HONORING MAN

John 5:39-47
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.

Witnesses to Jesus

39 “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! 40 Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life.

41 “Your approval means nothing to me, 42 because I know you don’t have God’s love within you. 43 For I have come to you in my Father’s name, and you have rejected me. Yet if others come in their own name, you gladly welcome them. 44 No wonder you can’t believe! For you gladly honor each other, but you don’t care about the honor that comes from the one who alone is God.

45 “Yet it isn’t I who will accuse you before the Father. Moses will accuse you! Yes, Moses, in whom you put your hopes. 46 If you really believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me. 47 But since you don’t believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?”


There is great danger in lifting up mortal men too high. Many are the examples of men who, when exalted, fall for the schemes of Satan.

Jesus warned Israel that when they honor each other it blocks their ability to believe in the one true God. God has not given us messengers to worship. Even Moses was only a messenger who pointed Israel to God.

While we keep our focus on God and His Son, Jesus Christ, how then ought we handle His witnesses? Pray! Pray for your spiritual leaders, that Satan’s fiery darts will miss their target. Pray that his evil schemes will be thwarted. Pray a hedge of protection (Job 1:10) around them. Don’t lift them up before the world. Lift them up before the throne of grace.