Scripture: John 5:37 (ESV) – “And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen.”
Jesus now names the highest and clearest witness of all: God the Father Himself. The Father hasn’t merely sent the Son—He has also testified to Him. Yet despite this divine testimony, Jesus tells His listeners, “His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen.”
This is a piercing indictment. These were religious leaders—men who studied the Scriptures, upheld the law, and considered themselves guardians of God’s truth. But Jesus declares that, for all their devotion, they had never truly encountered the God they claimed to know. They had missed His voice and failed to see His presence, because they had rejected the One He sent.
As William Gouge reflects, “To reject the Son is to close the ear to the Father.” The Father’s witness had been made plain—in Jesus’ works, in His fulfillment of prophecy, and in the direct declaration at His baptism (“This is my beloved Son…”). Yet the hearts of the people remained closed, their ears dull, their eyes blind.
This verse reminds us that the clearest revelation of the Father is not in visions or voices, but in Jesus Himself. To know the Son is to hear the Father. To receive the Son is to see the Father. If we reject Christ, we cannot claim to know God.
Reflection Questions:
- Why do you think Jesus tells the religious leaders they have never heard the Father’s voice or seen His form?
- How does this challenge assumptions that religious activity equals genuine relationship with God?
- In what ways can you grow in recognizing the Father’s voice through the Son?
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, You have testified to Your Son, and yet many have not heard or seen. Let us not be among them. Give us ears to hear Your voice and hearts to receive Your witness. Let us come to know You more deeply by clinging to the Son You have sent. Amen.
This devotional is based on John 5:37, shaped by the theological reflections of William Gouge and the pastoral teaching of Pastor Chris Cousine.
Covenant Presbyterian Church 