John 5:37 Study Bible: The Father himself, who sent me, has testified about me. You have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his form.

◄ John 5:37 ►

And the Father who sent Me has Himself testified about Me. You have never heard His voice nor seen His form,

And the Father who sent Me
This phrase emphasizes the divine mission and authority of Jesus Christ. The Greek word for "sent" is "πέμπω" (pempo), which implies a purposeful sending with a mission. In the historical context of the Jewish understanding, being sent by God carried the weight of divine authority and purpose. Jesus is not acting on His own but is fulfilling the will of the Father, underscoring the unity and harmony within the Trinity. This reflects the conservative Christian belief in the divine nature of Christ and His role as the Messiah.

has Himself testified about Me
The testimony of the Father is a powerful affirmation of Jesus' identity and mission. The Greek word for "testified" is "μαρτυρέω" (martyreo), which means to bear witness or give evidence. In the Jewish legal system, a testimony was crucial for establishing truth. The Father’s testimony is seen through the works of Jesus, the fulfillment of prophecy, and the voice from heaven at Jesus' baptism. This divine testimony is a cornerstone for the believer's faith, affirming that Jesus is indeed the Son of God.

You have never heard His voice
This phrase addresses the spiritual condition of the audience. The Greek word for "heard" is "ἀκούω" (akouo), which means to hear or listen. It implies not just the physical act of hearing but understanding and accepting. Historically, the Israelites heard God's voice at Mount Sinai, but here Jesus points out their spiritual deafness. They have not truly listened to God’s revelation through Jesus. This serves as a call to spiritual awakening and receptivity to God’s word.

nor seen His form
The Greek word for "form" is "εἶδος" (eidos), which refers to appearance or shape. In the Old Testament, God’s form was not seen, as He is spirit and transcendent. This statement highlights the spiritual blindness of the people. Despite God’s presence and revelation through Jesus, they fail to recognize Him. For conservative Christians, this underscores the importance of faith and spiritual insight to perceive God’s work and presence in the world.

Persons / Places / Events

1. The Father
Refers to God the Father, the first person of the Holy Trinity, who sent Jesus into the world.

2. Jesus Christ
The Son of God, who is speaking in this passage, emphasizing His divine mission and relationship with the Father.

3. The Audience
Primarily the Jewish leaders and people who were questioning Jesus' authority and identity.

4. The Testimony
The divine witness of God the Father concerning Jesus, which is a central theme in this passage.

5. The Event
This discourse occurs during Jesus' ministry, following His healing of the man at the pool of Bethesda, which led to controversy with the Jewish leaders.

Teaching Points

Divine Testimony
Understand that God the Father has provided a clear testimony about Jesus, affirming His divine mission and identity.

Spiritual Perception
Reflect on the importance of spiritual perception over physical sight and hearing in recognizing God's work and presence.

Relationship with God
Cultivate a personal relationship with God through Jesus, who reveals the Father to us.

Authority of Jesus
Acknowledge the authority of Jesus as the one sent by the Father, and align your life with His teachings.

Faith and Obedience
Embrace faith in Jesus as the Son of God and live in obedience to His commands, as a response to the Father’s testimony.

Bible Study Questions

1. How does the testimony of the Father about Jesus challenge or affirm your understanding of who Jesus is?

2. In what ways can we "hear" God's voice today, even if we cannot see His form?

3. How does the concept of divine testimony in John 5:37 relate to the idea of faith in Hebrews 11:1?

4. What practical steps can you take to deepen your relationship with God, based on the understanding that Jesus reveals the Father?

5. How can the authority of Jesus, as testified by the Father, influence your daily decisions and actions?

Connections to Other Scriptures

John 1:18
This verse complements John 5:37 by explaining that no one has seen God, but Jesus, the Son, has made Him known.

Matthew 3:17
At Jesus' baptism, the Father’s voice from heaven testifies to Jesus’ identity, aligning with the theme of divine testimony.

Hebrews 1:1-2
These verses discuss how God has spoken through His Son, connecting to the idea of divine testimony and revelation.

Deuteronomy 4:12
This Old Testament reference highlights that the Israelites heard God's voice but saw no form, paralleling Jesus' statement about not seeing God's form.

1 John 5:9-12
This passage speaks about the testimony of God concerning His Son, reinforcing the theme of divine witness.

