The Gospels John

Belief and Unbelief

Discover Jesus as: Son of God John 12 Read on Bible Gateway (HCSB)

Day 190 of 730
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INTRO

John 12:1–8 describes the anointing at Bethany when Mary literally gave up everything to anoint Jesus’ head and feet. John 12:9–11 says the religious leaders decided to kill Lazarus because his resurrection was the reason many Jews believed in Jesus. John 12:12–19 describes Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, which we covered in our study of the other Gospels. John 12:20–36 recounted one of the times when Jesus predicted His death.

Today, let’s look at how the New Testament looks back to the Old Testament. Now that Christ was talking about who He was, He pointed back to the Old Testament prophecies that were going to be fulfilled.

TEACHING

John 12:37–40: Constable said John described two crises of faith in the Jewish community.1The first crisis occurred in John 6:66, “From that moment, many of His disciples turned back and no longer accompanied Him.” After hearing some of Jesus’ hard teachings (John 6:60), many of His disciples didn’t want to follow Him any longer. The second crisis occurred in John 12:37, “Even though He had performed so many signs in their presence, they did not believe in Him.” Not only did the religious leaders not believe in Him, but they were trying to kill Him. Wiersbe described three aspects of the Jews’ response to Jesus.2First, the Jews would not believe (v. 37). Second, they could not believe because their unbelief fulfilled the word of Isaiah the prophet (v. 38). Compare verse 38 with Isaiah 53:1, “Who has believed what we have heard? And who has the arm of the Lord been revealed to?” Third, they should not believe because God had blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts (vv. 39–40). MacArthur said these responses stressed the “sovereign plan of God in His judicial hardening of Israel.”3However this hardening was “not apart from human responsibility and culpability.”4Because they first chose not to believe, God hardened their hearts so they should not believe.

John 12:40–41: In verse 40, John quoted Isaiah 6:9–10. Isaiah had clearly seen God’s glory (v. 41). Now John pointed out the Jews had seen Jesus’ glory, but they didn’t believe. MacArthur said their lack of belief made Jesus “the author of the judicial hardening of Israel.”5In other words, Jesus served in the role of Judge. John alluded to this truth in other places. John 5:22– 23 says God has given all judgment to the Son. John 5:27 says God has given Jesus the right to pass judgment. In John 5:30, Jesus said, “I can do nothing on My own, I judge only as I hear, and My judgment is righteous.” Jesus was the Judge of His people, as described in Isaiah. God hardened the Jews’ hearts for their unbelief and set them apart from God into hell so the Gentiles could walk into salvation. In John 5:42, Jesus recognized that the Jews had no love for God.

John 12:42: Many Jews, even rulers, believed in Jesus but wouldn’t confess Him because they feared the Pharisees would ban them from the synagogue. Even though there was a hardening among the Jews, there was still hope because many did believe in Jesus. Did they harden their hearts, or did God harden their hearts? The answer is yes to both questions. It’s 100 percent God and 100 percent man. John didn’t just pick and choose these two passages. John interwove truths from the Old Testament and New Testament throughout his Gospel. These disciples knew the Word of God, so when Jesus began to release the Old Testament, they recognized it. See these examples:

  • John 1:23: “He [John the Baptist] said, “I am a voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord—just as Isaiah the prophet said.” John described John the Baptist as a voice in the wilderness “just as Isaiah the prophet said” (Isaiah 40:3). John established trust in the Word of God based on the Old Testament. He built his case throughout his Gospel. He was saying that John the Baptist communicated the truth.
  • John 2:17: “And His disciples remembered that it is written: Zeal for Your house will consume Me.” This was a quote drawn from Psalm 69:9.
  • John 6:31: Jesus reminded them that God gave their fathers “bread from heaven to eat” before saying, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35). Jesus was quoting from Psalm 78:24.

John 6:45: “It is written in the Prophets: And they will all be taught by God.” This was quoted from Isaiah 54:13. If you interacted with a Jewish person about the New Testament, they would recognize the writings from the Law and the Prophets.

In John 10:34, Jesus asked, “Isn’t it written in your Scripture, I said, you are gods?” (Psalm 82:6).

When we get to the text of John 12, we see more connections. John 12:13 referred to Psalm 118:26. John 12:15 referred to Zechariah 9:9. John 12:38 was drawn from Isaiah. Why did John do this? Look at Matthew 5:17. Jesus did not come to destroy, but to fulfill the Law and the Prophets. Jesus walked out the fulfillment of these prophecies.

What purpose did God have for hardening of the hearts for the Jewish people?

