A Very Troubling Passage

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Today’s Reading: John 12:20-50

Jesus Predicts His Death

20 Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.

23 Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glo- rified. 24 Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produc- es many seeds. 25 Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

27 “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.
28 Father, glorify your name!”
Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.

30 Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. 31 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.

34 The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law that the Messiah will remain forever, so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?”

35 Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. 36 Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.

Belief and Unbelief Among the Jews

37 Even after Jesus had performed so many 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 message

and 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 eyes and hardened 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 openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved human praise more than praise from God.

44 Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. 45 The one who looks at me is seeing 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 “If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. 49 For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. 50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”

 
 

I anticipate many of us are troubled by John 12:37-42.

When Isaiah the prophet was called by God (around 700 B.C.), God tells him to expect constant rejection from his people. So, when John reflects on the ministry of Jesus, he remembers that Isaiah was also rejected. In fact, the rejection was so complete that it was as if God had hardened the hearts of the Israelites to make it impossible for them to respond. Now, why would God set Isaiah up to fail? That’s the wrong way to think about it; it’s not that God set Isaiah up to fail, but that God knew that Isaiah’s ministry would be very difficult, and that though Israel would not listen, Isaiah is to preach to them anyway.

In the same way, Jesus came performing many signs and many people still refused to accept him. It’s as if God has hardened their hearts— why else would they refuse to believe?

But, John also tells us that the rejection was not total; actually, there were many people who believed, and some believed secretly.

So, John wants us to understand that the mighty works of Jesus were not enough to convince everyone of his identity. Some people were so stubborn that nothing would make them believe: it was as if God made their hearts hard and eyes blind.

I think this means 2 things for us:

  1. We should not be surprised when people in our day reject Jesus.

  2. But, we should also expect people to accept him in our day.

How can you tell which group is which?

You can’t—you have to sow the seed as widely as possible with the expectation that though it might not take root everywhere, it will take root somewhere.