Earlier in his discussion with the Jewish leadership at Jerusalem, Jesus had mentioned that the Father judges no man alone, but does so through the Son. This is done so all men would honor (timao; G5091) the Son as they honor (timao; G5091) the Father. In other words, the Son deserves equal honor (G5091) with the Father (John 5:22-23). Moreover, Jesus claimed that his proposal is proved through the miracles done through him by God (John 5:19-20; cp. verse 18), for such works no man could do by himself (John 15:44; cp. 3:2; 9:16, 33). If Jesus’ Gospel weren’t true, God wouldn’t perform miraculous deeds through him. Nevertheless, instead of offering honor (G5092)[1] to Jesus, the Jewish authorities showed prejudice towards him, because he didn’t show himself to be the kind of Messiah they sought to have. Therefore, they refused to listen to him (Isaiah 6:9-10; Jeremiah 5:21; Matthew 13:13-15; John 12:36-43).
Jesus concluded his discussion with them by saying he doesn’t receive honor (doxa; G1391) from men (John5:41). Doxa (G1391) is a synonym for the Greek word time (G5092).[2] So, Jesus seems to be referring back to his statement that the Father requires men to give the Son equal honor with the Father, yet they don’t (John 5:41). They refuse to come to Jesus, so they might receive life, vis-à-vis a spiritual resurrection (John 5:40, cp. verse-21 and John 3:3), because they deny the need for spiritual understanding (John 9:40-41). It is their belief that they are already able to see, or understand spiritual matters without the need of a spiritual resurrection (John 3:3) that is at the very heart of their rejection of Jesus as Messiah.
To be sure, the Jewish authorities meticulously searched the scriptures to derive understanding from them, as that pertained to what they believed was theirs through the Mosaic Covenant (John 5:39). Yet, their search was without love for God (John 5:42), nor was it to understand how to walk in his ways (Deuteronomy 10:12) or how to treat their brethren fairly and mercifully (Micah 6:8). No, they searched the scriptures and lived out their lives in an effort to receive honor for themselves, to be known or thought to be zealous for God (Matthew 23:5; cp. Galatians 1:14). Jesus came glorifying the Father and was rejected. However, if one of their number came in his own name, vis-à-vis to glorify himself, he would be received, because they loved nothing better than to quote one another, exalting one another and being thought of as an expert, or a scholar among their peers (John 5:43; cp. Matthew 23:7; John 12:36-43).
Nevertheless, although the office of judgment had been committed to Jesus (John 5:22), he would not accuse these men or any like them before the Father (John 5:45). Why? because he doesn’t have to. Indeed, he wasn’t sent into the world for this purpose (John 3:17). Rather, those who reject Jesus are already judged (John 3:18), in that mankind had been judged to be in rebellion against God from Eden (Genesis 3) to this very day. Only receiving Jesus as Messiah removes a man from that judgment. Moreover, if anyone protests (cp. Matthew 7:22), he still won’t be judged by Christ, but by Moses/the Law, in which he has placed his trust. If they believed Moses, they would have believed Jesus, because Moses pointed to the coming of the Messiah (Jesus). Nevertheless, they rejected Moses, in that they believed they were able to see and judge good from evil by themselves, trusting in their own power of logic, as they read the scriptures (cp. John 9:40-41).
Indeed, Moses wrote of Jesus (John 5:46), saying the Lord would raise up a Prophet from among the people (Deuteronomy 18:15, 18-19). Indeed, God would require it of that man who would not obey the word that Prophet would speak in the name of the Lord. Therefore, judgment had already been declared, and the Jewish authorities were able to read it and know it, even before they rejected Jesus as Messiah. How could they do such a thing? It is because, they believed they were already able to see without the aid of Jesus offering them spiritual understanding (John 3:3; 9:40-41).
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[1] Timao (G5091) is the verb form of the noun time (G5092).
[2] According to Modern Literal Version Concordance Dictionary and Lexicon doxa (G1391), which Jesus uses in John 5:41 is a synonym for the noun time (G5092). Timao (G5091) the verb form of the noun (G5092) was used in John 5:23.
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