John 5:37
And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.
Jesus spoke these words in His discourse following the healing of the helpless man at the pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath, when the Jews accused Him of Sabbath-breaking. That sufferer had been crippled for thirty-eight years, his disease was largely the result of his own sin, and it was regarded as a judgment from God. The discourse declares that His work is inseparable from the Father's, for He does nothing independently but acts in harmony with the Father's will.
The verse means that the Father Himself has borne witness that Jesus was sent by Him. Those Jewish hearers and Pharisees had neither heard the Father's voice at any time nor seen His form. Yet the Father's testimony had indeed been given, including at Jesus' baptism when the Spirit descended like a dove and a voice from heaven declared Jesus to be the beloved Son.
The Pharisees had not heard that voice at the baptism nor seen the Spirit descending like a dove. Their rejection of this testimony reflected unbelief, and their failure to believe Jesus showed that God's word was not abiding in them. This union between Christ's work and the Father's shows that those entrusted with God's work are accountable to Him and must not rely on their own wisdom and power or separate themselves from Him.