Following Jesus: a risky decision then, a difficult choice now
By Dean Collins
Half of John’s Gospel gives us long accounts from the last week of Jesus’ life on earth, followed by the resurrection and his final discussions with the disciples that led to his ascension. Early in chapter 12 we find the triumphal entry of Jesus in Jerusalem. Just a few days earlier Jesus had gone back to Bethany.
The 11th chapter of John tells us of the resurrection of Lazarus. The result of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead was that many Jews began to believe in Jesus, which created a big problem for the Pharisees who saw this as a serious threat to their authority (John 11:45-53). Jesus knew there was a plot to kill him, so he left Bethany and spent a few days in the wilderness of Ephraim with his disciples before returning to Bethany and then on to Jerusalem.
Different circles
As we read through John 11 and 12, it is interesting to imagine what was happening in different circles. One circle would be Jesus and his disciples. They had witnessed Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead and the surge of believers that resulted. I assume they thought this meant things were looking good for Jesus. His popularity was surging.
But instead of leaning into popularity, Jesus took his disciples into the wilderness. There they would avoid the crowds and escape the escalating death threats from the Pharisees. And wouldn’t you like to know the conversations Jesus had with the disciples during those wilderness days?
While Jesus is in the wilderness of Ephraim, the second circle to consider is the circle of the Jews with religious power. Jesus was a threat to their religious system and needed to be dealt with, so while Jesus was in the wilderness, they held strategy sessions concerning his death.
When Jesus returned from the wilderness, he came back to Bethany and had dinner with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus along with others. The town was still buzzing from the resurrection of Lazarus, and word spread fast that Jesus was back in town. The Jewish leaders were now also hatching a plan to kill Lazarus. My guess is that the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem caused so much stir that the plan to kill Lazarus was sidelined.
Afraid to confess
The circles of Jesus’ followers and the circle of those out to kill Jesus began to intersect. In John 12:42 we learn that even many of the authorities believed in him, but for the fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it. Their reason for keeping their confession private versus public was that if the leadership knew they believed in Jesus they would be put out of the synagogue. The result of being kicked out of the synagogue meant they would not have the approval of the leadership and would lose power and their seats at the table.
But before we are too harsh on these silently believing Pharisees, we should probably consider that to go public about Jesus meant they were rejecting a centuries-old religious system that was all they knew before encountering Jesus.
This gets me thinking about our willingness to let go of our favorite systems and risk truly following Jesus where he leads us. The kingdom of God that Jesus taught about and granted us access to through our confession of faith in him as the Son of God and our Savior—that’s where our loyalty must lie. Our confession of Jesus changes how we are to think, how we are to love, and how we are to interact with people and stuff. To follow Jesus means the systems of this world are not our priority. Jesus is our number one.
Willing to be rejected
As Jesus’ teaching continues in John 12, things become more and more clear: believing in Jesus means we accept that he is in fact the light of the world who is the final authority of truth. Those who kept their confession hidden would have to live with the consequences of their actions. Jesus went on to say the consequences are less about now and more about forever. Keeping our confession conveniently hidden now and again may keep us in the approval of some powerful people now but results in consequences we do not want to consider.
Following Jesus is a big decision, and it comes with unbelievable amounts of grace, mercy, forgiveness, and life-changing purpose. But following Jesus means we must be aware of our temptation to be accepted in certain powerful groups in this world. Pleasing Jesus means we must be willing to be rejected by some now in exchange for the privilege of being called the sons and daughters of God.
Lord, we confess there are moments when our desire to be accepted by some people, some power, some politics, and some privileges trips us up and we hide our faith in exchange for human approval. Forgive us. Transform our minds and hearts that we might live fully surrendered to you. Fill us with your Holy Spirit that our words and our love for you and your kingdom would translate to an ever-increasing witness of word and actions in the world we live in now, on our way to living in your fully renewed and restored world one day soon. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Your time with God’s Word
John 12:42-50 ESV
Photo by carloscastilla at istockphoto.com
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