The Testimony of the Scriptures About Jesus

The Gospel of John, chapter 5, we begin reading in verse 19 and read through verse 40.! The Jews were upset that Jesus was healing on the Sabbath.

! They were upset that He was claiming to be the Son of God. And here we have His reply given to them. John 5, beginning in verse 19. This is God's Word.

Jesus gave them this answer, I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by Himself. He can only do what He sees His Father doing. Because whatever the Father does, the Son also does.

For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all He does. Yes, to your amazement, He will show Him even greater things than these. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom He is pleased to give it.

Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son. That all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.

I tell you the truth, whoever hears My Word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned. He is crossed over from death to life.

I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Son has life in Himself, for as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself.

And He has given Him authority to judge because He is the Son of Man. Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice and come out.

Those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. By myself I can do nothing. I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself, but Him who sent me.

If I testify about myself, my testimony is not valid. There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is valid. You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth.

Not that I accept human testimony, but I mention it that you may be saved. John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light. 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. 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 in you, for you do not believe the one He sent. You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life.

These are the Scriptures that testify about me. Yet you refuse to come to me to have life. It just occurred to me as I'm standing here looking down, my good friend Gordon Hawkins used to say that Martin Lloyd-Jones never looked up until he began to preach.

I was just thinking of that about looking down here at the pulpit. Well, if your Bibles aren't still open to John 5, please turn there. Beginning with verse 31 of John 5 and reading through verse 40, the words testify or testimony were mentioned 10 times.

And those of you who are reading the King James Version or the New King James Version, in your version, bear witness or witness were 11 times in that text.

So quite obviously this is the key thought of this passage, beginning with verse 31. My own thoughts regarding speaking on this subject this afternoon began about four or five weeks ago after receiving a request from Pastor John to do it.

At about the same time, I received a summons from South Bend to appear for jury duty on the 4th of August. So the subject of witnesses and testimonies has been in my thoughts a lot of late, as it was apparently in the Apostle John's thoughts when he penned the portion of this gospel, of his gospel.

So before we begin, before we delve into this message this afternoon, I'll give you a dictionary definition of the words testify, testimony, bear witness or witness.

A declaration or statement made under oath by a witness in a court. A statement affirming a person's qualifications, character, etc.

To make a serious declaration. To substantiate a fact. To give evidence. You and I have need of someone or something written to testify or to bear witness on our behalf when we are challenged by someone regarding the truthfulness of something we may have said or done.

Sometimes we need someone or something to testify that we are who we say we are. If you've ever been wrongfully accused of doing something you didn't do, you know how beneficial it is to have someone to stand up and testify on your behalf.

To bear witness and give evidence that you did not do that which you are being accused of doing. Most, if not all, of we adults at one time or another have had need of a reference.

Someone to testify regarding our character or our qualifications. Here in John chapter 5, the Lord Jesus is presenting references or witnesses to testify or to bear witness on his behalf.

Now the need for this can be seen in verses 21 through 26 wherein the Lord Jesus has been making some extraordinary claims. For example, in verse 21 he says that he, the Son, gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.

In verse 22 he says the Father has entrusted all judgment to the Son. And then in verse 26 he says as the Father has life in himself so he has given the Son to have life in himself.

Those are pretty extraordinary claims. Certainly it would seem appropriate to ask who is he? Who is the one that makes such claims? Has not the law said that every matter must be established by the testimony of two or more witnesses?

So, therefore we should not be surprised that in our text claims of our Lord Jesus, the claims of our Lord Jesus are supported by testimonies or witnesses regarding himself.

The Lord Jesus Christ brings forth four different witnesses. Four kinds of evidence are offered. Four testifiers.

Beginning with that one who was sent to prepare the way before him. John the Baptist. Verses 33 through 35. Secondly, the miraculous works Jesus himself had done testify on his behalf.

Verse 36. Nicodemus recognized the weight of this testimony when he said two chapters earlier, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God for no one could perform the miraculous signs that you are doing if God were not with him.

Then the third testifier is God the Father. Verse 37. God the Father who spoke audibly from heaven at the Lord's baptism saying, You are my son whom I have and whom I love.

With you I am well pleased. And then there's the fourth and final witness or testifier. And this is the witness or testifier that we'll be directing our attention to this afternoon.

