What is the meaning of John 5:37? And the Father who sent Me Jesus begins by anchoring His authority in the fact that He was dispatched by the Father Himself. Throughout John’s Gospel this idea of being “sent” carries the weight of divine commissioning (John 3:17; 8:42). - Because the Father sent Him, Jesus’ words and works carry the same authority as the Father’s (John 12:49). - This also fulfills Old Testament promise: God would send a prophet like Moses whom the people must heed (Deuteronomy 18:18-19). - The mission language reminds us of God’s love—He did not merely approve Jesus’ ministry; He initiated it for our salvation (1 John 4:14). has Himself testified about Me The Father didn’t leave His Son’s identity to speculation; He openly bore witness. - At the baptism, a voice from heaven declared, “This is My beloved Son” (Matthew 3:17). - At the transfiguration, the Father repeated the testimony, adding, “Listen to Him!” (Matthew 17:5; 2 Peter 1:17-18). - The Father’s testimony is also embedded in Scripture, for “the Scriptures...testify about Me” (John 5:39), whether in the promise to Abraham (Genesis 22:18), David’s prophecy of the eternal throne (2 Samuel 7:12-13), or Isaiah’s portrayal of the suffering Servant (Isaiah 53). - Because the Father’s witness is perfect, rejection of Jesus is rejection of God’s own declaration (1 John 5:9-12). You have never heard His voice Jesus now turns to His listeners—religious leaders steeped in Scripture yet spiritually deaf. - Israel once trembled at God’s audible voice at Sinai (Exodus 20:18-19), but the present audience had not experienced that intimate encounter. - Their inability wasn’t merely physical; it was moral and spiritual. They shut their ears to God’s voice spoken through the Son (Hebrews 1:1-2). - Genuine hearing involves humble obedience: “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Psalm 95:7-8). nor seen His form No fallen human can behold the unveiled glory of God and live (Exodus 33:20), yet in Christ “the Word became flesh” (John 1:14). - John affirms, “No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son...has made Him known” (John 1:18). - The leaders stared at Jesus but missed the Father’s likeness (Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:3). - Their physical sight did not translate into spiritual perception; only the pure in heart will “see God” (Matthew 5:8). summary John 5:37 underscores the Father’s active role in revealing and affirming Jesus. The Father commissioned the Son, bore unmistakable testimony to Him, and invites every hearer to respond. Those who refuse remain deaf and blind to God, but those who embrace the Son receive both the Father’s voice and vision, entering into living fellowship with the One who sent Him. |
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