True Testimony in a Cosmic Trial (John 1:6-8)

In our exposition of the Gospel According to John, we come now to verses 6-13. These verses introduce a major theme of the whole book of John: the “cosmic trial motif.” The entire book of John positions the gospel narrative within a forensic framework; under the rubric of a legal context; within a judicial setting. The historic advent of the Messiah is presented like a lawsuit of cosmic proportions. It presents the story of Jesus and the world as a factual divine drama, and it informs us that God's end-time verdict of judgment in its multiformity utterly depends on how this drama unfolds. It also reveals that God's verdict over us individually depends on the role we play in this story—it specifically depends on whether we side with the testimony of God or with the testimony of the world. And the central focus of this cosmic trial is the truth claims of Jesus Christ. Is the testimony He gives of Himself true, or is it false? Your answer and response will mean eternal life or eternal wrath for you.