Not Without Witnesses

Several years ago I was called down to the Duval County Courthouse where I was asked or rather compelled to serve in jury duty and after the initial process of weeding through the first few rounds of jurists

I was grouped with about 30 people and brought into a courtroom where we began to answer several questions and they would go to each juror and they would ask questions and when they came to me they said

Mr. Foskey would you be willing to convict a person based upon the evidence of only one eyewitness and I said no apart from some corroborating evidence like a video or DNA or some other secondary witness to a person's guilt

I said I would not be willing to convict a person based upon only one eyewitness and I was quickly dismissed from the jury pool.

So if you want to know I do not have to serve on a jury if that just happens to be that apparently works they didn't want me to serve because I said

I would not convict anyone based upon only one eyewitness but there's biblical warrant for that position.

Numbers chapter 35 verse 30 says if anyone kills a person the murderer shall be put to death on the evidence of witnesses but no person shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness.

Deuteronomy 17 6 says on the evidence of two witnesses or three witnesses the one who is to die shall be put to death a person shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness.

And then Deuteronomy 19 which goes even further Deuteronomy 19 15 says a single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established.

This law was set in place by God as a safeguard against anyone who would try to falsely accuse someone of a crime.

Would it mean that at times someone might not receive the justice they deserve because there were insufficient witnesses yes that is true.

But the preference is that a guilty man go free versus an innocent man be condemned.

And so God's law favored the innocent man and said there must be more than just one witness.

And the reality is no one ever escapes justice in the end. God knows what we have done.

Now this standard of having two or three witnesses carries over into the

New Testament. In fact if you've ever studied the subject of church discipline you know that Christ uses the

Old Testament principle of two or three witnesses. When he's explaining how church discipline is supposed to be done and what is church discipline it says if a person sins against you you go and you tell him his sin privately.

And if he repents then you've won your brother the case closed. But if he does not repent what do you do? You take with you two or three witnesses so that the guilt of his sin would be bared upon his heart and he would then have to be faced with the fact that he in fact is guilty.

And it's not just you alone who are challenging him but he has now been brought to bear with two or three witnesses.

In fact that verse everybody likes to use where two or three are gathered in my name there

I am in the midst of them. That famous verse that people like to use often to try to say well every time you know me and my buddies get together at Starbucks for a coffee and a

Bible study that's church. Well slow down it's not church it's a

Bible study and that's fine Bible studies are good. Jesus didn't say where two or three are gathered that constitutes a church.

What he says where two or three are gathered in my name there I am in the midst of them he's referring it's in the same context of discipline.

When there is witnesses brought to a person in regard to their sin

Christ is there. Christ is there acting as witness through those witnesses.

And so I bring all this up today because the principle of jurisprudence in the

Bible is that no one would be charged guilty. No verdict would be rendered on the basis of only one eyewitness.

So we come now back to John chapter 5.

And in John chapter 5 Jesus is giving what I have dubbed the apologetic discourse.

There are several discourses in the New Testament that Jesus gives. He gives the Sermon on the Mount. He gives the

Olivet Discourse. He gives the Upper Room Discourse which takes several chapters in the Gospel of John.

But this one discourse which is recorded for us in John chapter 5 is

Jesus laying out the defense for his authority. He's saying

I have authority from the Father and here is my proof.

We call this again I call it the apologetic discourse. The word apologetic does not mean to say that you're sorry.

The word apologia in Greek it means to give a defense. It was a legal term.

It was used in the courtroom when the one who would stand in defense of the person accused would give a apologia.

He would give a defense or an apology. If you ever read the early church fathers often it will be called the

Apology of Irenaeus or the Apology of this or the Apology of that. It's referring to their defense of the faith.

They weren't saying they were sorry for following the Lord Jesus Christ. They were giving a defense for their faith.

Well Jesus is in this discourse giving a defense of his authority.

You remember what spawned this conversation. Jesus had gone to the pool of Bethesda.

There was a man there who was lame for 38 years. Jesus said rise take up your bed and walk.

And when this man took up his mat and walked the

Pharisees saw him and said you're breaking the Sabbath. You see they were more concerned with their pedantic understanding of God's law than they were concerned with the fact that a man who was withered for 38 years now was walking.

