Bearing Testimony to Jesus

(John 5:30-38)

Jesus speaks in this section of scripture about the proofs of who he is. He talks about the multitude of ways and things that bear witness to him being who he claims to be. And this provides us with reassurance and comfort that we are not following cleverly devised myths, but are following the truth of the word of God.

The Witness of John

Jesus says in this section that the people went to John the Baptist as a witness of who Jesus was. One of the primary purposes of Johns ministry was to bear witness to the coming of the Christ. Some asked John whether he was the Christ, and he confessed that he was not, but that he had come to prepare the way of the Lord and that the people should believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.

John witnessed that the Christ was the one on whom he would see the Holy Spirit descend and remain. This occurred when Jesus came to John for baptism and as he came up out of the water the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove and remained on him. I am not sure how this happened, whether the “dove” simply disappeared or what, but it is clear that the dove did not just fly away. It descended and remained, and this was the sign that had been given to John so that he would know that this person was the Christ.

It is interesting for in this we see that it was not obvious that Jesus was the Christ. He did not come with a great fanfare and marching bands and so on, but was simply one of the many people who came to John for baptism.

The Witness of the Father

Then we see that the Father himself witnessed to the truth of who Jesus was. As Jesus carried out his ministry, preaching the truth of the gospel and doing the works he came to perform, the Father witnessed that He was speaking the truth. As Jesus spoke there were many signs performed and these signs were done by the Father as a proof of the word that Jesus was speaking. The signs backed up the truth of the gospel for it was clear to everyone that no man could have done these miracles and headings. Even Nicodemus, who was a ruler and a Pharisee and was looking for the truth, came to Jesus and confessed that they all knew he was from God for no man could do the signs Jesus did unless he came from God. (John 3:1-2)

And Jesus shows that the Father bears witness to Jesus because all that Jesus did was in accordance with the will of the Father. Jesus said he could do nothing of his own accord but only what he was given from the Father. He also showed that he did not come to glorify himself, but to glorify the name of the Father.

The Witness of the Bible

Jesus also spoke to the Jews at the time saying that even the old testament and the law and prophets all bore witness to who he was. There were many prophecies in the old testament that spoke of the coming of the Christ. As we read through the gospel of Matthew in particular we see that he showed the proofs of who Jesus was from the prophecies. In many cases Matthew wrote that Jesus did certain things as was spoken of him in the old testament prophecies.

Impact for Today

So from all of this we can see that it is evident from a vast array of proofs that Jesus is the Christ. And we still see this evidence today, both in the words of the bible and the impact of the new covenant and the words of Jesus on the lives of people around us.

Do we still see miracles? Yes we do as I can personally testify and you can see in the testimonies on my website. But even aside from that, we know that Jesus is the Christ and this is the way of truth because of the better life we lead. We see hope, peace, joy and a positive future as we follow the Lord. We also know this is the truth because of the opposition we get as we follow Christ, which the Bible told us would happen. Peter wrote that we should not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which comes upon us to prove us. Paul also wrote that all who desire to live a godly life would be persecuted.

So rather than be downcast and glum when these things happen, look at them as positive proof that the Lord is with you and that he will see you through each testing as they occur. God is faithful, and Jesus is faithful and they will not allow you to be tempted beyond your strength as Paul wrote. You may feel that the world is coming to an end sometimes, but know that the Lord will see you through all things and that this too is a testimony to Jesus.

(Picture sourced from ChristiansUnite.com)