Sermons

The Knowing of the Son	George MacDonald	John 5:37
A Search Warrant		John 5:31-40
Bible Facts	W. Baxendale.	John 5:31-40
Bible Study	W. H. M. H. Aitken, M. A.	John 5:31-40
Blank Pages of the Bible	H. J. W. Buxton, M. A.	John 5:31-40
Burning and Shining Lights	Paxton Hood.	John 5:31-40
Burning and Shining Lives	Van Doren.	John 5:31-40
Children's Sermon	E. Woods.	John 5:31-40
Christ Alone is Rejected	C. H. Spurgeon.	John 5:31-40
Christ in the Bible	D. G. Watt, M. A.	John 5:31-40
Christ in the Bible	H. J. Wilmot Buxton.	John 5:31-40
Christ the Gem of the Scriptures		John 5:31-40
Christ the Interpreter of the Bible		John 5:31-40
Christians Must Shine	H. W. Beecher.	John 5:31-40
Christ's Desertions and Complaints	W. Arnot, D. D.	John 5:31-40
Christ's Lamentation Over Those Who Will not Come to Him	E. J. Hartland.	John 5:31-40
Christ's Witnesses	J. W. Burn.	John 5:31-40
Coming to Christ for Life	T. Gisborne, M. A.	John 5:31-40
Coming to Christ the Only Means of Salvation	Bp. Beveridge.	John 5:31-40
Diligent Seeking Will be Rewarded by Joyous Finding	Dr. Mackay.	John 5:31-40
Dr. Johnson's Dying Counsel	W. Baxendale.	John 5:31-40
Have an Object	Clerical Anecdotes	John 5:31-40
He Scriptures Without Comment		John 5:31-40
He was a Burning and a Shining Light	Paxton Hood.	John 5:31-40
Heathen Testimony to the Excellence of the Scriptures		John 5:31-40
Hindrances to Conversion	John Edwards.	John 5:31-40
How to Come to Christ, and the Great Hindrance	W. J. Chapman, M. A.	John 5:31-40
How to Search the Scriptures		John 5:31-40
How to Study the Bible	J. Hamilton, D. D.	John 5:31-40
How We Should Study the Bible	G. D. Boardman, D. D.	John 5:31-40
Let Your Light Shine	J. Oswald Dykes, D. D.	John 5:31-40
Light	W. H. Van Doren, D. D.	John 5:31-40
Man's Happiness Dependent on His Coming to Christ	T. East.	John 5:31-40
Men by Nature Unwilling to Come to Christ		John 5:31-40
Origin of the Bible Society	Clerical Anecdotes	John 5:31-40
Playing with the Light	F. Godet, D. D., T. Whitelaw, D. D.	John 5:31-40
Practical Searching	J. Donne, D. D.	John 5:31-40
Refusing Life	G. Colborne, Ph. D.	John 5:31-40
Regeneration Better than Admiration	Van Doren.	John 5:31-40
Sacrifice and Submission	Morgan Dix, D. D.	John 5:31-40
Scriptural Investigation	H. J. Newbery, M. A.	John 5:31-40
Search the Scriptures	J. Lightfoot, D. D.	John 5:31-40
Search the Scriptures		John 5:31-40
Search the Scriptures	C. Hodge, D. D.	John 5:31-40
Search the Scriptures	Pulpit Analyst	John 5:31-40
Search the Scriptures	T. Snell.	John 5:31-40
Search the Scriptures	J. Vaughan, M. A.	John 5:31-40
Search the Scriptures	Charles Graham.	John 5:31-40
Shall We Refuse Life	R. Brewin.	John 5:31-40
Sinners Will not Come to Christ	C. H. Spurgeon.	John 5:31-40
Sinners Will not Come to Christ	C. H. Spurgeon.	John 5:31-40
Superstition Use of the Bible	J. M. Buckley, D. D.	John 5:31-40
The Advantage of Unfettered Bible Study	S. A. Brooke, M. A.	John 5:31-40
The Benefit of Light	H. W. Beecher.	John 5:31-40
The Bible First		John 5:31-40
The Bible Handy	C. H. Spurgeon.	John 5:31-40
The Bible Interpreted by Love	H. M. Scudder, D. D.	John 5:31-40
The Bible to be Studied Often and Lovingly	C. H. Spurgeon.	John 5:31-40
The Bible Worth Searching		John 5:31-40
The Duty and Advantage of Searching the Scriptures	J. Bennett, D. D.	John 5:31-40
The Great Refusal	Marcus Rainsford.	John 5:31-40
The Greater Witness	A. Beith, D. D.	John 5:31-40
The Importance of Scripture Study	H. M. Scudder, D. D.	John 5:31-40
The Inexhaustible Treasures of Scripture	G. D. Boardman.	John 5:31-40
The Lamentations of Jesus	W. Arnot, D. D.	John 5:31-40
The Lamp that Burneth and Shineth	F. Godet, D. D., T. Whitelaw, D. D.	John 5:31-40
The Light and the Lamp	R. Besser, D. D.	John 5:31-40
The Necessity of Searching the Scriptures	Bp. Stillingfleet.	John 5:31-40
The Reasons Why Men Do not Come to Christ	J. Venn, M. A.	John 5:31-40
The Self-Consuming Life	Zeisius.	John 5:31-40
The Son's Complaint Against His Own	T. Whitelaw, D. D.	John 5:31-40
The Test of Truth		John 5:31-40
The Testimony of the Scriptures to Christ	W. H. Van Doren, D. D.	John 5:31-40
The Torch-Bearer	F. Godet, D. D.	John 5:31-40
The Value of Light		John 5:31-40
The Witness Bearer	A. Beith, D. D.	John 5:31-40
The Witness of the Old Testament Scriptures to Jesus Christ	C. M. Hardy, B. A.	John 5:31-40
The Witnesses of the Son	T. Whitelaw, D. D.	John 5:31-40
The Wonders of Scripture	H. W. Beecher.	John 5:31-40
The Works Which the Father Hath Given Me	Canon Westcott.	John 5:31-40
Unwillingness to Come to Christ	C. H. Spurgeon.	John 5:31-40
Will -- not Violated by Grace	C. H. Spurgeon.	John 5:31-40
Will, the Seat of Inability	C. H. Spurgeon.	John 5:31-40

