“He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light” (John 5:35).
As we learned earlier, the Pharisees knew John the Baptist. They sent a delegation to question him concerning his relation to the Messiah, and evidently they respected John, listened to him as they would any prophet, and even rejoiced in what he had to say—at least for a little while.
So when the Pharisees began to question Jesus concerning His divine claims, Jesus referred to John. John himself, whom the Jewish leaders respected, testified to the truth of Jesus’ identity. But the Pharisees refused to listen even though John’s testimony was true. Jesus says it was true, not because He needed the confirmation of a mere human—for His own word was sufficient—but to call them to salvation. If they were reminded of what John taught, they might turn from their sins and be saved, for John preached repentance to all who heard him, testified to the truth about Jesus, and pointed to the Messiah as the only hope of salvation.
Despite John’s claims, the Pharisees refused to believe in Jesus as the Christ. Even though John’s ministry was a burning and shining light, full of zeal and truth, the Pharisees only tolerated his preaching for a season. When it came time for them to make a decision about Jesus for themselves, to deal with the reality of the Messiah, they remained hardened in their sin.
The lesson we draw from today’s passage is a sobering one. Though many people delight in hearing about the Gospel, though they might enjoy listening to talented ministers, many never come to saving faith. They will rejoice in the novelty of a powerful preacher, but when it comes time for them to accept Christ as their Savior, to accept His teaching in its fullness, they turn away. They can’t accept the narrow way. They are unwilling to give up the pleasures of this world and the desires of their flesh. The cost of following Christ is just too great. They cannot embrace Him as their Sovereign King and submit to His authority. This, unfortunately, is the case with so many who seem to show such promise. They enter the church with zeal, but they soon leave, downcast and burdened by their sin yet unwilling to part with it. This was the case with many of the Jews. May it not be the case with you.
Read Matthew 7:13–14 and 13:1–25. What do these passages say about the difficulty of following Christ? Why do some people turn away from the truth, even though they might have been drawn to it for a season? Beware lest you turn from the truth and likewise perish.
