"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" (John 5:31-32).
The book of John was written to demonstrate that Jesus is the Son of God. There are seven things referenced in John that bear witness to this wonderful truth. In our text the Lord recalls the law of Moses. Deuteronomy 19:15 states that "at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established."
The first witness of the divine nature of Christ is John the Baptist, who said, "And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God" (John 1:34). Secondly, Christ Himself witnessed, "Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true" (8:14). Thirdly, the Father placed His stamp of approval on the claims of Christ (5:37) at the baptism and thereafter.
The Old Testament prophets' specific identification of the Messiah was the fourth witness. Christ challenged, "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me" (5:39). Then Christ claimed that His miracles validated His claims: "the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me" (10:25).
Sixthly, the Holy Spirit bore witness of the Savior (15:26). Lastly, believers all over the world whose lives are transformed bear witness to the authenticity of the gospel message and the supernatural power of Jesus Christ. "And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning" (15:27). By giving far more than the requisite two or three witnesses, John concludes, "these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God" (20:31). DW
