10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, 11 for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him. John 12
Religious leaders plotting double murder, wasn’t the first time and probably won’t be the last. The raising of Lazarus from the dead after four days in the tomb, John 11:39, a living testimony to the power of God was too much. (I’ve heard it said when Christians were raised from the dead in our day in Africa, that muslims gave up trying to convert in those places.)
Jesus had arrived at the home Martha, Mary and Lazarus in Bethany, near Jerusalem six days before Passover. The Jews had flocked there in large numbers to meet Jesus and also to see Lazarus. What was happening there had not gone unnoticed by the religious rulers, they were alarmed and angry at what was occurring. Many were believing in Jesus. However, just like Pharaoh centuries before in Egypt, they didn’t realise they were about to fulfil God’s plan of the ages to redeem mankind. Yet, Jesus was still drawing people to Him in that day so close to His crucifixion.
At the end of the same chapter, we’re told of more Jews who believed in Jesus, but apparently they were Secret Believers.
42 Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved human praise more than praise from God. John 12
First of all these people were believers in Jesus and that’s important because the previous verses quoted from Isaiah said many wouldn’t believe.
37 Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. 38 This was to fulfil the word of Isaiah the prophet:
‘Lord, who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed (Christ has to be revealed to us)?’ John 12
They wouldn’t acknowledge publicly that they believed Jesus was the Messiah, a step too far for many of them. Perhaps they had a sense of Jesus coming crucifixion and were afraid to stand for Him. But the scripture says, ‘they loved the praise of men, more than the praise of God’.
Our Faith is precious, so much so that the enemy will kill, to stop people coming to know the Lord. We Believers will be eternally grateful that we put our trust in the Lord and accepted His sacrifice for us. The only time we can tell others all that Jesus means to us is here and now – let’s not be ashamed to speak up for Him while we have opportunity.
God bless and keep you today.