The Gospel of John: John 12.37-50

Read and meditate on John 12.42, 43.
Some of the rulers believed in Jesus, but that faith, though real, was small.  

                                          ⁴²And yet,
among the Jewish rulers, many set
their hearts to trust in Him, but they would not
confess Him, fearing they would be put out
of fellowship, ⁴³because they loved men’s praise
more than the praise of God.

- John 12.42, 43

Reflect
1.  John says these men from among the rulers of Israel believed in Jesus. Would you describe theirs as a mature faith? What kind of faith was it? What might be some other indicators of this kind of faith? Complete this prayer: I know it is important to keep growing in my faith, Lord. Otherwise…

2.  These men who sat with the rulers and listened as they plotted against Jesus, believed in Him. But they would not speak up for Him. Nicodemus had tried once, only to be denounced and silenced (cf. Jn. 7.50-52). What did these men fear? (v. 42; cf. Jn. 8.20-22) What would have been the consequences of that action? Do Christians sometimes fear being ostracized by their unbelieving neighbors, friends, or co-workers? Why? What about me, Lord? Do I fear what others might think or do, so that…?

3.  John explains the reticence of these believers by saying “they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” In this instance, what would “the praise of men” have been? Do you ever find yourself catering to “the praise of men”? Explain. Lord, why should I want men to praise me? What is there in me that…

4.  What does John mean in this case by “the praise of God”? What opportunity did these men have for praising God? What opportunities do you have each day for praising God? Help me, Lord, to be alert to every opportunity to praise You, and lead me to…

5.  What should a believer do if he recognizes that his faith is so small, that he loves the praise of men more than the praise of God, or that he fears men and what they might do more than he fears disobeying the Lord? How can believers help one another avoid this snare? Bring together into one prayer the prayers you wrote from questions 1-4.

Summary
“Then the Evangelist said that many among the authorities who believed in him hid their opinion about him because of the Pharisees, because they feared they might lose their privileges and because they valued the glory of people more than the glory of God. What did our Lord say? While some believed, others did not even accept the accomplished miracles, others only came to know the truth through the miracles but hid their opinion because of their fear of the Pharisees as they pursued human glory.” Theodore of Mopsuestia (350-428 AD)

The fear of men is a snare. We will make no progress in our walk with and work for the Lord if we allow ourselves to be deterred in our witness by what others think. How can you prepare each day to resist this temptation and press on in obedience to the Lord?

Closing Prayer
You who fear the LORD, praise Him!
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel!
For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from Him;
But when He cried to Him, He heard.
My praise shall be of You in the great assembly;
I will pay My vows before those who fear Him.
The poor shall eat and be satisfied;
Those who seek Him will praise the LORD.
Let your heart live forever!
All the ends of the world
Shall remember and turn to the LORD,
And all the families of the nations
Shall worship before You.
For the kingdom is the LORD’s,
And He rules over the nations.

Psalm 22.23-28

Psalm 22.23-28 (Darwall: Rejoice, the Lord is King)
All you who fear the Lord, now praise His holy Name!
You children of His glorious Word, declare His fame!
We stand in awe of our eternal God, and on His mercy call.

For He has not despised the anguish of our King,
Nor from Him hid His eyes, Who knew such suffering.
Let praise arise from all who love and serve the Ruler of the skies!

The suff’ring King shall eat and praise with us the Lord.
Forever we His praise repeat and trust His Word.
Praise God above, all you who keep His vows and who His mercies love!

All nations shall repent and hasten to the Lord;
All those to whom His truth is sent shall praise His Word.
The Lord is King!  His sovereign rule on high now we His people sing!

T. M. Moore

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series IV a and b: John, edited by Joel C. Elowsky, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006. Verse translation of John by T. M. Moore.