31 If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true.
As we continue to journey together through his ancient world with Jesus, we will continue to compare and pay special attention to obvious differences between the Synoptic Gospels and the Gospel of John. When we do not spend most of our time attempting to harmonize the Gospel accounts, surprising insights sometimes emerge (See Cleansing the Temple: Why is John so different from Synoptics and Was Galilee Jesus’ real home?). Moreover, it is by highlighting the sometimes sharp differences between the accounts of Jesus’ life we encounter what otherwise has proven to be an enigmatic enterprise – discovering John’s original intention, context, and purpose for composing this Gospel.
This time I would like to highlight a very important difference – the almost complete absence of the courtroom motif in the Synoptic Gospels and its dominance in the Gospel of John. The words “to witness” or “to testify” appear very few times in the synoptics, while they are used repeatedly throughout John. Everything and everyone seem to be testifying on behalf of Jesus.
What is interesting and even intriguing, however, given Jesus’ critique of hoi Ioudaioi, is that the language of testimony in John is generally strictly defensive of Jesus (positive) and not accusative of hoi Ioudaioi (negative). The Gospel reads as a courtroom defense of Jesus’ person, words, and deeds against those who had put him on trial.
In John 5.31 Jesus is reminding his accusers of how the witness’ testimony was to function according to Mosaic legislation in Ancient Israel. Jesus appeals to Mosaic Law summarized in Deuteronomy:
Deut. 17.6-7: “On the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses the one who is to die shall be put to death; a person shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness.”
Deut. 19.15: “A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established.”
There are others examples in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament that do not carry exclusively negative (prosecuting) connotations when it comes to using the principle of two or more witnesses. In Exodus 32.15 Moses calls the two stones upon which the Ten Commandments were engraved – the stones of testimony. In the temple above the mercy seat there were also two supreme witnesses – cherubim who covered the ark of testimony with their wings. The Gospel of John’s use of witness and testimony language seems largely supporting (positive and justifying) of Jesus and does not at all read like his prosecution of hoi Ioudaioi.
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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.
Jesus in this passage makes a case that he has at least two witnesses to establish the veracity of his claims regarding his person, and therefore, his deeds and teachings.
First, is the lesser testimony of John the Baptist. Jesus continues to talk with hoi Ioudaioi recalling, in vs.33, the Jerusalem formal inquiry into the ministry of John the Baptist. There we read: “…hoi Ioudaioi sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?!’” (33 You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth.) We can clearly see Jesus is not debating with the Jewish people as such, but with the Temple authorities and those who worked for them outside the temple.
We are introduced to the interesting fact that John’s ministry was not rejected from the start (vs.35) by hoi Ioudaioi, perheps, even enjoying their initial support. In several ways, John (Yochanan) looked like many other aspiring Jewish prophets who inspired followings and in the end were not themselves important. It is only when John’s activity began to gain momentum that the investigation from Jerusalem was commissioned (Read about it here – Who was checking on John the Baptist? and John, who do you think you are?!).
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36 But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, 38 and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent.
Second, the stronger witness to the person, deeds, and words of Jesus, was the Lord – Covenant God of Israel Himself. Jesus’ argument was made up of two to supporting ideas.
1) Consider the incredible miracle-working power I have. That power is God’s seal of approval. God’s testimony is that the message that accompanies the manifestations is indeed also true.
2) Remember the Baptismal event (I realize that I am using here Christianized translation, but I do not know of a better way to say it) when the heavens were uponed up and God’s voice thundered from above echoing the words of Psalm 2.
We read in related to passage in Luke 7:18-22 that:
“The disciples of John reported all these things to him. And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” And when the men had come to him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?’” In that hour he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight. And he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them.
We read in another related passage incidentally also in Luke 3.21-22
21 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
We will see more of Jesus as we continue next week with our study of this intense and intensifying story. Make sure to read ahead of time and ponder deeply the message of John 5.39-47.
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© By Eli Lizorkin-Eyzenberg, Ph.D.
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