John 5:47 – “But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?”

Extended Explanation

In this verse, Jesus finishes His argument against the religious leaders who rejected Him. He has just told them that Moses wrote about Him (John 5:46), and now He makes a strong statement:

If they do not believe Moses, how will they ever believe Him?

The religious leaders claimed to believe Moses, but their actions showed otherwise. Moses wrote about Jesus, yet they refused to accept Him as the promised Messiah. Jesus is exposing their spiritual blindness—they prided themselves on knowing the Scriptures, but they failed to understand their true meaning.

This verse reveals an important truth: Rejecting God’s Word leads to rejecting Jesus. If someone does not believe the Old Testament, they will struggle to believe the message of Christ. The Bible is one continuous story that all points to Jesus.

Historical Context

The Jewish religious leaders (Pharisees, scribes, and Sadducees) were experts in the writings of Moses, which include:

• The Law (Torah) – Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy.
• God’s covenant with Israel – The promises given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
• Prophecies about the coming Messiah (Deuteronomy 18:15).

Despite their deep study of the Scriptures, they missed the key message:

• The Law was not given to save people but to point them to their need for a Savior (Galatians 3:24).
• Moses himself looked forward to Jesus (Hebrews 11:26).
• Jesus fulfilled the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 5:17).

Since they did not truly believe what Moses wrote, they were unable to recognize the One whom Moses wrote about—Jesus Christ.

Theological Implications

1. Rejecting Scripture Leads to Rejecting Jesus – The Bible is one complete message that leads to Christ. If someone does not believe the Old Testament, they will struggle to accept Jesus as the Messiah.
2. True Faith Requires Believing All of God’s Word – Faith in Jesus is not separate from faith in the Scriptures—it is built upon them.
3. Knowledge Without Faith is Empty – The religious leaders knew the Scriptures, but they did not believe them. Faith is not just knowing facts—it is trusting in God’s Word.
4. Jesus is the Fulfillment of the Old Testament – The Law and the Prophets all point to Christ. Those who reject Jesus are rejecting the foundation of the Scriptures.

Literary Analysis

This verse continues the contrast between true faith and religious hypocrisy.

• “But since you do not believe what he wrote” – The Pharisees claimed to follow Moses, but they rejected the truth in his writings.
• “How are you going to believe what I say?” – If they cannot accept the written Word, they will not accept the Living Word—Jesus Himself.

This verse follows the pattern of logical argument:

1. Moses wrote about Jesus →
2. You claim to believe Moses →
3. But you reject Jesus →
4. This proves you do not truly believe Moses.

This was a direct rebuke to the religious leaders who thought they were spiritually superior, yet they missed the most important truth of all.

Biblical Cross-References

• Luke 16:31 – “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.”
• John 1:17 – “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”
• Romans 3:21-22 – “But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.”
• 2 Timothy 3:16 – “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.”
• Hebrews 11:26 – Moses regarded disgrace for Christ’s sake as greater than the treasures of Egypt.

What This Verse Means for Today’s Christian

1. Faith Must Be Based on the Whole Bible – The Old and New Testaments work together to reveal God’s plan. We cannot fully understand Jesus without understanding the foundation laid in the Old Testament.
2. Knowing the Bible is Not the Same as Believing It – Many people read the Bible, but do not trust in Christ. True faith means applying and believing what God has said.
3. Jesus is the Key to Understanding the Bible – Without Christ, the Old Testament is incomplete. When we read the Bible, we must ask: How does this point to Jesus?
4. Rejecting God’s Word Leads to Spiritual Blindness – Those who do not believe the truth of Scripture will have a hard time believing in Jesus.

How This Verse Relates to a Loving God

God’s love is shown in how He has been revealing Jesus from the very beginning.

• God gave Moses the Law to prepare people for Christ (Galatians 3:24).
• God sent prophets to guide people toward salvation.
• God desires for people to know the truth, but He does not force belief—He invites us to trust in Him.

God’s love is patient, but rejecting His Word means rejecting His Son, and that has eternal consequences.

How This Verse Connects to Jesus Christ

Jesus is the fulfillment of everything written in the Old Testament.

• Moses gave the Law → Jesus fulfilled the Law (Matthew 5:17).
• Moses led the people out of slavery in Egypt → Jesus leads His people out of slavery to sin (John 8:36).
• Moses lifted up the bronze serpent in the wilderness → Jesus was lifted up on the cross for our salvation (John 3:14-15).

Jesus is saying that if they truly believed Moses, they would recognize Him as the Messiah.

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

1. Why do you think the religious leaders refused to believe in Jesus even though they studied Moses’ writings?
2. How does this verse show the importance of reading the Old Testament through the lens of Christ?
3. What are some Old Testament passages that point to Jesus?
4. How can we ensure that we not only read the Bible but truly believe it and apply it?
5. How does this verse challenge us to trust in God’s Word fully?

This verse is a wake-up call: Are we truly believing what the Bible says, or are we just reading it without faith? Jesus shows that rejecting Scripture is the same as rejecting Him. The question is: Do we truly believe?