Legalism lacks compassion. And so they come to Jesus and Jesus defends what he's done by defending his own authority.

By defending who he is. The Father is working to this day and I am working.

And it said in that moment they wanted to kill him because he had made himself equal with God. So they were ready to take his life.

And Jesus begins to defend who he is. Now we've looked already up to verse 30.

Today we will begin in verse 31. And I want to invite you to stand as we give honor and reverence to God's word.

And we're going to read today verses 31 to 40. Remember all of this is the

Lord Jesus Christ speaking. Jesus says if I alone bear witness about myself my testimony is not true.

There's another who bears witness about me and I know the testimony that he bears about me is true.

You sent to John and he is born witness to the truth. Not that the testimony that I receive is from man but I say these things so that you may be saved.

He was a burning and shining light and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.

But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish.

The very works that I am doing bear witness about me that the Father has sent me.

And the Father who sent me has himself born witness about me.

His voice you've never heard. His form you've never seen.

And you do not have his word abiding in you. For you do not believe the one whom he has sent.

You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life. And it is they that bear witness about me.

Yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.

Let's pray. Our Father and our God we come to you in Jesus' name.

And Father in the stillness of this moment I am again reminded of the great weight that comes with proclaiming your word.

And Lord I pray that you would keep me from error. I pray that you would open up our hearts to the truth of your word.

That the believers would see the testimony that is laid out.

And Lord that they would be urged again to trust ever more fervently in the authority of the

Lord Jesus Christ. And Lord for the person who is here who does not know Christ. And maybe there be many who do not yet know

Christ. Lord that they would hear the testimony laid before them.

And Lord that they would recognize that Christ is the very son of the living

God. Himself God incarnate. And Lord may it be that hearts would be changed this morning.

And I pray Lord if any has brought themselves to worship this morning.

And their hearts are elsewhere. Maybe on the worries and cares of this world.

Maybe on the struggles of finances or the struggles of marriage or the struggles of family and children.

God for this moment that they would be focused upon the word of God.

May you take the words that are spoken. May your Holy Spirit use them.

To guide us into our sanctification. And Lord lead us toward a better understanding of you through your word.

We pray this in Jesus name and for his sake. Amen. We are going to jump right into verse 31.

Because verse 31 and 32 actually set the introduction for verses 33 to 40.

And in verse 31 Jesus says something that may seem a little peculiar to our ear. Jesus says if I alone bear witness about myself my testimony is not true.

If I alone bear witness about myself my testimony is not true. That sounds weird for Jesus to say if I say something about myself it's not true.

But you have to understand what Jesus is trying to convey in this simple statement.

He's not saying that his word is untrustworthy. He's not saying that the things that he is saying about himself are not true.

But what he is saying is that if he were the only one testifying about himself it would not be admissible as legal evidence.

Any more than today. Let's just imagine someone were to come up to you on the street and say

I am the son of God. Yeah it would be a little weird.

And it would be ridiculous to believe if there was no evidence other than his word.

And we know there are people who have made such a claim. There are people today, there are cult leaders today who claim themselves to be the incarnation of Jesus Christ.

They have no evidence. They have no reason to believe them. Everything they say is, the

Greek word is baloney, it's all baloney. But we know that men make great claims.

But great claims without witnesses are not admissible in court. Jesus said if I alone bear testimony about myself my testimony is not true.

In the New American Standard Bible it actually has a footnote. At least my electric version did.

I don't know Mike you can tell me if yours has it as well. Next to the word truth and at the bottom of the page it actually says admissible as legal evidence.

Does yours have that in it Mike? That's verse 31 where it says my testimony is not true.

And there's a footnote there. Maybe not. Might not. It is? Okay. It's authoritative because it's in the

New American Standard. You know I preach from the ESV because it's what's in the pews.

And we have a little debate going on among all of our elders and deacons as to which translation is better.

Because none of us can agree on which one to use. That is a whole other story. Brother Andy uses the

New King James. Brother Mike uses the New American Standard version. I use the ESV. And Brother Mike Smith is the authoritative,

I'm sorry the authorized version. But I bring up the New American Standard Bible for this other reason.

The New American Standard Bible capitalizes the divine pronouns.

Which is not something that is necessary but it is typical in English parlance that if you're talking about God you would capitalize.

