Jesus at Bethesda
41 “I do not accept praise from men, 42 but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?
During his ministry, Jesus didn’t accept human praise (he already stated that he didn’t accept human testimony, either, in verse 34). Following his ascension, of course, Jesus wants our praise and our worship. But his words here point to many false prophets and even false Christs coming into the world. About a hundred years after Jesus, the leaders of the Jews including Rabbi Akiba proclaimed a soldier named Simon Bar-Kochba as the Messiah from the years 132-135, even quoting Numbers 24:17 and calling him the “star of Jacob.” The Bar-Kochba revolt left thousands dead, and many of us still remember the tragedy of the Branch Davidians in 1993. So many are so quick to follow anyone but Jesus—but that’s exactly what Jesus expected.
45 “But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47 But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?” (NIV)
The leaders of the Jews were trusting in Moses. That means that they were looking at the shadow of Christ rather than at Christ himself. They were rejecting Jesus who kept the Law perfectly, and were wrapping themselves up in the condemnation of the Law instead. But Paul, who was on his way to becoming the greatest Pharisee of his generation when he was converted by Jesus to Christianity, confidently proclaims: “Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law” (Galatians 3:25).
Setting aside our own opinions isn’t as easy as it sounds, but we pray for God’s help; we pray that God would defeat our own thoughts, our own temptations, and our own sinful nature.
Be victorious over me, Lord Jesus, and win the eternal day. Claim me for your own, O Lord, and drown my sinful human nature in the forgiveness of my sins.
Something Extra:
Psalm 37:12-15
ז (Zayin)
12 The wicked plot against the righteous
and gnash their teeth at them;
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he knows their day is coming. (NIV)
The seventh letter of the Hebrew alphabet is zayin, the first letter of the word zomēm, “plot, plotting.” David warns us that we have enemies, people who live unbelieving (wicked) lives who won’t ignore us; they will plot against us. But David’s words are like Paul’s: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).
ח (Heth)
14 The wicked draw the sword
and bend the bow
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose ways are upright.
15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken. (NIV)
The eighth letter of the Hebrew alphabet is heth (its starts in the back of your throat), the first letter of the word herev, “sword.” David warns us in this passage that the plots of the previous verses may materialize into violence. The first half of verse 15 anticipates the words of Simeon to Mary when Jesus was presented at the temple: “A sword will pierce your own soul” (Luke 2:35). Certainly the wicked drew swords against Jesus (Mark 14:43), but because Jesus’ crucifixion means so much to us, we almost never think about how deep the pain of his death affected the people who loved him and who were there—especially his mother, Mary, the woman who gave birth to God, who nursed God, who taught God to read and write, to walk, to tell a joke, who taught the toddler God his Ten Commandments, and who then stood and watched her son die for her sins. The nails they drove into his hands and feet pierced her heart, and her grief was unimaginable. But her grief was obliterated by the resurrection—as ours will be.
David’s comfort for us is that the enemy’s victory over our bodies on earth is not a victory that will have any result in heaven. We already belong to Christ; revenge if necessary belongs to him alone. If we are pierced by the sins of the world or of the devil, we can be comforted in three ways: Christ was pierced, as well; we are in excellent, perfect company. Such troubles will not follow us into eternity. And God himself will punish those who persecute us; we leave it to him alone, as John the Apostle sings:
“Look, he is coming with the clouds,
and every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him;
and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him.
So shall it be! Amen.” (Revelation 1:7)
Thy hand is never shortened, All things must serve Thy might;
Thine every act is blessing, Thy path is purest light.
Thy work no man can hinder, Thy purpose none can stay,
Since thou to bless thy children Wilt always find a way.
(The Lutheran Hymnal 520:4)
Pastor Smith serves St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in New Ulm, Minnesota. His wife, Kathryn, attended Chapel from 1987-1990 while studying Secondary Education (Theater and Math) at UW-Madison. Kathryn’s father, John Meyer, was also the first man to serve as a Vicar at Chapel.
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