John 5:46
For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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John 5:46
For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The Jews claimed to believe Moses, but Jesus reveals their faith was shallow; they had not truly believed him in the way that would lead them to recognize Jesus, because Moses' writings were full of signs pointing directly to Him. True faith in Moses meant seeing the whole picture, not just the letter of the law, and that picture clearly foreshadowed Jesus.
Jesus is confronting the Jewish leaders who reject Him. He's telling them that their claim to believe Moses is hollow because if they truly understood Moses' writings, they would recognize Jesus as the Messiah he wrote about. Their refusal to accept Jesus proves they haven't truly believed Moses either.
The religious leaders claimed to revere Moses, but Jesus showed their belief was superficial. Their deep study of Moses should have led them straight to Him.
Jesus declares that Moses wrote about Him. This wasn't just about a few isolated prophecies; the entirety of Moses' writings—the Law, the sacrificial system, the historical accounts—were filled with foreshadowings and types pointing to the Messiah.
The Law as a Mirror
The Law given through Moses wasn't just a set of rules. It was designed to reveal God's perfect standard and humanity's inability to meet it. This created a need for a Savior, a role Jesus fulfilled.
Symbols and Shadows
From the sacrificial lamb to the Tabernacle's design, Moses' writings are rich with symbols that found their ultimate meaning in Christ's life, death, and resurrection. These were not arbitrary rituals but divine pointers to the coming Redeemer.
Jesus called out the Jewish leaders for claiming to believe Moses while rejecting Him. What's the difference between truly believing and just saying you do?
Jesus highlights a critical distinction: they had an assent to Moses' writings, but not a saving faith.
More Than Memorization
Simply acknowledging that Moses' writings are true (like the religious leaders did) isn't enough. True belief involves a hearty, understanding assent that actively receives and trusts the message.
Faith in Action
Saving faith isn't passive. It's a faith that trusts in the authority of God's Word and leads to obedience. The Jewish leaders, by refusing to believe Jesus, demonstrated that their supposed faith in Moses was ultimately hollow. They missed the whole point of Moses' message: Jesus Himself.
The Jewish leaders of Jesus' day claimed to believe Moses, yet their selective interpretation and misplaced trust in his writings, rather than their prophetic significance, blinded them to Jesus' identity. Their understanding of Moses' Law was superficial, failing to grasp its deeper Messianic pointers.
c. 1446-1406 BC
Exodus and Wilderness Journey
Moses leads the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, receives the Law on Mount Sinai, and guides them through the wilderness. This foundational period establishes the covenant, religious laws, and the importance of Moses as a mediator.
c. 1406 BC
Moses' Death and Succession
Moses dies after commissioning Joshua as his successor and delivering his final addresses to the people in the plains of Moab, reiterating the Law and future prophecies.
c. 1000 BC
Davidic Kingdom Established
The establishment of a united monarchy under King David, fulfilling prophecies about a future king from the line of Judah, as referenced in Genesis 49:10.
c. 722 BC
Fall of the Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern kingdom of Israel, leading to the deportation of many Israelites and the scattering of the population.
This foundational promise in Genesis, often called the 'protoevangelium,' speaks of a seed of the woman who will crush the serpent's head, directly pointing to a future redeemer that Moses himself would have understood and transmitted.
Deuteronomy 18:15Moses prophesied, 'The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people.' This explicit prophecy about a prophet like Moses is a direct foreshadowing of Jesus, whom Moses points to.
Luke 24:27In this passage, Jesus himself explains to the disciples on the road to Emmaus how 'beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself,' confirming Moses' writings pointed to Him.
Acts 3:22Peter, preaching in Jerusalem, directly quotes Deuteronomy 18:15 and declares that Moses 'announced the coming of this Jesus,' solidifying the connection between Moses' writings and Christ.
Hebrews 10:1This chapter explains that the Old Testament Law, including the Pentateuch written by Moses, provided only a 'shadow of the good things that are to come' and not the true form, implying that these shadows were meant to point towards Christ's reality.
bengelJohn 5:46: "For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me."
John 5:46 . Ἐπιστεύετε ἂν , ye would have believed ) It did not help the Jews to say, We believe, that all things, which Moses has written, are true. There was need of explicit faith.[112]— ἜΓΡΑΨΕΝ , He wrote ) There is no part of his writings where he did not. [112] And not merely of implicit faith, which took Moses’ writings in the mass, and not in detail.—E. and T.
clarkeJohn 5:46: "For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me."
He wrote of me - For instance, in reciting the prophecy of Jacob, Genesis 49:10 . The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. And in Deuteronomy 18:18 : I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren like unto thee; and I will put my words in his mouth, etc. Confer this with Acts 3:22 , and Acts…
The Jews claimed to believe Moses, but Jesus reveals their faith was shallow; they had not truly believed him in the way that would lead them to recognize Jesus, because Moses' writings were full of signs pointing directly to Him. True faith in Moses meant seeing the whole picture, not just the letter of the law, and that picture clearly foreshadowed Jesus.
Jesus is confronting the Jewish leaders who reject Him. He's telling them that their claim to believe Moses is hollow because if they truly understood Moses' writings, they would recognize Jesus as the Messiah he wrote about. Their refusal to accept Jesus proves they haven't truly believed Moses either.
"For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me." — The Jews claimed to believe Moses, but Jesus reveals their faith was shallow; they had not truly believed him in the way that would lead them to recognize Jesus, because Moses' writings were full o…
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586 BC
Babylonian Exile of Judah
The Neo-Babylonian Empire destroys Jerusalem and the Temple, exiling a significant portion of the Judean population. This event deeply impacts Jewish identity and their understanding of God's promises.
c. AD 25-30
Jesus' Ministry Begins
Jesus begins his public ministry, teaching, healing, and proclaiming the arrival of the Kingdom of God. His claims and authority are often challenged by Jewish leaders.
c. AD 30-33— this verse
Jesus' Confrontation in Jerusalem
During a visit to Jerusalem for a feast, Jesus performs a healing miracle on the Sabbath, leading to a heated confrontation with the religious authorities. He speaks about his divine authority and relationship with the Father.