In John 5, Jesus calls upon one more witness to His Godship and His deity. After using a physical testimony like John the Baptist, the miraculous testimony of the works in His ministry, and the spiritual testimony of God the Father, Jesus finally calls upon the scriptural testimony of God’s Word.

Of course, at that time, He would have been talking about the Old Testament. But this Jewish law is something that the religious leaders were well versed in. The Old Testament was something that they knew backwards and forwards; knowledge that they used on a daily basis.

Calling your father to the stand might seem like a weak defense. In most cases where a father is involved in their son’s life, they love him and see the best in him. We’ve all grown up and had a parent gas us up when we’re down. They say we’re smart, or beautiful, or creative, or awesome, and the common response is, “You HAVE to say that. You’re the parent.” 

And yes, our parents can have rose-colored glasses when it comes to our abilities or aptitudes. But they also know us better than most people. A good parent has been there for it all. They’ve seen every report card, every dance recital and soccer game; they’re there for every skinned knee, birthday, and hard knock. So a good parent would know your character, your history, and be an advocate for you.

In John 5, Jesus is calling attention to several sources that bear witness to His Godship. Standing in front of the Pharisees, Jesus appeals to several references that the Pharisees should affirm, either because of their position in Jewish leadership or because of their educated backgrounds.

The first witness Jesus uses is John the Baptist. He reminds them that John declared that Jesus was the Messiah the world had been waiting for, the Promised Savior God ordained for us to put our faith in. John was like a light on a lampstand. He proclaimed the coming Christ for the whole of his life. Jesus reminds the Pharisees that they embraced John’s testimony that the Messiah had almost arrived because they were expecting God to send Jesus in a different way.

Have you ever seen a trial where the only witness to take the stand is the accused? Have you ever read a research paper where only one source is used? Have you ever made a big purchase based on one review?

No. The trial would be weakly argued, the paper would probably fail due to lack of evidence to support your claim, and one review is not enough to know the full scope of a product.

Hey Pops, Thank you for always being steady, even when I am not. Even when the world is not. Even when my circumstances are not. You have always been over all, in all, and walking with me through everything. There was never a day where you weren’t there, holding me together. There was never a moment when you didn’t know the outcome. There was never a second where you were taken by surprise.