BEARING WITNESS GENUINELY

 



THURSDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK OF LENT(YEAR B)


Exodus 32:7-14

Psalm 105(106):19-23

John 5:31-47 


Scripture emphasizes the importance of witnessing, especially in Jewish tradition, which requires the testimony of two or three witnesses. Deuteronomy 19:15 states, "Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established," and Proverbs 27:2 advises, "Let another praise you, and not your mouth; a stranger, and not your lips."


In the Gospel of John, Jesus presents more than three testimonies about Himself:



1. **John the Baptist** testified to Jesus, calling Him the "Lamb of God" (John 1:29), and prepared the way for Him.


2. **Jesus' miracles** serve as His second testimony. He claimed, "The works that the Father has given me... bear witness about me" (John 5:36).



3. **God the Father** also testified about Jesus. At His baptism, God declared, "This is my beloved Son" (Matthew 3:17), and during the Transfiguration, He said, "Listen to him" (Matthew 17:5).


4. Jesus pointed out that the **Scriptures** themselves testify about Him, stating, "You search the Scriptures... it is they that bear witness about me" (John 5:39).



The Pharisees missed recognizing Jesus despite their search. They failed to see Him in the Scriptures and in person.


This leads us to examine our own witnessing: Are we aware of our testimony? Do our actions reflect our faith? Jesus urges us not to merely call Him "Lord" without following His commands (Luke 6:46).


As Charles R. Swindoll said, "Whatever we do, we must not treat the Great Commission like it's the Great Suggestion." Let us commit to being true witnesses of the Gospel. Amen.


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