Seeing is Believing
Testimonies About Jesus
John 5:31″If I testify about myself, my testimony is not valid. 32There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is valid.
33″You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth. 34Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved. 35John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.
36″I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me. 37And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, 38nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. 39You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, 40yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
41″I do not accept praise from men, 42but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. 43I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?
45″But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. 46If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?”
There is a saying, “Seeing is believing.” Yet, Jesus is surrounded by those who saw, but did not believe. How is this possible? The Jewish people knew the Scriptures, knew the Law of Moses, they had heard from the lips of John the Baptist that Jesus was the Christ, yet they remained clueless to His true identity.
Jesus says here in these passages that He could tell Israel about himself, but such testimony would not be valid. It would appear to be boasting, or, worse yet, lying. They did not believe John the Baptist, nor did they accept what Moses wrote about the Messiah.
The worst indictment is when Jesus said, “And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, nor does his word dwell within you.” These men knew the scriptures backwards and forward, but Jesus said God’s word did not dwell within them.
How can this be? It is because the Word was in their heads, but never made it into their hearts. They could recite the word, they could effectively teach the word, but the word was nothing more than letters scribbled on parchment. The word had not been made flesh in their hearts.
Do you know who Jesus is? Will you accept the One who came in the name of the Father to seek and save the lost? Will you allow His Word to have a resting place in your heart?
This is the day the Lord has made, rejoice in it and be exceedingly glad (Ps 118:24) for Jesus, Emmanuel, is God with us.
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