The written word spoken by God through his Holy Spirit to the human writers of the Holy Scriptures. Follow along as I read verse 39 again.

You diligently study or some versions may say or study diligently diligently the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life.

These are the Scriptures that testify about me. The Scriptures of which our Lord Jesus is speaking of here in verse 39 are the Old Testament Scriptures.

Far too many in the Christian church in the Christian church today overlook this great truth and that is that all of the Bible cover to cover is meant to teach us you and I about the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Scriptures all the Scriptures testify about him. Pastor Aaron mentioned Charles Bridges this morning he happens to be my favorite writer and a quote another quote from him is our chief motive for searching the Scriptures is because they testify of our Lord Jesus Christ.

That's the chief reason that we search the Scriptures. Why is it that we we Christians in our day see so little of Christ in the Old Testament?

Perhaps it's because we do not know the Scriptures. perhaps it's because we do not search the Scriptures. Searching requires digging digging deep down into the gold mine of Scripture.

Getting to the root of the matter. The root of all error is ignorance of the Scriptures.

Jesus himself said to the Sadducees you are in error because you do not know the Scriptures. The church of our day isn't alone in its failure to see Jesus in the Old Testament.

The Jews who had been entrusted with the very oracles of God the Old Testament Scriptures were ignorant of them. Jesus Christ the very one the Scriptures were pointing to was standing before them yet they did not recognize him.

they didn't recognize the living word of God nor did they recognize him as he made himself known in the written word of God. They called God their only father not realizing that he was in their midst and though they themselves called God their father the Lord Jesus told them in verses 37 and 38 that they have never heard the father's voice nor seen his form nor does his word dwell or abide in them.

So though many of the Jews searched the Scriptures diligently studying them they did not understand them. They did not believe what they had to say about the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now mark your place. We'll be returning to John 5 in just a bit and turn back just a few pages in my Bible to Luke chapter 24.

Turn back to Luke 24. I'm going to ask you to use your Bibles much more often than I usually do this afternoon. The very nature of this message requires us to turn up several passages so prepare to use your Bibles.

Here in Luke 24 our Lord Jesus shortly after his resurrection is walking along the road to Emmaus with two people two Jews listening to them speak about himself.

He was listening to them speak about himself. Follow along as I read beginning at verse 13 of Luke 24. Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus about seven miles from Jerusalem.

They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them. But they were kept from recognizing him.

Their eyes were restrained or prevented from recognizing Jesus. They did not know him. Now here is an example of people knowing of Jesus, talking about Jesus, yet not knowing him.

the two were downcast yet amazed because they had been told that Jesus was alive. As they walked along together, Jesus asked them a couple of questions and then in verse 25, he says, how foolish you are and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken.

Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory? And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the scriptures concerning himself.

How would you like to have listened into that conversation? That would have been a good one. We'd all love to have heard what the Lord Jesus had to say. Jesus explained to them how the Old Testament scriptures testify about himself.

And even though their hearts burned within them while he talked with them on the road and opened the scriptures to them as they ate together, they still did not know who he was.

until verse 31. In verse 31 we read, Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him and he disappeared from their sight.

Prior to this they did not know Jesus. They were kept from recognizing him. But God, God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in their hearts to give them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Then speaking to his disciples in verses 44 and 45, we read, This is what I told you while I was still with you. Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms.

Then he opened their minds so that they could understand the scripture. scripture. And may he be pleased to open our eyes, our minds, and our understanding as we search the scriptures a bit this afternoon.

The New Testament makes it abundantly clear, not only here in Luke 24 and John 5, but in many other texts that the Old Testament points forward to, it testifies of, the Lord Jesus Christ.

And we see it again in the Acts of the Apostles, which was also written by this same Luke, having been inspired to do so by the Holy Spirit. Let me give you one example from the Acts, there are plenty there.

Acts 28, 23, From morning till evening, he, Paul, Paul explained and declared to them the kingdom of God, and tried to convince them about Jesus from the law of Moses, Moses, and from the prophets.

