Witness and Unbelief

[Read John 5:31-47]

I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned before how a large portion of my youth group was non-Christian and also how young and immature I was when I started as a youth director. The combination of these things sometimes causes a lot of anxiety within me for a couple of reasons. One is that I really loved these students and I really wanted them to turn from their sin—turn from the path of destruction they were on—and embrace Christ for forgiveness and begin their walk on the path of life. I REALLY wanted these students to understand and embrace these things (I STILL want people to understand and embrace these things). Yet, I was also a very immature Christian and an immature leader, and I felt extremely under-equipped to help these students get to this place. So, I had felt a TON of anxiety and fear and frustration because I thought it was all up to me to witness just right—to share a perfect witness with them—to help them embrace Jesus Christ. Yet, I eventually learned that I was placing undue pressure on myself. It didn’t matter how perfectly I witnessed to these students, no matter how calmly I spoke, no matter how boldly I proclaimed, and no matter how much I “loved” them, some of them would never turn to Jesus Christ and be saved. 

There are a lot of reasons for that, and I could spend a whole sermon unpacking that reality, but I want to look at a couple of things mentioned in this passage that talks about reasons why some people will refuse to turn to Jesus Christ. 

One of the things that prevent people from believing in Jesus Christ is hypocrisy in the church. Now, I know we hear about that all the time, but I mean something different when I say that. Some people say there’s hypocrisy in the church because there are sinful people in the church. Well, that’s not hypocrisy, is it? We are sinners, saved by grace. So, guess what, the church is always going to be filled with sinners and that’s not hypocritical. 

What IS hypocritical is when we say we believe certain things but don’t actually believe them or live them out. That’s the essence of hypocrisy. One of the hypocrisies that Jesus points out in this passage is the hypocrisy around the Bible. We will say things like, “We believe the Bible is God’s Word” or “We believe the Bible is authoritative” or “We believe the Bible is the guide for all of our living” but not actually live that way. We’ll ignore parts of the Bible that we don’t like, or parts that make us uncomfortable, or parts that cause some friction in our current cultural context. That’s hypocrisy and it eventually hinders people from turning to Jesus because hypocrisy tells the world that we don’t really believe what we say we believe. So, why should they?

The other thing that prevents people from believing in Jesus Christ—and it’s closely connected to the previous one—is loving the honor and glory and recognition of the world around them. Often, this love of other people’s opinions and honor reflects itself in fear. People refuse to turn to Jesus Christ because they are afraid of being rejected by the world around them. People refuse to turn to Jesus Christ because they are afraid of being mocked by their peers or they fear being looked down on or cast aside by the world. It’s also this fear of the world around us that causes us to ignore certain portions of God’s Word and begin to live like hypocrites in the world. Hypocrisy and Love of Other People’s Opinions are major reasons why people refuse to turn to Jesus Christ. 

Yet, here’s one of the craziest realizations I’ve come to over the years, even Jesus Christ didn’t overcome these hindrances through his own life and witness in the world. Isn’t that incredible? I mean, Jesus walked this earth perfectly. He lived the life we were created to live, and people still rejected him. He witnessed to people perfectly, clearly showing them who he was and what he had to offer, and they still rejected him.

I mean listen to what Jesus tells the Jewish leaders. He says, “You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth…He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.” (John 5:33–35, ESV). Jesus points at the witness by John in the world. He points out that John’s witness was burning and shining in the world and people even “rejoiced” at John’s witness…for a while—which tells us that John’s witness wasn’t good enough.  

So, Jesus has to show them that there was an even greater witness than John. He says, “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.” (John 5:36, ESV). He says, “Ok. John’s witness wasn’t good enough for you. So, I’ll give you an even better witness to who I am. Look at my works. They are a greater witness to who I am than even John. The things I’m doing should make it clear to you that I’m sent from the Father.” But, guess what, even that witness wasn’t good enough. The powerful, miraculous life of Jesus Christ wasn’t a good enough witness to cause these people to embrace him as Messiah. 

So, Jesus ramps things up another notch. If the witness of his life isn’t enough, how about the witness of the Father? He says, “There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true…The Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me.” (John 5:32, 37; ESV). Maybe that will be a good enough witness for them. You would think if the Father—the one who created the heavens and the earth—bears witness about Jesus, people would believe that witness. I mean, how much better can you get? Is there a better witness than the Father? 

It’s important to catch the way this is worded because it will set up the rest of this conversation between Jesus and the Jewish leaders. The last verse has a unique Greek tense to it that could be translated, “The Father who sent me has himself been bearing witness about me.” (John 5:37; ESV). Do you catch the slight difference? It’s pointing out the fact that the Father has been bearing witness to Jesus in the past and continues to bear witness to Jesus in the present. The past witness of the Father is the Old Testament. Throughout the Old Testament, the Father was pointing forward—bearing witness about Jesus Christ. Now, through Jesus’ life and words and actions, he is continuing to bear witness about Jesus. Yet, even with all of these powerful witnesses, they still refuse to believe. 

Why? What is their deal? What could possibly be preventing them from listening to all of these witnesses who have been continually pointing them to Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the Messiah? 

Jesus answers this question very pointedly to the Jewish leaders. He says, “His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent.” (John 5:37–38, ESV). Ouch! Jesus tells these Jewish leaders that they’ve NEVER heard the voice of God and they’ve NEVER seen God and they don’t even have God’s Word abiding in them. Think about that. Jesus is telling this to the religious leaders of the day—the top church scholars and pastors. He’s telling them that they’ve actually NEVER heard the voice of God and they don’t have the Word of God abiding in them. Why? Because they do not believe in Jesus. They do not believe in the one whom the Father sent. 

