“THEY STILL DID NOT BELIEVE IM HIM!”

 

John 12:36-43                    (ESV)

“[36] While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” 

The Unbelief of the People

 When JESUS had said these things, HE departed and hid himself from them. [37] Though HE had done so many signs before them, “THEY STILL DID NOT BELIEVE IN HIM”, [38] so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: 

    “LORD, who has believed what he heard from us,

        and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?”

    [39] Therefore THEY COULD NOT BELIEVE. For again Isaiah said,

    [40] “HE has “blinded their eyes”

        and “hardened their heart”,

    lest they see with their eyes,

        and understand with their heart, and turn,

        and I would heal them.”

    [41] Isaiah said these things because he saw HIS GLORY and spoke of HIM. [42] Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in HIM, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; [43] for THEY LOVED THE GLORY THAT COMES FROM MAN MORE THAN THE GLORY THAT COMES FROM GOD!”

It is more than just a few times that I have capitalized the word CHOSEN in my writings.  When ALMIGHTY GOD selects mortals to perform a duty HE has selected them for, it isn’t because they are more HOLY or they select a path where they “know” the rewards will be there in the end!  Their CHOICE is because GOD has instilled in them a desire to serve HIM, to be USED by the ONE WHO is above ALL NAMES (Acts 4:12) and HE IS WORTHY!!

As one is able to see, John 12:36 is divided in this text by the subtitle “The Unbelief of the People”, generally displaying what the next paragraph will be about. Isaiah, the author of verse forty (40) above, was born in the eighth century before JESUS, and reportedly died in the seventh century before THE CHRIST.  There is no earthly explanation for him KNOWING that humans would REJECT THE MESSIAH once HE was present among mankind.  Yet he wrote, “HE has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them”!  The people he was writing about COULD NOT SEE TRUTH, even though JESUS was in their midst and WOULD REJECT their CREATOR and crucify HIM on a Roman Cross!  

When pondering what I might have done had I been present during this period of time, I used to proclaim that I would have been crucified with JESUS!  However, no matter how much I love HIM now, I would have been one who was known as “THEY STILL DID NOT BELIEVE IN HIM”, because JESUS HAD TO OPEN THE EYES OF THE UNBELIEVERS!  

It is no different today!  JESUS has to OPEN EYES of we that serve HIM or we will not be able to SEE what we are doing!  “THEY STILL DID NOT BELIEVE IN HIM” is what mankind does, UNLESS we are CHOSEN to serve HIM!  We are not “better” than unbelievers, but we have been CHOSEN to live for JESUS, allowing HIS GLORY to shine in our lives so a lost and dying world can SEE HIM!  We must NEVER FORGET that “THEY STILL DID NOT BELIEVE IN HIM” could and should be us, but we are CHOSEN to live for HIM!!!