John 5:41-47

This will conclude Jesus' response to those who want to kill Him for making Himself equal with God.

 

At the beginning of this book John wrote that he had "seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only who came from the Father full of grace and truth". Here Jesus spends quite a bit of time focusing on glory.

 

Jesus says that He does not receive glory from men. His glory is not an earthly glory. This is a major point, for it helps to explain why earthly men are not willing to receive Him.

 

Jesus says, "I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves. I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive Me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him." Earthly men receive those who have earthly glory. They reject the One who comes with heavenly glory. They do not love God. Honestly, they are not seeking any glory greater than their own. "How can you believe when you receive glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?" How can we believe?

 

Even though Jesus has told them throughout the last verses that He is God, and that He comes with God's glory, and that they have rejected the glory of God by rejecting Him, He has something else to say. Jesus is not their accuser. Judge, maybe. But not their accuser.

 

We would expect to hear something about Satan at this point. Satan is the accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10). But Jesus is not talking about Satan. He points to Moses. The very person upon whom the Jews have set their hopes is the one who will accuse them before God the Father! When we think of the Old Testament history involving Moses, there were many times when he complained to God that the people's hearts were quick to go astray. He was constantly working to remind them to serve and love the LORD their God. This hasn't changed. As faithfully as he could, Moses told the people to seek the glory of God. The people continue to reject God's glory, indicating that they don't believe Moses. Since they don't believe Moses, a fellow man, how are they going to believe the One who comes from heaven with the glory of God?

 

Jesus is God. The Jews wanted to kill Him for claiming to be God. But He continued to tell them the truth. He mourned their refusal to accept God's glory in Him. But He had not come to be against them; Jesus was there trying to open the way to the Father. Accusations against them would come from elsewhere.

 

Father, even today people refuse to accept Your glory in Jesus Christ. People will follow the most foolish of men's ideas, believing that the ideas are wise. But the wisest wisdom in the world, the most brilliant glory in the universe – people reject this! They pursue their own fixes, their own cures, their own ways of making things work. Help people to see that Jesus is here for them. He hasn't come to destroy them, to make their lives miserable. He is infinitely valuable! He brings Your glory to men! Help them to understand that the pain that comes from following Jesus is directly related to sin – either the sins of others who oppose them as they follow Jesus, or their own sins as they try to hold on to earthly glories rather than treasuring the glory of God in Jesus Christ above everything else! Yes, men have to give things up to follow You. I hurt when I have to make a choice between an earthly value and the glory of heaven. I like the tangible things and people that make me feel good and bring comfort to my life. I have a hard time seeing the ultimate good, the amazing comfort that comes from heaven. Open all our eyes, Father, to see Your glory. Open our hearts to receive Your glory – to receive and treasure Jesus Christ!