Life was in the holy Scriptures. Before you contest this, let’s read what Jesus says.
The Law of Validation as set in the Torah is that a matter was not established without the basis of 2-3 witnesses. Many make claims, but where are the witnesses?
Jesus even said this. “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true” John 5:31.
Jesus said he has three main witnesses.
1) John the Baptist
John was a witness. Now John wasn’t just an average Joe saying saying Jesus was the Son of God. John was the fulfillment of Scritpure, the voice of One calling out in the wilderness. He was the fulfillment of the Isaiah promises. So his testimony becomes far more significant because of this. He himself had his own testimony.
But Jesus, “I have testimony weightier than that of John” (v. 36).
2) His works
His works involved many things. It was his life, his preaching, his healing, his deliverance of people.
Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father” (John 10:37-38).
We can regularly see that the miraculous things Jesus did where things he said should validate belief. Who can raise the dead? Cleanse the leper? Heal the blind? Only Jesus. Yet, they still did not believe.
3) The Father (v, 37).
It says the Father testifies concerning him. And we do see that.
At Jesus’ baptism, the Father endorsed the Son (Mt 3:17). He validated He was the Son of God in whom he was well-pleased.
So Jesus has three witnesses – John the Baptist, his miracles and works, and the Father himself. Yet still they would not believe. Jesus said God’s word does not dwell in them because they do not believe the one that he sent (v. 38).
Jesus confronted them because they seemed to accept everyone else. Especially if that person was praised and the other person would praise them back. They were respect hungry. And Jesus was confrontive of their sins and they did not receive him the same way.
But should they have rejected Jesus? The religious leaders had spent the entirety of their lives studying the Scriptures. How is it, then, that they missed Jesus?
For some reason, they thought that the Scriptures themselves were the source of life. Or that somehow doing good was the source of life. Neither is correct.
Jesus says that only He is the source of life. The Scriptures point to him. They are a like a sign post. But they are not life. Jesus, whom they point to, is life.
At this point Jesus gives them one more witness, and it is the very person they claim to revere and follow. That person is Moses and the writings. The Torah. Jesus said, Moses was their accuser because Moses had pointed to him.
The religious leaders had spent the entirety of their lives studying Moses. Now Jesus comes along and tells them they don’t even believe Moses. If they had, they would believe in him.
Wow. What a strong rebuke.
But he is right. It’s all right there. We see in Deuteronomy 18:18 where the Scripture clearly predicts the prophet to come. And we read in Acts 3 that validates this specific verse that it was about Jesus (Acts 3:23).
Instead of repenting, they got their pride hurt. They were angry they didn’t get the respect they craved. And so they set out to kill him.
If Jesus were to confront us, would we repent?
Or would we dig in.
John 5:31-47
“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 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?”