Jesus’ Many Witnesses
April 3, 2025 - Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent
John 5:31-47
Today’s Gospel focuses on the theme of bearing witness to Jesus. In the Old Testament, legal cases required at least two witnesses for validation. In this passage, Jesus presents four: the Father, John the Baptist, his own works, and the Scriptures.
The theme of witnessing was first introduced in John 1:7, where we read that John the Baptist “came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe.” When John began his ministry in the desert, the religious authorities in Jerusalem sent experts to investigate his baptism. He never claimed to be the Messiah but pointed instead to the One coming after him. That One, of course, was Jesus—the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. Yet, despite John’s testimony, the religious leaders refused to believe.
The Gospel does not explicitly describe how the Father bears witness to Jesus. However, as readers, we hear the Father's voice twice—at Jesus’ baptism and again at his transfiguration. On both occasions, God proclaims: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.” Beyond these direct affirmations, the Father’s testimony is also evident in the works He has given Jesus to accomplish.
Jesus’ works provide another powerful witness. Through his miracles, Jesus reveals himself as the Son of God. Those with eyes to see recognize that his works confirm his divine mission (cf. John 3:2). The greatest of these works is his Passion and death. In John’s Gospel, Jesus' final words on the cross are “It is accomplished” (John 19:30), signaling the fulfillment of his mission. In Mark’s Gospel, a Roman centurion, witnessing Jesus’ death, proclaims: “Truly this man was the Son of God” (Mark 15:39). Even a Gentile soldier could recognize what many of Jesus' own people refused to see.
The fourth and final witness is the Scriptures, particularly the books of Moses. Jesus declares that Moses wrote about him and that the Scriptures testify to him. The Church has always affirmed that the mysteries of Christ are hidden within the Old Testament and that without understanding these sacred writings, one cannot fully know Christ.
The Gospel concludes with words that echo the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. There, Abraham warns that “if they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead” (Luke 16:31). This statement foreshadows the tragic irony of Jesus’ own resurrection: even after he rose from the dead, many still refused to believe.
Four powerful witnesses—and yet, for so many, it was not enough. How many more witnesses would they need to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and receive eternal life?