How Much Evidence Will Finally Be Enough?

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John 8:12-20

12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 13 So the Pharisees said to him, “You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.” 14 Jesus answered, “Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. 15 You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. 16 Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. 17 In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. 18 I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.” 19 They said to him therefore, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” 20 These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.

 
 

Back in 5:32–40, Jesus speaks of the witnesses that affirm His identity:

  • John the Baptist;

  • The works that Jesus does;

  • The Scriptures in general;

  • Moses specifically.

Here He builds on that and unambiguously tells the Pharisees that he has been sent from the Father.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
People often want more evidence before they will believe in Jesus. But how much evidence is enough? Often, our desire for evidence is a stalling tactic, like a child asking for one more glass of water before going to bed. Rather, at some point we have to make the decision to believe, or not believe. No amount of evidence will take away the need to take a step in faith.

 

The Bible Isn't The Point

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John 5:30-47

30 “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. 31 If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true. 32 There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. 33 You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. 34 Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. 35 He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. 36 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. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, 38 and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. 39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. 41 I do not receive glory from people. 42 But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. 43 I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. 44 How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? 45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

 
 

Jesus is mistrusted by the Jews and is here explaining who He is and what He’s doing. He tells them that the reason they should trust Him is because what the Father and what John the Baptist have said about Him, and also because the Old Testament prophesied about Him. Unfortunately, though they “search the Scriptures” they have missed the point of the Bible—the Bible itself isn’t the point, the point is the Lord to whom the Scriptures testify.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY:
We have completed another month of readings, and I hope you are learning more about the Bible. But the whole reason for doing this at all—the whole reason I spend all this time reading and writing—is so that you will come to have faith in Jesus and life in His name.

So, here’s our prayer for the day:
“Lord, use the words of your Scriptures to bring me more alive in You.”

 

How Does A Person Become A Christian?

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Romans 10:5-13

5 For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. 6 But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

 
 

Throughout chapters 9–11, Paul is examining and answering four related questions:

  1. Why did so many of the Jews refuse to accept Jesus as Messiah?

  2. In light of Jewish rejection of Jesus and Gentile acceptance of Jesus, has God replaced the Jews with the Gentiles as His chosen people?

  3. Is there any hope that the Jews who previously rejected Jesus as Messiah might one day turn back and believe?

  4. In light of all of the above, what is God up to?

In our previous day’s reading (vv. 10:1–4), Paul has explained that Jesus as Messiah was a difficult concept for the Jews to accept; many of them “stumbled” over Jesus and consequently missed the life that He came to bring.

Here, Paul makes the point that the Old Testament had said that if you want life, you have to obediently follow the Law:

5 For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them [Romans 10:5].

The problem (as Paul has explained in chapters 1–7) is that no one was actually able to follow the Law. But the good news is that though no one else was able to perfectly keep the Law; Jesus Himself perfectly followed it and, though He died in place of disobedient Israel, God raised Him from the dead; through His obedience Jesus now offers the blessings of the Law to all who trust in Him. Paul calls this “the righteousness based on faith” (v. 6).

And then Paul explains that faith is trusting that God has already done in Christ what needed to be done—we don’t have to do it:

6 But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead) [Romans 10:6–7].

In other words, there is no need to try and bring Christ down from heaven, since He has already made that journey, and there is no need to try and descend into the place of the dead—that is, “the abyss”— to raise up God’s people, since Jesus has already descended to the dead and ascended to sit at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, holding in his hand the keys of death and Hades (Revelation 1:18).

No, there is no need to do any of that, because Christ has already done it. Rather, all you have to do is trust:

8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” [Romans 10:8–13].

  • You just need to trust—have faith in—Jesus;

  • This faith is both an internal decision to trust Jesus (“believe in your heart”) and an external action that conforms to the internal decision (“confess with your mouth”);

  • Anyone who trusts in Jesus will be saved;

  • And there is one salvation for both Jews and Gentiles—everyone is saved by the same way—by faith.

Have you placed your trust in Jesus by internal decision—belief in your heart—and external action—confession with your mouth?

Who around you can you lead to Christ in this way? Be praying for the opportunity.