We know that Jesus comes back to life. That is the confession of Christianity. But on the death side of the resurrection, there were obvious questions. Now what? The Messiah will remain forever. So, if you’re dead, how can you really consider yourself the Messiah, Jesus?
Consider the hopelessness you may have been tempted to feel. Jesus has done all these signs. He raises Lazarus from the dead, for crying out loud! But still, many did not believe. Was this all for naught?
Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, 38 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?”39 Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,
40 “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.”41 Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. 42 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; 43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.
John 20:37-43 (ESV)
Here’s what I think John wants us to see: Even Jewish unbelief cannot thwart the plan of God. He quotes from Isaiah to say, essentially, that it is not surprising. In fact it was prophesied. God’s will is being accomplished even in unbelief.
Why does that matter to us? Your unbelief hasn’t wrecked your faith yet. You are not the master of your fate; you are not the captain of your destiny. God is. Things we see in life as obstacles to the will of God have already been considered by the Eternal One. Jesus will save you in spite of you.
The Jewish unbelief isn’t a threat to the mission of Jesus. but there are some even among the Jews who do believe. But they are very quiet about it. Why? They love the glory that comes from man more than that which comes from God.
Who are we trying to impress?
This doesn’t mean we slap a bumper sticker on our car, buy cheesy t-shirts, or broadcast to the world in external ways that we’re Christians. It means that we’re not ashamed to live as Christians in a world that doesn’t reward it.
We are not ashamed or embarrassed by the Bible.
We are willing to live differently, even if it costs us.
We love the glory that comes from god, more than the glory that comes from man.
The plans of God in the world will prosper. We need not, we must not, be ashamed of him.