If you say he you would capitalize the he because it's in reference to God. And this is interesting because if you look at verse 32.

Jesus says there's another who bears witness about me and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true.

In the NAS that's capitalized. Because the one who is bearing witness here is God. And that's why verses 31 and 32 are the introduction to the rest.

Is because verses 31 and 32 is Jesus saying this. If I bear witness about myself only and there was no corroborating evidence then you have no reason to believe it.

That's not admissible as evidence. But I have one who bears witness about me and his testimony is true.

And you would think he might be talking about John because that's the next thing he's going to mention is John the Baptist. But he's not.

In verse 32 he's actually talking about God. And we see this later in verse 37 when he actually does say.

And the father who has sent me has himself borne witness about me. See Jesus says

I if I alone was bearing witness about myself you'd have no reason to believe it.

If all I did was come to you and say I'm the son of God. I'm the Messiah. I'm the long awaited one.

And I didn't have any accommodating or accompanying evidence you have no reason to believe it.

But I've got one who bears witness about me. I've got one who is bearing witness about me and the testimony he bears is true.

And that person who's bearing witness about Jesus is God himself. But how does God bear witness about Jesus?

God bears witness about Jesus in three ways. And Jesus is going to outline those three ways.

The three evidences that the father gives for belief in the son is here laid out.

Just like in court. If you were to go stand before the judge and your lawyer stood up and he said.

Here's exhibit A. Here's exhibit B. Here's exhibit C. Jesus is going to lay out exhibit

A. Exhibit B. Exhibit C. This is how the father bears witness to the son. Through this, through this and through this.

And the first one. Well I'll give you all three if you're taking notes. I went through. I had to find a way to make them all alliterated because I'm a good

Baptist. And so we look at the way preparer who is John. That's Jesus' first witness.

And then there is the works of Jesus. That is Jesus' own miracles and signs.

That is his second witness. And then we see the scriptures which is the word of God.

That is his third witness. And so we're going to walk through each of those and see how each of them bears witness to Jesus.

Having been appointed by the father to do so. So let's look first at verse 33.

Jesus says in verse 33. You sent to John and he has borne witness to the truth.

Now what's Jesus talking about here? When he says you sent to John. Well back in chapter 1.

If you remember when John is writing his introduction. He has that tremendous 18 verse prologue to his gospel.

Which begins talking all about Jesus. Who Jesus is. In the beginning was the word. The word was with God. The word was

God. And then he says he was the light. And in him was the light of men. And then he talks about John.

Who came. And this is what it says. It says. This is verse 19. Back from chapter 1.

It says. This is the testimony of John. When the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him who are you?

He confessed and did not deny but confessed I'm not the Christ. And they asked him what then are you

Elijah? He said I'm not. Are you the prophet? And he said no. So they said who are you?

We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself? He said

I am the voice of the one crying in the wilderness. Make straight the way of the Lord. As the prophet

Isaiah said. Now going back to chapter 5. Look again at verse 33.

He said you sent to John. That's what Jesus is referring back to. He's referring to the fact that they sent a delegation.

To John to ask who he was. So a delegation of Jews had been sent from the

Pharisees to come to John. And say who are you? Are you the

Christ? No. Are you the prophet? No. Well who are you then?

John said I am the one crying out in the wilderness.

Make straight the path of the Lord. I am the one that Isaiah said would come.

See John's purpose. John's mission. The reason for which

John was born. Was that he would break the silence.

Of 400 years. And he would be the last

Old Testament prophet. To proclaim the coming of the living and Lord Jesus Christ.

You remember the last writing prophet that we have is

Malachi. There has been 400 years since there has been the word of God written.

And as far as we know the word of God through a prophet spoken. This is not the only time that we know of such a time.

You remember after the death of Joseph. There was about 400 years until the coming of Moses.

When God met Moses in the desert and spoke to him through a burning bush.

And said you will go and you will speak and you will be my witness. And you will proclaim to Pharaoh let my people go.

Moses spoke after 400 years of silence to the people of God.

Fast forward to the time of Malachi. 400 years and John coming not as you might expect.

Not as a priest who wore the garments of the priest. But rather one who would wear camel's hair.

Not one who feasted in banquets. And ate the food of the rich.

