At first, one might read John 5:37-38 and conclude it is a part of one’s response to the works Christ mentioned in verse-36, but this isn’t so, not directly. Taken literally, Jesus’ words have no real meaning, because who has ever, literally, heard the voice of God or could claim to have seen his shape? So, how should we understand Jesus’ words? Some scholars conclude that Jesus was referring to the voice that came out of heaven, when Jesus was baptized by John (Matthew 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22), but how would this be a witness to Jesus’ enemies, who stood before him, accusing him of wrongdoing (cp. John 5:18)? Even if one insists this is the case, namely, that the voice at his baptism was the voice Jesus had in mind, what about seeing the shape of God? How could Jesus’ words, concerning God’s shape, be testimony against Jesus’ enemies? How could the statement: you have never seen the shape of the Father be an argument against those who don’t believe Jesus?
Consider the fact that Jesus was telling his enemies that the Father had been witnessing to them of the fact that Jesus was sent by him to complete his works! All five of Jesus’ witnesses were known to these very Jewish authorities, who had been accusing Jesus of wrongdoing (John 5:18), and this witness, namely, that of the Father, was no different. If the Father had not been witnessing to the very ones who stood against Jesus, Jesus had no legitimate right to judge them for erring in not believing him. Later in his ministry, Jesus would say:
“No man can come to me, except the Father, which hath sent me, draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:44).
In other words, it is impossible for anyone to come to believe Jesus, unless the Father draws that one to hear, understand and commit himself to the One whom he has sent. In John 6:65 Jesus phrases it: “unless it were given him by my Father.” So, even to believe Jesus must be permitted by God. Thus, Jesus’ argument in John 5:37-38 demands that the Father must draw folks to Jesus and permit them to believe. Moreover, this must have been occurring in the present, if Jesus legitimately finds fault with those who disbelieve. Therefore, the Father’s drawing and his gift or permission to see, understand, and receive Jesus as one’s Lord must be universal and include those who disbelieve. Thus, the problem with Jesus’ enemies was: they weren’t apt to give ear to Jesus’ words, meaning they didn’t want to see his point. Their disbelief was a deliberate act (John 3:19), in that they believed they could already see (John 9:40-41). In other words, they didn’t think they needed the Father to give them spiritual sight. They believed they could already see and judge for themselves. Nevertheless, Jesus also said of them:
For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. (Matthew 13:15)
Thus, although the Father had been drawing everyone to Jesus, folks deliberately refused to listen to the pricks in their hearts. They refused to give ear to the voice of the Father or to see the shape or form his witness of Jesus took (John 5:37).[1] Therefore, if they didn’t receive the Father’s word or witness, vis-à-vis the sense he used to draw them to Christ, then his word was not abiding in them (1John 2:24; 3:6; 2John 1:9), and such a thing made it impossible for them to see and understand Jesus and commit themselves to him (John 5:38).
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[1] No one wants a Savior like Jesus. As long as we can believe Jesus fits into our concept of what a Savior should be, we’ll believe (cp. John 5:35), but as soon as we see the shape Jesus as Savior takes (cp. John 12:32-34), then we reject that Jesus (John 12:36-37).
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