Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary John 5:34

"But the witness which I receive is not from man: howbeit I say these things, that ye may be saved." — John 5:34 (ASV)

“You have sent to John” is obviously a reference to the delegation sent from the Jewish rulers to John the Baptist when he was preaching in the Judean wilderness (1:19). The fact that they had already asked him for an explanation bound them to give proper consideration to his testimony. John himself had refused the title of Messiah but had predicted the coming of Jesus and had identified him at his appearance as the Lamb of God and the Messiah (1:29–36). Possibly by this time John had been imprisoned. Jesus’ main point is that the Jews could not consistently accept John’s preaching and reject Jesus.