QT 21 Aug 12, Who can testify to Jesus' authority other than God himself?

John 8:12-20 (NIV) When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

13 The Pharisees challenged him, "Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid."

14 Jesus answered, "Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. 15 You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. 16 But if I do judge, my decisions are right, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. 17 In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid. 18 I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me."

19 Then they asked him, "Where is your father?"

"You do not know me or my Father," Jesus replied. "If you knew me, you would know my Father also."  20 He spoke these words while teaching in the temple area near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no one seized him, because his time had not yet come.

NOTE: This issue of authority has come up before. Essentially, a rabbi needed two other persons with authority (other rabbis) to be a rabbi. A person cannot  be his own witness. Yet Jesus insists than in his unique case, he can be his own witness, which is a subtle statement to his authority as God. Verse 14 says "even if I testify" and verse 18 says "I am one who testifies for myself …" At first I wondered if the "even" referred to the fact that the two witnesses were the Holy Spirit and the Father at the baptism. But verse 18 makes it clear that Jesus alone can testify to himself because of where he comes from, and that is from God. He is God's son. That is why he alone can testify to his authority, because he has all authority. There is no one greater than God, so no one can vouch for God's authority, other than God himself. He defines authority by who he is. Which is also why for years, the Israelites followed the one true God who had no name. He could not have a name, since he was not created. A person is given a name at birth by another. There was no other to name God. Therefore, God's cryptic answer to Moses is "I am that I am" -- what else can he say, "I am." In John, Jesus adds descriptors to the I am, not names, but attributes. Here he claims to be the light of the word. And if anyone follows him, they will have the light of life. These are bold statements for someone that others would classify as a good teacher or a good man. He is anything but a man or he would have needed another to testify to his authority.