Witness #3 – The Father

And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form,

nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent.

How has the Father borne witness to Jesus? The entire revelation of God from the beginning of time has been a witness to the Son. The Jews, however, have been unable to understand this witness, even though it was threefold:

  1. They never heard His voice.
    Moses did: 
    Exodus 33:11  The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young assistant Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.
    And they could have if they had only listened:
    John 3:34  For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit.
  2. They never saw God.
    Israel did: 
    Genesis 32:30-31 So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.” The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip.
    But they were not true Israelites or they, too, could have seen the form of God: 
    John 14:9  Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
  3. They did not have God’s word abiding in them.
    The Psalmist did: 
    Psalms 119:11. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
    If they had, they would have received the words of Jesus:
    John 17:14  I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.

There are a couple of other ways in which the Father bore witness to His Son according to Matt 3:17 and 1John 5:9-10:

He spoke from heaven

Mt 3:17  And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

He puts that testimony in our hearts

1 Jo 5:10  We accept man’s testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son.