Having commented on 5:31-37, where Jesus lists those who witness to his identity and mission, I said:
Why did the Jews not believe? Why, in the face of these three mighty witnesses – none of which they could contradict – did they not believe? Jesus gives us the answer in the rest of the passage. It was for two reasons. One is in verses 43 and 44. Jesus says, “I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?” They were more preoccupied with how they could impress their fellows with their own religious attainments than with knowing the Messiah when they saw him. They were men-pleasers and men-pleasers are idolators. They let someone else beside God be the main factor in what they decided to do with their lives; with what they did and said. They served men instead of God. Faith in God includes submission to and service for God. There is no such thing as a rebellious faith! Thus, if one is determined to submit to men’s opinions rather than submit to the Word of God, how can they believe? They cannot.
We must be careful that we do not condemn these men for this sin. It is all to common in all of our lives. How many times have we ourselves said or done something, or not said or not done something, because we were more afraid of what somebody would say about than what we knew God has said about it in his Word? No. Our concern is not to look down our noses at the Jews. Our concern is to understand how in the world they, and we, can be like that? The fear of man is a symptom of a deeper problem. It is not the real disease. What was wrong with them, and what is wrong with us, when the fear of man is more important than the fear of God?
Jesus tells us by explaining to the Jews their problem: 42: But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. Jesus did not live to be honoured by men. He lived to be honoured by God. He cared more for God’s honour than mens. Why? Because they loved each other. Look back at verse 20: For the Father loveth the Son. Where there is love for God, there is love for his honour. There is a love for the honour he wants to give to his Son. There is even love for the honour he wants to give to us, who bear his name! If you love someone, you are jealous for their honour and you want to honour them and you want them to honour you as well. We want honour from men instead of honour from God because we do not love God as we ought.
How can we have this love for God? In practically the same breath, Jesus explained to the Jews in verse 38, they didn’t have the word of God abiding in them. You will recall last week that I said that the way we give Jesus his rightful place in our lives is by giving his word the rightful place. This is the same thing. If God’s word has its right place in my heart, I will love the God of the Word. What we’re talking about here is the kind of attention and affection and devotion to the Word which we find in Psalm 119. Read that psalm, and as you do, note how the love for the Word is the same thing as love for God. They go together.
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