Witnesses of Christ

Witnesses in a court of law must tell “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” They even swear on a Bible (the ultimate truth) and say “so help me God.” Jesus was God’s true witness of what the Father is and what He will do for us. Jesus was God’s Word—His communication to mankind—in physical form. And therefore, he bore witness of what the Scriptures promised he would be.

The Bible uses the Greek word martus, meaning someone who has personally witnessed an event and can speak of it. What they witness is their marturia (John 1:7,19; 3:11,32,33; 5:31,32,34,36; 8:13,14,17; 19:35; 21:24). Their bearing witness is marturomai (John 1:7,8,15,32,34; 2:25; 3:11,26,28,32; 4:39,44; 5:31,32,33,36,37,39; 7:7; 8:13,14,18; 10:25; 12:17; 13:21; 15:26,27; 18:23,37; 19:35; 21:24). We will look at the usages of marturia and marturomai from John’s gospel in this study.

Looking at the origin of English words, martus gives us “martyr,” which came to mean (based on church history) someone who gave their life in witnessing to what they believed. “Witness” comes from the Old English word wit (understanding, knowledge, mind). “Testify” comes from Latin testis (witness) and is related to an earlier word for “three” (a third person observing events).

Now let’s see what John’s gospel says about witnesses that proved Jesus was the Messiah, God’s only-begotten Son.

Witness of Christ: John the Baptizer

God sent a prophet, John the Baptizer, to prepare the way for the Messiah, Jesus the Christ. John told “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth” that God gave to him.

John 1:7,8,15,19,32,34:
The same [John] came for a witness [marturia], to bear witness [marturomai] of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness [marturomai] of that Light.
John bare witness [marturomai] of him [Jesus], and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before [superior to] me.
And this is the record [marturia] of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
And John bare record [marturomai], saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him [Jesus].
And I saw, and bare record [marturomai] that this is the Son of God.

John 3:26,28,32,33:
And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he [Jesus] that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness [marturomai], behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.
Ye yourselves bear me witness [marturomai], that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him [Jesus].
And what he [Jesus] hath seen and heard, that he testifieth [marturomai]; and no man receiveth his testimony [marturia].
He that hath received his testimony [marturia] hath set to his seal that God is true.

John told others what he saw and heard: 1) Jesus was “before” or superior to John in authority as the Messiah; 2) God sent His spirit on Jesus where it abode; 3) Jesus was God’s Son; 4) John was sent in advance of Jesus; 5) those who receive Jesus’ testimony know that God truly sent him.

Witness of Christ: Preaching to Others

Jesus boldly preached the good news that he was sent declare. He “witnessed the witness” that the Father gave him. This is a figure of speech, polyptoton, where a word is used as both a noun and verb. This is a common Hebrew way of speaking. For example, in Genesis 2:16 the expression “freely eat” literally means “eating you will eat.” It brings the expression to the superlative or utmost degree of meaning. So, “witnessing a witness” is a Hebrew way of saying that the witness is absolute.

John 2:2:
And needed not that any should testify [marturomai] of man: for he knew what was in man.

Jesus didn’t need any person to witness about human nature. He was well acquainted with how people behave. And God gave Jesus revelation about specific people when he needed it.

John 3:11:
Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify [marturomai] that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness [marturia].

Jesus confronted Nicodemus on how the Pharisees did not accept Jesus’ testimony about himself. Yet, Jesus patiently instructed this religious leader.

John 4:39,44:
And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified [marturomai], He told me all that ever I did.
For Jesus himself testified [marturomai], that a prophet hath no honour in his own country.

Jesus met a Samaritan woman at a well and told her about events in her life, things God revealed to Jesus. This convinced her he was a prophet, and later the Messiah. Leaving Samaria, Jesus went to Galilee where he witnessed that an old proverb was true: “prophets are rarely honored in their own lands.”

John 7:7:
The world cannot hate you [Jesus’ half-brothers]; but me it hateth, because I testify [marturomai] of it, that the works thereof are evil.

Jesus said that he witnessed about the evil in the world. He unveiled the Devil as a thief that comes to steal, kill, and destroy. He exposed the hypocrisy and lies of religious leaders. Therefore, those powers in the world hated the Messiah. They did not hate his half-brothers, for they were not exposing evil as he was.

John 12:17:
The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, bare record [marturomai].

Jesus came to Jerusalem for the Passover in AD 28, shortly after he had raised Lazarus from the dead. Everyone in the city was talking about this amazing miracle that they heard about from eye witnesses. This was why many curious people came to see Jesus, and why the religious leaders were so concerned about Jesus’ popularity.

John 13:2:
When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified [marturomai], and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.

During his final meal with his disciples, Jesus told what he had “seen and heard” from the Father. He knew that one of the twelve would betray him. Jesus was not afraid to tell all the truth, even when it was painful.

John 18:23:
Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness [marturomai] of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me?