Paul explained to them about Jesus, from the law of Moses, and from the prophets. Very clearly, the Old Testament prophets, who were, for the most part, were the divinely inspired writers of the Old Testament scriptures, they were writing about, or maybe I should say, they were bearing witness of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Even as Peter says in chapter 1 of his first letter, it was the spirit of Christ in them, it was the spirit of Christ in the prophets who was inspiring them to write, signifying to them the sufferings of Christ and the following glories.

Well, let's now turn to the Old Testament, turn to Genesis, right at the very beginning, Genesis chapter 1. Let's turn there and see for ourselves that they do indeed bear witness or testify of our Lord Jesus.

Genesis chapter 1. Let's start at the very beginning. Verse 1. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Three different New Testament writers, the Apostle Paul, the Apostle John, and the writer of Hebrews, testify that this, Genesis 1.1, is speaking of our Lord Jesus Christ.

John 1, for example, verses 1 through 3, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, the same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him there was nothing made that was made.

And then in verse 14 of that same text, and the Word was made flesh and dwelled among us. The Word was made flesh and dwelled among us.

The Word that was made flesh made the world. The Word that was made flesh made the world. Then in Hebrews chapter 1 verse 10, God the Father says, speaking of the Son, the Lord Jesus, in the beginning, the writer of Hebrews says, let me say that a little slower, God the Father says, speaking of the Son, the Lord Jesus, in the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.

again, that's the Father speaking to the Son. The inspired Apostle Paul writes in Colossians 1, verse 16, by him, by Jesus, all things were created, things in heaven and earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities, all things were created by him and for him.

he, Jesus, is before all things. Remember John 5, verse 26, as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself.

As God speaks in Genesis 1, 26, we read, we see reference to the Lord Jesus Christ. Then God said, let us make man in our image, in our likeness, us and our, not me and my, making clear, clear reference to the trinity of persons in the Godhead, including God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom dwells all of the fullness of the Godhead bodily or in bodily form.

Genesis 1, 1 and Genesis 1, 26 do indeed testify of our Lord Jesus Christ. We'll be returning to Genesis in a few minutes, but now turn with me to Psalm 33, please.

Psalm 33. As Pastor Aaron spoke, said last week, I believe it was, look for Christ in the Psalms. He's everywhere in the Psalms, said Pastor Aaron, and he's absolutely right, and we're going to see him in this Psalm.

I want you to pay particular attention to the phrase the word of the Lord, as I read beginning with verse 4 through 6. Look for that phrase the word of the Lord.

For the word of the Lord is right and true. He is faithful in all he does. The Lord loves righteousness and justice. The earth is full of his unfailing love.

By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. Is not the word of the Lord speaking of the word which became flesh and dwelled among us?

The Lord Jesus who in Revelation 19.13 is called the word of God. Look again at verse 6. I'll read it one more time.

By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Remember John 1, in the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God, the same was in the beginning with God.

All things were made by him, without him was nothing made that was made. Nothing was made except what Jesus made, the word of God.

Now let's turn back again in our Bibles. I'm sorry to go backwards on you, but it seemed to work better that way through Genesis chapter 15. Genesis 15.

Again, I ask you to look for this phrase, the word of the Lord, as I read verses 1 through 4. After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision.

Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield, your very great reward. But Abram said, O sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless, and the one who will inherit my estate is Eleazar of Damascus?

And Abram said, You have given me no children, so a servant in my household will be my heir. Then the word of the Lord came to him, This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.

Twice we read of the word of the Lord coming to Abram. verses 1 and 4. Then in verse 5 we read, He took him outside and said, Look up at the heavens and count the stars, if indeed you can count them.

Then he said to him, So shall your offspring be. He took him, Abraham, outside. He said to him, Are not the he's of verse 5, the word of the Lord, verse 4, a person, not merely a voice.

He, a person, takes Abraham outside, verse 5, he, a person, speaks to Abraham, verses 5, 7, 9, and 13 through 16.

The he who speaks to Abraham in each of these verses is the same he who credits to Abraham's account his righteousness, verse 6. And in verse 7, refers to himself as the Lord, Yahweh.

He is the word of the Lord who came to Abraham in verse 4, and took him outside, verse 5. And that he is the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Old Testament scriptures most certainly do bear witness or testify of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ. Now, maybe or just perhaps this could help some of you here this afternoon to better understand a passage like John 8, verses 56 through 58, where Jesus says, your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day.

