John 5:40 You will not come to Me, that you might have life!

This is the most foundational doctrine in the Bible related to the gospel, salvation, and mankind. This doctrine of unbelief reveals our true humanity. It is the unwillingness of the sinner to believe the truth even when faced with it.

The sinner’s unwillingness to believe when there is complete evidence and testimony, is perhaps the clearest demonstration of the depth of sin in man. This is condition of sinful man where he is both unable to make any contribution to his salvation and unwilling at the same time to come to the only one who can save him.

Unbelief is never due to a lack of evidence.

Nothing in the Bible holds God responsible for people’s unbelief. It is not because of some double decree on God’s part, it is not because of some lack of evidence, it is not because of an insufficient provision as if the sacrifice of Christ was insufficient. Condemnation in the Bible always comes to those who choose not to believe.

Jesus Calls On The Father To Witness His Deity

John 5:31 If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true.

Jesus calls another witness to give testimony to Him. From verse 30 down into verse 40, Jesus calls on God the Father to be a witness and support His testimony.

Jesus Relationship With The Father Is A Witness

Jesus said in verse 30 I can do nothing on My own initiative, but I do the will of Him who sent Me.

One example of the Father’s testimony was at the Baptism of Jesus, He said in a voice out of heaven, this is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Luke 3:22

Jesus Calls on the Witness of John The Baptist

John 5:33 You sent unto John, and he bore witness unto the truth.

There was a national fever over the prophet John the Baptist. He did no miracles but he was clearly a fulfillment in their minds of the promise of the Old Testament. They believed he was a prophet sent from God.

Everyone thought John was a prophet, declared him a prophet, basked in his ministry, and went out to hear his Message. John promoted Jesus, and told the people to follow Him.

How can a person receive the man Jesus as being from God, call him a prophet from God, rejoice in him, and then reject what he said?

That’s what the nation of Israel did as a whole, and that is what people still do, it demonstrates the natural unwillingness of the human heart.

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?

Jesus Calls on the Witness of Miracles

John 5:36 But I have greater witness than that of John; for the works which the Father hath given Me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of Me that the Father hath sent Me.

The Jewish leader Nicodemus said, We know You’re a man sent from God because nobody can do what You do, if God is not behind it. John 3:2

Jesus Calls on the Witness of Scripture

John 5:39 “Search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and it is they which testify of Me.

Jesus said you have the Scripture in your hand but not your heart, their rejection of Scripture is severe. Jesus said when judgment day comes I will not be the one who speaks against you to the Father, it will be Moses.

John 5:45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one that accuses you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.

Moses is going to be the prosecuting attorney, bringing the condemnation. You had the Scriptures and you didn’t believe them either. You didn’t believe the prophet, you didn’t believe the miracles, you didn’t believe the Scripture.

The Old Testament Scripture had been available for centuries and was available to the people then. So this is testimony that is far reaching, far and wide, extensive testimony from God the Father, to the deity of Jesus Christ.

The Jewish nation had so much evidence concerning Christ. They chose not to believe it, their unbelief condemns them. We have the same evidence, and more.

Will we Believe?