John 12:42:43

John 12:42:43 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; for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.

Our scripture begins with an amazing statement: many even among the leaders believed in him, a testimony to the power present in the Son of God as He fulfilled prophecy that the Lamb of God would be rejected of men, for they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts. Despite this moment of blindness and rejection, despite the weeks and days leading up to this point where the Pharisees and religious elite constantly plotted to trap, trick, arrest, and kill Christ, the light and glory of the love of the Father shined through him, through his words and his works, calling the lost to his side. We might miss this brief statement of the possibility for faith among the people of influence present that day because John must quickly confirm the truth that fear is the enemy of faith. John must say: But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved praise from men more than praise from God. Each element of this statement intrinsically binds itself to the other: human beings fear rejection and they seek praise. Those who surrounded Christ that day wanted acceptance in a temple made by man more than they wanted to live eternally in a city whose builder and maker is God. They sought the favor of their peers more that they wanted fellowship with their Creator and their Lord. They could not take a stand in the temple courts for fear of losing their social and religious standing. They could not stand alongside a man who boldly proclaimed from the beginning to the end of his ministry, I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. (John 5:24)

They dared not let the Holy Spirit bring the beginning seeds of belief to fruition in their hearts. They knew the cost inherent in such a choice; they lacked faith to identify with one who faced rejection, persecution, imprisonment, and now according to Christ himself, death. They knew what lay ahead for Jesus, just as He knew; and they possessed no illusions of grandeur concerning their desire to sign up for such an ill-fated cause as the one embraced by this carpenter's son from Nazareth who called himself the Christ. Yes, they felt a strange stirring in their breasts; but they had heard the plots, the plans, the schemes, the temple intrigues. The handwriting was already on the wall. They did not expect Jesus to hold out indefinitely against these powerful figures who had repeatedly sent temple guards to arrest him and given orders that if anyone found out where Jesus was, he should report it so that they might arrest him. (John7:32 &11:57) They had lives to live, positions to preserve, family heritages to honor, children to feed: life goes on and we have to live, don't we? What else can a person do? They probably thought about it momentarily as they looked upon the Lord. When the Spirit stirs the heart of a man or woman, one cannot easily walk away. The Spirit touches the core of our being, as we see in Luke's account of the religious leader who comes to Jesus saying, Good teacher, what should I do to get eternal life? Although Jesus knows this man is righteous according to the Law, He requires him to state he has followed the commandments from his childhood. There is still one thing you lack, Jesus said. “Sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” But when the man heard this, he became sad because he was very rich. (John 18:18b & 22-22-23 NLB) Jesus wants him to admit he has to make a choice--there is no middle ground.

Christ asked much of him, a price including more than his riches. Jesus asked for Everything: his position, power, authority, and yes, his money. The man went away sad because he would not pay such a price. God often reminds us we were bought with a price. The Holy Spirit continually calls God's people to a close walk with him, free from doubt, fear, unbelief, and the distractions and sins of this world. We cannot succeed through our own strength and power. We cannot defeat the enemy while seeking the accolades of men to maintain positions of praise and acceptance among people who mock the things of God. Sometimes people mention liking these devotionals because they pass on some good ideas or helpful hints from Dad and Mom Bursch. Of course, we do some of that; but ideas do lift burdens or mend hearts unless what we write is based on divine truth and infused by the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit. God changes lives, not our words. Every person has to yield to him, say yes to his will and daily walk by faith. We desire to lift of Jesus, his name, his Word because we know there is power in the name of Jesus, wonder-working power! We know: If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. And the Word says, Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. (1 John 1:6-7 & 2:6) Believers who walk in grace in the light of Christ bear abundant fruit as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, [clothed] with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (Colossians 3:12) Bless you beloved of God! (Please pray for Dad--He is very sick today with a cold type virus and would like to recover to be a guest on our son Doug's radio program tomorrow, KGNW 820am, "Live From Seattle With Doug Bursch" from 4:00 to 6:00 PM)