John 12:37-50
John speaks about unbelief of the crowd. From where does unbelief come ? Three facts can be stressed as reasons: the prophecy (sovereignty), their fear (or timidity) and the darkness because of disobedience.
1. They still did not believe in him (37-40)
Unbelief of the crowd isn't surprising, but humanly it's very surprising, because they don't believe ,in spite of many miracles. Yet, this unbelief was prophesied for a long time. Isaiah moaned about unbelief of his people twice, when they did not believe in spite of the message of God's glory in the temple (Is 6:9). The message of the suffering servant was particularly difficult to believe (Is 53:1). But it was the true divine message, because through it, the word will be saved.
2. They seek the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God (41-43)
Unbelief also comes from timidity of the people. They look at the mood of the others with fear of being excluded. They seek the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God. Their hand and their net are always empty.
3. Jesus is the light of the word (44-50)
Jesus says that whoever believes in him, believes in Him who sent him. His role is to light up the world by God's light. For he did not come to judge the world but to save the world. Jesus is always full of mercy, he saves and makes people walk in the light. But whose who are disbelieving and who didn't practice what they heard will be judged by God by the word pronouced by Jesus.
Prayer: Lord, help me to not be unbelieving as the wavering crowd. Make me seek your glory and walk in the Jesus' light.
Bottom line: let's be neither unbelieving nor a seeker of human's glory, but someone who obeys.
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