34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”
Verse 34 is the climax of verses 29-34 because it sets forth Jesus as the Son of God, existing as God Himself in a human body.
34 And I have seen and have borne witness
The formal statements “have seen” and “borne witness” are definitive statements about Jesus. For the sixth time in the gospel of John, the Baptist is referred to as a “witness” (Jn 1:7, 8, 15, 19, 32). John was a legal witness to Jesus as the Messiah.
that this is the Son of God.”
This phrase is a grand climax to the unit running from 1:29 to this verse. Now we know the entire thrust of this section of the gospel. Jesus is the unique “Son of God.” He shares the nature of the Father (Jn 5:18). John the Baptist recognized who Jesus was: the Messiah, the Son of God.
“Chosen” is an alternate Greek text reading for “Son.” If so, Jesus is the “Chosen One” par excellence.
PRINCIPLE:
We can know for certain that Jesus is the God-man.
APPLICATION:
As John spoke to people who were spiritually dull, so we live in a great mass of society in which people do not believe in the reality of Christ and what He did. There is great inward rebellion against God’s authority and the certainty that He offers. There is also a perverseness of this direction of our society. We live in a hollow culture devoid of certainty. The Christian message is like an invasion into the biases of our day.
We have a clear and unambiguous declaration of who Jesus is and to His essential nature as God. We can know it because God said it. It is an issue of revelation.
