Skip to main content

Daily Devotion: John 12:42-43

By

John 12:42-43    "Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:  (43)  For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God."

What a sad statement is made about these chief rulers! They believed on Jesus, but did not confess him. Why? They were afraid they would lose their position in society.  They were afraid the Pharisees would reject them. They were afraid they would be "put out of the synagogue."

I read these words and my mind fast forwards to a time after the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. The disciples had been fervent in preaching salvation through Jesus the Christ. They were arrested and placed in prison. But the angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and instructed the disciples to "Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life." (Acts 5:20)  They did as they were instructed, but the officers came and took them before the counsel. When they were asked why they did not follow the command to not speak in the name of Jesus, Peter answered, "We ought to obey God rather than men." (Acts 5:29)

We see two examples of people who believed on the Lord.  One (the chief priests) believed, but were afraid to confess. They were more concerned with how others would think of them. Then we see the committed disciples of Christ who were determined to believe and confess the wondrous grace and works of the Lord. They were cast out of the temple, but God made an opening for them to go back and continue their teachings and professions of the Lord Jesus.

Which of these two groups do you believe held the most joy and commitment in their hearts?  I'm convinced those who were faithful to profess the truth concerning the Lord Jesus were blessed to have great joy in their hearts. In fact, after they had been beaten, they "departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.  (42)  And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ." (Acts 5:41-42)

I think of the blessed hymn written by Isaac Watts:
"Am I a soldier of the cross,
A follow’r of the Lamb?
And shall I fear to own His cause,
Or blush to speak His name?"

Which shall it be for me? Do I love the praise of men? or the praise of God?  

Labels

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Daily Devotion: Enter With Thanksgiving - Psalm 100:1-5

By
One of the most beautiful Psalms of Thanksgiving is the 100th Psalm. Please turn to it and read verses one through five. With all my heart I believe we are a people and a nation that has truly been blessed by God. Of all those who “give thanks to Him and praise His name” we should be at the top!  It is not uncommon to compile wish lists at Christmas, and draw up a list of resolutions for the new year. But there is another list we often overlook - a Thanksgiving Day list of all for which we are thankful. What would your list contain? Most likely, a good part would be material possessions. I’m convinced that we would find that we have much more for which to be thankful than just our material possessions.  Like you, I’m sure my list would include the major things - life, health, family, friends, and the nation we live in, despite all its flaws. But even more than that, I’m thankful for my salvation, my Church family, and the mercy that God showers upon us each d...
Read more

Daily Devotion: Psalm 100:4-5 - Thanksgiving

By
Psalm 100:4-5     "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.  (5)  For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations." Many songs have been written about these verses and with these words included. What do they mean? Today, we celebrate the holiday of Thanksgiving. I've listened to many people speak about their family traditions and most of them include family, food, and football. These are wonderful and fun things that enrich the day, but is it the true meaning that was intended when the day was established?  The Psalmist instructed us to include a special action with our words of thankfulness.  We are to "enter into HIS gates." The heartfelt words of thanksgiving allow us to enter the gates of the Lord, but there is a much deeper place into which we can go. Not only are we to enter into HIS gates, but He invites us to come much closer to H...
Read more

Daily Devotion: Proverbs 11:19-20

By
Proverbs 11:19-20    "As righteousness tendeth to life: so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death.  (20)  They that are of a froward heart are abomination to the LORD: but such as are upright in their way are his delight." We notice in these two verses that righteousness and uprightness are bookends that stand out. Sandwiched between these are evil and "a froward heart".  The Lord goes on to tell us, "Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered." (Proverbs 11:21) We understand that the total being of God is so much greater than our minds are able to comprehend; yet, He opens windows for us to look into a portion of His character.  He loves that which is right and He hates that which is wrong. He rewards the upright, or those who walk in a way that is right according to His standard. Remember yesterday we saw that "A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weigh...
Read more