This is why they were unable to believe, because Isaiah also said:
He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so that they would not see with their eyes or understand with their hearts, and turn and I would heal them.
Isaiah said these things because he saw His glory and spoke about Him.
Nevertheless, many did believe in Him even among the rulers, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, so that they would not be banned from the synagogue. For they loved human praise more than praise from God.
John 12:39-43 HCSB
Our scripture passage today tells us that many believed in Jesus but did not confess Him. They wanted to win the Pharisees approval so they could remain in the synagogue. They didn’t want to get kicked out of the club. They worried more about keeping the Pharisees happy than keeping God happy.
Seeking human approval can be costly. We may have to join clubs that bore us to tears. We may attend various events that we would prefer not to. But, because praise from our fellow humans is so important, we endure it. We pay for it. We do whatever it takes. We will go to outrageous lengths to win the approval of people that we don’t even really like. We may even forfeit our eternal salvation. It’s astonishing when you think about it. But, we won’t take a couple hours to go to church on Sunday morning to give God praise. We won’t take time to study our Bible. We don’t take time to pray. And we are ashamed to let our friends know how much we love Him.
Many of our young people are being bullied through social media and in person. Teenagers have taken their own lives because they were bullied, or could not win the approval of their peers.
Tomorrow we will celebrate Mother’s Day. I thank God for women like my mother, my grandmothers, and my sister who taught me a lot. They all taught me that I was surrounded by love.
My mother and my paternal grandmother taught me to pray. They taught me to honor God through church attendance, prayer, Bible study and putting Him first in my life.
My maternal grandmother taught me to be independent. She instilled in me the importance of education. She used to say to me, “It’s important for you to do well in school and get a good education. This is something no one can ever take away from you.”
My sister taught me that what others think about me doesn’t matter. She has always been a strong support system and we now share a faith in God that helps us through tough times.
All of these women taught me that what God thought of me was way more important than what any mere mortal thought of me. They taught me that pleasing God should be my first priority.
We live in a cruel world. Children need to know that they are loved, not only by their family but by God. They need to understand the importance of pleasing Him. Approval from God is critical to our eternal wellbeing. Proverbs 16:7 says that when a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even their enemies be at peace with them. Pleasing God gives us peace and joy in our lives.
If we have the opportunity to teach nothing else, I hope that we would teach those young people around us that they should first seek God’s approval and His righteousness. Matthew 6:33-34 tells us that once we do this, God will provide all we need.
In this day and age, we often go to social media and compare ourselves to see how we measure up. We are often comparing ourselves to lies posted by others. Newsflash-people lie on social media. We should be going to God’s Holy Word, which is true, and using it as our measure. Those people on social media may judge you now, but God will be there on judgment day to determine your eternal fate.
Our scripture passage says that while many believed in Him, they failed to confess Him because they were seeking approval from humans more than from God. They were afraid that they would lose their place at the synagogue. But, what about you, do you believe Him but not confess Him? We are told that even the demons believe in Him (James 2:19). This is not enough, we must also confess Him as Lord. If we fail to do this, God will blind our eyes so that we don’t see and harden our hearts so that we don’t understand. This is why so many just don’t get it today. Do your best not to let this happen to anyone you love.
No one can give you eternal life except Jesus Christ (John 14:6). Surrender to Him today. Admit that you are a sinner, believe in Him, and confess Him as your Lord and Savior. Commit yourself to Him. If you make God happy, you’ll be happy, regardless of those around you.
Have a great weekend!