Can I Get Some Witnesses?
Notes
Transcript
I heard about this man who picked up a hitchhiker one night, but as they traveled he got nervous. He reached over and checked his jacket pocket where he had left his wallet, and it was gone. He slammed on the brakes, made the hitchhiker get out, and “Hand over the wallet right now.” The hitchhiker, scared to death, complied. The drive was still furious when he got home. He wanted to tell his wife all about it but before he could get a word out she said. “I found your wallet on the dresser this morning.”
OUCH
Deuteronomy 19 covers three subjects.
Cities of refuge 1-13. These were places to protect someone who had accidently taken the life of another.
Property Boundaries. 14
False witnesses 15-21 This was a process to protect someone who had been falsely accused.
someone has said it this way. How to deal with homicide- 1-13 Cities of refuge to protect against the avenger
How to prevent homicide 14- Don’t move boundaries
How to deal with accusations of homicide 15-21 What to do about a malicious false witness.
So let’s focus on verse 15
The Principle of Multiple Witnesses
The Principle of Multiple Witnesses
15 “One witness cannot establish any wrongdoing or sin against a person, whatever that person has done. A fact must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
Think of how life would be if we followed that principle in all of life. Personal life, church life, work, school, among our “friends”, and nationally.
This verse is one of those that is referenced several times in the New Testament.
Applied to Life Together
Applied to Life Together
For instance both Jesus in Matthew 18 and Paul in 2 Corinthians referenced this passage in relationship to how to deal with our brothers and sisters in our church when we have disagreement, or when we feel someone has offended or wronged us.
16 But if he won’t listen, take one or two more with you, so that by the testimony of two or three witnesses every fact may be established.
The weight of that is to go to the person, then go with witnesses, and then bring to the whole assembly. Paul declared to the Corinthians that when he arrived among them, there may be some issues that had to be sorted through and that the principle of multiple witness would be in place for this too. We could camp out here again, but if you’ve been in church long at all, you know this principle. It might be summed up like this. Don’t talk about someone before you talk to someone. Proverbs 16.28 says “a contrary man spreads conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.”
28 A contrary man spreads conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.
Applied to Life Eternal
Applied to Life Eternal
12 Then Jesus spoke to them again: “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”
13 So the Pharisees said to Him, “You are testifying about Yourself. Your testimony is not valid.”
14 “Even if I testify about Myself,” Jesus replied, “My testimony is valid, because I know where I came from and where I’m going. But you don’t know where I come from or where I’m going.
15 You judge by human standards. I judge no one.
16 And if I do judge, My judgment is true, because I am not alone, but I and the Father who sent Me judge together.
17 Even in your law it is written that the witness of two men is valid.
18 I am the One who testifies about Myself, and the Father who sent Me testifies about Me.”
You can’t help notice when Jesus said “I AM” that his how God referred to Himself with Moses.
Light of the World. Jesus is the cure for the spiritual darkness all round us. My heart longs for people to understand this. For my church to understand this. For my children to understand this.
Follow Jesus and you won’t walk in darkness. What a beautiful promise from the Lord. He has called us out of darkness and into the marvelous light.
The Pharisees tell him he can’t “self-testify”.
He argues back that his testimony is valid. He knows what he is talking about and they do not.
The issue of judgment. Verse 15 “I judge no one.” see verse 24
24 Therefore I told you that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”
The context of 8.15- The Pharisees had a human standard for judging, Jesus had a heavenly standard. He did not come up with his own views of right and wrong.
The nail in the coffin of their argument: Jesus says that the Father adds to his testimony the requirement for more than one witness.
“this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased”
Our application:
Light is most noticable when things are at their darkest.
That’s true in our world where Jesus has told US to be salt and light.
That’s true in the heart of every lost sinner where Jesus wants to take you from the kingdom of darkness and bring you unto Himself.
That’s true in the heart of every beiever who is striggling with some personal darkness.
The witness of Jesus and the Father is that HE IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.