“Clandestine Believers” – FBC Morning Light (11/6/2024)

Well, good Wednesday morning to you. Today, the day after Election Day, I wonder if we know who has won the Oval Office. I'm recording this ahead of time before Election Day itself, so I'm not sure if we're even going to know yet.

All the predictions were that it may take days before we find out. Well, I'll leave that with the Lord. Today in our Bible reading, we're in each of the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. I want to focus on John's Gospel and his account of the triumphal entry and some of the events right after that.

It's interesting, you see quite a mix of responses to Jesus in this chapter. There are those at the triumphal entry, they have no hesitation whatsoever to let it be known that they think that Jesus is the Son of David and deserves to be praised, and so they shout their hosannas, they throw the palm fronds and their cloaks on the ground as a gesture of acknowledging his royalty as he comes riding into the city of Jerusalem.

So there's no hesitation on the part of those who are so praising Jesus at this triumphal entry. But then, a little later, you see some responses to him after he's come, after all of the praise and so on and so forth.

It says in verse 37 that although he, Jesus, had done so many signs before them, they, that is, the Pharisees, the religious elite, and many others in Jerusalem, though he had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in him.

Why didn't they believe in him? Well, you continue to read and it says, because it fulfills what was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, who said, Lord who has believed our report, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

Therefore, John continues, they could not believe, because Isaiah said again, he, God, has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, lest they should see with their eyes, lest they should understand with their hearts, and turn that he should heal them.

This was a form of judgment. So there are those who saw Jesus as the rightful king, they praised him. Now, they didn't understand the nature of his kingdom and all that, for the most part, probably none of them did, really.

But nevertheless, they recognized, this is the son of David, he's come to save. But then there were many who, even though Jesus performed miraculous wonders in their midst, they refused to believe, and that refusal to believe was in itself an act of judgment on God's part.

So you have some who see him, recognize him, receive him. You have some who see the same things but absolutely reject him. But then there's this third group that I want you to note. In verses 42 and 43, it says, nevertheless, even among the rulers, many believed in him, but because of the Pharisees, they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue, for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

So there's this third group. These are people who are, they're standing off on the sidelines, and in their heart of hearts, they really do believe that Jesus is the Messiah, that he is the Christ, the Son of God.

They really believe that, but they don't want anybody to know that they believe that. Why? Because they knew, if it got out, that they believed that Jesus was the Messiah, they'd get kicked out of the synagogue.

These were rulers, that is, they were rulers of the synagogues. These were people with esteem, held in esteem. These were people who had positions in the synagogue, and if they let it be known that they believed Jesus was the Messiah, they'd get kicked out.

The Pharisees would make sure that they got ousted from the synagogue, and they could not handle that. They loved their position more than they loved Christ. This is a challenge, and it speaks to the contemporary professing believer.

I wonder how many stand on the sidelines, come to church, and they really do believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and they really do believe that he's the Savior, but they just don't want to let anybody know, because if they let anybody know, then they'll be made fun of, they'll be put out of the social circle, or whatever.

I trust that you haven't succumbed to that kind of pressure, but that you will love the praise of God much higher than you love the praise of men. It's a lot of this to challenge us today. So, our Father and our God, we do thank you for this challenge, and thank you for the example of these who did believe in you, but wouldn't let it be known, because that's a warning to us, that speaks to us about being bold and forthright and confident in our love and devotion to Christ.

May we be so, we pray in Jesus' name, amen. All right, listen, have a good rest of your Wednesday, and trust the Lord will bless you. Good day.