How Will You Believe My Words?

Scripture: John 5:47 (ESV) – “But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

With this final verse of the chapter, Jesus closes His confrontation with a searching question. He has just said that Moses wrote about Him—now He presses further: If you won’t believe Moses, whom you claim to honor, how will you possibly believe Me? The implication is clear: unbelief is not due to lack of evidence, but hardness of heart.

This verse reinforces a critical principle—the unity and continuity of God’s revelation. Moses and Jesus are not in conflict. The writings of the one prepare for and lead to the words of the other. To reject Jesus is not to side with Moses—it is to reject Moses as well.

William Gouge reflects on the spiritual blindness that can settle over those who are immersed in Scripture, yet unmoved by it. “Where the heart is proud,” he wrote, “even the clearest light becomes offensive.” If one refuses to believe the written Word of God, he will certainly resist the living Word made flesh.

This verse confronts modern readers too. It is possible to hear Christ’s words regularly—to be around preaching, Bible reading, and Christian conversation—and yet remain unmoved. The root issue is not exposure, but belief. To trust God’s written Word is the foundation for receiving Christ’s voice in the present.

Reflection Questions:

1. Why is belief in the writings of Moses essential for receiving Christ’s words?
2. Are there areas of God’s Word you are tempted to ignore, reinterpret, or hold at arm’s length?
3. What helps you cultivate a heart that is soft and receptive to both the Scriptures and the voice of Christ?

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, help us to believe all that You have spoken—from Moses to the Gospels. Soften our hearts where they are resistant, and give us faith that delights in every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. May we never separate Scripture from the Savior it reveals. Amen.

This devotional is based on John 5:47, with theological insight from William Gouge and the pastoral teaching of Pastor Chris Cousine.