What is the meaning of John 5:46? If you had believed Moses - Jesus is speaking to religious leaders who prided themselves on knowing the writings of Moses (John 5:39). - Belief, in Scripture, is more than mental assent; it is a wholehearted trust that results in obedience (Deuteronomy 30:11-14; Romans 10:6-8). - Moses’ words carried God’s authority. To reject what Moses truly meant was to reject God Himself (Numbers 12:6-8; Luke 16:29-31). - The Lord points out a disconnect: they honored Moses publicly yet failed to internalize his message. Genuine belief would have prepared their hearts for the One Moses anticipated. you would believe Me - Jesus links belief in Moses directly to belief in Himself, affirming Scripture’s unity (John 3:12; John 6:32-33). - By stating “you would believe Me,” He reveals that faith in the written Word leads naturally to faith in the living Word (John 1:14, 17). - The authority behind Moses and Jesus is the same; rejecting Jesus exposes a deeper issue—unbelief toward God’s revelation (John 12:48-50). - This claim elevates Christ above all prophets: their writings point to Him, but He is the fulfillment (Matthew 5:17; Luke 24:25-27). because he wrote about Me - Moses explicitly foretold a future Prophet like himself to whom the people must listen (Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Acts 3:22-23). - Foreshadows of Christ appear throughout the Pentateuch: • The seed who would crush the serpent (Genesis 3:15). • Isaac’s substitutionary sacrifice pattern (Genesis 22:8-14). • The Passover lamb’s blood sparing Israel (Exodus 12:5-13; 1 Corinthians 5:7). • The bronze serpent lifted up for healing (Numbers 21:8-9; John 3:14-15). - Typology and prophecy converge to spotlight Jesus as the Messiah anticipated from the beginning (Hebrews 3:1-6; 10:1). summary John 5:46 teaches that the writings of Moses and the person of Jesus are inseparable. True faith embraces all of God’s revelation: the law that pointed forward and the Christ who fulfills it. To believe Moses rightly is to recognize and trust Jesus, the promised Redeemer at the center of Scripture’s grand narrative. |
    |