Monday 6th February
Read John 5:30-32
“By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.
31 ‘If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. 32 There is another who testifies in my favour, and I know that his testimony about me is true.” (NIVUK)
Jesus has healed a man on the Sabbath and is challenged by the religious authorities to defend Himself because He has broken the Law. Jesus argues that His Father is always working and so He is too (John 5:17). It would be an understatement to say this inflamed the situation…they were furious enough to kill Him (v18).
Rather than de-escalate the situation and calm things down “Jesus gave them this answer: ‘Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed.” (John 5:19-20) (NIVUK). Jesus’ defence is that He is simply doing what God would do – He is completely obedient to the Father’s will. So obedient in fact that He will be granted the right to judge because He is completely trustworthy (John 5:21-30). Rather than be judged by the religious authorities, and found guilty, He declares that He will be the judge of them on the final day.
It is entirely fair and reasonable that Jesus’ claim be tested. It is a substantial claim with eternal consequences. It could be argued that He calls five witnesses. The Father (v32, 37), John the Baptist (v33), His own works (v36), Scripture (v39) and even Moses (v46). Yet the first witness is an internal divine witness. Twice Jesus declares that He can do nothing by Himself (v19, 30) but only what He sees and hears the Father doing. The Father barely counts as an independent witness in this case! How can you test such a divine claim? Jesus is not implying with ‘my testimony is not true’ – that He is a liar and everything He says about Himself is suspect but that His witness must be tested in other ways. He is saying that He is so completely sure that His actions are approved by the Father He needs no human affirmation at all. The Father’s witness is internally assured.
In John’s gospel the truth of Jesus’ statement that He has complete authority over life and death will ultimately be vindicated by His resurrection from death. His obedience unto death is the most amazing ‘work’ He will do (v20) and the greatest witness to who He is that we, or anyone, will ever need.
