John 5:36 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me.

NIV: "I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing—testify that the Father has sent me.

NASB: But the testimony I have is greater than the testimony of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish—the very works that I do—testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me.

CSB: "But I have a greater testimony than John’s because of the works that the Father has given me to accomplish. These very works I am doing testify about me that the Father has sent me.

NLT: But I have a greater witness than John — my teachings and my miracles. The Father gave me these works to accomplish, and they prove that he sent me.

KJV: But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.

NKJV: But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me.

Jesus has angered local religious leaders by violating their traditions and claiming to be equal with God (John 5:18). Jesus provides several examples of His equality with God the Father (John 5:19–30). At the same time, Jesus notes that human beings feel a natural, reasonable urge for evidence (Romans 1:18–20; 1 John 4:1). This is why Jewish law required two or three witnesses to establish any critical fact (Numbers 35:30; Deuteronomy 17:6). In the interest of reaching lost souls, Jesus is willing to provide that evidence. In prior verses, Jesus has given the first of these: human testimony, which came from John the Baptist (John 5:33).

In this verse, Jesus explains the second form of evidence: direct observation. Jesus notes that He has performed miracles—"works"—which demonstrate that He has godly power. These are events some of His critics have seen first-hand, so Jesus calls this form of testimony "greater" than the witness of John the Baptist. The Baptist's words are compelling, but he performed no miracles (John 10:41). The real-world miracles of Jesus are far more powerful evidence than any human testimony.

This is a major purpose for this entire Gospel. John specifically focuses on seven of Jesus' miracles, calling them "signs" (John 2:11). The purpose of choosing only these few incidents is to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God (John 20:30–31). God uses miracles sparingly to prove His message (Hebrews 2:3–4). The fact that Jesus is wielding the power of God is meant to inspire faith in those who see His works (John 3:2).

The third form of evidence Jesus refers to is that of Scripture, beginning in the next verse.

John 5:30–47 continues Jesus' response to His critics in Jerusalem. After healing a crippled man on the Sabbath and claiming to be equal with God, Jesus now speaks about evidence. Rather than simply saying, "have faith,'' or ''believe Me because I said so,'' He offers reasons why He should be believed. These include human testimony, the miracles He is performing, and the words of Scripture. Jesus also makes the point that those who reject the prior words of God—the Old Testament Scriptures—aren't going to believe in Christ, no matter what.

Jesus again returns to Jerusalem, as required for the various feast days. While there, He heals a man who had been crippled for nearly forty years. Since this occurred on the Sabbath, local religious leaders are angry. In fact, they are more upset with Jesus for working on the Sabbath than amazed at His miracle. In response, Jesus offers an important perspective on evidence. Jesus refers to human testimony, scriptural testimony, and miracles as reasons to believe His declarations. Christ also lays claim to many of the attributes of God, making a clear claim to divinity.

Chapters 1 through 4 showed Jesus avoiding major publicity. Here, in chapter 5, He will begin to openly challenge the local religious leaders. This chapter is Jesus' first major answer to His critics in this gospel. The fact that Jesus is willing to heal on the Sabbath sets up a theme of His upcoming disagreements with the Pharisees. Jesus also provides an important perspective on the relationship between evidence and faith, which He will expand on in later chapters. This chapter also establishes a key point made by Jesus' critics: His claims to be God.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.