First, it was a partial hardening (John 12:42). Some Jewish people, even rulers, believed in Jesus, but wouldn’t publicly confess Him because they feared the Pharisees would ban them from the synagogues.

John 12:43: Even though they believed in Jesus, they were still afraid of man. (At some future point, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea finally began to speak out.) MacArthur said the faith of the leaders “was so weak that they refused to take any position that would threaten their position in the synagogue.”6Their desire for the praise of man took priority over the praise of God, so they refused to publicly announce their faith in Christ. First John 2:28, “So now little children, remain in Him so that when He appears we may have boldness and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.” Even amongst those believers, their faith was weak. MacArthur stressed these rulers “demonstrated inadequate, irresolute, and spurious faith.”7In other words, they were saying, “I’m in, but I’m kind of in.” The Greek word for “believe” in John 12:42 typically indicates, without a shadow of doubt, saving faith. John 8:30 used the same language, “Many believed in Him.” Yes, they believed, but they were afraid to admit it.

Second, because of the hardening of the hearts of the Jews, the gospel was released to the Gentile nations (Romans 11:11–12). “By their stumbling, salvation came to the Gentiles” (v. 11). This was God’s game plan and purpose for hardening the hearts of the Jews. The stumbling of the Jews brought riches to the world, to the Gentiles, but “how much more will their full number bring!” (v. 12). Paul went on to say, “So that you will not be conceited, brother . . . a partial hardening has come to Israel until the full number of the Gentiles has come in” (Romans 11:25).

John remembered that Isaiah said there would be a hardening of the hearts of the Jews. We can be okay with that because it released salvation to the Gentiles “until their full number” believes. How do we know when that is? We don’t, so our responsibility has to be to share the gospel because we have no idea when this number will be fulfilled. “In this way, all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:27).

Third, because of the fullness of the Gentiles, all Israel will be saved. What we read in John 12 about the hardening of the Jews should encourage us to go to Romans 11, because eventually all of Israel will be saved.

CLOSING

If we go and share the gospel with the Gentiles, the Jews should be encouraged. Why? Salvation is coming to them through their coming Messiah because of the fullness of the Gentiles.

  1. Thomas L. Constable, Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable, p. 334; available at https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/john.pdf.

  2. Warren W. Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament (Colorado Springs: David C Cook, 2007), pp. 274–275.

  3. John MacArthur, NASB MacArthur Study Bible, updated edition (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2006), p. 1576.

  4. MacArthur, p. 1576.

  5. MacArthur, p. 1576.

  6. MacArthur, p. 1576.

  7. MacArthur, p. 1576.

Questions

  1. How did Mary show love to Jesus? (Matthew 26:6–13; Mark 14:3–9). Why did she do these things? Do you think she knew and understood what was about to happen to Jesus?
  2. How was Mary a lot like King David in her costly giving? (2 Samuel 24:24).
  3. Why were the chief priests plotting to put not just Jesus to death, but Lazarus as well?
  4. In verse 28, God spoke audibly in the Gospels for the third time. Can you name the other two times He spoke audibly? (Matthew 3:17; Luke 9:35).
  5. Why did some of the rulers believe in Jesus but refuse to confess Him out loud? Would you consider their belief to be a saving belief? Why or why not? (Matthew 10:32–33; Romans 10:9–10).
  6. What did the Holy Spirit highlight to you in John 12 through the reading or the teaching?

Next: the Daily Word →

Daily Word

Laura Martin John 12:24–26a

“I assure you: Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces a large crop. The one who loves his life will lose it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me.”

Jesus used an agricultural example to teach His disciples: “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces a large crop.” Jesus prepared His disciples for His upcoming crucifixion and death. The hour had come for Jesus, the Son of Man, to be glorified. But from Jesus’ death would come a great harvest of salvations!

In a similar way, Jesus instructed believers to make it a daily practice to die to themselves. When you die to yourself, you make room for more of the Lord to be glorified in your life, just as when wheat falls to the ground and produces a large crop. Today, say to the Lord, “Show me how to die to myself today, so that You, Jesus, may be glorified in me!” The Lord will give grace upon grace as you let go of the things He brings to mind, and new life will grow beyond what you can imagine. You may think you need to hang on to control or an area in your life, but Jesus says when you lose your life, you will gain even more. Follow Him. His love never fails.

“I assure you: Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces a large crop. The one who loves his life will lose it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me.”

— John 12:24–26a

FURTHER SCRIPTURE

  • Luke 9:23–24 – “Then He said to them all, “If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will save it.”
  • Romans 8:12–13 – “So then, brothers, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh, for if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”
  • Galatians 2:20 – “And I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”