seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
John 5:31 “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. 32 There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is true.
33 “You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth. 34 Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved. 35 John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.
36 “I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing—testify that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, 38 nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. 39 You study[c] the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
41 “I do not accept glory from human beings, 42 but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God[d]?
45 “But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47 But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?”
c. John 5:39 Or 39 Study
d. John 5:44 Some early manuscripts the Only One
"You wouldn't believe the truth if it walked up to you and socked you in the jaw!" That's pretty much what Jesus was saying.
The Pharisees, Sadducees, temple leaders.... priests.... didn't believe that Jesus was the Messiah. So... since God didn't check in with them... and tell them what He was planning.... then it just wasn't so. They were His chosen ones... they knew the scripture inside and out.... and no carpenter from Nazareth was going to prove otherwise.
HOWEVER..... God did tell them..... first God told Moses what He was going to do. The Pharisees and the Sadducees knew those scriptures inside and out.... but since God didn't send them a personal announcement.... they were sure everything was the same. They were sure they were in charge of what people thought about God. They were the ones responsible for all the rules and regulation God left out of the scriptures..... the rules that required humans to be godly.
Then God aligned all the planets.... creating a huge "star" bright enough to light up the night as if it were day. On top of that a legion of Angels sang His praises to shepherds in the field. Those shepherds found the baby the Angels were singing about... just where the Angels told them to look.
Then God sent the three wise men.... nope... they weren't at the stable that night.... but they too used that "star" to find Jesus. Herod was so freaked out about the news that he ordered the slaughter of all babies born to descendants of Jacob [Israel] who were newborn to three years old. Herod believed the Messiah had been born.... but Herod thought he had "disposed" of the problem. I bet if you ask any of the parents of those slaughtered babies... they would have "testified".
I can see how the "water to wine" miracle was missed. It was a private ceremony.... but wait.... If Mary of Nazareth, Joseph's wife was there.... the bride or the groom must have been friends. Mary's cousin was married to a chief priest. I bet there were Pharisees or Sadducees at that wedding who drank the "fine wine". I guess they didn't get the memo.
I know the Pharisees and the Sadducees were aware of the healing at the pool in Bethesda. They were about to stone the old goat for picking up his mat on the Sabbath. He squealed like a pig about Jesus and how Jesus had "cured" the man after the man laid around by the pool for 38 years waiting for a miracle.
They knew Jesus was the Messiah because John the Baptist told them so. But the Pharisees and the Sadducees told John the Baptist that his baptisms were no more than a wordy bath in a dirty river. They were sure that God would have told them if the Messiah was here.
The Rebels had no clue Jesus was the Messiah. Jerusalem had been conquered. The Roman Government was in charge. There were a lot of descendants of Jacob [Israel] who were ready to run Rome out of there. They had been sharpening their swords because the Messiah was going to be coming and He would call his "troops" to run Rome our of Jerusalem..... but they were looking for a warrior... not a healer.... but John the Baptist told them the Messiah was here... and they were ready.
I dare say the Roman Government and the Temple leaders had the "news" on their mind every time they discussed the security matters involved in hosting those three huge Jewish holidays, Passover, Pentecost and Purim. When millions of male descendants along with their women and slaves would be required to travel to Jerusalem.... the Roman Soldiers and the Temple Leaders had to be ready for the crowds... and the "lurking" Messiah.
John, the author of this Gospel, was a close personal friend of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah. John is telling us what Jesus said. John tells us that Jesus was healing and teaching acceptance.
John was witnessing a peaceful rebellion led by the King of Kings.... and those around them didn't even realize it.
Back in the days of Jesus.... the law required three humans to "testify" against the accused. Jesus said, the scriptures written by Moses are all about the Messiah.... so Moses testified. The Angels testified. The three wise men testified. And the man at the pool at Bethesda testified.
God didn't send a personal announcement to the Temple Leaders because they were not God's Temple Leaders... they were bought and paid for by the Roman Government. They couldn't see the truth because they didn't want to see it.
They wouldn't believe the truth if it walked up and socked them in the jaw.... that's the truth.
