“Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things? I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony. But if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things?”
John 3:10-12 NLT
Who was Jesus referring to when He said, “we tell you what we know and have seen”? Was it Him and His disciples? Or was He introducing the royal “We”, referring to the Trinity, God the Father, Jesus Himself and the Holy Spirit? Jesus was, I think, telling Nicodemus about the testimonies about Himself in Scripture, and the direct revelation from God Himself. Nicodemus would have been very much aware of the prophecies from the old Hebrew prophets – after all, Jesus acknowledged that he was a “respected Jewish teacher”. There are many testimonies in the Old Testament that we can interpret with the benefit of hindsight, but to someone living in Israel, there would have been a fog of misunderstanding and misinterpretation much influenced by the traditions and the political environment prevalent at the time. The testimony contained in the Scriptures about the coming of the Messiah was extensive – some scholars have counted up as many as 400-500 prophecies referring to Jesus’ first coming. But unfortunately Nicodemus and his peers would have overlayed on this their human interpretations and expectations. Jesus went on to say to Nicodemus that his lack of belief about the earthly interaction between God and man through Jesus was a blockage to his understanding of the spiritual Kingdom that Jesus was announcing.
Jesus had a testimony underpinned by Scripture and so do we. There is only one theme and that is all about Jesus and His saving grace. Yes, there are variations on the theme but there is one common denominator – what Jesus has done for us. But isn’t it strange that the most important event that can ever happen to a human being is often never spoken about. When pressed to give an answer, so many Christians say the bare minimum with an air of embarrassment, as though being a believer is something to be ashamed about. It is important that we have a testimony ready-prepared, shrink-wrapped to tell those around us. Jesus spoke about this as recorded in Matthew 10:32-33, “Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven“. A public declaration of our faith might open the way to ridicule and ostracisation, but there are bigger issues at stake than how we might feel.
The psalmist wrote, “I will tell everyone about your righteousness. All day long I will proclaim your saving power, though I am not skilled with words. I will praise your mighty deeds, O Sovereign Lord. I will tell everyone that you alone are just. O God, you have taught me from my earliest childhood, and I constantly tell others about the wonderful things you do. Now that I am old and grey, do not abandon me, O God. Let me proclaim your power to this new generation, your mighty miracles to all who come after me” (Psalm 71:15-18). To those of us who are “old and grey” the clock is ticking, and the lights of our promised land are starting to appear on the horizon. But right up until our last breath we will never stop praising Jesus and telling those around us of His wonder and grace.
Dear Father God. We have a testimony to proclaim about You and all that You have done for us through Jesus, Your Son. Please give us opportunities to relay our testimonies to this new generation, our children and grand-children, those following in our footsteps. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 