But rather one who ate locusts and wild honey. My children and I and of course my wife are watching an old film during the

Christmas season this year. It's called the Jesus film. Missionaries use it a lot.

It's the gospel of Luke set to film and I think it was filmed in the 70's.

And still really well done. And the man dressed as John the

Baptist. The character of John the Baptist has this big wild hair. Big long beard and he comes out and he's like a wild man.

And we don't know really if that's accurate. But it certainly makes sense.

John comes out or into the wilderness and he comes and he's proclaiming repentance.

Be baptized and be prepared for the coming of the

Lord. I baptize you with water but one is coming after me who will do what?

Who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. The axe is laid at the root of the tree.

Meaning be prepared. Judgment is coming. The Lord is coming.

And so John is this voice in the wilderness. This one crying out after this time of silence.

John has come and the people believed him to be a prophet.

In fact the people so believed that John was a prophet. Do you remember how

Jesus at one point used that to his advantage when he was talking to the Jewish leaders? And they said where do you get your authority?

And Jesus says well let me ask you a question. Where did

John get his authority? And they all backed off and kind of got and said well if we say from God.

Then he's going to say why don't we listen to him because John pointed to him. But if we say his authority is not from God.

These people are going to stone us because they believe he's a prophet. See John, God had shown the people this is a prophet from God.

And what was John's mission? To point to Christ. John didn't come to point to himself.

John didn't come to bear witness to himself. In fact when John's disciples began to follow after Jesus some of them got upset.

Look he's gathering more of a following than you. And John said that's the way it's supposed to be.

I must decrease. He must increase. See John understood that he was not the light in the grandest sense.

But he was a reflective light pointing to the great light who is Jesus Christ. And so Jesus here is saying you sent to John and he's borne witness to the truth.

Who's the truth? Jesus is. I am the way, the truth and the life. John bore witness to me.

His disciples saw me walking by and John pointed and said behold the Lamb of God.

Who takes away the sin of the world. What did Andrew and John do? They left

John the Baptist and they followed after Jesus. Because that was what

John was doing. He was pointing people to Jesus Christ. Verse 34.

Jesus says not that the testimony I receive is from man but I say these things so that you may be saved. He's saying

I don't necessarily have to have a testimony from a man. But I'm telling you these things are true so that you would hear them.

What has John said? John has said follow after Christ. I'm telling you

John was right. And even though it's not necessary that I would need human testimony.

The instrument of human testimony is what God has used to prepare you for my coming.

And if you would just listen to John you would be saved. Because what did John proclaim?

Trust in me. What did John proclaim? Trust in the Messiah and that's me.

If you would just listen to him. I don't need it but you need it. You needed someone to tell you.

God sent someone to tell you. If you would just listen to that person who God has sent.

Then you would be saved. And then he says in verse 35.

He was a burning and shining lamp. And you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.

Now some people believe that 535 is in conflict with chapter 1 verse 12.

Because in chapter 1, I'm sorry chapter 1 verses 6 through 8. In John 1 6 through 8 it says there was a man sent from God.

His name was John. He came as a witness to bear witness about the light that all might believe through him. He was not the light but he came to bear witness about the light.

And some people say well why does John in chapter 1 say that John was not the light. But then in chapter 5

Jesus says here he was a bright and shining lamp. But we have to understand this is not a conflict.

This is just a difference in context. This is not one in opposition to the other.

It's just looking at it at a grander scheme. In John chapter 1 verses 6 through 8. John the gospel writer.

And I know there's a lot of Johns going on so stay with me. John the gospel writer writing about John the Baptist is saying.

John came to bear witness about the true light. Jesus is the true light. John's not the true light. And why would he feel the need to say that?

Because even at the time of the writing of John. And we don't know for certain when John's gospel was written. We have an idea.

Even at the time when John's gospel was written there were still people who were following John the Baptist. And had not yet followed

Jesus. Remember when it's in the latter chapters of Acts.

Middle chapters of Acts actually. Where they go into that town and there were people who had. They said we've only been baptized with the baptism of John.

They had not heard about the Holy Spirit. They hadn't heard everything. And so there were still people who were following after Jesus.

So John writes in the prologue of his gospel. John is not the light. Meaning he's not the source of life.

He's not the true source of light. But Jesus now in chapter 5 is not contradicting that.

