Is Jesus Who He Said He Was?

“If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. There is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that his testimony to me is true. You sent messengers to John, and he testified to the truth. Not that I accept such human testimony, but I say these things so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. But I have a testimony greater than John’s. The works that the Father has given me to complete, the very works that I am doing, testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has himself testified on my behalf. You have never heard his voice or seen his form, and you do not have his word abiding in you, because you do not believe him whom he has sent.

“You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify on my behalf. Yet you refuse to come to me to have life. I do not accept glory from human beings. But I know that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; if another comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe when you accept glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the one who alone is God? Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; your accuser is Moses, on whom you have set your hope. If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But if you do not believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?”

If I were to tell you that I sang “Thank you, Lord,” with Don Moen in the governor’s house in Bangalore a few years ago, you would be forgiven if you didn’t entirely believe me. However, if I had a couple of credible witnesses to attest to the fact, then there is a greater chance that you would believe what I described actually happened. And if I had a video of us singing together, then all doubt would be cast aside, because there was incontrovertible evidence of the incident. Right? Same is the case in today’s story.

Jesus had just told his Jewish listeners that God was his father, and this freaked them out because he was making God his equal. That was blasphemous to their ears. Now if Jesus were to just trundle into town and say this about himself, there would be no credibility whatsoever, which is why Jesus presented his case to prove who he really was.

One, the testimony of John the Baptist. You will recall that John the Baptist had thousands of people flocking to him to be baptized. Yet, when Jesus came he declared: ““Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). And then he went on to say: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One” (John 1:32-34).

Two, even though John was great witness, an even greater witness were the things that he was doing; things that his Father had sent him to do. Just prior to this conversation he had healed a man who was unwell for thirty-eight years. Prior to that he had turned water into wine and healed a royal official’s son without going anywhere near the person. Everyone could see these things that he was doing; things no man had ever done before, unless they were from God. And if they were from God, surely they would be speaking the truth.

Three, the Father himself testified on Jesus’ behalf. Recall that during the baptism of Jesus the heavens opened and a voice was heard. This is what Scripture says: “When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:21-22).

And four, Scripture had repeatedly pointed to the Messiah, and they should have spotted him instantly. As just one example, Isaiah had said that the eyes of the blind would be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped, the lame would leap like deer, and the touch of the speechless sing for joy. You can find that in Isaiah 35. What did Jesus do? Exactly those things. Now, some of us might want evidence to believe that Jesus is who he said it was. Here it is.

Now you decide.