People

Jesus, John

Places

Bethesda, Jerusalem, Sheep Gate

Topics

Appearance, Borne, Ear, Either, Form, None, Shape, Testified, Testimony, Voice, Witness

Dictionary of Bible Themes

John 5:37

1145 God, transcendent
1513 Trinity, mission of

John 5:33-40

5624 witnesses, to Christ

John 5:37-38

7950 mission, of Christ
8836 unbelief, response

John 5:37-40

1445 revelation, responses
8744 faithlessness, as disobedience

John 5:37-43

8712 denial of Christ

Library

Conversion
TEXT: "And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven."--Matt. 18:3. Jesus Christ was the world's greatest teacher and preacher. Multitudes followed him because he taught them, not as the scribes, but as one having authority. He came to them with the deepest truth of God, but couched in such familiar expressions, and told in such a fascinating way, that all men heard him and went their way rejoicing that so …
J. Wilbur Chapman—And Judas Iscariot

May 12 Morning
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.--I JOHN 4:7. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us.--Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.--He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself. In this …
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

July 2 Evening
[Jesus] prayed the third time, saying the same words.--MATT. 26:44. Who in the days of his flesh . . . offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord.--Continuing instant in prayer.--Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication.--By prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known …
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

September 29 Evening
What things soever the Father doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.--JOHN 5:19. The Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.--I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart.--My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Them that are sanctified by God the Father.--He that sanctifieth and they who are …
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

June 22 Morning
Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.--COL. 3:3. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?--I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.--He died for all, that they which live should not live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them and rose again.--If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old …
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

February 27 Morning
Reckon ye yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.--ROM. 6:11. He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.--I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, …
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

July 25 Morning
We know that we have passed from death unto life.--I JOHN 3:14. He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.--He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. He which stablisheth us with you in Christ and hath anointed us, is God; who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.--Hereby we know that we are of the truth and shall …
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

May 18 Morning
As the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself.--JOHN 5:26. Our Saviour Jesus Christ, . . . hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.--I am the resurrection, and the life.--Because I live, ye shall live also.--We are made partakers of Christ.--Partakers of the Holy Ghost.--Partakers of the divine nature.--The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.--Behold, I shew you …
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

February 25 Morning
Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.--JAS. 4:7. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.--Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him. Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.--And …
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

February 24 Morning
Thus saith the Lord God, I will yet for this be enquired of.--EZEK. 36:37. Ye have not, because ye ask not. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.--This is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us: and if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions …
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

July 8 Evening
Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee?--PSA. 94:20. Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.--Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.--An high priest . . . holy, harmless, undefiled. …
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

December 23 Evening
God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.--I JOHN 5:11. As the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself. As the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.--I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. I lay …
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

Sunday after Easter
Text: First John 5, 4-12. 4 For whatsoever is begotten of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that hath overcome the world, even our faith. 5 And who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. 7 And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is the truth. 8 For there are three who bear witness, the Spirit, …
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. II

The Third Miracle in John's Gospel
'Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.'--JOHN v.8 This third of the miracles recorded in John's Gospel finds a place there, as it would appear, for two reasons: first, because it marks the beginning of the angry unbelief on the part of the Jewish rulers, the development of which it is one part of the purpose of this Gospel to trace; second, because it is the occasion for that great utterance of our Lord about His Sonship and His divine working as the Father also works, which occupies …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Life-Giver and Judge
'But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. 18. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill Him, because He not only had broken the Sabbath, but said also that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. 19. Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do: for what things soever He doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. 20. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth Him all things …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

