John 5:31-47
Testimonies About Jesus
31 “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. 32 There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is true.
33 “You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth. 34 Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved. 35 John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.
36 “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. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, 38 nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. 39 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
41 “I do not accept glory from human beings, 42 but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?
45 “But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47 But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?”
Deuteronomy 18:14-22
The Prophet to Come
14 The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the Lord your God has not permitted you to do so. 15 The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. 16 For this is what you asked of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the Lord our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die.”
17 The Lord said to me: “What they say is good. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. 19 I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name. 20 But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, is to be put to death.”
21 You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?” 22 If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed.
There is much in St. John's chapter five about the authority of Jesus and who He is...Jesus testified about Himself and the old laws said that one needed testimony from two for the Truth and Jesus tells us that Moses bears testimony of Him...But more importantly God bears testimony of Him...Jesus has given us testimony that is weightier than that of John the Baptist...For the works that the Father has given Jesus to finish—the very works that He did—testify that the Father has sent Him as the Messiah...And the Father who sent Jesus has Himself testified concerning His Son...Those of us have never heard his voice nor seen God's form, for He is Spirit...Neither does his word dwell in those listening to Him that day...To believe in God we must believe in the One that He sent...And that One He sent is Jesus...We can study the Scriptures diligently because we think that in the Bible we will get and have eternal life...But the Bible and the Scriptures testify about Jesus...Jesus is the Scriptures and the Bible...So let us not refuse Him, but let us come to Him to have life...
Jesus knows that real glory comes from God...It is God that gives glory, while many men look for their glory from other men...To receive glory from God we must have the love of God in our heart...How can we believe since you accept glory from other men, but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?...When we believe Moses then we also believe Jesus, because Moses wrote about Jesus as the Prophet who was to come...And He has came and is our Messiah...God raised up Jesus a fellow Israelite...We must listen to Him...For God has put His Own Words into Jesus' mouth...