Anchor My Faith

Jesus Claims His Witness Is True

Scripture: John 8:13-15

The claim Jesus made, in the previous lesson, of being the light of the world will surely result in a response from the Pharisees. ^{Jn 8:13} “So the Pharisees said to him, “You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.”’

This statement made by the Pharisees, continues the dispute of John 5:31 – 47. In the Old Testament it was required to have two or more witnesses to declare something true. Since Jesus was bearing witness about himself, the Pharisees claimed that his testimony was not true, and they were not going to accept what he was claiming.

^{Jn 8:14} “Jesus answered, “Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going.”’

Jesus knew where he came from and where he was going. If you had come from your home to visit another country and were going to return in a few days, you could say so and your statement would be true. You would be simply stating a fact. This is what Jesus was doing but the Pharisees were not willing to believe that since he was born physically as they were. Their problem was the virgin birth, for without it they were not able to make the connection to the Father.

^{Jn 8:15} “You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.”

The Pharisees are judging according to natural understanding and human standards of this world. They have not been born spiritually and are unable to understand spiritual things or to see things from a heavenly perspective. To them, many of the things Jesus has said means nothing to them. Nicodemus could not understand how he could be born again. He simply could not grasp the concept of spiritual birth. It is this kind of lack of understanding that is causing the Pharisees to reject Jesus and his claims.

Jesus claims to judge no one, but in an indirect sense he does. His coming and his teaching has the effect of diving the population. We see this in John 3:19 (ESV): “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.” Jesus was that light and, in a sense, judged who were his and who were not by their belief.

We also see this in John 12:47 – 48 (ESV): ⁴⁷ If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. ⁴⁸ The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.” By the words that Jesus speaks one is judged by how the one who hears responds.

Jesus was sent into the world, not to judge the world, but to be its Savior. On the last days, Jesus will return to judge the entire world. This judgment is described in Matthew 25:31-46.

Next, Jesus will claim that he is not alone in his witness. We will end this lesson here and return to his argument in the next lesson.

Conclusion

Without the virgin birth Jesus is just another man and the Pharisees are correct in rejecting Jesus and his claims. With the virgin birth in the picture, Jesus becomes both man and God, making his claims true. Without the virgin birth, Christianity is just another false world religion.