Jesus explains himself further saying, “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.” (John 5:39–40, ESV). He says, “Yeah, I know you’ve devoted your lives to studying God’s Word. I know that you’ve read it and memorized it and studied it and taught it for years and years and years. But you’ve missed the entire point. Everything that you were reading and studying and memorizing was pointing to me!!!” The entire Old Testament points to Jesus Christ. All of it. Yet they are rejecting the one to whom it all pointed, and Jesus is pointing out that it means they’ve missed the point. All of their studying and memorizing was pointless because they missed the main point. They missed Jesus. 

That’s why Jesus says they’ve never heard the voice of God. That’s why Jesus says they’ve never seen God. That’s why Jesus says they don’t have God’s Word abiding in them. Because they haven’t actually been reading and studying and memorizing God’s Word. If they had been actually reading and studying and memorizing God’s Word—truly doing these things—they would recognize Jesus as the Son of God, Messiah. 

So, what Jesus is telling them is that they are hypocrites. They say they believe God’s Word, but they really don’t. If they really believed God’s Word, they would believe in Jesus. They say they believe the Father and honor the Father, but if they really believed and honored the Father, they would believe the witness of the Father about Jesus, they would believe the Father’s inspired Word in the Old Testament about Jesus. But they don’t. They say they do, but they don’t. They are hypocrites and it is hindering them from truly believing in Jesus. 

Jesus keeps on going and takes another angle on this same point. He says, “Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”” (John 5:45–47, ESV). This is another great rebuke. It’s kinda like Jesus is saying, “Fine, you don’t think I am who I say I am and that means you don’t really care about the accusations I bring against you. I don’t have to be the one to accuse you of these things. Moses will accuse you of these things.” Everything Moses wrote was about Jesus. They claimed to believe Moses. They claimed to honor Moses. They even set their hope on Moses. Yet, they don’t actually believe or honor Moses, because they don’t believe and honor the one he wrote about. If they REALLY believed Moses, they would believe Jesus. That’s why Jesus is telling them, “The Moses that you honor and revere and claim to believe, will rise and accuse you because you’ve ignored him and everything he’s written about me.” And if they can’t even believe Moses’ words—if they can’t believe the words of the one they honor and respect and place their hope—how could they ever believe the words of Jesus—a man they despise?

That’s really the crux of this passage. How can you believe? Jesus says, “But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”” (John 5:47, ESV). Earlier he says something similar: “If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?” (John 5:43–44, ESV). How can they believe when they receive people who come in their own name, with their own glory, and their own authority How can they believe in Jesus when they continually seek glory and honor from one another? How can they believe in Jesus when they don’t actually seek the glory—care about the glory—that comes from the only God? 

John Calvin has a really powerful statement about this passage. He says, “This is a remarkable passage, which teaches that the gate of faith is shut against all whose hearts are preoccupied by a vain desire of earthly glory. For he who wishes to be somebody in the world must become wandering and unsteady, so that he will have no inclination towards God. Never is a man prepared to obey the heavenly doctrine, until he is convinced that his principal object, throughout his whole life, ought to be, that he may be approved by God.” (Calvin, 221-222). I encourage every one of you to go home, find the manuscript of this sermon online, write down this quote, and spend the next week meditating on it. That is such a powerful, convicting understanding of what Jesus is saying to these leaders. They will never come to Jesus until they start caring more about honoring and glorifying God, than being honored and glorified by other people. 

And that’s true for every one of us. That’s why the Apostle Paul says, “Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.” (1 Corinthians 3:18, ESV). Let me rephrase that a little bit for you, “If you think you’re a big deal. If you think you’re smarter and wiser than everyone around you. If you spend your life trying to get everyone else to think you’re smarter and wiser than you. If you spend your life seeking the glory and praise and honor of the people around you, you are fooling yourself. You’re not living in reality. If you really want to become wise—truly wise, not worldly wise—you need to get off your high horse and become a fool in the eyes of the world. You need to be despised and rejected by the world. Then, and only then, will you begin to be truly wise.” That’s why the Psalms say, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.” (Psalm 111:10, ESV). 

These things are the basis of true faith. Jesus says, “How can you believe if you only say you believe the Bible but don’t really believe it?” The answer is, you can’t. True faith does not come to God’s Word, picking and choosing what to believe and what to obey. True faith does not come to God’s Word acting like we’re the authority, or we’re the smartest person who has ever lived, or like we’re the ones who have honor and glory. No. True faith comes to God’s Word because we know we are fools, we know we are weak, and we are easily led astray. True faith comes to God’s Word with humility and longing for God to lead and guide us in this world. True faith comes to God’s Word looking for Jesus and the life he brings. 

Jesus also says, “How can you believe when you seek glory from one another and not God?” The answer is, you can’t. True faith does not go through life trying to elevate itself, always trying to find a higher position of honor and glory, always trying to have the world love and appreciate you. True faith is willing to see itself spit on and rejected by the world as long as it is bringing glory and honor to God. True faith is willing to be mocked and humiliated and made fools by the world as long as it is ultimately bringing glory and honor to God. That’s true faith. That’s the faith that leads to life. 

I want to end by sharing the last part of John Calvin’s quote because this needs to be the guiding principle of our lives. He says, “Never is a man prepared to obey the heavenly doctrine, until he is convinced that his principal object, throughout his whole life, ought to be, that he may be approved by God.” (Calvin, 222). Let that be our only aim in life that we would be approved of by God. Let that be the reason why we come to God’s Word by faith, that we would hear him speak, be corrected and rebuked, and walk away living a life that brings glory and honor to him. Let that be the reason you raise your family and go to work/school, that you would be approved of by God, and that he would receive honor and glory from your life and actions. Let this be the reason why we turn to Jesus Christ by faith, that we would be washed and cleansed and renewed to live a life that is approved by God and brings glory and honor to Him.