Today’s passage: John 12:37–50
Focus verse: Because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue. (John 12:42)
At about this time in the book of John, we read of the Jews’ response to Jesus and the miracles he performed before them.
We could assume that the Jews—being immersed in the Old Testament prophecy of a coming Savior and expecting his arrival—would see Jesus as fulfilling what Scripture promised.
He taught them with authority—unlike their own teachers—and drew people to him. He performed supernatural signs right in front of them. This should get their attention.
It does. But not in a positive way.
Overall, the response of the Jews is one of unbelief. How sad. Yet Isaiah predicted this with his rhetorical question, “Who has believed our message?” (Isaiah 53:1).
In this, he laments both his own frustration over a lack of response to his ministry and foreshadows a future apathy for Jesus’s message.
John continues with another passage from Isaiah to explain why. Although perplexing, Isaiah proclaims that God spiritually blinds the Jews’ eyes so they cannot see and hardens their hearts so they cannot understand (Isaiah 6:9–10).
To understand this, let’s look back at the Old Testament narrative. There we see the Jewish people as a group, as a nation, continually rejecting God and rebelling against him and his prophets.
Though God is slow to anger (Exodus 34:6) and withheld his judgment generation after generation, century after century, he has at last had enough. This long-overdue punishment is spiritual blindness and hardened hearts.
Though we may be critical of God for punishing one generation for the failures of prior ones, the generation of Jesus’s day is no less guilty. Besides, we must remember that God is sovereign and can do whatever he wants—even if this seems unfair.
Even so, Peter reminds us that God doesn’t want anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:9). Hold on to this truth.
After John’s discouraging passage that no one responded to Jesus’s message, the apostle clarifies that some do believe.
Yet they won’t acknowledge their faith in Jesus in public because they fear the religious leaders will expel them from the synagogue, that is, out of their church. Nicodemus exemplifies this, coming to Jesus in secret under the anonymity of darkness (John 3:1–2).
A secret belief, however, isn’t enough. Jesus himself says that we must acknowledge him before others if we expect him to acknowledge us before the Father (Matthew 10:32–33).
Though Nicodemus at first feared retribution from his peers, he later makes an implicit stand for Jesus when he helps bury him, aligning himself with the Savior (John 19:39).
John doesn’t mention the third category of people. They are those who believe in Jesus and aren’t afraid to be with him and stand with him. All his disciples and his many followers fall into this group, yet they are a small minority.
Questions:
When have we failed to acknowledge Jesus before others?
How can we do better next time?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, may we stand up for you, especially when it’s hard to do.
Discover more about celebrating Jesus and his passion to save us in Peter’s new book, The Passion of Jesus. It is part of the Holiday Celebration Bible Study Series.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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