The Jews Reject Him

["Click here for John's account"]

The day was growing late and Jesus took Him Disciples and, according to John, hid Himself from the people. Here, still teaching His Disciples, He speaks on the prophecies of Isaiah who prophesied 500 years before, that the Jews would reject Him. Though He had done many miracles, they still did not believe in Him.
The question is, why? The answer is difficult to understand. To understand why the Jews rejected Christ, we must know something about the doctrine of the Sovereignty of God. Isaiah understood it and prophesied that the Jews would not accept Christ because God would "harden their hearts". Verse 40, He had hardened their hearts and blinded their eyes." This indicates that God chooses who will believe and allows others to waller in their ignorance. Jesus had been with them for three years, teaching and working miracles yet they did not believe, Isaiah says, they could not believe.
Lets look a little closer at what Isaiah said.

First, he said what we already know, they did not believe.
Secondly, he said what we did not know, that they could not believe because God had hardened their hearts.

How can we justify this if we believe that God never damns anyone to eternal hell. Many opinions have been written on this. I will give you two of the best.

Matthew Henry, in his commentary says, "There is a righteous hand of God to be acknowledged in the blindness of those who persist in unbelief." "This is just punishment for their former resistance to the guiding of the Holy Spirit." "If God withholds Grace, then He blinds their eyes and hardens their hearts."
Paul says in Rom. 9:11, "Though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad, in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of His call, Sarah was told about her two sons, "Jacob I loved but Esau I hated." Paul then asks the question, "Is there injustice on God's part?", and he goes on to explain that no, there is no injustice on God's part. He compares God to a potter who is free to make from a piece of clay, whatever he wills.

It is God's prerogative to do as He wills. This we call the doctrine of the Sovereignty of God. Without the "enlightenment" of the Holy Spirit, there can be no knowledge of sin and therefore no repentance.
However, there were some who believed, but did not have the courage to profess it. Many, like Nicodemus, were night people, many remained silent because of the ruling by the Sanhedrin that those who followed Jesus would be put out of the Synagogue. They would disgrace their families and be social outcasts.
Here Jesus also makes it clear that his mission here on earth was not one of judgment. He did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. Judgment is left up to the Father. He who rejects Jesus will be subject to the judgment of God. Many things are left unexplained in these verses. The "calling" of God and the "hardening of hearts" is not easy truths to accept. We must, therefore, leave it up to the Lord, where it belongs anyway.

Previous Chapter

Return to Outline

Ask Questions

Next Chapter