But he's saying this. John was a shining and burning lamp.

He's referring to John's presence among the people. As I said 400 years of darkness.

Was broken. By the call repent. And be baptized.

And make way for the Lord is coming. John broke the darkness.

He broke the silence of God. And if I might.

This is a good reminder of that Latin phrase. Post tenenbrux lux.

After darkness light. After darkness light.

In the morning. You've heard the phrase. It's always darkest when? Before the dawn. John breaks in.

He's a bright and shining light. To do what? To point to the greater light. He's not light in himself.

He's reflective light. Reflecting the light of the sun. Pointing to the one true light. And he's the witness of Christ.

And the wonderful thing. Is that he didn't point to himself.

But he pointed to Christ. Lord if we can learn one thing from John the Baptist. May it be

Lord that we would learn. To not point to ourselves. But point to Jesus Christ.

If Christ increased. Then Lord make me decrease. If that's what is needed. That I be abased.

And Christ be exalted. And so John is the first witness.

Call your first witness. First witness is John. And you were willing to tolerate him for a time. You were willing to bask in his light.

But you weren't willing to believe him. Because if you believed him. You'd believe me.

So that's witness number one. The second witness. Is in verse 36.

He says. Jesus speaking. And he says. But the testimony that I have. Is greater. Than that of John.

So he recognizes. John gave witness. But he says. I have a greater testimony.

Than the testimony of John. It's not just one man. Crying out. I'm the Messiah. For the works.

That the Father has given me to accomplish. The very works that I am doing. Bear witness about me.

That the Father. Has sent me. The very works that I do.

Are witness. And what were those works? Jesus came on the scene.

Doing things. That no man. Had ever done. Could ever do.

Or will ever do. Jesus Christ is unique in human history. Not just for the.

Types of miracles that he did. But for the very breadth and scope of the miracles. That he did.

And John will lay out these works throughout his gospel. But John's gospel doesn't contain all of them.

You realize that John's gospel. Really only has seven miracles. That it points to. All of them being witnesses for Christ.

It begins with the. Turning water into wine. Then it's the healing of the nobleman's son. Then it's the healing of the lame man at Bethesda.

Which is where we are here. Then we're going to get. And when we get into chapter six. We're going to see the feeding of the five thousand.

Then we're going to see him walk on water. Then we're going to see him heal a blind man.

Who's blind from birth. Remember that was the one where the disciples are going to say. Who is it who sinned him or his parents.

And Jesus said no. So that the glory of God could be put on display. That's going to happen later. And then there's that great seventh miracle.

And it's the miracle of the raising of Lazarus. So John lays out.

Oh and not to be. Not to leave it out. But there's also the tremendous. And glorious miracle of the resurrection.

So there's eight miracles. That all bear witness to who Jesus is. And John is like a.

Like a legal defense attorney. Laying out each of these things.

These are the witnesses to who Jesus is. You had John. And he was God's prophetic witness.

Now you've got the witness of what Jesus is doing. And you know what

John writes toward the end of his book. He said if all the things Jesus ever did were written down. All the books in the world would not be enough to contain them.

So you understand we have four gospels. We have three synoptic gospels. And one autoptic gospel.

That's John's gospel is slightly different from the three synoptics. Meaning that it tells the story in a different way.

But all four gospels are witnesses to what Jesus did. And even those don't contain all that he did.

Jesus was healing people every day. Jesus was proclaiming the truth every day. We don't know how many people he rose from the dead.

We don't know how many people he healed of leprosy. We don't know how many withered hands he made strong.

And how many withered legs he gave strength. We don't know how many people who couldn't walk who are now able to walk.

In fact you know if you look at the miracles of Jesus.

Nobody denied them. Go back and read through the gospels. Nobody denied that what

Jesus was doing was miraculous. In fact remember the Pharisee Nicodemus came to Jesus at night. What did he say?

He says we know you are sent from God. For no one can do the things you do save God be with him.

No one could do these things. In fact what did they claim about Jesus?

The enemies of Jesus didn't claim he wasn't doing miracles. What was the claim? You're doing it by the power of the devil.

They said to Jesus you're doing that by the power of Beelzebul. And Jesus said slow down.

This is in the key standard version. But this is basically what he said. He said now you say what you want about me.

