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John 12:36b-42
When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. 37 Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, 38 so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
“Lord, who has believed what he heard from us,
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”39 Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,
40 “He has blinded their eyes
and hardened their heart,
lest they see with their eyes,
and understand with their heart, and turn,
and I would heal them.”41 Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. 42 Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.
It is not clear just what Jesus did on the Wednesday of Holy Week. Perhaps he was staying in the home of Mary and Martha and Lazarus. It would be nearby Jerusalem, and they would be gracious hosts. But the Bible does not tie any particular action or words of Jesus to Wednesday. So I am meditating on these thoughts from John’s gospel. They are a sad refrain of unbelief and rejection.
John says it well in 1:11, “He came to his own but his own did not receive him.” Isaiah had said it long before in the passages quoted here. These are hard words. Isaiah has some beautiful and comforting words such as, “Comfort, comfort my people, says the Lord.” And, “Fear not, I have redeemed you. I have called you by name. You are mine.” But these words reveal a truth about fallen mankind we would rather ignore. People do not naturally believe in Jesus.
There is, furthermore, the sad reality and troubling idea that God hardens hearts so that people will not believe in Jesus. This is especially applicable to people inside the church (or nation of Israel in Isaiah’s case). This is a verdict toward those who should know better. I’m thinking this might explain Paul’s caveat about receiving forgiveness because he acted ignorantly and in unbelief (cf. 1 Timothy 1:13). God wants all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. Those inside the church have no excuse. Those who know and reject will or have had their hearts hardened. Sad. So very, very sad.
That’s one quibble I have with the idea that people today don’t believe in God because of God’s people. I’ve heard it said if people only knew Jesus they would believe in him. Perhaps that is true for the poor and needy, the weak and hurting. But it certainly wasn’t true of the most religious people in Jesus’ day. They knew Jesus first hand and rejected him out of hand. Their willfulness and pride stood in the way of repentance and faith.
Martin Luther speaks about Holy Week in these terms: Here there is no violence, no armor, no power, no anger, no wrath… Here there are only kindness, justice, salvation, mercy, and every good thing. Would that all would see that and under the wooing of God’s love repent and believe this Good News. Such faith will bring glory to God and great blessings to those who believe.
David Bahn - Reflections 
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