Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

INTRODUCTION
Since the beginning of this month, we have been considering the Word of God and how the knowledge and understanding of the Word can enable us walk more closely with God. We have looked at: The Person, The Purpose, The Power and today, we are considering The Testimony. Ephesians 4:1 tells us that we should walk worthy and today’s study points us in the right direction. The Word of God holds the blueprint of our lives and is the ultimate foundational guide for believers seeking a closer walk with God. Psalm 119:105 says: “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

Why the Word? Read Psalm 19:7-11

The revelation of God is whole and pulls our lives together. The signposts of God are clear and point out the right road. The life-maps of God are right, showing the way to joy. The directions of God are plain and easy on the eyes. God’s reputation is twenty-four-carat gold, with a lifetime guarantee. The decisions of God are accurate down to the nth degree. (MSG)

The testimony of the Scriptures is all about Jesus. Jesus Himself, declared that they testified of Him.

• Luke 24:44: “He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”
• John 1:45: “Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
• Hebrews 10:7: “Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.”

In John Chapter 5, from verse 31, Jesus speaking to the Pharisees revealed the four-fold testimony of who He was.

1. The Testimony of John (Verses 32-35)
"There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the testimony which he bears of Me is true. You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. But the witness which I receive is not from man, but I say these things that you might be saved. He was the lamp that was burning and was shining, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light."

The first testimony Jesus considers is that of John the Baptist. These people knew John well, and evidently respected him greatly, though perhaps grudgingly. John had been sent to precede the Messiah and to identify Him when He arrived.
Concerning Jesus, John "bore witness of Him", saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me" (John 1:15) and in John 1:36, "And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!”. John was a no nonsense fellow. He was strong and determined, faithfully committed to his task. Every one of his day even slightly knowledgeable of John knew this about him, so John's testimony carried much weight, but not as much as the next witness Jesus calls.

2. The Testimony of the Works (Verse 36)
"But the witness which I have is greater than that of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish, the very works that I do, bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me."

Jesus invited the skeptics to consider the miracles He had done and which they had witnessed with their own eyes. Nicodemus, one of the leaders of the Pharisees, was of the minority opinion that Jesus was from God because, as he put it, "no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with Him." (John 3:2). How sad that most of the rest of Nicodemus' associates rejected Jesus in spite of all the evidence provided. Human stubbornness can sometimes cause very foolish behaviours.
Jesus often alluded to the miracles He performed as being undeniable testimonies that He was the Son of God. John 10:25. “Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me”

3. The Testimony of the Father (Verse 37)
"And the Father who sent Me has borne witness of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form."
The Father on several occasions audibly identified Jesus as His Son. At Jesus' baptism, the Father announced, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased." (Matthew 3:17). Later, at the transfiguration, the same statement is made with the added admonition: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” (Mark 9:7).

4. The Testimony of the Scriptures (Verses 38-40)
"And you do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him who He has sent. You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me that you may have life."
As a final witness, Jesus refers to the ancient Scriptures. These are filled with prophecies which Jesus was fulfilling daily.
One scholar, J. Barton Payne, found as many as 574 verses in the Old Testament that somehow references Jesus. Alfred Edersheim found 456 Old Testament verses referring to Him or His times. In His earthly ministry, Jesus fulfilled at least 300 prophecies.
Though familiar with the Scriptures, the Pharisees rejected the One of whom they spoke so plainly. This tells us that it takes more than being able to memorize and recite various passages; we must apply these things to our hearts and lives else the searching and knowing is wasted. We can claim that we honor Christ, but when it comes to applying His teachings, we dishonour Him by disobeying the Word. Consequently, by not truly coming to Jesus in humble obedience, one cannot have eternal life. “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.”

Why is Revelation Important for Our Walk with God?
The first three chapters of the book of Ephesians is centred around our eyes being opened to understanding who we are in Christ.
In Chapter 1:17-18, Paul prayed for the Ephesians and consequently you and I that the eyes of our understanding may be enlightened. This means that our walk with God will no longer be as one who gropes in darkness. Ephesians 4:20-24 tells us that our way of life changed when we heard about Christ and taught the truth that is in Him and to put on the new self. People who know their position in Christ, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness, a new identity understood by revelation. The new self does not walk in darkness, but in the light!

CONCLUSION
The Word of God testifies to its own power, its truth, and authority. Through its pages, believers find guidance, wisdom, nourishment, correction, and the message of salvation. It stands as a timeless testament to God's love, grace, and faithfulness throughout history.
Jesus Himself, His life, teachings, and actions, bear witness to the truth of who He is—the Son of God, the Saviour of humanity, and the embodiment of God's love and redemption. When Jesus said “you shall know the truth and the truth will set you free” in John 8:32, He was not referring to any truth, but Himself. You must have found out some truth that made your heart heavy right? It didn’t set you free, did it? That is why it is only the Truth that sets us free not any other truth. In John 14: 6 “Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” He is the Truth and that is the Testimony.