How does John 11:46 connect to the theme of belief versus unbelief in John? Setting the Scene in John 11 • Jesus raises Lazarus after four days in the tomb (John 11:38-44). • The miracle is public, undeniable, and fulfills Jesus’ earlier promise: “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” (John 11:40). The Immediate Contrast: Verses 45-46 • Verse 45: “Therefore many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen what He had done, believed in Him.” • Verse 46: “But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.” – Same evidence, two opposite responses. – John deliberately sets belief and unbelief side-by-side, sharpening the reader’s awareness of a decisive fork in the road. The Broader Pattern in John’s Gospel • John 1:11-12 – “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. Yet to all who did receive Him…He gave the right to become children of God.” • John 3:18-19 – Faith brings life; unbelief leaves one condemned because “light has come into the world, but men loved darkness rather than light.” • John 5:36-40 – The works testify, yet the religious leaders “refuse to come” to Christ. • John 6:64-66 – Even disciples turn back after hearing hard sayings. • John 9:24-34 – The healed man believes; the Pharisees reject the obvious sign. • John 12:37 – “Although Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still did not believe in Him.” Why Unbelief Persists Despite Signs • Hardened hearts (John 12:40; cf. Isaiah 6:9-10). • Fear of losing status, control, or the praise of men (John 11:48; 12:42-43). • Spiritual blindness: without the regenerating work of the Spirit, the clearest miracle remains veiled (John 3:3; 6:44). Implications for Readers Today • John 20:31 states the book’s purpose: “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.” • John 11:46 stands as a sober reminder: exposure to truth demands a response. Neutrality is impossible; one either believes or reports to the Pharisees. • The passage invites self-examination: having encountered the record of Jesus’ power over death, will we embrace Him as “the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25-26), or will we, like those in verse 46, align with unbelief and opposition? |
    |