Belief and Unbelief Among the Jews

37 Even after Jesus had performed so many signs(A) in their presence, they still would not believe in him. 38 This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet:

“Lord, who has believed our message
    and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”[a](B)

39 For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:

40 “He has blinded their eyes
    and hardened their hearts,
so they can neither see with their eyes,
    nor understand with their hearts,
    nor turn—and I would heal them.”[b](C)

41 Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory(D) and spoke about him.(E)

42 Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him.(F) But because of the Pharisees(G) they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue;(H) 43 for they loved human praise(I) more than praise from God.(J)

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Footnotes

  1. John 12:38 Isaiah 53:1
  2. John 12:40 Isaiah 6:10

Fulfillment of prophecy

37 Jesus had done many miraculous signs before the people, but they didn’t believe in him. 38 This was to fulfill the word of the prophet Isaiah:

Lord, who has believed through our message?
    To whom is the arm of the Lord fully revealed?[a]

39 Isaiah explains why they couldn’t believe:

40 He made their eyes blind
        and closed their minds
    so that they might not see with their eyes,
        understand with their minds,
        and turn their lives around—
    and I would heal them.[b]

41 Isaiah said these things because he saw Jesus’ glory; he spoke about Jesus. 42 Even so, many leaders believed in him, but they wouldn’t acknowledge their faith because they feared that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue. 43 They believed, but they loved human praise more than God’s glory.

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