The Witness

Part 2

John 5:30-41 – I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved. He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. 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. And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. I receive not honour from men. [Emphasis added are mine]

The Father witnessed concerning the Son, by the works which He accomplished, because it was the Father in the Son that did them. It was of no concern for Him to take a witness from man, even from John the Baptist. It was worthless to Him. Jesus emphatically states, "I receive not the testimony from man." He says it not once, but twice (see v. 34,41). "I receive not honour from men." Even though John witnessed to the truth, Jesus would only take the witness of the Father. He only sought the witness that came of the Father. Who cares if another man said He was the Son of God. Man will argue with man about that for eons, but you can’t argue with the works which He accomplished. The witness was the works that He was given to complete. You can’t argue about anything when you have seen and experienced the awesome power of God.

How was He able to do these works that witness concerning Him that Father sent Him? The witness (being the Spirit) descended upon Jesus as a dove when He was baptized by John the Baptist in the river Jordan. Not to repent of sins (for He had none), but to set an example that it was necessary to fulfill all justness (righteousness). Neither baptism in water, nor baptism in the Spirit were necessary for Jesus for He had no sin and the Father already indwelt Him. But Jesus partook in those two acts to be an example to us of the necessity for us to follow suit to be saved and for further ministry and witnessing.

John 1:33b,34 – ...Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. [Emphasis added are mine] - the "I saw and bare record" was John the Baptist.

Matthew 3:15-17 – And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. [Emphasis added are mine]

Mark 1:10,11 – And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Luke 3: 21,22 – Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

Here you see the story told from 4 perspectives. The witness is referred to here as the Spirit, the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of God. The Spirit was the witness to John the Baptist that Jesus was the Son of God. The voice heard was God witnessing to the multitude that Jesus was His Son (the term that God used for the manifestation of Himself in the flesh). Father God manifested Himself in the man Jesus. Remember that the manifestation of God as the Spirit descending as a dove was the witness to John the Baptist and this plays a major role in A Walk Through Acts in regard to the witness of our salvation.

Before this point, we only know of the accounts of Jesus' birth and of Him sitting midst the teachers in the priestal precinct listening and asking questions, having them be astounded at His comprehension and answers, being about the business of His Father (Luke 2:41-50). Notice what happens after the record of His baptism. He is now described as being full of the Spirit, led of the Spirit, and in the power of the Spirit (Mark 3:21,22; 4:1,14). The anointing of God was activated, in a sense, to start fulfilling His primary purpose. The Spirit of God and the power of God cannot be separated for the Spirit is the kingdom of God, in whomever He is in and the kingdom of God always comes in power.

Jesus having been witnessed that He is the Son of God and, at the same time, empowered to lead a Spirit-filled life to fulfill His calling is an example to us. It was necessary for Him to be baptized, not only in water, but in Spirit to be an example to us of our requirements before we go out and fulfill His ministry and calling.

Now, publicly anointed by God, He is able to say the, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. (Luke 4:18,19)"

Question: Can you trust in Father God and still reject Jesus Christ, the Son of God?

John 8:31-47 – Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. [Emphasis added are mine]

As far as I can tell from this scripture to trust God and not Jesus is impossible. He and the Father are one, inseparable. If you say that your Father is God and reject Jesus the Son (His manifestation in the flesh) you prove that you are not of Father God and that your real father is satan himself. I don’t know about you, but "them’s fightin’ words" to me.

I mean that facetiously, but sometimes the truth is so powerful it hurts and it riles up your flesh to fight. There is no middle of the road with Jesus. When you read of the Son of God you must remember that this term is used by God to designate the Father's manifestation in the flesh to men, as the man Jesus Christ.

So, you are either with Him or against Him and if you are with Him, you are with the Father and if you’re not with Jesus, you are against Him and with satan. Notice Jesus says, "... but the Son abideth forever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." Didn't Jesus say, in John 14:17,18, of the Spirit that He will abide with you forever and will dwell in you?

Can you trust Jesus and reject His Spirit and the witness thereof? Let’s read an example.

Acts 5:3,4 - But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. [Emphasis added are mine]

Notice, in the above reference, that by implication the Holy Spirit is equated here with God.

John 5:43a - I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not…

It says here, that Jesus came in the Father’s name, so the Father’s name is Jesus. Remember, Jesus said He and the Father are one.

John 14:26a – But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name,…

Jesus says the Spirit is sent "in my name." Then the Spirit’s name is Jesus, too. If Jesus, the Christ, was named after the Father [and He is one with Father], and if the Spirit was named after Jesus and is the Spirit of Jesus, then I would reckon to say that the Spirit is one with Jesus, just as Jesus was one with the Father and therefore, the same as well. So we see here, not three different persons, but three different manifestations or roles that God has played in relation to humanity.

The Spirit of Jesus is the Spirit of God. There are not two Spirits. So, you can’t trust Jesus and reject the Spirit because they are just as inseparable as the Father and the Son. They are one. The name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit is Jesus. Romans says specifically the oneness of the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, and Christ (Jesus).

Romans 8:9-11 – But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. [Emphasis added are mine]

There are not three different spirits referred to in this passage. They are all different titles of the same one Spirit. Paul is not using this passage to differentiate from "the Spirit of God", "the Spirit of Christ", "Christ in you", or "the Spirit". On the contrary, he is using this passage to explain to them that the Spirit of God indwells them. This Spirit of God is also known as the Spirit of Christ, because he says "if any man have not the Spirit of Christ". So Paul is affirming that the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ is the same Spirit. Then Paul says it a different way by saying, "Christ in you." Paul again is not separating and differentiating, but affirming that this is how Christ is in you, by the indwelling "Spirit of God" or the indwelling "Spirit of Christ". He concludes this passage by just referring to the indwelling Christ as "His Spirit."

The three that are one is defined in the scripture as thus:

I John 5:7,8 – For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. [Emphasis added are mine]

The body of Christ is encouraged to: "...walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." (Ephesians 4:1b-6)

It is in one Spirit, one body, of one trust, one baptism, and one God who is in us. You must accept, Father, Son, and Spirit without prejudice to the other, for they are one. God dwells in you by the baptism of the Spirit. The Jews including the apostles never worshipped a triune (3 person) God. That was a completely foreign and pagan concept to them. Only pagan's of their time worshipped triune or plural gods. They would never do such a thing for they knew their God, and the Father of all creation, was one.

Jesus said, "Apart from me you can do naught." I think it safe to say that without the Spirit of Jesus within, you can do nothing as well.

He is the witness.