Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going.
In John 5:31-47 Jesus provided 5 witnesses besides Himself to validate His testimony: the Baptist, the Father, His works, Scripture, and Moses. He chose to not do that here and really had no need to do so. They have no right to comment upon His witness because they were on a completely different plane of existence. As Westcott points out, “In the past lie the manifold elements out of which the present grew; in the future lies the revelation of what the present implicitly contains. He can bear witness to himself who has such knowledge of his own being.” Only Jesus qualifies.
Light is self-revealing. If the Pharisees had had open minds, they could have seen that Jesus was indeed the Light because He was shining God’s Light forth by His words and by His deeds. Also, if they had known where He came from and where He was going they could have made a correct judgment as to whether He was the Light or not, but they didn’t (Psalms 92:6).
Psalms 92:6 The senseless man does not know, fools do not understand,
Because Jesus knew where He had come from and where He was going, He was not afraid to boldly speak the truth, even in the face of persecution. We, too, know where we have come from and where we are going and we should also have the bold courage to speak to those who need to hear the truth. Be careful to do so under the direction of the Holy Spirit, because he alone knows the best time and the best method to touch someone’s heart, but don’t let fear keep you from being His witness.