A Greater Testimony
Scripture: John 5:36-37
Jesus continues with the testimony we were covering in the previous lesson. He said, Jn 5:36 “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.”
The testimony of Jesus is greater because of who his father was. John had an earthly father, but Jesus was born of a virgin. Jesus is the name given to the man whose body contained the eternal Son of God. Jesus was born after John, but existed since eternity past as the Word, the Son of God. That eternal existence with the Father makes his witness greater than that of John. John spoke of Jesus, but Jesus came to fulfill the Old Testament prophecies that John spoke about.
After eating fruit from the tree of good and evil, Adam and Eve were changed, and they knew it because they then experienced shame in their nakedness and when they heard God coming to have fellowship with them they went and hid. God promised death if they ate of the fruit and at this point they were spiritually dead, but still alive physically. God showed mercy by allowing them to live physically and demonstrated that he intended to provide a meant of restoration. That plan involved the Son of God entering the human race through a virgin birth and accomplishing the work of explaining the gospel, identifying who he was, and in the face of persecution from those who didn’t believe him, live a perfect life and then die on the cross as our perfect sacrifice. Listening to what Jesus was teaching and then backing it up by demonstrations of power and authority through his miracles, bore witness that the Father had sent him.
Jesus continues to speak to the Jews and says: Jn 5:37 “And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen.” The first question we need to answer is “How has the Father, who sent Jesus, borne witness about Him?”
Looking at what Nicodemus said to Jesus in John 3:2, gives us some understanding of this question. Nicodemus said, “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.” The phrase “unless God is with him” is the Father bearing witness.
Another example of the Father’s witness is seen in John 5:19 – 20 (ESV) Jn 5:19 “So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.” We looked at this witness in lesson H276.
These two examples show how close the Father and Jesus are working together and is a form of witness. We also find God’s witness in Scripture. An example is found in John 5:45-47 (ESV), which we haven’t covered yet: Jn 5:45 “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 For 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?” God used people like Moses to write about Jesus.
Other examples that will help your understanding are found in Luke 24:27, 44; Acts 13:27; and 1 John 5:9. These scriptures will add more clarity in answering the above question.
We will finish the rest of verse 37 in the next lesson.
Conclusion
The Scriptures contain much evidence about Jesus and anyone willing to study that evidence will see that Jesus has purchased our salvation and made it available to us. Eternal life is only one decision away. Father I pray that anyone reading these lessons that hasn’t yet reached out in faith and accepted the gift of eternal life that Jesus has to give will do so now.
Anchor My Faith 
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