Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth.
This word belongs to Jesus' discourse after He healed the man at the pool of Bethesda, a discourse that followed the Jews' accusation that He had broken the Sabbath. In it He reminded the Jewish leaders that they had sent an envoy or deputy to John to question him. John's mission was solely to prepare the way for Jesus.
John was not the Light himself but received his light from Christ, who is the true Light and the only source of light and life for sinful people. He bore truthful witness to the truth about Jesus, that He is the Christ, the Son of God, and the Redeemer of the world. He further testified that Jesus was sent by God, spoke God's words, and came from above. He testified that he himself was not the Christ but was sent ahead of Him, and he rejoiced as Jesus increased in prominence.
The deputies the leaders sent brought back John's account of the baptism of Jesus and the wonderful manifestations of God at that time, so they were not ignorant of his evidence. Jesus did not cite John's testimony because He needed human testimony to establish or sustain His claims, for no human witness can prove His mysterious union with the Father, which human knowledge cannot reach. His works, the Father's witness, and the Scriptures gave greater testimony to Him.
Jesus recalled John's testimony to confront the leaders with their inconsistency and to convince them of their blindness, so that they might recognize it, be saved, and receive life. The leaders had for a time accepted John as a prophet of God and welcomed and rejoiced in his message as a burning and shining light, yet they did not come to Jesus for life. In defiantly opposing and rejecting Jesus, the one John declared, they also rejected John whom they had received with joy and were left without excuse.
This word belongs to Jesus' discourse after He healed the man at the pool of Bethesda, a discourse that followed the Jews' accusation that He had broken the Sabbath. In it He reminded the Jewish leaders that they had sent an envoy or deputy to John to question him. John's mission was solely to prepare the way for Jesus.
John was not the Light himself but received his light from Christ, who is the true Light and the only source of light and life for sinful people. He bore truthful witness to the truth about Jesus, that He is the Christ, the Son of God, and the Redeemer of the world. He further testified that Jesus was sent by God, spoke God's words, and came from above. He testified that he himself was not the Christ but was sent ahead of Him, and he rejoiced as Jesus increased in prominence.
The deputies the leaders sent brought back John's account of the baptism of Jesus and the wonderful manifestations of God at that time, so they were not ignorant of his evidence. Jesus did not cite John's testimony because He needed human testimony to establish or sustain His claims, for no human witness can prove His mysterious union with the Father, which human knowledge cannot reach. His works, the Father's witness, and the Scriptures gave greater testimony to Him.
Jesus recalled John's testimony to confront the leaders with their inconsistency and to convince them of their blindness, so that they might recognize it, be saved, and receive life. The leaders had for a time accepted John as a prophet of God and welcomed and rejoiced in his message as a burning and shining light, yet they did not come to Jesus for life. In defiantly opposing and rejecting Jesus, the one John declared, they also rejected John whom they had received with joy and were left without excuse.