The high priests and council members accused Jesus of many crimes, and physically beat him. But they had no actual witnesses that could agree on an accusation. Jesus demanded his legal rights and challenged these religious leaders to produce reliable witnesses.

John 18:37:
Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness [marturomai] unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

Pilate had the privilege of hearing Jesus state his mission in coming to the world. Jesus was to speak the truth that he learned from His Father. If any person really desires the truth, they will hear Jesus’ voice and believe. Pilate condemned Jesus to death, and an eye witness declared that he saw Jesus offer his shed blood for our sins. He “witnessed a true witness.”

John 19:35:
And he that saw it [an eye witness] bare record [marturomai], and his record [marturia] is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.

Witness of Christ: The Father’s Work in His Son

What was the most obvious witness that Jesus was the Messiah? The amazing works that he did by God’s power.

Matthew 9:8:
But when the multitudes saw it [Jesus healing a lame man], they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.

John 5 records Jesus at Jerusalem’s pool of Bethesda, healing a man who had been lame for 38 years. The religious leaders were upset that Jesus did this on the Sabbath. But Jesus witnessed to them that his Father “didn’t take off work on the Sabbath.” Neither did God’s Son—he carried out his Father’s work every day of the week.

John 5:16-18:
And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.
But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.
Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal [in authority, and in power to do good works] with God.

Jesus never claimed to be God. That would be considered insanity among those who knew the Old Testament. The Messiah would be God’s Son, not God Who is Spirit (as Jesus said in John 4:24). Yet, the religious leaders were incensed that Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, the true Messiah. They even tried to kill him because that was considered such a sacrilege.

In the following verses (19-29), Jesus told these religious leaders that the “Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.” Jesus obeyed, and His Father worked in him to show forth God’s power. He also said that as the “Son of God,” he would give eternal life. And as the “Son of Man,” he would judge all men.

Then he explained why his witness was true.

John 5:30-34,36,37,39:
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 [marturomai] of myself, my witness [marturia] is not true.
There is another that beareth witness [marturomai] of me; and I know that the witness [marturia] which he witnesseth [marturomai] of me is true.
Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness [marturomai] unto the truth.
But I receive not testimony [marturia] from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved.
But I have greater witness [marturia] than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness [marturomai] of me, that the Father hath sent me.
And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness [marturomai] of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.
Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify [marturomai] of me.

Jesus boldly declared what the true witnesses were that proved he was the Messiah. 1) it wasn’t just Jesus talking, his words were not proof in themselves; 2) the Father gave a true witness of His Son, and Jesus knew it; 3) John truly witnessed about Jesus, but his witness was not the greatest proof; 4) the Father, Who is Spirit, worked mightily in Jesus to prove that he was the Messiah; 5) God’s written words, the Old Testament scriptures, witnessed to who Jesus would be as the Messiah–a suffering savior and redeemer. Today, the scriptures [Romans 10:9,10,17] are still where anyone who believes finds eternal life through Christ.

These religious leaders did not give up. They again accused Jesus of making false claims and witnessing of himself. Jesus declared that his witness was true, because God backed him up.

John 8:13,14,17,18:
The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record [marturomai] of thyself; thy record [marturia] is not true.
Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record [marturomai] of myself, yet my record [marturia] is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go.
It is also written in your law, that the testimony [marturia] of two men is true.
I am one that bear witness [marturomai] of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness [marturomai] of me.

Jesus used the Old Testament law that these religious leaders claimed to believe. It said that two witnesses establish a truth. Jesus spoke what the Father told him to speak, and God backed up those words with spiritual power. Together, they established that Jesus’ words were true.

Later, Jesus healed a man in Jerusalem who was born blind, and he did it on the Sabbath. Once again, the religious leaders were angered. They wanted proof of Jesus’ authority. Jesus reminded them that even though they did not believe his words, they could not deny God’s power working in him.

John 10:25:
Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness [marturomai] of me.

Witness of Christ: The Promise of the Father

Jesus was crucified, died, rose, and ascended to God’s right hand. But before he left this world, he foretold of the Father’s promise. God would pour out the gift of holy spirit, the comforter, and Jesus’ disciples would witness to the truth.

John 15:26,27:
But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify [marturomai] of me:
And ye also shall bear witness [marturomai], because ye have been with me from the beginning.

Just before ascending, Jesus reminded them of this great truth.

Acts 1:8:
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses [martus] unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Born-again Christians have God’s gift of holy spirit. We can witness to our Lord Jesus Christ as we walk by the spirit and show forth God’s power in Christ. That is the witness today.

Witness of Christ: The Scriptures

John’s gospel concludes by showing another witness that we have today—the written Word of God.

John 21:24:
This is the disciple which testifieth [marturomai] of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony [marturia] is true.

What a breathtaking reality to see that God’s witness of His Son is true. Let’s go forth and witness with God’s power and make known the salvation that is for all who believe in our Lord Jesus Christ!