John 5:36-38

THE FATHER'S WITNESS

Text 5:36-38

36

But the witness which I have is greater than that of John; for the works which the Father hath given me to accomplish, the very works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.

37

And the Father that sent me, he hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his form.

38

And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he sent, him ye believe not.

Queries

a.

What works did Jesus accomplish (John 5:36)?

b.

Why had they not heard the Father's voice nor seen His form?

c.

How does the Word of God abide in a person (John 5:38)?

Paraphrase

But I have continually the witness of One Who is greater than John the Baptist, for the miraculous works which the Father has given unto Me to complete, these very works which I am doing are bearing witness concerning Me that the Father has sent Me. And the Father Who sent Me has Himself testified concerning Me, You have never at any time heard His voice nor perceived what He is like; and because you do not believe and obey Him Whom the Father has sent, you do not have the Father's life-giving Word dwelling within you.

Summary

The miracles of Jesus and the testimony of the Father are now introduced as the greater witness. Rejection of Jesus by the Jews gives evidence of their ignorance of God. Furthermore, by rejecting Him they show their hearts to be bereft of God's Word.

Comment

The miracles of Jesus are undeniable evidence for His deity. Nicodemus could not deny them (John 3:2); Jesus-' own brothers admitted them as factual (John 7:3); and the Jewish rulers could not deny the miracles of the apostles (Acts 4:16). But they would not accept Jesus as the Son of God. This is a strange dilemma! Jesus said that the very miracles He was then doing (present tensecontinuing action) were testifying on behalf of His Sonship. He undoubtedly had, in mind especially the lame man just healed by the pool of Bethesda.

The Son had previously introduced the Father as a witness (John 5:32). Following that, He introduced two very obvious witnesses (John the Baptist and His own miracles) to ease their animosity against His claiming the Father as a witness. The Jews should have accepted these obvious witnesses.

John 5:37 is a connecting verse. By this verse the witness of the Father is inseparably connected with both Jesus-' miracles (John 5:36) and the Scriptures (John 5:38-39). But what does Jesus mean by Ye have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen his form? It is evident that He does not mean literal failure to hear and see, for some had heard His voice at Jesus-' baptism (cf. Matthew 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22) on the Mount of Transfiguration (cf. Matthew 17:5-6; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35) and in the Temple area (John 12:28). Jesus is referring to spiritual hearing and spiritual perception (cf. 1 John 4:12).

Their failure to hear and see God has also special connection with their refusal to hear and discern Jesus as God incarnate (John 5:38): In Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9; cf. also John 1:14; 2 Corinthians 4:4; 2 Corinthians 5:19; Hebrews 1:3). Had God's revelation by types, shadows, prophecies and promises (Old Testament) gained possession of their hearts, they would have readily accepted Jesus as Emmanuel (God with us). It is significant that Jesus makes acceptance of Himself the condition of the indwelling of God's Word. Except a man accept Jesus as the Son of the living God he has no part with God's Wordneither its commands nor its promises (cf. 1 John 4:15; 1 John 5:1; 1 John 5:12).

Quiz

1.

Give three Scripture references to show that miracles of Jesus cannot be denied as factual.

2.

In what two ways has the Father witnessed concerning Jesus?

3.

In what sense had the Jews not heard or seen the Father?

4.

Why did God's Word not abide in the Jews?