testimony.
A.) John 5:41
B.) While God enjoys the praise and worship of His people our praise and worship in no way makes God more or less than He already is.
ba.) God is self-existent and does not need man’s praise or worship.
bb.) The other thing is that man’s praise is at the best very fickle.
bb.) We see this with the crowds who sang his praises on Palm Sunday yet cried for his crucifixion less than a week later.
C.) John 5:43-44
ca.) Jesus has come in the name and authority of God, yet is being rejected by the Jewish leaders, even though there are many testimonies to verify him as he said.
cb.) Jesus went on to speak of others coming in their own names and being accepted by the people.
ca.) In fact history records of others coming proclaiming to be a Messiah and being accepted.
cc.) Notice what Jesus said to them:
cca.) John 5:44
ccb.) They were quick to receive the praise of manbut made no effort to receive the praise that comes from the only true God.
.01) Here in their very midst was God in the flesh, and yet they rejected him.
.02) If they could have come in faith to Jesus, they could have received the longing of their hearts in eternal life, and the acknowledgement of God.
3.) Jesus takes them back to the Scriptures, and what they considered to be the ultimate source of Biblical authority.
A.) John 5:45
B.) When Jesus said this, he knew that some might give him enough credence to figure he would bear testimony against them on the day of Judgment.
ba.) As we had stated last week Jesus would be the one who would judge them.
baa.) On that day he will serve as the judge not as their witness.
bb.) It was Moses, and his words in Scripture that would be the one to accuse them and point out their hypocrisy.
bba.) The very Scriptures they were looking to for eternal life spoke of Jesus.
bbb.) By rejecting Jesus, they were also rejecting the teachings of the Word of God which point out Jesus.
.01) They claimed to be students of the Word of God yet missed the very one of whom the Scriptures spoke.
bbc.) Therefore, it would be Moses whom they esteemed so high and worthy of honour who would testify against them because of their rejection of Jesus as the Christ of God.
.01) Whether Moses himself or merely his testimony in Scripture he would be a witness against them.
bbd.) In verse 47 Jesus said: “But since you don’t believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?”
CONCLUSION:
1.) Well, those final words of Jesus are what it all boiled down to.
2.) What could Jesus say to convince them to put faith in him if they rejected so many testimonies about him?
A.) It all boiled down to having an open heart towards God and His son.
3.) Like the Jews of old, we too have sufficient evidence to bring us to Christ.
A.) The issue is not the evidence but heart that is open to God.
B.) Where is your heart today?
