For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.
Had they truly believed Moses they would have believed Jesus, so their rejection of Jesus proved they did not really believe Moses. Moses wrote of him, testifying of his coming by types and promises and foretelling that God would raise up a prophet like himself whose words the people must heed. To refuse what Moses wrote leaves a person unable to believe what Christ says, for the two witnesses stand or fall together. He spoke this after healing the paralytic at Bethesda on the Sabbath, when accused of Sabbath-breaking He openly set forth His Sonship and equality with the Father in a work as sacred as His Father's. Moses himself stands as accuser of such unbelief, leaving those who cling to forms and human traditions without excuse for opposing the One God sent.
Setting and Confrontation
The words were spoken at the Second Passover after the healing of the paralytic at the pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath, when accusation of Sabbath-breaking followed the miracle. That accusation sparked sharp controversy and uproar in the court of the temple over the true claims of the Sabbath law. Jesus had purposely chosen the Sabbath for the miracle to free the day from the burdens heaped upon it. He answered accusation by claiming equal rights with God in a work equally sacred and of the same character as His Father's work, declaring He could do nothing of Himself apart from what He saw the Father do and nothing against His will.
While His hearers were determined to take His life, He openly set forth His Sonship, His relation to the Father, and His equality with Him. That full disclosure left them without excuse for blind opposition and rage against Him. The Pharisees were incensed because He had broken the Sabbath according to their understanding and made Himself equal with God, and only the interference of the people kept the authorities from slaying Him on the spot.
Moses himself stands as accuser of the unbelieving leaders before the Father, so Jesus has no need to accuse them. Their claim to believe Moses was only profession. Though overawed by His truth and feeling the convincing power attending His ministry, which they could not deny, pride and arrogance bound them to reject the evidence of His divine power. They resisted His appeals, kept their murderous hatred unquenched, and shut themselves in darkness.
Moses Wrote of Christ
Moses' writings testify of Christ and his coming, for he wrote of Jesus. Anyone who truly believed Moses would also believe Jesus, since Moses wrote about him. Refusing to believe what Moses wrote leaves a person unable to believe what Christ says, so rejection of Moses' writings and disbelief in Jesus' words are linked. Moses foretold that God would raise up a prophet like himself and put His words in that prophet's mouth, whom the people were to heed and listen to. Refusal to heed those words would bring accountability, so rejection of Christ's words makes rejecters accountable under Moses' own prophecy.
Moses wrote about the Messiah and his coming through both types and promises. Those who truly believed Moses would therefore have believed and welcomed Jesus as the one of whom Moses wrote. Christ himself had spoken to Israel through Moses, so those who had listened to God's voice through Moses would recognize that same divine voice in Christ's teaching. The prophecies testify of him and he identifies himself with those writings, so his life is to be compared with the prophets' words. Though the leaders searched Scripture for signs of the Messiah, they failed to recognize Jesus among them because they did not receive its testimony with faith.
Faith Unity and Application
Genuine belief in Moses would lead to belief in Jesus and to welcoming him, because Moses' writings testify of Christ and Moses wrote of him, so the rulers' claim to believe Moses was inconsistent with their rejection of Jesus. Refusal to believe Moses meant they would not believe Jesus' words, and rejecting Christ therefore showed they did not truly believe Moses' writings despite trusting in Moses. Moses foretold that God would raise up a prophet like himself and put His words in that prophet's mouth, whom the people must heed and listen to, so that refusal to heed those words brings accountability. Though the Pharisees searched Scripture for signs of the Messiah, they failed to recognize Jesus among them because they did not receive its testimony with faith.
Refusing to believe what Moses wrote leaves a person unable to believe what Christ says, for rejection of Moses' writings and disbelief in Jesus' words are linked. Moses stands as accuser of the Jews before the Father so Jesus Himself has no need to accuse them, and His open setting forth of His Sonship, His relation to the Father, and His equality with the Father even while His hearers were set on killing Him leaves them without excuse for blind opposition and rage. Their rejection continued not for lack of convincing evidence of divine power attending His ministry, which they felt and feared, but because pride and arrogance bound them to resist His appeals and shut themselves in darkness with murderous hatred unquenched. The Pharisees had not rightly understood Moses' teachings but had replaced them with human traditions, and the Jewish leaders claimed to believe Moses while rejecting Jesus, revealing they did not understand or accept the Scriptures they professed to revere.
Moses' testimony had already exposed their guilt, and observance of religious forms could not make up for rejecting the truth and the One God had sent, leaving them without excuse for opposing Jesus. True belief in Moses leads to belief in Christ, and rejecting Christ shows failure to believe what Moses and the prophets taught, so the verse supports the unity of the Old and New Testaments where rejecting either means rejecting the witness of the other and the law and the Gospel must be presented together. Those who reject Christ therefore do not truly believe what Moses wrote, and their teaching of the Old Testament has no real power. The prophecies testify of Him and He identifies Himself with those writings so His life is to be compared with the prophets' words, and the Old and New Testament Scriptures are joined in their witness to Jesus in whom hope of eternal life is centered, so that studying and obeying the Bible guides people to salvation.
