original statement. 1. JesUfJ repeats his declaration of a Divine Sonship. 2. He announces the principle of liis judgment-" as I hear, I judge "-which is the principle of nil true judgment. 3. He declares his judgment to be true, because it is based on his perfect knowledge of the Father's will, to which his own will is infallibly conformed. Vere. 31-40.-The witness to the Son. The Jews might retort that all Jesus affirmed respecting himself had no other support than his own words. His aaswer i~ thn.t there is a threefold witness in his favour. I. Oun LORD ADMITS THE NEED OF A DIVINE SANCTION'. "If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true." 1. This Witness ia God himself, thon;:?;h his name is not yet mentioned. 2. It is not John the Baptist. "Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. But I receive not testimony from man." (1) Our Lord, by this reference to the Baptist, implied that the Jews ought to have regarded his testimony as decisive upon the mission of Jesus. (2) His object in quoting the Baptist's testimony at all was the salvation of the Jews; for John proclaimed Jesus to be" the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world." "But these things I say, that ye may be saved." (3) He treats John's testimony as merely provisional. "I receive not testimony from man "...-ven though he be a prophet; for I have higher testimony. (4) The Jews are without excuse for rejecting Christ, for they delighted themselves for a time in John's ministry, which was essentially preparatory to that of Christ. "He was a burning and a shining lamp: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light." (a) John was a lamp that was joyous for a time, for the light and hope he diffused through Israel; (b) but a dying lamp, necessarily decreasing ( eh. iii. 30). The Jews regarded him with a strange cnriosity, but rejected his solemn warnings of repentance. II. THE FIRST OF THE THREE WITNESSES TO THE SoN. "But I have greater witness than John: for the works which my Father gave me to finish, the same works that I do bear witness of me, that the Father bath sent me." His miracles were his first witness. 1. The Jews could not deny the/act of the miracles. 2. The miracles were gifts of the Father to Jesus, and yet works of Jesus himself. 3. They were sigw to authenticate the Divine Messe11ge1·. III. THE SECOND OF 'l'HE THREE WITNESSES. "And the Father himself, which bath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape." Jesus here refers to the Father's testimony at his baptism," This is my well-beloved Son." IV. 'l'HE THIRD OF THE THREE WITNESSES. "And ye have not his Word abiding in you : for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not." This is the revelation contained in Old Testament Scripture. Jesus implies that he is mirrored in that Scripture. 1. Consider the importance of searching the Scriptur!UI. " Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." (1) The Scriptures are to be made the object of deep search, not mere casual reading. They contaiu many deep mysteries to task the intellect of man. (2) 'fhey contain the knowledge of salvation. (a) 'l'he way of salvation was the same under both dispensa- tions. (b) It Wll.S attained through knowledge ; for "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing; by the Word of God." 2. There is a possibility of men studying the Scriptures and yet refecting the salvation offered in it. "Ye will not come unto me, that ye might have life." Man possesses the dread power of rejecting life.
Vera. 41-47.-Tlie cause and the end of Jewish unbelief. Jesus has just declared that the Jews will not come to him, and now he reveals its cause. I. THE 0AUSE OF THEIR UNBELIEF. "I know that ye have not the love of God in you." 1. This love would oblige them to seek honO'Ur only from God, and thus appreciate the glory the Father has given to the Son. 2. Jesus has no concern /qr man's praise or report, for the Father's testimony is all-sufficient. '' I receive not honour from men." 3. The Jews could not receive this testimony, because human considerations had blinded their eyes. "How can ye believe, who receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour which cometh from God only?" 4. Mark the readin1U1s of th~ Jews to nceive falae Messiahs. "If another shall come in his own name, him ye will 230 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOUN. [en. v. 1-47
rC'crive." Sixty-fonr false Messia.hs ha.ve appea.red at varione periods to receive the tcmpornry homn.ge of the Jews. JI. THE EKD OF JEWISII UNBELIEF-<XJNDEMNATION TIIROUGII MOSES IIIMBELF, 1. The tm,e a.ccusPT of the Jews. (1) Not Jesus, for he is Judge, not accuser. "Do not ~uppose that I will accuse you." (2) But Moses, their libcrntor and 1u:lvocnto. "Thero is one that accuseth you, even Moses, on whom ye have set your hope." 2. Tlie connec- twn between faith in Jesus and faith in Moses. "For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me." (1) Our Lord implies that Moses was the writer of the Penta.teuch. (2) He implies that the whole system-promises, types, t<ymbolic institutions of the Law, as presented in the Mosaic writings-found their true fulfilruent in himself. Moses truly wrote of Jesus in the memorable prophecy, "I will raise them up a Prophet like unto thee" (Deut. xviii .. 18). (3) Disbelief in Moses carried with it a necessary disbelief in Christ. "If ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?" (a) The writings of :Moses might be regarded as possessin"" greater weight, because they were contained in a book, than mere words of mouth. (b) They had all the prestige of age and usage. If, therefore, they were rejected in their true import, how could the Jews be expected to receive the oral teaching of him to whom the writings bore witness?