John 5:36, commentary and pictures

Standing before the rulers who accused Him of breaking the Sabbath after He healed the impotent man at Bethesda, Jesus refused to apologize and declared that He had a greater witness than John, for the works the Father gave Him to finish bear witness that the Father sent Him. Those works include the healing at Bethesda, the calming of the storm, and His mighty miracles, which are sacred works of the same character as the Father's, done in union with the Father and not by merely human power. Their witness is greater than John's testimony, declaring His divinity and His divine mission and character as the light of the world, as was further shown at His baptism when heaven opened in glory and the Father's voice proclaimed Him the beloved Son of God. He pointed to these works that His hearers might believe and be saved and have prejudice overcome, yet the Jewish leaders rejected this evidence and were left without excuse, for self-righteousness and prejudice kept them from discerning His heavenly authority and true character. Divine authority is still demonstrated by works and not merely claimed through a name or inherited religious standing, so those given works by the Father and done in harmony with His works show by their credentials that their authority and teaching are from God.

Setting and Greater Witness

This saying belongs to Christ's discourse after He healed the impotent man at the pool of Bethesda and was accused of breaking the Sabbath.
It was spoken by One arraigned as a Sabbath-breaker standing before His accusers, refusing to apologize for His act or explain His purpose and instead turning upon the rulers, so that the accused becomes the accuser.
In telling the Jewish rulers that He has a greater witness than John, He tells them that in rejecting Him they also reject John the Baptist whom they had received with joy.

The works are those the Father gave Him to finish and complete, including the healing at Bethesda.
They include the calming of the storm and His mighty works and miracles.
They are sacred works of the same character as the Father's, done in union with the Father rather than independently.
Their power was not merely human.

Those works bear witness of Jesus that the Father sent Him, and their witness is greater than John's testimony.
The works the Father gave Jesus to complete bear witness to His divine mission.
They also declare His divinity and testify to His divine mission and character, identifying Him as the light of the world.
These works were meant to make His divine mission known.

Further witness is given at His baptism, when the heavens opened with heavenly light and glory from God's throne encircling Him while the Father's voice proclaimed Him the beloved Son of God.
The opened heavens, the heavenly light, and the Father's voice bear witness to Him as God's Son.
The Father's voice and glory at His baptism provide further witness to His identity as the beloved Son alongside His own works.

Purpose, Rejection, and Application

Jesus pointed to the works the Father had given Him to finish as a witness greater than John's, so that those who heard might believe and be saved. Those mighty works and miracles were not merely human in power, but were meant to make His divine mission known, to overcome prejudice, and to inspire faith. They were evidence of His mission that left the Jewish leaders without excuse, yet they rejected that evidence. That rejection shows that even strong evidence cannot convince those who persist in unbelief, for self-righteousness and prejudice kept people from believing His heavenly authority or discerning His true character. His works were divine credentials testifying to His divine mission and character and identifying Him as the light of the world, but men turned from the true Shepherd's voice to listen to the enemy.

Satan tried to undermine that witness by counterfeiting God's works. He led people to explain Christ's miracles as human skill and power, thereby weakening faith in Christ as the Son of God. In this way he turned people from the offer of mercy through redemption. Those who resisted truth demanded signs in order to distract hearers from clear evidence. They even claimed that Christ's miracles came through the prince of demons.

The fifth and sixth chapters of John contain instruction that is the mystery of godliness, and studying that instruction, making it a part of life, and bringing its teachings into daily experience gives the knowledge that enables distinguishing the true from the false in days of peril. Divine authority is demonstrated by works, not merely claimed through a name or an inherited religious standing. A church that resists advancing in truth cannot present such works as credentials that its doctrines and authority are from God. Works given by the Father and done in harmony with His works are evidence that a person's authority and teaching are from God, so a church claiming divine authority must show these credentials in its works and not merely appeal to a reformer's name, testimony, or inheritance.