“Study of John 5:31-47”

Wednesday, March 4, 2026

In this passage, Jesus explains that His claims about Himself are confirmed by several reliable witnesses.

1. Witness of John the Baptist (vv. 31–35):
   Jesus says that if He were the only one testifying about Himself, it would not be valid. However, John the Baptist testified that Jesus is the truth. Many people accepted John as a shining light, but they only followed his message for a short time.

2. Witness of Jesus’ Works (v. 36):
   Jesus points to the miracles and works He performs. These works, given to Him by the Father, testify that God sent Him.

3. Witness of the Father (vv. 37–38):
   Jesus says that God the Father Himself has testified about Him. However, the people do not truly know God or accept His word, because they refuse to believe in the One He sent.

4. Witness of the Scriptures (vv. 39–40):
   The religious leaders carefully study the Scriptures because they think they will find eternal life there. Yet those same Scriptures actually point to Jesus, and they refuse to come to Him to receive life.

5. Unbelief of the Religious Leaders (vv. 41–44):
   Jesus explains that He does not seek human praise. Their problem is that they seek honor from one another instead of seeking the honor that comes from God, which prevents them from believing in Him.

6. Witness of Moses (vv. 45–47):
   Jesus tells them that Moses, whom they trust, will actually accuse them. Moses wrote about Jesus, and if they truly believed Moses, they would believe in Him. Because they do not believe Moses’ writings, they cannot believe Jesus’ words.

Key Message:
Jesus presents multiple witnesses—John the Baptist, His miracles, God the Father, the Scriptures, and Moses—to show that He truly is the One sent by God. The problem is not lack of evidence, but the unwillingness of the people to believe.

May we believe in Jesus as our Creator, Redeemer, sustainer and our God!