◄ What Does John 8:18 Mean? ►

Jesus had been introduced by John the Baptist as the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world. He had been identified as the promised Messiah Who spent His time going about doing good, performing many mighty signs and miracles, and healing all those that were sick in body and distressed in soul.

Jesus was in His final year of ministry, having proclaimed Himself to be the true Bread from heaven, the Living Water for the thirsty soul, the Light of the world, and the Son of the Most High God. He made many other Messianic claims which caused the Pharisees and leaders of the Jews to express increasing hostility towards Him and increased their determination to discredit His name, by whatever means they could - no matter how destructive or untrue.

It was in His final year of ministry, as Christ set His face as a flint towards Jerusalem and His prophesied death on the Cross of Calvary drew ever closer, that the enmity of the Scribes and Pharisees mounted in intensity - and a widening rift between true believers and those that hated Him began to develop.

Jewish dissatisfaction with Christ's claim - that He had come from heaven and had been sent from God the Father, turned into an open challenge that questioned Christ's own testimony as being grossly biased and legally insufficient. Despite Christ being God in the flesh and incarnate truth, these legalists used the Jewish Law, given to Moses, in their attempt to 'legitimately' challenge Christ's own personal testimony. They pointed out that the Law required Jesus to provide at least 2 witnesses to justify His claim - that He had come from His Father in heaven.

There were, of course, many who testified to the truth of Christ's authority and authenticity. The prophetic voices of holy men of God had proclaimed His coming throughout Old Testament Scriptures, wise men came from the east to worship Him, and Zechariah rejoiced that the Lord God of Israel had visited His people and provided redemption through Jesus Christ. John the Baptist had identified Him as the Lamb of God, many years before, when he was that voice, crying in the wilderness, "prepare ye the way of the Lord," and Jesus' ministry was authenticated by the very signs and wonders He performed throughout His earthly life.

But Christ's testimony was also confirmed at His own baptism, by God the Father Himself... when He spoke from heaven and said, "this is My beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased," and the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, also gave witness of Christ... when He came and rested upon Him on that special, baptismal day. But all His testimonies were refused by these proud people - for their eyes were blinded to the truth .

The Jewish establishment of the day, did whatever they could to try to trip up the Lord Jesus and render His words as false or irrelevant. They even brought a woman, caught in adultery, and used her to trap Jesus to either 1) condemn a sinner who needs a Saviour by upholding the Law of Moses and stoning her with His own hand or 2) condoning her sin by forgiving her of her sin, which would have broken the Mosaic Law - which demanded stoning to death for the sin of adultery.

The Jewish establishment thought they had trapped Jesus. They knew that whichever of the two answers He gave, could be used to invalidate His own testimony and render Him as a liar before man and a blasphemer of God! The lengths to which the Jewish establishment went, in order to condemn Christ's testimony that He came from heaven from God, were unprecedented - but Christ's inspired answer silenced their foolish opposition, "let the one who is without sin cast the first stone."

Jesus Christ is the way and the truth and the life. He is the eternal God and the sinners' Saviour and no matter how the Scribes and Pharisees sought to discredit Him, His testimony was true. Christ's testimony is still true today and His testimony will remain true forever. And so the Lord Jesus Christ was able to reply unflinchingly to the biased and foolish accusations of the Jewish establishment, "I am He Who testifies about Myself.. and the Father Who sent Me testifies about Me also."  

There was no greater witness to silence these proud and foolish Pharisees regarding Christ's claims to Deity than the combined testimony of God the Son and God the Father. "I am He who testifies about Myself, and the Father Who sent Me testifies about Me."

Christ bore witness of His own sinless life and His claims to Deity - and His Father in heaven also bore witness that the Person and Work of Christ was of God. "This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased." How sad that those He came to save were the ones that rejected God's gift of salvation. He came unto His own and His own received Him not. He came as the Jewish Messiah and they refused to accept His testimony.

There are many proud and foolish people today that continue to seek to discredit the testimony of the eternal Son of God and the inspired Word of God. May we abide in Christ, trust His Word, and demonstrate ourselves to be true disciples of the Lord Jesus - for He has promised that we shall know the truth and the truth shall set us free.

Heavenly Father, thank You that You sent Your only begotten Son to be my Saviour and the Redeemer of the world. I pray that I may trust in the truth of Your Word which is recorded in the inspired Scriptures, so that whosoever believes on Christ Jesus for the forgiveness of sins will not perish but have everlasting life. Thank You in Jesus' name, AMEN.