He saw it and was glad. And the Jews said, you are not yet 50 years old and you've seen Abraham? Jesus says, I tell you, excuse me, Abraham, excuse me, that's Jesus said, I tell you the truth.

Before Abraham was, I am. Before Abraham was, I am. Okay, let's turn one more time, might be two, to Jeremiah chapter 1.

Jeremiah chapter 1. The Old Testament bears witness of the New Testament in many ways. There's witness of Jesus in many ways.

We're just looking at a small example here, but in many ways. Jeremiah chapter 1, I'll read beginning at verse 4. The word of the Lord came to me, saying, Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.

before you were born, I set you apart. I appointed you as a prophet to the nations. Ah, sovereign Lord, I said, I do not know how to speak, I'm only a child.

But the Lord said to me, Do not say I'm only a child, you must go to everyone I send you and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you, declares the Lord.

Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said, Now I have put my words in your mouth.

The word of the Lord, which came to Jeremiah, verse 4, reached out his hand and touched Jeremiah's mouth and spoke to Jeremiah, and verse 9.

I want to encourage each of you to consider this phrase, the word of the Lord, every time you come across it in your reading of the Old Testament. Every time you come across this phrase, the word of the Lord in the Old Testament, think about it.

Is this testifying of Jesus? Is this speaking of Jesus? That phrase appears hundreds of times in the Old Testament, over 40 times in Ezekiel alone.

Well, let's get back to John 5 now. John chapter 5. Get back to where we started from. Let me read again verse 39.

You study diligently, or again it can be translated, or study diligently the scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life.

These are the scriptures that testify about me. The scriptures, all of the scriptures, the Old Testament scriptures included, do indeed testify of Jesus.

The Lord Jesus is the beginning and the end, the Alpha and the Omega of the Bible. He's the constant theme of the scriptures. They were written for the primary purpose of testifying about him.

Verse 39 of John 5 could be and indeed is translated as an imperative in the King James version. Do it. Study. Diligently study.

In the NIV and the New King James version is translated as a statement. Either way though, it doesn't matter. Since Jesus tells us plainly that they are the scriptures that testify of him, that's all the reason that we need to diligently study them or search them.

A Christian is a follower of Christ. He follows Christ's example and he follows his teachings. These are all found in the scriptures.

A Christian diligently studies. He searches the scriptures because they testify about his precious Lord Jesus Christ.

Now certainly it goes without saying you could search the scriptures and still be lost even as the Jews Jesus is speaking to in the next verse verse 40.

They refuse to come to Jesus to have life. So they search the scriptures but they're lost because they refuse to come to Jesus.

However the opposite folks and this is very important the opposite is not true. You cannot be a Christian and habitually neglect the scriptures.

The scriptures the word of God the Bible is a Christian's treasure. It's our treasure. Jesus is our treasure. He is the pearl of great price. Great price.

He is precious to us and the written word the scriptures are precious to us as well. More precious than gold than thousands of pieces of silver and gold David said.

Because they testify and bear witness of our precious Lord Jesus.

The Christ of the scriptures like all valuable treasures is hidden and to find this precious treasure requires work work.

We've got to dig. But unlike all other treasures this treasure himself guides and directs searchers to himself even as he did the two on the road to Emmaus opening their eyes so they might know him opening their minds so they could understand the scriptures you and I each one of us each one of us need to pray to plead with Jesus to open our eyes and to open our minds and oh that we might all plead for grace to search to diligently study the Bible with Jesus as both our teacher and our lesson Jesus is found in all of the scriptures cover to cover from Genesis to Revelation seek him and you will find him as

I close listen to the words of Revelation chapter 19 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse whose rider is called faithful and true with justice he judges and makes war his eyes are like blazing fire and on his head are many crowns he has a name written on them that no one knows but he himself he is dressed in a robe dipped in blood and his name is the word of God brothers and sisters the scriptures testify of the Lord Jesus Christ from cover to cover it's my hope that each of us here this afternoon will diligently study the scriptures showing ourselves to be approved of God let's pray father thank you so very much for your precious and your blessed word work in us father work in us so that we would become diligent searchers of the scriptures men and women boys and girls who do indeed treasure the word of the

Lord the Lord Jesus Christ in whose name we pray amen may