JOHN LESSON 15

     We will begin this lesson in John 5:30.

     V-30, "I can of mine own self do nothing: was I hear, I
judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but
the will of the Father which hath sent me."

     Jesus is saying here that Son of man or His flesh is not where
the power is. His power is from His Spirit which is of God. His will
is the Father's will. Jesus is in perfect harmony with the Father.
One of the last statements Jesus expresses in prayer to the Father
before His death on the cross is, "Nevertheless not my will but thine
be done". Jesus never varied from the Father's will at all. It was His
will, as well.

     V-31, "If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true."

     V-32, "There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know
that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true."

     By two witnesses a thing shall be established. God made
this rule; He lives by His own rules. When the Father spoke from
heaven at Jesus' baptism and the Dove of the Holy Spirit lit on Him,
that was two witnesses. Of course, a witness is also the Word. There
is no question who He is. It is proven over and over.

     V-33, "Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth."

     This is John the Baptist and he is actually the third witness and
Jesus is the fourth. John's whole ministry was to tell who Jesus
was. John was a voice (spoken Word) in the wilderness proclaiming the
coming of Christ.

     V-34, "But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I
say, that ye might be saved."

     John was a true witness, nothing more. John's message was to
those who would believe and accept Jesus as Messiah (Christ) their
Saviour. Had the Jews really listened and believed John, they would
have become Christians. Jesus says, "I really don't need the testimony
of man, but I tell you this because you hold John the Baptist in such
high esteem, and I want you to believe and be saved".

     V-35, "He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing
for a season to rejoice in his light."

     This, too, is speaking of John the Baptist. A great number of
people did believe John and were baptized. You hear nothing at all of
John's personal life. I don't believe he had one. I believe he was a
man with a mission for God and that is all he did. He did enlighten
many to the fact that Jesus was Messiah. John the Baptist never
wavered. He was faithful to death. John brought a light of the
knowledge of who Jesus was. People believed him until he
was beheaded. He was in his thirties when he was killed.

     V-36, "But I have greater witness than that of John: for the
works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I
do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me."

     In St. John 14:11 we read, "Believe me that I am in the Father,
and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works
sake." Just take a look at the works. No man before or since, has ever
done the miracles that Jesus did. John 21:25 says, "And there are also
many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be
written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not
contain the books that should be written.  Amen." Jesus opened blind
eyes, made the lame to walk, loosed tongues that could not speak,
opened deaf ears, raised the dead, freed those possessed of demons,
turned the water into wine, walked on the sea, spoke to the sea and it
obeyed. You see, the works of Jesus were the greatest witness of all.

     V-37, "And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne
witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen
his shape."

     The Father's voice had been heard by the disciples, so this was
spoken to the doubting Jews here. The Father on two occasions said
from heaven, "This is my beloved Son". The apostles Peter, James, and
John heard His voice. John the Baptist heard the voice from heaven at
the baptism, also. The Father witnessd, as well, as we see here. The
Word in the prophecies of the Old Testament was a witness, as well.
Over thirty times Jesus (Messiah) was prophesied.

     V-38, "And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath
sent, him ye believe not."

     This is saying, "You self-righteous religious people who claim to
know the Word of God, you don't know anything. You didn't believe the
prophets, and you didn't believe John the Baptist."

     V-39, "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have
eternal life: and they are they which testify of me."

     Here is another reprimand. Jesus says, "You claim to know the
Scriptures, but you better go back and study them all over again.
You don't know what they say. You are just reading words and you do
not know what they mean. You think you have eternal life, but look
again. You have overlooked the one who can give you eternal life".

     V-40, "And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life."

     Jesus offered salvation to the Jew first and then to the
Gentile. The Jews did not accept Him as a whole. Of course a few did,
but not the great majority.

     V-41, "I receive not honour from men."

     Jesus received everything but honor from men when He was on the
earth, but He will come again as King of kings and Lord of lords and
then they will honor Him.

     V-42, "But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you."

     Man looks on the outward appearance, but Jesus looks on the
heart. Jesus knows they have no love in their heart for Him. They
don't love anyone but themselves. They are puffed up with pride and
are jealous of Jesus.

     V-43, "I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if
another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive."

     Jesus means Jehovah Saviour. Jesus explains here that there will
be false Christs they will believe, because they want a fleshly ruler
and not a ruler of love. Jesus was not the warrior King they wanted to
overthrow the Romans and take power. Their problem was, they were
looking for a ruler that would rule with iron. They will get this, but
he will be antichrist.

     V-44, "How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another,
and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?"

     These religious rulers were looking for praise and honour on this
earth from men. Jesus had told them they liked the upper most room at
the banquets. He called them whited walls, pretending to be God's
people on the outside, but actually dead inside. They were not
looking for praises from God, but from man.

     V-45, "Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there
is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust."

     Jesus tells them here that if they do not accept grace from Him,
they will be judged by the Law of Moses. Jesus will not have to accuse
them. If they are to live by the law, they will be judged by the
law. No man can live up to the law.

     V-46, "For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for
he wrote of me."

     The first promise of the coming of Jesus is in Moses'
writings. Genesis 3:15 promises Jesus will be the seed of woman and
not of man. In Exodus, nearly everything in the holy place symbolizes
Jesus. In fact, all five of Moses' books are filled with the Lord. In
verse 47, we see the two witnesses, the spoken and the written
Word. Jesus is both.

     V-47, "But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe
my words?"

     Jesus says, "Even though you say you follow Moses, you do not
believe what he wrote, because he wrote of me. If you do not believe
what he wrote of me, of course you will not hear what I say".
                           John 15 Questions

1.  Why does Jesus say His judgement is just?
2.  In verse 30, what is Jesus saying when He calls Himself Son of
    man?
3.  In verse 31, what principle is Jesus teaching?
4.  How many witnesses prove a thing?
5.  What two at Jesus' baptism were enough witnesses?
6.  In verse 33, who is the witness?
7.  Had the Jews really believed John, they would have been
    _________________.
8.  Why had Jesus used John the Baptist as witness?
9.  Who was a burning and shining light?
10. How was John killed?
11. Approximately how old was John the Baptist when he was killed?
12. What was a greater witness than John?
13. In St. John 14:11, what did Jesus say believe Him for?
14. How many miracles did Jesus do?
15. Who did Jesus tell that they had never seen the face of the Father
    nor heard His voice?
16. Who had heard the voice of the Father?
17. What in the prophecies of the Old Testament witnessed of Jesus?
18. Who was Jesus speaking to in verse 38?
19. What did He tell them to do in verse 39?
20. Why can they not receive life?
21. Who did Jesus say He did not receive honor from?
22. When will they honor Him?
23. Jesus sees in their heart and sees what?
24. Whose name did Jesus come in?
25. Whose honor do these Jews seek?
26. Who will accuse them to the Father?
27. What had Moses told them that they do not believe?
28. Where is the first promise of the coming Messiah?
29. In verse 47, what two witnesses do we see?
30. Jesus said, "If you do not believe what Moses wrote, of course you
    will not believe?  _______________    _______________".

                                 Notes