HERE’S THE PROOF
John 5:30-47
S: Jesus
Th: Witnesses to Jesus
Pr: JESUS PROVES HIS IDENTITY.
?: How?
KW: Witnesses (appealing to witnesses)
TS: We will find in our study of John 5:30-47, four witnesses that Jesus uses to prove His identity.
The ____ witness that Jesus uses to prove His identity is…
I. PROPHET (33-35)
II. PHENOMENON (36)
III. PROVIDENCE (37-38)
IV. PROPHECY (39-47)
Version: ESV
RMBC 05 May 02 AM
INTRODUCTION:
ILL Notebook: Testimony (Great Eyesight)
There was an old man that witnessed a burglary and appeared in court. The defense lawyer asked him, "Did you see my client commit this burglary?"
"Yes," the man said. "I saw him plainly take the goods."
The lawyer added, "This happened at night. Are you sure you saw my client commit this crime?"
"Yes, I saw him do it," the man said.
The lawyer then said, "You are 80 years old and your eyesight probably is not as good as it used to be. Just how far can you see at night?"
The man said, "I can see the moon. How far is that?"
Well, this goes to prove that…
When we are looking to prove something, we desire reliable witnesses.
We want the help of those who see it right and hear it right.
We want the help of those who remember it right and get the facts right.
We want the testimony to be reliable and trustworthy.
TRANSITION:
Today, we return to our study of John and the subject of testimony is primary.
Our study of John will continue through July with a few guest speakers and interruptions here and there.
We started John 5 this past March.
And…
1. In John 5, the identity of Jesus becomes the issue after He heals on the Sabbath.
You might recall that Jesus healed a man that had been an invalid for 38 years.
But instead of rejoicing in this miracle, the Jewish leaders concluded that Jesus was a lawbreaker, because He healed on the Sabbath.
Plainly, Jesus refused to make nice with the Jewish leaders.
He broke the religious and social conventions of the day with unorthodox and staggering claims.
And when the leaders asked Jesus His rationale for healing on the Sabbath, they understood the implications of His words.
2. The Jews understood that Jesus was equating Himself with God (17-18).
[17] But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” [18] This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
The leaders understood that when He said He was doing His Father’s work, that He was making Himself equal with the Father.
They were right.
And as we come to our text today, we see that…
3. JESUS PROVES HIS IDENTITY.
Back in March, we considered what choices we have to make about Jesus.
We can see Him as the One He says He is, which is Lord.
But if He is not Lord, then He is either a liar or a lunatic.
The truth is is that we can come to no other conclusions.
But when it comes to proving His identity, Jesus is willing to do so.
So…
4. We will find in our study of John 5:30-47, four witnesses that Jesus uses to prove His identity.
In this text, four witnesses are brought forth:
1) John the Baptist;
2) Miracles;
3) God the Father; and
4) Scripture.
So we see that…
5. Jesus is willing to produce witnesses to establish who He is (30-32; Deuteronomy 19:15).
Jesus says…
[30] “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. [31] If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not deemed true. [32] There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true.”
Simply, Jesus does nothing independent of God, for He came to do the will of God.
What is interesting though, is that as we enter this part of the conversation, Jesus recognizes that the leaders were not to going go on what He said alone.
They had a right to expect that other evidence would confirm His claims.
For as it says in Deuteronomy 19:15…
“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 of three witnesses shall a charge be established.”
So let’s bring the witnesses in…
OUR STUDY:
I. The first witness that Jesus uses to prove His identity is the PROPHET (33-35).
[33] “You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. [34] Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. [35] He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.”
1. John the Baptist became popular quickly and was known as a prophet.
John quickly became a local celebrity.
People came to hear him from all over Palestine.
And it was apparent that he was candid, sincere and free from self-interest.
He was so unambitious, that he turned his followers over to Jesus.
He was so averse to flattery that he refused to compromise in front of Herod.
Because of this, I think that the Jewish leaders appreciated him secretly because he stood up to Herod.
But nevertheless, they clearly did not want to receive His message, even though it was commonly considered that he was no less than a prophet.
And as a prophet, John…
2. He testified to the supremacy of Jesus (1:29-30).
Earlier in the gospel of John, it is written…
[29] The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! [30] This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’”
John understood that Jesus was on a spiritual mission that involved the salvation of the world.
Jesus was supreme, and it was only appropriate (and necessary) to follow Him instead of John.
This brings us to…
II. The second witness that Jesus uses to prove His identity is PHENOMENON (36)
[36] “But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me.”
1. Jesus provided signs that authenticated who He was.
In his gospel, John selects seven signs that give proof to who Jesus is.
We have seen Jesus turn water into wine.
Then Jesus does these two healings: the official’s son and the invalid.
But Jesus is not going to stop there as these leaders are going to see.
These signs, though, were already proving that Jesus was more than John.
They were beyond the ability of a normal human being.
ILL Notebook: Miracle (Some People Miss the Obvious)
A man and his dog were walking the beach when they came upon another visitor to the beach. The owner of the dog was proud of his dog’s newly mastered feat, so he said to the visitor, “Watch this!” whereupon he tossed a piece of driftwood far out into the sea and the dog immediately ran on top of the ocean, fetched the wood, and ran back.
The visitor just shook his head in disbelief. Whereupon the owner repeated the procedure twice. Finally he asked the visitor, “Did you notice anything unusual?”
The visitor responded, “Your dog can’t swim, can he?”
It is amazing, isn’t it, that some people miss the obvious?
That’s how it is with the miracles of Jesus.
Some people see and believe Jesus’ power to do great miracles, but they miss the point.
The miracles identify Jesus as the Son of God and the Savior of the world.
This was something that Nicodemus began to recognize, for…
2. Nicodemus recognized that Jesus’ power was extraordinary (3:2).
[2] This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”
Nicodemus had come to the right conclusion: Jesus was sent from God.
