John 12:37-43
Let’s continue to pray for Jim and Marty.
“Notice what you notice.” Continuing in John 12…
There’s a lot to see in the last two verses for today: Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God. (vv. 42-43) It’s good to see that many of the rulers were believing in Jesus, but sad that they would not confess Him. We suspect that some (many?) came around later – recall Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea at the end of Jesus’ life.
It’s also sad that the “approval of men” was more important to these rulers. Unfortunately, it’s understandable. Back in those days the Jews were “one nation under God” and their synagogue worship was the center of their lives (in addition to their three trips to Jerusalem every year). So someone put out of the synagogue effectively became an outcast to all their friends and neighbors – and maybe even family! I’ve seen so much “Pharisee” in me as we’ve read through the Gospels this year that I probably would have also been hard-pressed to be one of those who openly confessed Jesus had I lived back then.
A verse from yesterday that I had meant to comment on, but forgot: These things Jesus spoke, and He went away and hid Himself from them. (v. 36) I had wondered at His “hiding Himself”. So often He made Himself available even when He was tired. So I was wondering if maybe He simply went off to pray, to be with His Father. Or maybe He just hid Himself…? Interesting!
Slava Bohu!