July the Twenty-Seventh the Work of Faith
1 JOHN v. 1-13. And so by belief I find life. I do not obtain the vitalizing air through controversy, or clamour, or idle lamentation, but by opening the window! Faith opens the door and window of the soul to the Son of God. It can be done without tears, it can be done without sensationalism. "If any man will open the door, I will come in." "And he that hath the Son hath the life." And by belief I gain my victories. "Who is he that overcometh ... but he that believeth?" It is not by flashing …
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year

September the Twenty-Ninth the Fountain
1 JOHN v. 9-21. My Lord is "the fountain of life." "This life is in His Son." The springs are nowhere else--not in elaborate theologies, or in ethical ideals, or in literary masterpieces, or in music or art. "In Him was life." It is so easy to forget the medicinal spring amid the distractions of the fashionable spa. There are some healing waters at Scarborough, but they have been almost "crowded out" by bands and entertainments. It is possible that the secondary ministries of the Church may crowd …
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year

Attendance on Holy Communion.
"Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life."--John v. 40. St. John tells us in to-day's Epistle[1] that "God hath given unto us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son hath not life." Yet in the text the Son Himself, our Saviour, sorrowfully and solemnly expostulates with His own brethren, "Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life." "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not." We know from history, as a matter …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VII

Victory Over the World through Faith
"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith."-1 John 5:4. THE discussion of this text naturally leads us to make four inquiries I. What is it to overcome the world? II. Who are they that overcome? III. Why do they overcome the world? IV. How do they do it? These are the natural questions which a serious mind would ask upon reading this text. I. What is it to overcome the world? 1. It is to get above the spirit of covetousness …
Charles G. Finney—Sermons on Gospel Themes

On the Words of the Gospel, John v. 19, "The Son Can do Nothing of Himself, but what He Seeth the Father Doing. "
1. The mysteries and secrets of the kingdom of God first seek for believing men, that they may make them understanding. For faith is understanding's step; and understanding faith's attainment. [3739] This the Prophet expressly says to all who prematurely and in undue order look for understanding, and neglect faith. For he says, "Unless ye believe, ye shall not understand." [3740] Faith itself then also hath a certain light of its own in the Scriptures, in Prophecy, in the Gospel, in the Lessons of …
Saint Augustine—sermons on selected lessons of the new testament

On the Words of the Gospel, John v. 2, "Now There is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a Pool," Etc.
1. The lesson of the Gospel has just sounded in our ears, and made us intent to know what is the meaning of what has been read. This, I suppose, is looked for from me, this I promise, by the Lord's assistance, to explain as well as I can. For without doubt it is not without a meaning, that those miracles were done, and something they figured out to us bearing on eternal saving [3677] health. For the health of the body which was restored to this man, of how long duration was it? "For what is your …
Saint Augustine—sermons on selected lessons of the new testament

Again in John v. 2, Etc. , on the Five Porches, Where Lay a Great Multitude of Impotent Folk, and of the Pool of Siloa.
1. Subjects strange neither to your ears nor hearts are now repeated: yet do they revive the affections of the hearer, and by repetition in some sort renew us: nor is it wearisome to hear what is well known already, for the words of the Lord are always sweet. The exposition of the sacred Scriptures is as the sacred Scriptures themselves: though they be well known, yet are they read to impress the remembrance of them. And so the exposition of them, though it be well known, is nevertheless to be repeated, …
Saint Augustine—sermons on selected lessons of the new testament

On the Words of the Gospel, John v. 25,"Verily, Verily, I Say unto You, the Hour Cometh, and Now Is, when the Dead Shall Hear The
1. Our hope, Brethren, is not of this present time, nor of this world, nor in that happiness whereby men are blinded that forget God. This ought we above all things to know, and in a Christian heart hold fast, that we were not made Christians for the good things of the present time, but for something else which God at once promiseth, and man doth not yet comprehend. For of this good it is said, "That eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, what things God …
Saint Augustine—sermons on selected lessons of the new testament

On the Words of the Gospel, John v. 31,"If I Bear Witness of Myself," Etc. ; and on the Words of the Apostle, Galatians v. 16, "Walk
1. We have heard the words of the holy Gospel; and this that the Lord Jesus saith, "If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true," [3814] may perplex some. How then is not the witness of the Truth true? Is it not Himself who hath said, "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life"? [3815] Whom then are we to believe, if we must not believe the Truth? For of a surety he is minded to believe nothing but falsehood, who does not choose to believe the truth. So then this was spoken on their principles, …
Saint Augustine—sermons on selected lessons of the new testament

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