He had unlimited power and boundless love.
This brought Nicodemus to the conclusion that Jesus was extraordinarily different from everyone else.
Now…
III. The third witness that Jesus uses to prove His identity is PROVIDENCE (37-38).
[37] “And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, [38] and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent.”
Earlier, at His baptism…
1. God revealed His blessing on Jesus (Matthew 3:16-17).
[16] And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; [17] and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
Here we simply find that the Father bears witness to who Jesus is.
He is the beloved Son.
And He announced His Son for all to hear.
So, as a result, the Jewish leaders…
2. They are accusing the voice and visible manifestation of God.
This certainly is the irony of the situation.
Here Jesus is: the voice of God and the visible manifestation of God to men.
God is now standing before them.
But because they do not believe, they are accusing the very One they claim to worship and serve.
Now Jesus brings the final witness to them…
IV. The fourth witness that Jesus uses to prove His identity is PROPHECY (39-47).
[39] “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, [40] yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. [41] I do not receive glory from people. [42] But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. [43] I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. [44] How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? [45] Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. [46] If you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. [47] But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?"
Jesus recognizes that they are diligent students of Scripture.
They search in the same way that miners look for precious metals.
It is very intense.
Yet, they miss the point.
For…
1. The whole focus of Scripture is about Jesus.
He is the purpose, and thus the key to unlocking the meaning.
Page after page bears witness to Him.
Interestingly, Jesus never appeals to the Jewish leaders for their testimony.
They added nothing to Him.
For, in reality, they had no zeal for God’s glory (though they claim they did).
Instead, they possess an incorrigible ignorance and a malicious jealousy.
Since they lived on each other’s praise, pride became their stumblingblock.
And what is so unfortunate is that they would rather lose their souls than to forfeit their reputation among men.
What these leaders also demonstrate to us is that…
2. The details of Scripture can be scrupulously studied, and yet its meaning can be missed.
These people knew how many letters one would find in the Hebrew Scriptures, and yet, they did not permit the Word to generate faith in their hearts.
As Warren Wiersbe said, “The Jewish scribes sought to know the Word of God, but they did not know the God of the Word!”
You see, it is one thing to have the Word in our heads, but it is another thing to have it in our hearts.
These leaders were determined to disbelieve, no matter what the evidence.
Jesus then really brings the point home to them.
Moses, the prophet they revere the most, was going to be their judge, not their Savior.
He was going to bear witness against them, because instead of having burning hearts, they had big heads.
APPLICATION:
So, where do these four witnesses take us today?
Well, it comes to this, I believe…
1. Jesus wants us to take His identity personally: “Who do you say that I am?”
The Jewish leaders became unwilling to renounce their present place within the system and become followers of one so humble and unostentatious as Jesus was.
After all, the Messiah would come with pomp and splendor and certainly clue them in.
And yet, this is the very thing that we wonder.
How could Israel miss the Messiah?
It is a warning to us as well, for…
2. Do not fail to see Jesus as He is, for it is all about Him.
[revised from Gehrels sermon]
This book in its entirety speaks about Jesus.
He is the focal point, so that we might see the greatness and the grace of God’s plan.
See Jesus in Exodus as the Passover Lamb.
See Jesus in Numbers as the smitten Rock and the One lifted up in the wilderness.
In Joshua, see Jesus as the Captain of the Lord’s Host.
In Ruth, see Jesus as the Kinsman-Redeemer.
In Esther, He is the Advocate for His people.
In Job, He is the ever-living Redeemer.
See Jesus in the Song of Solomon as the long-awaited, beloved Bridegroom.
See Jesus in Daniel as the Son of Man.
In Hosea, He is the redeeming Husband of the adulterous wife.
In Jonah, see Jesus as the Resurrection.
See Him, our Savior and Lord, in every page of Scripture.
The challenge of our text today is whether Jesus is right in what He claims.
Does He prove His identity?
For if He is right, then He does speak for God.
And Jesus not only claims to be the Messiah, the Son of God, He also claims to be the only source of eternal life.
He says to reject Him is to reject life, to reject the Father, and to seal our eternal condemnation.
So we must listen to these witnesses, for it is not enough to revere the Word of God, or even to diligently read and study it.
The Bible is given so that through Jesus, we may know, love, and serve God.
COMMUNION:
As we come to the table today, let us remember that we come because of Jesus.
We have concluded that the witnesses are true.
Jesus proved His identity.
Through His Word, the Spirit has moved in our hearts and convinced us that we needed Jesus as our Savior and Lord.
If you know Jesus today, you are invited to share in the elements of the table.
You do not have to be a member of our church, but we do ask that you know Jesus and have a relationship with Him.
If you do not know Jesus, that is, you have not received Him as your Savior and Lord, or you are just unsure, just let the elements pass by.
Please wait until the time comes when you are confident that you do have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus.
We practice “communion” because we are to remember the death of the Lord Jesus.
We take the bread to remind us that it was by the body of our Savior that our salvation came.
He died in our place.
He became our substitute.
We take the cup to remind us that it was by the blood of our Savior that our salvation came.
He died for our sins.
He became our sacrifice.
Being led in prayer by _______________________, let us take a moment and thank Him for giving us the very thing we needed most.
The apostle Paul writes, "The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me."
Let’s partake together.
________________________ will now come and lead us in prayer.
Again, the apostle Paul writes, "In the same way, after supper he took the cup saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me."
Let’s partake together.
BENEDICTION: [Counselors are ]
See Jesus as He is…He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
See Jesus as He is…He is the beloved Son in whom the Father is well pleased.
See Jesus as He is…the Messiah, the Son of God, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Now to him who is able to establish you by the gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.
