Have We Believed His Report?

 John 12:37-50

Who Has Believed Our Report?

37 But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him, 38 that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke:

"Lord, who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?"

39 Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again:

40 "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts,
Lest they should see with their eyes,
Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
So that I should heal them."

41 These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him.

Walk in the Light

42 Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

44 Then Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. 45 And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. 46 I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. 47 And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. 49 For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. 50 And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak."

Who has believed the testimony of scripture announced by the prophets to His people of the coming of the Messiah who is Jesus Christ come in the flesh as a man (John 1:14, 1 John 4:2-3)?  He did so many signs and wonders to prove His divinity and identity just as was told long ago so we could identify Him by working these things which no mere mortal could ever be able to accomplish.  Isaiah is quoted here (Isaiah 53:1, 6:9-10, and reminds us in Romans 11:8) as the one who saw God’s glory (Isaiah 6:1) and foretold how the people called by His name would disbelieve when the LORD showed Himself mighty on their behalf (2 Chronicles 16:9) with these miracles, that they then would be unable to see and understand in their hearts towards repentance and redemption.  Their rejection was piled onto their disbelief and hardened their hearts further (Romans 9:22) which was a result of their dishonor as vessels of destruction.  God’s word is absolutely true and all He has spoken comes to pass in the times set for history to unfold before us.  The arrival of Jesus was the culmination of all He planned for our reconciliation in redemption by His sacrificial death and triumphant resurrection to life as a promise by faith of our own salvation from spiritual death to eternal life (John 5:24) with Him.  We believe His word of this work (John 6:29) instead of working with futility to earn salvation by tainted good deeds that always fall short of perfection; only Christ’s works as perfect man and divine God is able to do all things well (Mark 7:37) to attain the right to be a perfect unblemished sacrifice for our sins.   That was the message of Isaiah and all the prophets along with Moses (Luke 24:24-27) to the Jews then and all the world now.  Do we then trust His word as vessels of mercy designed for His glory (Romans 9:23-24) because we have heard to be able and willing to obey by believing Him?  Even some of the people did hear and receive the fulfillment of the promises in God’s word as the Pharisees threatened them with excommunication just as the papists have done for centuries for all who hold to the hope and certainty of salvation which cannot be earned nor lost.  Do we then love the praise of God more than the accolades of men in adhering to religious rules over biblical truths?  That is the eternal question.  Jesus loudly cried out that believing in Him is equal to faith in God His Father because they are both inseparably divine.  He came to shine the light of truth as God’s living Word (John 1:1, 14) to overthrow the darkness (John 1:4-5) and give light to the souls (John 1:9) to all who believe and receive (John 1:12) Him as their only Savior and Lord God.  The promise is deliverance from the darkness of all born lost in sin (Zechariah 8:6-7, 1 Peter 2:9, Acts 26:18) into His marvelous light apart from the eternal judgment we are all due (Romans 3:23, 6:23).  Our judgment is not based on how good we do in this life but upon the truth of His word which already places us under condemnation as we reject Jesus Christ as the only good work to obtain the salvation that He has earned by His perfect works.  Acceptance of His words and work on our behalf is the only release from the sentence of disbelief and rejection of the offer of life provided to us.  His command is everlasting life just as we accept His words and receive the Son of God as the Word of God to obey by taking Him at His word as we take His word into our hearts and are transformed by that grace worked for us on the cross and proven up for the grave in His resurrection.  Have we believed His report of these things?  This is the eternally crucial question as it has been told from long ago throughout scripture from the very beginning.