John 12:39 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,

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

NASB: For this reason they could not believe, for Isaiah said again,

CSB: This is why they were unable to believe, because Isaiah also said:

NLT: But the people couldn’t believe, for as Isaiah also said,

KJV: Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,

NKJV: Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again:

When God judged the nation of Egypt, He did so by hardening the heart of the Pharaoh (Exodus 9:12). This caused the Egyptian ruler to be even more resistant to God, and that resulted in further plagues. Key to this fact is noting that Pharaoh had already been cruel and resistant and had in fact hardened His own heart first (Exodus 7:13, 7:22; 8:15; 8:19; 8:32). It is not until after the sixth plague that God is said to have actually "hardened the heart" of Pharaoh. This means that one way in which God judges willing disbelief is by perpetuating it (Proverbs 29:1). Those who stubbornly rebel against God may find themselves in a state where they cannot believe, as judgment for their earlier refusal to believe.

John's gospel has mentioned the famous "Suffering Servant" of Isaiah chapter 53. In that prophecy (Isaiah 53:1), Isaiah asks "who has believed what he heard from us?" The expected answer is, "no one," in the sense that the Messiah is broadly rejected by His own people and the world at large (Matthew 23:37; Romans 10:16–21).

All of this plays into the use of the word "therefore" as found in this verse. The only reason—the explicitly stated cause—for those who "could not believe" is their prior commitment to unbelief. They cannot now believe because they would not believe when given the chance. What John cites from Isaiah 6:10, in the following verse, is in that very context.

John 12:27–43 represents the end of Jesus' public ministry in the gospel of John. After being approached by non-Jewish people who believed in God, Jesus seems agitated as He anticipates His impending death. A voice from heaven affirms His mission, but to most people it simply sounds like noise or thunder. What Jesus means as a reference to crucifixion is misinterpreted by many as a prediction that He'll be exalted: to be ''lifted up.'' The people struggle to understand His message, and Jesus will leave them after warning that their time is short. This confirms Old Testament prophecies and reiterates how far some people will go in order to defy evidence of God.

Jesus is treated to an honorary dinner at the home of Lazarus, whom He has recently raised from death. At this dinner, Lazarus' sister, Mary, anoints Jesus with expensive oil. Jesus then enters Jerusalem to great fanfare, stoking fears that His popularity will attract the anger of the Roman Empire. That anger even inspires a murder plot against Lazarus. After being approached by non-Jewish seekers, Jesus offers a final plea for people to understand His ministry. In effect, these are the last public words spoken by Jesus in the gospel of John.

In the prior chapter, Jesus spectacularly raised Lazarus from death in front of a crowd of witnesses. This inspired local religious leaders to commit to having Him killed. Here, after a celebratory dinner where Jesus is anointed with oil, He will fulfill prophecy by riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, celebrated with shouts of ''Hosanna'' and a massive crowd. This leads to a group of curious non-Jews approaching Him. Christ then offers a final plea for belief in Him and His message. After this, His ministry will turn to preparing the disciples for His impending death and resurrection. The next several chapters of the gospel of John are almost entirely made up of his teachings to these men.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.