The fourth witness that Jesus holds up that shows who he is, and proves he has told the truth is scripture, itself (John 5:39). Some translations of the New Covenant text have this verse express a command: “Search the scriptures…” However, other translations have the verse express a statement: “You search the scriptures…” The command doesn’t seem to fit the context of Jesus’ argument… “Search the scriptures; for in them you think you have eternal life… but you will not come to me, that you might have life” (John 5:40). On the other hand, the simple statement does seem to fit better… “You search the scriptures; for in them you think you have eternal life…but you will not come to me, that you might have life.” In other words, you are so meticulous about the study of God’s word, which testifies of me, yet you will not come to me that you may have life (John 5:39-40). What contradiction!
Consider what Jesus has been saying. First, these same Jewish authorities were willing to rejoice in the testimony of John (John 5:33, 35), until he pointed to Jesus as the Messiah. Next, although the works of Jesus testify that he has come from God (John 5:36; cp. 3:3), these same men refuse to believe he is the Messiah. Then, Jesus pointed out the Father had been pricking their hearts in an effort to bring them to Jesus (John 5:37; cp. 6:44), but they hardened their hearts and refused to listen (Matthew 13:15), because they simply didn’t want this Jesus to be the Messiah. Now, Jesus points to the scriptures, which they love to study, and they believe that in possessing them they have eternal life (John 5:39), and the scriptures point to him. Nevertheless, they refuse to come to him that they could have the very life they search the scriptures in the hope they possess (John 5:40)! Thus, is revealed that the Jewish authorities had a strong prejudice against Jesus and his message.
In these unbelieving Jewish authorities is fulfilled the proverb expressed today as: “None are so blind, as they who will not see,” or “None are so deaf, as they who will not hear” (cp. Isaiah 6:9-10; Jeremiah 5:21; Matthew 13:13-15; John 12:40). Prejudice is at the heart of all deception, whether religious or political, and it is used by those religious and/or political authorities to control the masses. Racial prejudice, class prejudice, religious prejudice, political prejudice—all prejudice refuse truth and broadcast the lie in order to maintain that one’s power over the one or the folks they hate. They preach love by creating division, liberty by bringing into bondage, prosperity by taking advantage of the less fortunate, political order by creating political chaos. They are masters at maintaining their own power over others, and they simply will not see an opposing argument, nor will they hear or listen to a voice that contradicts what they already believe they know (cp. John 9:40-41).
The problem with the Jewish authorities, and all religious authorities who reject the truth is that they believe they already know (John 9:40-41). The truth is rejected in order to embrace the traditions of the fathers (Matthew 15:9; Mark 7:7; Galatians 1:14; Colossians 2:22) or, as one might put it today: the doctrines of one’s denomination, vis-à-vis that which separates one denomination from another, or that which defines one’s Christian pedigree. The scriptures point to Jesus as one despised and rejected by men (Isaiah 53:3), but the religious authorities were unable to keep from fulfilling that scripture, because they thought they were already able to see well enough to judge good from evil (John 9:40-41; cp. John 3:3; Genesis 2:17). Nevertheless, the scriptures claim the Lord required nothing of men but to love him and walk in his ways (Deuteronomy 10:12) and to show mercy to one another (Micah 6:8), to which even the Jewish authorities in the first century agreed (cp. Matthew 22:35-40). Not only so, but Jesus’ only two commandments for his people were to love God and to love one another (1John 5:2-2; 2John 1:5-6). Yet, today the work of God, as taught by many modern authorities, is to evangelize every people group in the world[1] (something never mentioned, let alone commanded, in the word of God), while care for one another, especially the less fortunate among us, goes virtually unheeded (disobeyed) in favor of the doctrines and commandments of men.
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[1] Jesus commanded his disciples to preach the Gospel to all nations (Matthew 28:19-20), something Paul was able to say in the first century AD, that this commandment was fulfilled (Romans 10:18; 15:19), which is also supported by Mark (Mark 16:15-20). They went out as he said and “preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. The Gospel was preached, what remains is for us to walk as Jesus walked, and let the Gospel be proved in us, in our works. Then, and only then, will Jesus be believed by the nations of “our generation” wherever that term appears in history.
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