Had they truly believed Moses they would have believed Jesus, so their rejection of Jesus proved they did not really believe Moses. Moses wrote of him, testifying of his coming by types and promises and foretelling that God would raise up a prophet like himself whose words the people must heed. To refuse what Moses wrote leaves a person unable to believe what Christ says, for the two witnesses stand or fall together. He spoke this after healing the paralytic at Bethesda on the Sabbath, when accused of Sabbath-breaking He openly set forth His Sonship and equality with the Father in a work as sacred as His Father's. Moses himself stands as accuser of such unbelief, leaving those who cling to forms and human traditions without excuse for opposing the One God sent.
Setting and Confrontation
The words were spoken at the Second Passover after the healing of the paralytic at the pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath, when accusation of Sabbath-breaking followed the miracle. That accusation sparked sharp controversy and uproar in the court of the temple over the true claims of the Sabbath law. Jesus had purposely chosen the Sabbath for the miracle to free the day from the burdens heaped upon it. He answered accusation by claiming equal rights with God in a work equally sacred and of the same character as His Father's work, declaring He could do nothing of Himself apart from what He saw the Father do and nothing against His will.
While His hearers were determined to take His life, He openly set forth His Sonship, His relation to the Father, and His equality with Him. That full disclosure left them without excuse for blind opposition and rage against Him. The Pharisees were incensed because He had broken the Sabbath according to their understanding and made Himself equal with God, and only the interference of the people kept the authorities from slaying Him on the spot.
Moses himself stands as accuser of the unbelieving leaders before the Father, so Jesus has no need to accuse them. Their claim to believe Moses was only profession. Though overawed by His truth and feeling the convincing power attending His ministry, which they could not deny, pride and arrogance bound them to reject the evidence of His divine power. They resisted His appeals, kept their murderous hatred unquenched, and shut themselves in darkness.
Moses Wrote of Christ
Moses' writings testify of Christ and his coming, for he wrote of Jesus. Anyone who truly believed Moses would also believe Jesus, since Moses wrote about him. Refusing to believe what Moses wrote leaves a person unable to believe what Christ says, so rejection of Moses' writings and disbelief in Jesus' words are linked. Moses foretold that God would raise up a prophet like himself and put His words in that prophet's mouth, whom the people were to heed and listen to. Refusal to heed those words would bring accountability, so rejection of Christ's words makes rejecters accountable under Moses' own prophecy.
Moses wrote about the Messiah and his coming through both types and promises. Those who truly believed Moses would therefore have believed and welcomed Jesus as the one of whom Moses wrote. Christ himself had spoken to Israel through Moses, so those who had listened to God's voice through Moses would recognize that same divine voice in Christ's teaching. The prophecies testify of him and he identifies himself with those writings, so his life is to be compared with the prophets' words. Though the leaders searched Scripture for signs of the Messiah, they failed to recognize Jesus among them because they did not receive its testimony with faith.
Faith Unity and Application
Genuine belief in Moses would lead to belief in Jesus and to welcoming him, because Moses' writings testify of Christ and Moses wrote of him, so the rulers' claim to believe Moses was inconsistent with their rejection of Jesus. Refusal to believe Moses meant they would not believe Jesus' words, and rejecting Christ therefore showed they did not truly believe Moses' writings despite trusting in Moses. Moses foretold that God would raise up a prophet like himself and put His words in that prophet's mouth, whom the people must heed and listen to, so that refusal to heed those words brings accountability. Though the Pharisees searched Scripture for signs of the Messiah, they failed to recognize Jesus among them because they did not receive its testimony with faith.
Refusing to believe what Moses wrote leaves a person unable to believe what Christ says, for rejection of Moses' writings and disbelief in Jesus' words are linked. Moses stands as accuser of the Jews before the Father so Jesus Himself has no need to accuse them, and His open setting forth of His Sonship, His relation to the Father, and His equality with the Father even while His hearers were set on killing Him leaves them without excuse for blind opposition and rage. Their rejection continued not for lack of convincing evidence of divine power attending His ministry, which they felt and feared, but because pride and arrogance bound them to resist His appeals and shut themselves in darkness with murderous hatred unquenched. The Pharisees had not rightly understood Moses' teachings but had replaced them with human traditions, and the Jewish leaders claimed to believe Moses while rejecting Jesus, revealing they did not understand or accept the Scriptures they professed to revere.
Moses' testimony had already exposed their guilt, and observance of religious forms could not make up for rejecting the truth and the One God had sent, leaving them without excuse for opposing Jesus. True belief in Moses leads to belief in Christ, and rejecting Christ shows failure to believe what Moses and the prophets taught, so the verse supports the unity of the Old and New Testaments where rejecting either means rejecting the witness of the other and the law and the Gospel must be presented together. Those who reject Christ therefore do not truly believe what Moses wrote, and their teaching of the Old Testament has no real power. The prophecies testify of Him and He identifies Himself with those writings so His life is to be compared with the prophets' words, and the Old and New Testament Scriptures are joined in their witness to Jesus in whom hope of eternal life is centered, so that studying and obeying the Bible guides people to salvation.