Quote for the Day
“…for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.”
Today's Prayer
Father, today I praise your name. I acknowledge that you alone are worthy of my praise. Today, in all I do, may YOU be glorified.
John 12:37-50
John 12:37-50 (NIV)37 Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. 38 This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet:“Lord, who has believed our messageand to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”39 For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:40 “He has blinded their eyesand deadened their hearts,so they can neither see with their eyes,nor understand with their hearts,nor turn—and I would heal them.”41 Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.42 Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.44 Then Jesus cried out, “When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. 45 When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.47 “As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. 48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. 49 For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. 50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”
Message
Earlier in John we discussed the issue of the ego being the dividing line between acceptance and rejection of Jesus. This idea continues to be obvious in the current passage. We see how many of the Jewish people and leaders have begun to believe and accept Jesus. We also see that many believe but remain unwilling to openly confess their belief. Why? They are afraid of the other Jewish leaders. They do not want to be excluded from the synagogue. Sounds like ego to me: we all want people to like us and think we are important.What is fascinating is the simple way Jesus brings the point out. His comment in today’s language might sound like, “You prefer to have men like you over God liking you.” That is quite a crazy idea when put in these terms. In our minds we typically want to be liked either by those who are important in the world or those whom we most want to love us. And the bottom line? Why would we want anyone’s approval more than the love of God? He is the “most important” and the most desired to have love us.Yet here we are looking for the praise of men and neglecting to acknowledge, glorify, and praise the God of heaven and earth, the One who will praise us if we allow all glory to be His. Once again we see Jesus reminding us that all He says and does is simply what the Father has asked Him and not one iota more. He knew the value of God’s praise versus man’s praise.