“I do not receive honor from men. But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you.” John 5:41-42.

The last study ended with verses 39-40, which is also a good lead in for this one.

“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” John 5:39-40.

It would be a disservice to the ancient Jewish scholars to say that they could not rightly interpret Scripture. Many things were and are hidden, yet it is amazing just how accurate their readings were on different passages.

They knew where the Christ was to be born, Matthew 2:2-6, knew that He was God and that His kingdom would last forever, Isaiah 9:6-7 and Jeremiah 23:5-6.

The Old Testament not only gave Jesus’ birthplace, His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Zechariah 9:9, but also that He would be rejected, bruised (crushed), bear stripes (blows that cut in), made His grave with the wicked (crucified as a criminal), but with the rich in His death (buried in a rich man’s grave), see Isaiah 52:13-53:12.

His crucifixion is clearly described in Psalm 22, right down to the casting of lots for His clothing. On the day of Jesus’ crucifixion some 33 prophecies were fulfilled.

These men were well versed in the Scriptures, and should have known the Christ when He came to them.

“Men willingly believe what they wish.” Julius Caesar, 100-44 B.C.

“But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.”John 5:40.

In verse 41, Jesus states.

“I do not receive honor from men.” John 5:41.

This has been true, both back then and now. For this reason Jesus said earlier.

“For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.” John 5:22-23.

A number of commentators feel that when taken in the context of the Lord’s dialogue, the meaning is more that He does not seek glory or honor from men.

In other words He is saying, I am not glorifying Myself so men will come after Me to glorify Me as you do with all your heroes. Rather it is my intent that men glorify My Father which is in heaven. Perhaps this will become clearer as we go along.

“But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you.” John 5:42.

There is nothing wrong with this translation, especially since the other translations are similar; however the words “But I know you…” do not emphasize the omniscience of the Lord adequately.

These words do not mean that “I know you” in the same way that you or I might know our enemy, opponent, or friend.

The idea here is that I have known you before our meeting here; I know your hearts and your minds. In fact we might quote Psalm 139 here.

“O Lord You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.” Psalm 139:1-4.

“For You have formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.” Psalm 139:13-14.

“Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.” Psalm 139:16.

The Weymouth New Testament first published in 1903; may provide a better understanding of this verse:

“But I know you well, and I know that in your hearts you do not really love God.” John 5:42.

“I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.” John 5:43.

One of the most puzzling aspects of mankind is his constant rejection of God. Men live in this Utopian fantasy world thinking that the goal of a world without God can be reached if they just keep pressing on.

The sin nature is the reason men will never accomplish this goal. The sin nature cannot be enlightened out, it cannot be taught out, it cannot be indoctrinated out, nor can it be wished away by saying that it is an invention of the mind.

It is not a result of our environment, or the effect of bad parenting; it is the result of self-centered rebellion against God, and it is only God through Christ who can bring sin under control.

Men want a god they can control, one made in their own sinful image. And whether they lift themselves up in self-importance through doing good deeds or vent their most evil desires is no difference.

It matters not as long as they can consider themselves better than others, more enlightened, more powerful, richer or simply better off.

The last thing men want is to come before a God they have never cared about and say, “I am broken, please fix me!” But that is exactly what has to be done. Let it be known:

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23.

“…if you confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation. For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes on Him will not be put shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For ‘Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’” Romans 10:9-13.

It says above that there is no difference between Jew and Greek (Gentile); there is also no difference between a minor sinner and a vile sinner. This is important because many see themselves as such great sinners that they cannot be saved.

This is a lie, every person is a sinner, there is no such thing as a little white lie, or, a little hatred. All sin makes us hell bound sinners enemies of God.

“…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” Romans 3:23.

Our ancestors were ejected from the Garden of Eden and all of this misery came upon this earth because our parents ate a piece of fruit!

“…if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.” John 5:43b.

This was true of Jesus’ day and ever since. Many false Christ’s arose in the time of Christ and they will continue coming up to the final one, the Antichrist, the beast of Revelation.

“Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.” Matthew 24:4b-5.

The line, “You can’t cheat an honest man” from the W. C. Fields movie of the same name is good advice and could be rephrased to say, you can’t deceive anyone well grounded in the Scriptures. Still, Jesus says of the tribulation.

“For false christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” Matthew 24: 24.

Then there is the Antichrist. The distress of the Thessalonians that Paul is addressing below is that someone had planted the fear in their hearts that the “day of Christ”, or “day of the Lord” as it is often called had already come.

If that Day had come it would have meant that the Thessalonians were about to enter the tribulation period, and had somehow missed the rapture of the church.

“Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” 2 Thessalonians 2:3-10.

And this man as Jesus prophesied “comes in his own name, him you will receive.”

“How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?” John 5:44.

How many of us get all goose pimply when we come near to, or meet a favorite celebrity?

What would it be like to be within a crowd around them and have them call your name, hug you and tell everyone that they count you a friend?

It is sad that folks idolize famous actors and musicians who are not truly the persons they hear in the music or see on the screen.

It takes real skill to play someone they are not and have their audience believe that they are genuine. Yet all too often these famous people are mean spirited, petty and small; unworthy of the love lavished on them.

What if God the creator of all things were to take you in His arms and call you friend, son, daughter? What, no goose pimples, or tingly feeling? Blotto, huh, God is dull, boring beyond belief.

Who wants to sit around and listen to Him talk endlessly about goody two shoe things, angels, burnt offerings, red heifers and so and so begat so and so?

Why is that?

That is the Devil’s lie my friend.

Consider someone who is so confident in Himself that He does not have to pose. Consider someone who does not have to compose beautiful music; He invented it, and created the physical laws that make it possible.

Consider someone who knows literally everything, yet He is not a know it all. Consider someone who can talk about your favorite subject without erring or making something up to look important; yet He will be fascinating to listen to.

Consider someone who can take you for a walk inside a flower.

Satan has some fascinating lies, but God’s truth, His world, explodes into colors unknown, flowers with scents beyond comprehension, stars and galaxies without number, things to see, explore and marvel at for eternity.

Do not believe the lie, eternal separation from God will be an eternity of anguish and worse, endless boredom.

“Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you – Moses, in whom you trust. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” John 5:45-47.

In the account of Lazarus and the rich man, we pick up where Lazarus has died and entered Paradise (Abraham’s bosom). The rich man also died and being in hell he sees Abraham afar off and makes two requests.

We pick up the last one where he requests Abraham to send Lazarus on a mission.

“Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’” Luke 16:27-31.

But someone did rise from the dead, Jesus Christ, many did not believe Him then and many do not believe Him now.

I Know You, John 5:41-47 taken from godisrevealed.com posted on 9-6-12, updated on 8-6-17.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version, copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission, all rights reserved.