And it can be forgiven you. But you're blaspheming the Holy Spirit. And that will not be forgiven you.

So Jesus said what in the context what were they doing? They were taking the works of Jesus and they were saying that's the devil.

That's Satan doing that through you. And Jesus said slow down. That's a dangerous road to go down.

In fact that's a road you go down you don't get back. Jesus' works were so obvious that they could not be denied.

In fact you know the only people who deny them? Modern scholars who are smarter than they, well, whose level of intelligence is surpassed by their common sense.

So what am I trying to say? They don't have any common sense. I tell you what let me quote

J. Vernon McGee. Here's somebody I don't quote. You laugh. J. Vernon McGee had some good stuff. But I like what he says here.

He says, friend there was not just a half a dozen or even a hundred or two whom he had healed.

There were thousands of people whom he had healed. It was openly demonstrated. Nobody in that day contradicted the fact that he healed.

He would have been a fool if he did. It is over 1900 years later in a musty library in New York City, thousands of miles removed, that scholars sit down and write books declaring that they don't believe that Jesus performed miracles.

But that doesn't prove a thing my friend because Jesus' miracles were his credentials.

That's J. Vernon McGee's quote. He said you can sit around today and claim oh Jesus didn't do miracles.

Jesus didn't do these things. Well the people of his day weren't saying that. The people of his day were not arguing that point.

In fact in a couple weeks we'll get to chapter 6 and the feeding of the 5 ,000.

And I'll never forget years ago I was listening to John Dominic Crossom.

John Dominic Crossom is a, he was a member of the Jesus Seminar which is a group of critical scholars who tried to find the quote historic

Jesus by looking through the writings of the gospels and tried to discern what

Jesus really did and didn't do and what he really said and didn't say because they didn't believe it was all authentic. And by the way he's a big time teacher in liberal churches.

He goes and does seminars. He's done them here in Jacksonville. I was invited to attend one. I wasn't able to. But John Dominic Crossom said no

Jesus didn't feed 5 ,000 people with five loaves and two fish. What he did was he encouraged those who had to share with those who didn't have.

It was a great miracle of sharing. It wasn't a miracle of reproduction. It was a miracle of getting people who had to give to people who didn't have.

And what a wonderful miracle that is. Ladies and gentlemen that sounds good but it's not what the

Bible says. But see when people don't want to believe the miracles of Jesus they'll explain them away in any way possible.

By the way John Dominic Crossom also doesn't believe Jesus rose from the dead. He believes Jesus was buried in a shallow tomb and his body was eaten by dogs.

Dug up and eaten by dogs. Go read for yourself. So the point of the matter is it takes 2 ,000 years and a college degree to be smart enough to say

Jesus didn't do these things. But the people who lived there didn't say that. The people who lived there saw it and knew these things bear witness to who

Jesus is. Third and finally Jesus said I've got the witness of the way preparer who is

John. I've got the witness of my works which really no one can deny.

But I've also got the witness of Scripture. Notice verse 37 he says,

The Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you've never heard.

His form you've never seen. Now that part at this point no problem.

Because most people don't claim to have seen God in person or heard his voice. Even though Jesus did when he was baptized have the voice of God speak from heaven and say this is my beloved son.

So apparently none of these guys were there. His voice you haven't heard. But the point

Jesus is making is what you know about God is not from having seen him in person or heard his word audibly.

What you know about God is from where? Right here. You know about God from the Scriptures. But notice what he says the very next words.

He says, And you do not have his word abiding in you.

For you do not believe the one whom he has sent. You search the

Scriptures because you think in them you have eternal life. And it is they that bear witness about me.

Notice what Jesus is saying. He's saying God has borne witness about me in a third way.

And it's the way that should have been the way that brought you to me. If John wasn't enough, the one crying out in the wilderness.

If that wasn't enough. And if my works were not enough.

If what I was doing wasn't enough to convince you. Then you who have the

Scriptures in front of you. You who are supposed to be the teachers of the law. You scribes and Pharisees who have memorized great portions of these writings.

If not the whole of the Old Testament. You who have dedicated yourself to the

Scriptures. You do not believe them. Because they testify of me.

You think that in the Scriptures you have eternal life. And it is they that bear witness about me.

