Devotional Thought John 8:12-20
The Validity of Jesus’ Testimony
After Jesus proclaimed “I Am the light of the world,” the Pharisees confronted him about the testimony he gave being valid without witnesses. They said that he could not be his own witness- he needed corroboration.
But Jesus answered them in an interesting way. He told them that his testimony was valid because “I know where I came from and where I am going.” Like Alpha and Omega, Jesus knew Who He Was and what He was doing in the world. How many of us know that much about ourselves? None of us. God may in time reveal parts of His plan for us, but we will never know the entirety on earth.
Jesus accused the Pharisees of judging others by human standards. Their standards were of their own making, not based on God’s Truth or Perspective. Man looks at the outward appearance (and, draws his own conclusions), but God looks at the heart. The Pharisees went the extra mile, trying to judge the motives of the heart based on the outward appearance and actions. They judged a person based on how the outward words and actions reflected their imagination of their motives. No one could measure up to their standards, unless they practiced such unattainable discipline in ritual behavior that they would pass the scrutiny of these buzzards. The Sadducees, on the other hand, measured everything on outward behavior and works, denying any spirituality at all. All works- all religion. Either way, both groups judged everyone according to their own standards, condemning all who fell short.
Not a good representation of God’s character for those who are supposed to represent Him to the people, is it??? Jesus’ point- exactly!!! Jesus lived out and modeled perfectly God’s morality and values and perspectives. Jesus’ first line of delineation between them was that while they judged by human standards, He Himself did not judge others. But he also added that if he did judge, his judgments are right because of his partner in his decisions- God the Father. He Is never wrong.
Jesus went on to say that in the Law, the testimony of two men is valid. Jesus said, “I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.” And He did- 3 times.
Jesus’ life—His words, His actions, His attitudes and values all combined spoke of the totality of the Truth in His life. Nothing he ever did or said was against Scripture, but was supported by it and his life was a living demonstration of Scripture. All that He did perfectly represented the Father to man, and Jesus claimed His Father as a witness to that position.
That was quite an audacious claim for someone to call God as a witness to their purity and righteousness. I wonder if the Pharisees feared fire from heaven when they heard him say that! Yet, again, Jesus spoke the Truth. At His baptism, the Father said, “This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.” That sounds like confirmation to me.
Then Jesus went a step farther and told them they had no basis in truth for anything they value or hold to. Basically, he told them they didn't know what they were talking about. Ouch! That must have been quite a slap in the face! They asked him where his father is, intending to embarrass and discredit him. But Jesus turned on them and pointed out that they not only didn't know his Father- their God- whom they had never seen, but they also were blind to see the Truth of the Father being shown to them in his own life. If they really knew anything at all about God, they would be drawn to Jesus, who embodied all of God’s Truth and grace. But their own actions revealed their ignorance, and their arrogance became their own embarrassment. Jesus only pointed out the facts. Judge not, or you will be judged. By the same measure you judge others, it will be used to judge you in return. So, their faultiness in judgment came back to bite them in the end.
So, Jesus’ life expressed the validity of his testimony. His life was his testimony. And God was his witness, both speaking His affirmation twice (at Jesus’ baptism and on the mount of transfiguration) and in raising him from the dead and restoring him to glory.
Final score: Jesus- 1 Pharisees- 0
