March 22, 2023
Putting Together a Great Resume
“If I alone testify about Myself, My testimony is not true. There is another who testifies of Me, and I know that the testimony which He gives about Me is true.” John 5:31-32 (NASB)
Have you ever had a job interview? If you have, a good resume is important. This takes time to prepare a good one. It is the most important the employer will look at initially to get to know you along with your qualifications. If it is sloppily put together many times employers will see it. A sloppy one decreases the chance of a further step in the hiring process. Down toward the end of the resume is where you list your references. This is a very important area of the resume. It tells the employer those who know you and can speak to your character. Many employers will contact these people to determine if you are the person they are interested in hiring. Pick them well. Plan well. Today in our reading, Jesus is basically showing His resume. He doesn’t ask the Jews to listen to His words alone, but those who truly know Him. They and history can testify to His true character, and wow, what a list of references He has!
“If I alone testify about Myself, My testimony is not true.” When Jesus made this statement, He wasn’t acting on His own testimony. A. T. Robertson says, “But here Jesus yields to the rabbinical demand for proof outside of himself. He has the witness of another (the Father, 5:32, 37), the witness of the Baptist (5:33), the witness of the works of Jesus (5:36), the witness of the Scriptures (5:39), the witness of Moses in particular (5:45).”[1] Jesus had a list of references. The Old Testament as well-made hundreds of references to the coming Messiah. You want more? He said, “There is another…” Hence, add one more to those “who testify to Me.” This person was John the Baptist. The list was drenched in ink with references to His identity. His resume was so full, that I don’t even think you and I could have time to go through each reference today or tomorrow.
This verse has a prevalent word which appears. It is the word, “testimony.” The word here has two different meanings in its usage though, martureo- bear witness and marturia- reputation or witness. When translated, the verse could look much like this: “If I alone bear witness about Myself, My reputation or witness is not true. There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the reputation or witness which He gives about Me is true.” This doesn’t change the verses meaning, but it does help us understand the verse a little clearer. In a legal sense the one who testifies about himself needs supporting witnesses to validate his testimony. In this period of time, Biblical law required two witnesses for a testimony to be legally valid. Jesus knew this, and He had hundreds of witnesses to His coming as Messiah. Some from present and some from the past.
The resume Jesus has is more than enough to determine Jesus is the real deal. His references go back to the beginning of recorded history. Today, many people who want us to believe they have answers in the world. They don’t have a good enough resume to solve the world’s problems, but Jesus does. He is the Son of God, the One who began it all and holds all things together by the power of His Word! He is the expert in all things and His resume is dripping with proof. Try to beat that on your resume!
[1] A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1933), Jn 5:31.