1409. Christ's Witness As to Himself

Christ's Witness As to Himself

"If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true" (Joh_5:31).

Christ bore witness of Himself, but He did not stake His claims upon His own statements. He made His claims and then substantiated them by other witnesses. These separate witnesses will follow.

Let us, however, notice some of the claims which Christ made concerning Himself.

1. Christ claimed superiority to man. "A greater than Solomon is here" (Luk_11:31). "A greater than Jonah is here" (Mat_12:41).

2. Christ claimed the supreme place in the affections of man. "He that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me: and he that taketh not his cross and follow eth after Me, is not worthy of Me" (Mat_10:37-38).

3. Christ claimed the very attributes, which alone belong to God.

"Omnipotence." "All power is given unto Me" (Mat_28:19). Christ manifested this all power on earth over disease, death and nature, and in His "creative acts," turning water into wine, etc.

Omnipresence. "No man hath ascended up into Heaven, but He that came down from Heaven, even the Son of Man which is in Heaven" (Joh_3:13).

Omniscience. He perceived what was in people's minds. When many miles away, He said plainly: "Lazarus is dead" (Joh_11:14). He gave prophecies of individuals, nations and of events, which lay 2000 years in the distance.

4. Christ sought and accepted Divine worship. "Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped Him, saying, Of a truth Thou art the Son of God" (Mat_14:33). "And they came and held Him by the feet, and worshipped Him" (Mat_28:9). "Ye call Me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am" (Joh_13:13).

5. Christ claimed equal honor with the Father. "Should honor the Son, even as the Father" (Joh_5:23). "He that hateth Me, hateth the Father also" (Joh_15:23).

6. Christ claimed to be the manifestation of His Father. "Have I been so long a time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father" (Joh_14:9).

7. Christ claimed to be the Son of God, and made Himself equal with God. "I am in the Father, and the Father in Me" (Joh_14:10). "I and My Father are one" (Joh_10:30). "As the Father hath life in Himself * * so hath He given to the Son." "As the Father raiseth up the dead * * so the Son" (Joh_5:21,Joh_5:26).

Jesus Christ was what He claimed, or else He was the greatest impostor that ever moved among men. No other true man has ever dared to claim everything that Christ claimed.

Would Paul have dared to say: "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father"? The best the Apostle could say, was: "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ" (1Co_11:1).

Would Peter, who was told to feed the sheep and to feed the lambs, have dared to say: "My sheep hear my voice and they follow me, and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish * * neither shall any one pluck them out of my hand" (Joh_10:27-28)?

Would John have dared to say: "I am the resurrection and the Life, he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live, and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die" (Joh_11:25)?

What egotism must have possessed Christ, unless He was the Son of God, when with extended heart and hand, He said: "Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest" (Mat_11:28)! How could Joseph's son have given rest?

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR