Print this Page

He hid himself from them

When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. (John’s first century eyewitness biography of Jesus 12: 36-50)
 
Yes, it’s true. Jesus did hide himself so that he could not be seen by “them”. But there’s more to it than that ….

Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” Therefore they could not believe. 

In fact, it became impossible for them to believe. When “they still did not believe”, “they” were in fact fulfilling what Isaiah (alive in Jerusalem BC 740-681) had written centuries earlier. “They could not believe.” Why not? -

For again Isaiah said, “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.” Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. 
 
No kidding. No messing. Isaiah did see – in his day.” They” didn’t in their day… But some did…
‘Water cannot rise higher than its source, neither can human reason.’ (Samuel Taylor Coleridge, poet and philosopher, 1772-1834)
Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God. 

It was the same in Jesus’ day as now. In the struggle to be accepted by others who have a certain amount of sway over us, we take care not ever to speak of Jesus. The reason? “They loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.” 

Nevertheless, Jesus’ call remained – and still remains …

And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world." 

The call is three-fold. 

To believe into him and therefore into the one who sent him into the world. 

To perceive him and therefore to see the one who sent him.

To know him as light and not remain in darkness.

To hear his words and to keep them.

As he said, “I did not come into the world to judge the world but to save the world.”

But what about “them”? This is the answer he himself gave...
 
"The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.
‘A great part of our worthiness lies in an acknowledgment of our own unworthiness.’ (Matthew Henry, writer, 1662-1714)
Yes. There is a judgment.

And there is such a thing as “eternal life.”
 
Sinner Syvret
Email this newsletter to a friend
*All mandatory fields must be filled in
Friend`s name
Friend`s email address *
Your name
Your email address *
Message
Send comment
*All mandatory fields must be filled in
Your name *
Your email address *
Your comment *