"I Know You"

Jesus was not in the business of ego building or self-promotion. To those with insight his claims carried external accreditation. The Jewish Law required two or three witnesses (Deut. 19:15), and Jesus had the full set. His witnesses were John the Baptist (1:19-36), the Father himself–seen and heard through the works that Jesus was doing (like Father, like Son)–and the Old Testament Scriptures. The Judaism of the time taught that Scripture, centered on the Law of Moses, was the source of life, and that study of the Scriptures was the way to that life. Jesus’ opponents had a theoretically high view of Scripture but they read it without understanding. The Scriptures lead to Jesus, and he is the source of life (21), but the Jewish leaders were trying to use Scripture to discredit him.

Jesus knew them (42), their schemes and their real motives. Their attitude toward him revealed the state of their hearts. The Law came through Moses, but it was the Father’s Word. The Jewish leaders claimed to be its champions, but they had never allowed its full reality to be at home in them (38). He accused them of reading without believing. Despite all their protestations, they did not really believe what Moses has written, so how could they believe him?

If the Father’s Word was not dwelling in them, what else filled the space? What was preventing the development of real faith? They were more concerned about what others thought of them than what God thought of them. Obeying and honoring God was not their central concern. Their concern was for themselves. They did not have “the love of God” in their hearts (42). They were breaching the greatest commandment, given through Moses, to love God with all their heart, soul and strength (Deut. 6:4,5).

List the witnesses Jesus mentions as confirming his claims concerning his relationship with God. How can you use the Scripture to cultivate the love of God in you?