In chapter five of the Gospel of John, Jesus claimed he was equal with God (John 5:17-18), and, as Messiah, he would not only raise the consciousness of men to perceive God’s presence and give them eternal life (John 5:24-25), but he would also raise the dead and judge each man according to his works (John 5:28-29). Then he mentions that his testimony about these things is valid, because the Father testifies with him that his claims are true (John 5:31-32; 8:17-18), and the testimony of two witnesses, according to the Law is a valid witness to the truth (Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15). Nevertheless, in what way are we to understand that the Father has testified that the claims of Jesus are true?
Jesus then pointed to five ways in which the Father testified that Jesus is Messiah and what he claims about himself are true. First, he points to John the Baptizer saying: “You yourselves sent to John, and he has testified to the truth” (John 5:33), referring to John 1:19-28. There, John claimed: “I am the voice of one shouting in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” Thus, quoting Isaiah:
A voice cries out, “In the wilderness clear a way for the LORD; build a level road through the rift valley for our God. Every valley must be elevated, and every mountain and hill leveled. The rough terrain will become a level plain, the rugged landscape a wide valley. The splendor of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it at the same time. For the LORD has decreed it.” (Isaiah 40:3-5)
Note the words “…clear the way for the LORD” …the Hebrew is YHWH. Then “…build a level road …for our God.” Thus, the Baptizer and the prophet Isaiah show that, for all intents and purposes, the one whose way John was sent to prepare is that of the Lord (YHWH, the God of Israel). What this was to look like wasn’t known (cp. John 1:33), but John testified that the One who was to come after him was preferred before him, and he (John) was unworthy to be the servant who would wash his feet, because he (Jesus) was or existed before him (John 1:27, 30).
Nevertheless, Jesus claimed he didn’t accept the witness of men (John 5:34), which is not to say he didn’t accept John’s testimony as valid, otherwise why would he send out men to preach the Gospel (Mark 16:15-16), if he didn’t accept their testimony as valid. What Jesus meant was, he didn’t receive John’s testimony as the impetus to begin his own calling (cp Matthew 3:13-15). That calling came from the Father, himself, not John. However, Jesus mentioned John, because he was a witness men could see and hear, and for this reason John’s witness could be used to save them out of the judgment that was about to come upon the nation (Matthew 3:5-12; Malachi 3:1-5; Luke 7:26-28; cp. John 5:28-29).
The purpose, for which John was sent, was that all men might believe Jesus (John 1:7). John was a burning lamp (John 5:18) who testified of the Light that lights every man (spiritually), and he was coming into the world (John 1:8-9). At least some of these Jewish authorities, who stood accusing Jesus (John 5:18) were once content to believe John, and they rejoiced in his light (John 5:35). That is, they were willing to believe, until John pointed to Jesus as the Messiah (John 1:15). The message Jesus brought about the Kingdom of God wasn’t the message they expected. Therefore, in rejecting Jesus, they had to also reject John who pointed to Jesus as the One who was predicted to come into the world (John 1:9; cp. Isaiah 40:3-5).
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