Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. (John 12:42-43)

Peer Pressure

There was no denying that Jesus Christ was a remarkable man who, by His presence and works of miracles, demanded attention. The Pharisees were the harshest critics of Jesus, but they never denied His miracles, and they never succeeded in trapping the carpenter from Nazareth in matters of God’s law. Jesus was thirty years old when He began His ministry, and when His life ended a few years later, He died a sinless man. The multitudes were astonished at His teaching. When Jesus healed everyone who came to Him, the people were in awe and fear. Soldiers were sent to arrest Jesus, but they returned, saying no one ever spoke as the man from Galilee. The testimony of Jesus Christ was crystal clear, such that no one could deny that He was the Son of God. Even Satan could not deny or tempt the Lord. And yet many denied Him.

Many among the Jewish ruling class witnessed the miracles of Jesus, heard His teachings, and believed He was the Son of God. They believed Him to be the promised Messiah. What Jesus taught was the pure word of God with no deviation or misrepresentation. The rulers were educated men knowledgeable of the Law of Moses. They listened intently to Jesus’ words and felt the power of His message in their hearts. The strings of their souls were pricked with the beauty of God’s word, and they believed Jesus to be the Christ. For the rulers to confess Jesus as the Christ would have been an incredible testimony to the grace of the Father of hearts changed by His word.

Many rulers believed in Jesus, but they faced a daunting task. How could they confess Jesus to be the Christ and remain in the place of honor and authority among their fellow Jews? They knew Him to be the Son of God. There was no doubting the power of His words or the evidence of His miracles. They knew if they hinted at any allegiance to Jesus, they would lose their place among the rulers. There were consequences to their lives if they confessed Jesus to be the Christ. As rulers, they help power – that would be lost. Through the power of their position, they were wealthy men of some note – they would lose that wealth. As rulers of the elite, they would enjoy a place of prominence among the people and other rulers, with respect and honor accorded to them and their family – they would lose all of that prestige.

Many rulers believed Jesus was the Christ, but because of the peer pressure of their fellow countrymen, they denied Jesus. They knew acknowledging Jesus would put them out of the synagogue. As rulers, they enjoyed the praise of men. Confessing Jesus as the Son of God would bring the reviling of their friends and neighbors. They had a choice to confess Christ and suffer the consequences or take the broad way with the throng of the crowd and enjoy the praise of men. What these rulers did was seek the praise of men, not realizing that praise would only last for a season. If they continued to refuse to confess Christ, they would stand before Christ with the praise of men on their lips and the wrath of God on their souls. There would be no praise of men in the eternal flames.

The praise of men is a strong song of the sirens appealing to the hearts and minds of many who believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and because of their love for the praise of men, they deny Jesus. Satan knows that if he can keep the heart believing the praise of men is more important than the praise of God, he will succeed in damning the soul to hell. He is very successful. The praise of men is but a vapor, but the praise of God is eternal. Whatever glories are received in this life are fleeting. Standing before God and hearing Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” is of greater meaning and importance than any praise men will give. Choose this day whom you will serve – the praise of men or the praise of God. Your eternal soul depends on it.