Context No. 3156 of 4322 · John

John 12:39-43: in context

39For this cause they couldn’t believe, for Isaiah said again: 40“He has blinded their eyes and he hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes, and perceive with their heart, and would turn, and I would heal them.” 41Isaiah said these things when he saw his glory, and spoke of him. 42Nevertheless, even many of the rulers believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they didn’t confess it, so that they wouldn’t be put out of the synagogue, 43for they loved men’s praise more than God’s praise.

John explains why so many could not believe, seeing in it the fulfillment of Isaiah's word about blinded eyes and hardened hearts. And yet, he adds, even many of the rulers did believe in Jesus, but they would not confess it for fear of the Pharisees and of being put out of the synagogue, for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.

Two hard truths sit together. There is a mystery of judicial hardening, that persistent refusal to believe can end in an inability to believe, and John sees Isaiah's words come true. But alongside it stands a very human, culpable reason: many rulers actually believed and would not say so, because they loved human approval more than God's. Their silence was not inability but cowardice, an unwillingness to pay the social cost of confessing Christ. The love of others' praise kept them quiet about a truth they knew to be true. Secret faith that will not confess Christ for fear of people is crippled by loving the wrong glory.

Do I keep quiet about Christ for fear of what people will think, loving human praise more than the glory that comes from God?

Sources

John 12:43: "For they loved men's praise more than God's praise."
John 12:42: "Even many of the rulers believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they didn't confess it."
Matthew 10:32: "Everyone therefore who confesses me before men, him I will also confess before my Father."