Jesus and the Judgment by Works (John 5.27-29)

John 5:30-36

5:30“I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. ³¹ If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true. ³² There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. ³³ You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. ³⁴ Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. ³⁵ He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. ³⁶ But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John.”

1. Why would Jesus say, “If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true” in John 5:31?
2. What biblical principle do we discover from Numbers 35:30, Deuteronomy 17:6, Deuteronomy 19:15, Matthew 18:15-16, Hebrews 10:28, 1 Timothy 5:19, and 2 Corinthians 13:1?
3. What does Jesus mean by saying, “In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true” in John 8:17-18?
4. In the verses ahead, Jesus will use the word “witness” or “testimony” a number of times. The Greek word underlying these English words is martureo, the word we get ‘martyr’ from. How are “witness,” “testimony,” and ‘martyr’ connected? Read Revelation 6:9. Any thoughts? The word martureo (in both its verb and noun forms) occurs a whopping 47 times in John’s Gospel alone and 137 times in all of his writings combined! Why might this be? Consider this question in light of John 20:30-31.
5. What is the identity of the “another” whom Jesus calls as His 1^st witness in John 5:32? Who might this mysterious “another” be?
6. The 2^nd witness Jesus calls is John the Baptizer. “He was a burning & shining lamp,” He says in 5:35. What’s the difference between a “lamp” and a candle? Which are we? Bible verses?
7. What does Jesus mean by telling His hearers, “You were willing to rejoice for a while in his light”? What changed their minds?
8. What was John’s testimony exactly? Make a list of all the things John testified to about Jesus in John 1:19-34 and 3:25-30.
9. What was Jesus’ testimony about John? Make a list of all the things Jesus testified to about John in Matthew 11:7-11.
10. What did John the Baptizer mean by saying, “The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore, this joy of mine is now complete” in 3:29? How do we, the Church, figure into this statement?

Salt of the Earth

Bill Fay

An honor well-deserved
That phrase reserved
For the salt of the earth
That only the Lord knows

They, ain’t in magazines

They, ain’t on cinema screens
They’re hidden from view

Known by their deeds
In every race or creed
To a child or elderly
Known by their deeds

The salt of the earth
The salt of the earth
Hidden from view