Jesus’ Last Big Challenge: John 12:37-50

As we continue moving through John’s gospel, and what John tells us Jesus did and said during the week leading up to the cross, John takes a brief detour and shares how two prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus’ life and ministry. When we look a little closer, these prophecies are not ones Jesus had much control over, because both of these prophecies focus on how the people would respond to the Messiah God would send. Both these prophecies focus on how the people would ultimately reject Jesus.

However, our passage doesn’t just cover these pessimistic sounding prophecies. It also continues past the pessimism to share an amazing promise and challenge Jesus shared as well.

With that said, let’s read our passage for this episode and discover what we can learn from what John tells us. Our passage is found in the gospel of John, chapter 12, and we will be reading from the Good News Translation. Starting in verse 37, John tells us that:

³⁷ Even though he [referring to Jesus] had performed all these miracles in their presence, they did not believe in him, ³⁸ so that what the prophet Isaiah had said might come true:

“Lord, who believed the message we told?
    To whom did the Lord reveal his power?”

³⁹ And so they were not able to believe, because Isaiah also said,

⁴⁰ “God has blinded their eyes
    and closed their minds,
so that their eyes would not see,
    and their minds would not understand,
    and they would not turn to me, says God,
    for me to heal them.”

⁴¹ Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.

⁴² Even then, many Jewish authorities believed in Jesus; but because of the Pharisees they did not talk about it openly, so as not to be expelled from the synagogue. ⁴³ They loved human approval rather than the approval of God.

Let’s pause reading here for a moment because what John has just said is powerful. John draws our attention to the truth that many Jewish authorities believed in Jesus, but they were secret about it because they didn’t want to lose influence or status. John frames this position as loving human approval more than the approval of God.

This is fascinating to read, because while we might think that being a secret disciple can get us both God’s approval and human approval, because we believe in Jesus while also not being open about it, John frames this idea as placing God in second place.

From this set of verses, we learn that God desires people who will stand up in a public way for their faith. While a secret faith is okay to have temporarily, ultimately a faith that is never publicized is worthless. Faith is the most valuable when it is visible and when it doesn’t step down in fear.

It is interesting to note that from Isaiah’s second prophecy, we might conclude that God purposely blinded the people’s hearts to keep them from turning to Jesus. This is what the prophecy seems to indicate.

However, I wonder if this second prophecy is linked closely to the first one, and that because God’s Spirit was so visibly present in Jesus’ life through the miracles, it had a polarizing effect on the people in the first century. Because of Jesus’ miracles, some people loved Jesus, while others disliked Him greatly.

When we then mix in a series of very challenging things Jesus shares, some even sounding blasphemous, it pushed those who liked the miracles to question whether Jesus was really from God or not.

I don’t believe for a moment that God actively kept those in the first century from opening their hearts to Jesus. Instead, I believe that the way Satan had twisted the culture leading up to that point prompted the way Jesus went about His ministry to close people off. In that culture, there were so many preconceived ideas about who the Messiah would be that anyone coming who didn’t fit the mold could easily be rejected. God, through Jesus, allowed for those in the first century to be blind and their hearts to be closed because Jesus was not interested in stepping into the role of Messiah they had built for Him to take.

It would have been easy for Jesus to gain the approval of the people, but if He had done so, He would have given up more than we could possibly imagine.

Our passage concludes with a challenge Jesus shares. This challenge is one that likely continued the polarizing effect of Jesus’ ministry. Continuing in verse 44, John tells us that:

⁴⁴ Jesus said in a loud voice, “Whoever believes in me believes not only in me but also in him who sent me. ⁴⁵ Whoever sees me sees also him who sent me. ⁴⁶ I have come into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me should not remain in the darkness. ⁴⁷ If people hear my message and do not obey it, I will not judge them. I came, not to judge the world, but to save it. ⁴⁸ Those who reject me and do not accept my message have one who will judge them. The words I have spoken will be their judge on the last day! ⁴⁹ This is true, because I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has commanded me what I must say and speak. ⁵⁰ And I know that his command brings eternal life. What I say, then, is what the Father has told me to say.”

In this final challenge Jesus shares with those in the first century, we see a fascinating truth and a powerful challenge. Just like John includes early in his gospel, framing Jesus’ ministry as one that focused on saving the world instead of judging it, here in this last challenge we see Jesus clearly proclaiming that He did not come to judge, but to save.

Instead of Jesus being the judge, or coming to judge, the words Jesus shares will be the judge. We will be judged on whether we accepted Jesus’ message or not. Jesus frames this as being true because the message He spoke came directly from God. Jesus is not interested in judging people. Jesus instead came to save.

However, Jesus frames the judgment happening on the last day, which in other places in the scripture is the day when Jesus returns. With this framing, we come to a powerful truth: If Jesus’ words will be the judge for people, we can be sure that a just God would protect and preserve Jesus’ words throughout history. This makes the most logical sense.

This is one big reason why I regularly challenge you to keep praying and studying your Bible. Through the Bible, we discover Jesus, and when we have placed our faith, hope, trust, and belief in Jesus, accepting His message, we gain eternal life.

While our current world is hopelessly stained with sin, disease, and death, God plans to redeem His people and recreate our world into the perfection it was at the beginning, prior to the fall. When we accept Jesus, we are promised eternal life and a future within God’s perfectly recreated world!

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always challenge you to do, continue seeking God first in your life and choose to place Jesus first. Like I said earlier, be sure to place your faith, hope, trust, and belief in Jesus and accept His message that brings eternal life. Eternal life isn’t found in reading the right Bible translation, or in having the right doctrine. Eternal life is found in the person of Jesus, and when we accept Jesus’ life and sacrifice into our lives.

Also, continue to pray and study the Bible for yourself to learn, grow, and move closer to God and Jesus. Through prayer and Bible study, we can discover who God is and what He is like, and we can grow a personal relationship with Him that begins today and extends into eternity.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or walk away from where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!