Jesus in John chapter 5 (after healing a man at the Pool of Bethesda) is mentioning various Witnesses to the Fact that He is the Son of God!
But He will not here accept any witness from a human! John 5:34 … “I receive not testimony from man.” (And that even includes John the Baptist!)
The First Witness Jesus claims is simply identified as “Another!” John 5:32, an undoubtable Reference to the Holy Spirit of God! Jesus later here in John’s Gospel names Him (the Holy Spirit) so … “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you ANOTHER COMFORTER, that He may abide with you for ever.” John 14:16, from Jesus’ great Upper Room Sermon! Soon John 14:26 (only ten verses later) specially identifies this Comforter, this Another … “The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost.”
I can personally testify now. The great “Another,” the great Comforter, the great Holy Spirit WITNESSES (CONFIRMS, ASSURES, TESTIFIES) to me that Jesus is God! Amen!
As I taught this grand fact in our Evening Meditation Class (posted yesterday afternoon, “John 5:31-40”) I realized that the Holy Spirit of God is mentioned in John (our fourth Gospel) numerous times, even prior to our current Text.
Way back in John 1:32, at Jesus’ Baptism … “And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.”
Soon after (John 1:33) the Holy Spirit remains on Jesus, Who subsequently “baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.”
In John 3:5 Nicodemus learns about salvation … “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” Notice that the proper noun “Spirit” is capitalized, here indicating Deity!
In John 3:34 we learn that Jesus is filled with the Holy Spirit to a measureless degree! “For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.”
Again in John 4 (verses 23 and 24) we are pointed to the Holy Spirit! Jesus to the Samaritan woman … “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” No true worship apart from the Holy Ghost!
So by the time we have studied our way to John 5:32 we should have no reservations about seeing another “Holy Spirit” Verse, Allusion!
No telling how often He will resurface in the rest of John’s Gospel!
I thank God for the great “ANOTHER” He has sent us!
Enjoy Him, the Holy Spirit, today! He will consistently point you to Jesus, to His (our Lord’s) honor and Glory!
— Dr. Mike Bagwell
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