Listen, understand this. Jesus is speaking to Bible people here. Jesus is speaking to people who would have affirmed what we say.

When we say the Bible is the infallible, inerrant word of the living God. They would have affirmed that.

They would have said that is absolutely the case. And Jesus says, but the problem is you don't believe it.

Because if you believed it, you'd believe in me. If you believed it, you would believe in me.

Because this is the way the Father has borne witness about me.

Years ago, a lady visited our church. My office used to be where the nursery is.

And after service, she wanted to talk to me.

So we went into my office. Sat down at my desk. And she just started pouring her heart out to me.

And saying that she didn't know if she could believe what the

Bible said about Jesus. She just didn't know if she could believe. That she was struggling with faith.

And I said, well thank you for your honesty. One, I'm grateful you came to church. I'm grateful you came to listen and to participate.

I said, and she just started saying, this is hard to believe. It's hard to trust. You know, all the things the

Bible says makes fantastic claims. And by the way, does the Bible make fantastic claims? I mean, we're talking snakes that tempt, donkeys that talk, sun stands still.

Bible makes some fantastic claims. No doubt. And I said, well can

I read you something? And she said yes. So I pulled out my

Bible and I read to her. Surely He has borne our griefs and our inequities have been laid upon Him.

And by His stripes we are healed. And I said, who is that about?

And she said, that's about Jesus. And I said, that was written 700 years before Jesus was born.

That whole chapter is before Jesus was born.

By 700 years. And it's all about Him. And so,

I will say to you today, as we think about the witnesses of Christ.

The witness that should draw us in with the most clarity and conviction is

God's own word. Because God's own word tells us who

Jesus would be. Where He would come from. What He would be like. What He would accomplish.

And why we should trust in Him. And you know all of the Old Testament points to the

Lord Jesus Christ. Next week that's going to be my message. Because we're going to see as we end this chapter,

Jesus is going to say, Moses wrote about me.

Moses lived 1500 years before Jesus.

And Moses wrote about Jesus.

Not because I think he did, Jesus said. Oh and by the way, it reminds us Moses did write the first five books of the

Bible. And he was writing about Jesus. So Jesus says,

I have three that bear witness about me. But it's really one who's bearing witness.

The Father is bearing witness about me. Through John, the way preparer. Through my works and miracles.

Which are the testimony that I do. And through the word of God which is pointed to me for the last 1500 years.

And the last line of verse 40 should strike us all.

Because notice what he says. Yet you will not come to me that you will have life.

Notice again. Yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.

That should be read with a, that should rather reverberate in our hearts with a sad tone.

Because at the time of Jesus, those men could see what he was doing. They were holding the scriptures in their hands that testified to who he was.

They had the prophet John in their midst pointing to Jesus. And yet they were unwilling to come to Jesus that they would have life.

And yet they were religious people. They were Bible people. But they did not believe what the

Bible said. How often does that apply to us today?

How often does that apply? That we will read the scriptures yet we will not come to Christ that we will have life.

That we will read what the word of God says. But we will not go to the word of God incarnate.

So for the believer, I want to remind you why you have great reason to trust in the

Lord Jesus Christ. Because he is not without witnesses. That's the title of today's message.

Christ came not speaking only of his own. But he came with the witnesses of God the

Father. The witness of John. The witness of his works. And the witness of God's word. And if you are a believer in the

Lord Jesus Christ. You have based your faith not in blind trust.

But in the facts that God has laid down for you. Through his own testimony.

But if you are here today and you have not believed. If you are here today and you have yet to bow the knee to the

Lord Jesus Christ. Might I say to you the evidence is clear.

The evidence is compelling. Why would you refuse to come to him that you might have life?

Don't refuse. But come. Let's pray. Father I thank you for your word.

I thank you again for the opportunity to preach through it. And the added benefit

Lord of preaching Jesus' own words. Repeating what he has said about himself.

And Lord to be reminded that he has come. Not merely making grand claims.

But backing those claims up with grand evidences. So Lord I pray for the believers in this room.

That we would be encouraged by the truth. And for those who have not yet believed. Lord that you might save them today.

And as we prepare our hearts for the Lord's supper. May the Lord's supper refresh us with the gospel.

And may as we sing a reminder of the gift that has been freely given to us. May we also never forget that your grace is the reason why we are saved.