M-W-F Bible study:John 5:31-37 Jesus's greatest witness

John 5:31-37 NLT

31"If I were to testify on my own behalf, my testimony would not be valid.32But someone else is also testifying about me, and I can assure you that everything he says about me is true.33In fact, you sent messengers to listen to John the Baptist, and he preached the truth.34But the best testimony about me is not from a man, though I have reminded you about John's testimony so you might be saved.35John shone brightly for a while, and you benefited and rejoiced.36But I have a greater witness than John -- my teachings and my miracles. They have been assigned to me by the Father, and they testify that the Father has sent me.37And the Father himself has also testified about me. You have never heard his voice or seen him face to face,

(commentary by Marion Adams from www.easyenglishinfo/bible-commentary)

Verse 31 In this passage, Jesus spoke about evidence as if he was in a court of law. He wanted to convince people that he was speaking the truth about himself. He had said that God was his *Father (John 5:18). He had said that he had the power to give *eternal life to people (John 5:24). Also he had said that God had given to him the authority to *judge all people (John 5:27). With these statements, Jesus was saying that he was *equal with God.

But, in *Jewish law, the evidence of one person was not enough. At least two people had to give evidence that something was true. This was the proof that people wanted. So it was not enough for Jesus to say these things about himself.

Verses 32-35 However, he had other evidence that he was telling the truth about himself. ‘Someone else’ in verse 32 referred to God himself. And there was John the *Baptist. He had told people who Jesus really was (John 1:19-20, 26-27, 29-36). John the *Baptist had ‘*preached the truth’ (verse 33). He had shown that Jesus was the way to receive God’s *salvation. For that reason, Jesus approved of John the *Baptist.

Jesus compared John the *Baptist to a lamp. A lamp cannot produce light by itself. It needs someone to light it. In the same way, John the *Baptist was not the *light of the world. But God had sent him to tell people about Jesus. Jesus is the real *light of the world.

Jesus said that the *Jews were pleased to ‘enjoy his (John the *Baptist’s) *light for a short time’ (verse 35). Jesus meant that the *Jews listened to John the *Baptist for a short time. But John the *Baptist said things that were difficult for them to agree with. So they *rejected him. None of them helped him when Herod, the ruler of *Galilee, put him in prison.

Verse 36 However, Jesus did not need the evidence of a person. The *miracles proved that he was God’s Son, the *Messiah. Many people had seen the wonderful things that he had done. The *Jewish leaders had just seen him cure a very sick man. The *miracles showed that God’s power was in Jesus. Jesus was doing the work that his *Father had given him to do. This proved that God had sent Jesus.

Verse 37 Nobody has ever seen God. However, God’s power was working by means of Jesus. But the *Jewish leaders could not see this. They could not see this evidence of God’s work. Therefore, they did not believe God’s words, because they did not *believe in Jesus. Nobody can really know God if they do not *believe in his Son, Jesus.