He calls John a "burning lamp," because he had an earthly origin, and had his light not from himself, but from the grace of the Spirit, and "for a time"; but when the day of the Lord came, that is, His teaching, the lamp was hidden. Everything he said they accepted "for a time" and rejoiced in him, but then they forgot what he said about Me and remained in their former unbelief. For if you had once firmly believed him, he would soon have led you to faith in Me.
Jn. 5:36. But I have a greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish, these very works that I do, bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me.
"John," He says, "bore witness about Me — John, whom you consider more trustworthy than all others." But since some slanderers might be found who would say, "What is that to us? John was favorable to You, and therefore gave a very good testimony," He says, "You sent to John and questioned him, undoubtedly considering him truthful."
But I have also another testimony, greater than John's. The works which the Father has given Me, that is, has laid upon Me to accomplish, bear witness of Me. By "works" He means the miracles, for example, the healing of the paralytic and others. Since they accused Him for performing these on the Sabbath, and said that He is not from God because He does not keep the Sabbath, He declares to them that He does what is commanded Him by the Father, and is all the more from God in that He accomplishes the works laid upon Him by God. "The works," He says, "which the Father has given Me to accomplish." But if the Father gave them, then you, by opposing such works, are opposing God.
Jn. 5:37. And the Father who sent Me has Himself testified concerning Me.
"And the Father who sent Me has Himself testified concerning Me." Where then did the Father testify concerning Him? Some say at the baptism, when He said: "This is My beloved Son" (Matt. 3:17). But I think it is better to understand that God testified concerning Him in all of Scripture, in the Law and the Prophets.
Jn. 5:37. And you have never heard His voice, nor seen His face;
Jn. 5:38. And you do not have His word abiding in you, because you do not believe the One whom He sent.
"You," He says, "have not heard His voice, that is, the Father's, nor have you seen His face, and He is utterly unknown to you, because you do not have His word abiding in you, that is, you do not know the Scriptures that bear witness about Me, although you think that you know them and boast that the words of God have been entrusted to you. That you do not know the Scriptures is clear from the fact that you do not believe in the One whom He sent. And just as you have not heard the voice of God, for God does not have a perceptible voice, nor have you seen His face, for He has no form or shape, so also you do not have His word in you, that is, the Scriptures that bear witness about Me."
Jn. 5:39. Search the Scriptures, for you think that in them you have eternal life; and they are the ones which testify of Me.
He told them that the word of God does not abide in them, that is, the Scriptures that testify of Me. And teaching how they can have the word of God in themselves, He says: "Search the Scriptures, for you think through them to have life." Notice, He did not say "you have," but "you think." He said "you think," declaring that they truly received no benefit from them (the Scriptures), since they expected salvation from reading alone, without applying faith.
Jn. 5:40. But you are not willing to come to Me, that you may have life.
They (the Scriptures) bear witness of Me, but you are unwilling to come to Me that you may have life. From this we learn that they were evil by choice. For He did not say "you cannot come," but "you are unwilling to come."
Let the Manicheans hear that evil does not consist in nature, but in free choice.
Jn. 5:41. I do not receive glory from men,
When He reminded them of the testimony of John, the testimony of the Father, and the testimony of His works, solely out of desire for their salvation, and meanwhile many could think that He was saying this out of love for glory, He therefore says: "I do not receive glory from men, that is, I have no need of glory, and My Nature is not such as to need glory from men."
Jn. 5:42. But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves.
You persecute Me under the pretext that you love God. But this is not so, no. For I know about you that you do not have the love of God in yourselves, even though you put forward everywhere that you persecute Me out of love for God. The Jews, indeed, did not have the love of God, because they persecuted self-existent Love — the Son of God. Indeed, they did not have His word abiding in them either, for they rejected the Word and God.
Jn. 5:43. I have come in the name of My Father, and you do not receive Me; but if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.
"I," He says, "have come in the name of My Father." Everywhere He glorifies the Father and says that He was sent by Him and that He can do nothing of Himself, and in general expresses many humble things, wishing to cut off every pretext for not accepting Him. But another will come, that is, the antichrist, who will claim that he alone is God.
If you, then, do not receive Me, Who came in the name of the Father, that is, Who says that He was sent by the Father, you will receive him. This will happen to you because he will promise you worldly glory, which you seek, desiring to receive glory from one another and rejecting the glory that is from God alone. But I promise you nothing attractive in this life; rather, in My words you see much that is difficult.
Jn. 5:44. How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another, and do not seek the glory that is from the Only God?
"That is why," He says, "you do not believe Me, because you do not hope to receive from Me any worldly pleasure." And in another sense: "You do not believe Me because you love glory from one another." For the rulers and teachers, desiring themselves only to be in glory among the people, do not accept Me, lest their glory be diminished. And the people, seeking favor from the rulers, do not wish to turn to Me, lest on account of Me they lose honor with the rulers.
Jn. 5:45. Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father: there is one who accuses you, Moses, in whom you have placed your hope.
Since they constantly appealed to Moses, the Lord says that he will accuse you, because he wrote about Me. Where did he write about Him? In many places. Thus the saying "The Lord will raise up a Prophet for you" referred to Christ, and many other things, partly in words, partly in signs and symbols. For example, the miracle of the bush (Exod. 3:2). Here the fire signified the Divinity, and the thornbush signified the sinful nature, which the fire of Divinity assumed and yet preserved unburnt, illuminating it with light and endowing it with His radiance, but not taking on its defects.