Thoughts for the Day

Jesus said, ‘I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge; and my judgement is just, because I seek to do not my own will but the will of him who sent me. If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. There is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that his testimony to me is true. You sent messengers to John, and he testified to the truth. Not that I accept such human testimony, but I say these things so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. But I have a testimony greater than John’s. The works that the Father has given me to complete, the very works that I am doing, testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me.'

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

In this passage from John's Gospel Jesus seeks to answer his critics concerning proof as to who he is. He uses language that the Scribes and Pharisees would understand. The law declared that a person could not act as a witness to anything he had done himself, it required two or three witnesses independent of that person to verify his actions. So Jesus starts by agreeing that his own unsupported evidence to his works cannot be accepted as true. However, he says John the Baptist testified to 'the truth', in other words to Jesus. John was like a lamp that burnt brightly, and like all oil lights at the time in doing so, burnt out. Jesus accuses the people of being attracted to this light for a short time, but conveniently forgetting him now.

However, he continues, his own work (teaching, healing, miracles) is only achieved because God the Father makes this possible - it is evidence of the power of God working in him. His ultimate witness is God!

This Advent as we think about our spiritual lives, we can perhaps take some things from this passage. We can ask ourselves if we get spiritually stirred for a moment by a sermon or these thoughts, but do nothing about it and quickly forget it? Secondly, could we show practical evidence of God at work in our life - would He act as a witness for us?

Lord Jesus Christ,
help us to have an honest look at ourselves,
and to see if there would be evidence
of our faith in our life at present.
How much effort goes into our spiritual life
as opposed to other things in our daily life?
May we resolve to change with Your help,
for we know we cannot do this alone.
Amen.