Day 892: The approval that matters - John 5 vs 41 - 47

41-43 I do not receive glory from people. But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. 44 How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? 45-47 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. John 5:41-47 English Standard Version

Many of the Jews were staggered by the startling claims Jesus made concerning who He was and what He had come to do. So Jesus pointed them to what John the Baptiser had said about Him, and also to how God Himself had verified who He was through the miracles they'd seen Him do. If they truly loved God (as they claimed to do) they would have recognised that He was indeed who He claimed to be. But what was a big stumbling block that kept them from honouring Him as they ought to have done? (vs 44)

It seems they were more concerned about having people's approval than the approval of God. They were afraid of what others would think if they confessed Jesus as the Son of the living God. Jesus warned against this desire for the approval of people when He said: “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do - blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they've received all the reward they'll ever get.” (Matthew 6:1-2 Paraphrased)

Is that not still a danger today? Some people are afraid of showing an interest to find out more about Jesus because of what others may think of them. And there are whole denominations afraid of taking a stand on God's word because they want the approval of society. The apostle Paul warned of the outcome of such a position when he said: “Am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”(Galatians 1:10)

Having challenged their unbelief, Jesus went on to say that He wouldn't need to be the one who brought a case against them because there was someone they really trusted who would do that. Who would that be? (vs 45-47)

In the eyes of the Jews there was hardly anyone greater or more respected than Moses. Yet Jesus said to them “Moses wrote of me.” He may have had in mind the incident when Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole so that should a serpent bite anyone, if they would look at the bronze serpent they would live. (Numbers 21:9) Jesus used that as a picture of Himself being lifted on the cross to give life to sinners. Moses had also said to the people: “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers - it is to him you shall listen.” (Deuteronomy 18:15) Christ surely is the one Moses spoke of.

This brings us to the whole meaning and purpose of the Bible. After Jesus rose from the grave we're told how He joined with two disciples who were walking the seven miles from Jerusalem to a town called Emmaus. They were kept from recognizing Him, but as they walked we read that “beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” (Luke 24:27) So it's not only Moses who wrote of Jesus, it was all those who the Holy Spirit used to bring about the Old Testament. So when Jesus said to the Jews “if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”, it applies to the whole Bible.

Earlier, in vs 39, Jesus had said to the Jews “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about Me, yet you refuse to come to Me that you may have life.” That's still true today of anyone who is more concerned about the approval of people than the approval of God. If we believe the Bible, we would believe all Jesus said of Himself, and worship Him.