John 5:31-47, CEB
“If I testify about myself, my testimony isn’t true. There is someone else who testifies about me, and I know his testimony about me is true. You sent a delegation to John, and he testified to the truth. Although I don’t accept human testimony, I say these things so that you can be saved. John was a burning and shining lamp, and, at least for a while, you were willing to celebrate in his light.
“I have a witness greater than John’s testimony. The Father has given me works to do so that I might complete them. These works I do testify about me that the Father sent me. And the Father who sent me testifies about me. You have never even heard his voice or seen his form, and you don’t have his word dwelling with you because you don’t believe the one whom he has sent. Examine the scriptures, since you think that in them you have eternal life. They also testify about me, yet you don’t want to come to me so that you can have life.
“I don’t accept praise from people, but I know you, that you don’t have God’s love in you. I have come in my Father’s name, and you don’t receive me. If others come in their own name, you receive them. How can you believe when you receive praise from each other but don’t seek the praise that comes from the only God?
“Don’t think that I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, the one in whom your hope rests. If you believed Moses, you would believe me, because Moses wrote about me. If you don’t believe the writings of Moses, how will you believe my words?”
Jesus is still speaking to the religious leaders in response to their questioning Him about healing on a Sabbath. At this point in Jesus’ monologue, they would already be even more enflamed than they were immediately after the miracle because he used the term Son of Man to refer to himself. The leaders would not miss the direct reference to Old Testament passages like Daniel 7, which we quoted in the last reflection. This explains their murderous feelings for Jesus. Jesus has claimed divine authority and oneness with God. This is blasphemy from the leaders’ perspective, but as Jesus continues, He explains why they should know that He is speaking the truth.
John testified about who Jesus is. Jesus’ miracles and signs have testified to who Jesus is. All the scripture that these leaders hold dear point to Jesus. If they were listening, they would know who Jesus is. This is the first direct conversation with the religious leaders in this gospel, but it will not be the last.
Though these words are addressed to religious officials, we should all take them to heart. When we become invested in our own ideas and convictions, it is easy to become blinded to new truth emerging all around us that calls our preconceptions into question. When God is doing something new, we tend to cling to what God had done before. But doing so will leave us on the wrong side of God’s witnesses. Jesus warns the leaders that they will one day know the wrongness of their position, when Moses himself accuses them before God.
I have often thought of this passage when I think about the time someday when I will stand before God. At that moment, I know I will be aware of the all the things I was wrong about, all the people I was wrong about, and all the truth I missed because I was blinded by my own hubris. I’m not smarter than the smartest religious minds of Jesus day. Though that is in my “future,” I am as sure that it will happen as I am sure of what I ate for dinner last night. My prayer is that knowing about this future moment will make me more humble and the list of things that I was stubbornly wrong about a lot shorter.
Questions: Have you ever considered the conversation you and God will have someday after your time here is through? Does the thought of that affect how you live now. If so, how?
Prayer: Lord, forgive me for my hardheartedness and stubbornness to what You are doing in and around me. Teach me humility. Amen.
Prayer Focus: Pray for God to bless people with whom you disagree today.
Song: Praise the Lord – Crowder
Weekday Word w/ Eric 
Leave a comment