John Chapter 5 is a fascinating scripture. Here the Jews challenged the divinity of Jesus amidst the initial resentment they had for him. They were angry because Jesus healed the man who was paralyzed for thirty-eight years at the pool of Bethesda on a Sabbath day. Jesus made it clear to them that his Father (God) never stops working, so why should he? It means God in heaven does not stop doing the work of healing, deliverance and salvation (Acts 10:38& John 5:16).
The fact that Jesus refers to God as his Father infuriated them the more. The Pharisee said to him; you are not only violating the Sabbath; you are also equating yourself with God (John 5:18). Jesus said many things concerning his divinity which time will fail us to explain in this edition. We are only going to examine the three witnesses of his divinity.
Jesus told them there are three main witnesses of his divinity. He told them about the testimony of John. John told the Pharisee that Jesus is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). John attests to Jesus divinity. Finally, in John 1vs 34, John testified that Jesus is the son of God. Jesus made it clear that John’s testimony concerning his divinity is not as powerful as those of his teachings and miracles.
The teachings of Jesus and the Miracles he performed were witnesses of his divinity. No wonder he said the words which I speak to you are life. The miracles also had no duplicate. He was casting out the demons, healing the sick and raising the dead. At a point, some Jews concluded that Jesus is doubtlessly the Messiah based on the miracle he performs (John 7:34).
The most powerful testimony of Jesus is his Father’s testimony of him. The testimony of God concerning Jesus was all over the pages of the scripture. God kept on approving him has his son. Among the many incidents that the Father witnessed concerning Jesus was his baptism in the River Jordan (Luke 3: 21-22). Here, the Father attested that Jesus is his son in the hearing of all who were there. On the mount of transfiguration, John, Peter and James heard the Father saying, this is my son; hear ye him (Mt 17:2-5). Again in John 12:28-30, Jesus said Father, glorify thyself, and immediately a voice from heaven said *I have glorified it and will glorify it once again*
What do I take away from this?
- Like Jesus, after you got born again, God bestows on you divine nature (II Peter 1:4). God became your Father, and you also became his son. Your humanity is a lower value. Your divinity is now superior. Like the Pharisee confronted Jesus’ divinity, sickness, guilt, poverty and crisis of life will contest your *divinity consciousness*. The evidence of the circumstances that confront your status in Christ may not be deniable in many cases. In other cases, they may be overwhelming to you. No matter what the devil brings your way, You must make sure that the connection with your heavenly Father defines your conduct in this earthly realm.
Like Jesus, you can also do the following:
Jesus referred the Pharisee to John’s Testimony of him; you can also tell the devil what your faith leaders said concerning your new life in Christ. You can equally re-echo the teaching of Jesus from the sermons you have listened to in the past. Referring to that which you have heard from others about your new life in Christ is the least you can do.
Next to this is the testimony of miracles that the Lord has done in your life in the past is another weapon you use. This gives a better result when it comes to confronting the devil and his lies. David told Saul how God has helped him overcome the lion and the beer before facing Goliath (I Samuel 17:33-38). Immediately you got born again; your life is a theatre of miracles and supernatural. The peace you have with God and justification are among the very evidence of Gods goodness which you cannot deny (Romans 5:1). Hence, tell the devil about it any time he shows up to tell you that your humanity is inferior to your divinity.
Finally, the testimony of Your Father, this is the blow that the devil cannot withstand. The disappointment of the devil is enormous when he hears it is written. Tell him you are seated in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus far above principalities and power (Eph 2:6). It must be made known to the devil that the Father said that Jesus tasted death on your behalf once and for all (Hebrews 2:9). Let the devil know that you are the very image of the invisible God (Col 1:15), and sickness cannot co-exist with that image. Tell the devil that you are the righteousness of God.
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