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They Still Did Not Believe - John 12
They Still Did Not Believe - John 12
As we come to the end of the life of Jesus we observe a thing that seems strange to us. Surely they would believe if they saw a miracle right before their eyes. John writes that: "Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him" (John 12:37).
All evidence gets filtered through preconceived concepts. Some 'evidence' that is obviously bogus to most people gets believed by some because they want to believe. At other times the strongest of evidence is denied because believing it would require too much.
The evaluation of evidence requires good and honest hearts. Jesus taught in the parable of the sower that the seed sown in good and honest hearts brings forth fruit otherwise the seed doesn't produce. The seed is the SAME, the heart is different. The same sermon in Acts 2 brings 3000 to repentance and hardens the hearts of others. Preaching in Acts 13 causes some to believe (Acts 13:42-43) and causes others to persecute Paul and Barnabas (vs. 52). So it goes, the Word of God going forth and causing division among all those that hear.
God has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart and thus they cannot believe. This is taken by some as proof of an eternal decree of God on who would and who wouldn't believe. The problem is the heart. God in his wisdom has designed our minds so that there are moral impossibilities. If on one hand, a man desires to do what God has taught, he shall know the teaching (John 7:17). IF however, he is self-willed, a change of heart becomes impossible.
With the Jewish leaders, the more they saw the more resolute they became. They demanded the death of Jesus and then persecuted his disciples. They admitted that miracles were done by Jesus yet refused to accept Him as the son of God. Their conscience became more and more seared. They were not open to truth as they were seeking the glory that comes from man.
The cultivating of the heart demands a desire for truth. Not just objective truth, but the truth about ourselves. We must desire the truth about who we are. We must be open to the truth of our inner problems. We must be willing to hear about our faults and then admit them and change. Some just are unwilling. Their hearts are closed. How is your heart? Hugh DeLong
