John 12:12-19
The Pharisees never understood Jesus. They rejected His words and downright refused to accept Jesus’ divinity. They held firm to their own interpretations of Scripture and added hundreds of extra rules devised to keep their religious views secure. So, it is not really startling to us that the Pharisees did not understand who Jesus was or why He came.
The people following Jesus on the road to Jerusalem were not interested as much in Jesus’ teachings as in His miracles. Even Jesus’ disciples believed they were heading to Jerusalem to establish an earthly kingdom. They realized only later that the kingdom of God was much larger than they could have comprehended.
God continues to work in the world in ways His disciples do not understand. Jesus can be seen in the undocumented immigrant, in the oppressed victim of human trafficking, and in the mentally ill and destitute. He continues to use those who live in the likeness of Jesus to carry out the mission in a world that still does not understand.
Author: Carol Rittenhouse