The Jewish religious and political leaders questioned Jesus directly: “Are you the Messiah? Tell us plainly.” In reply Jesus points to his miracles and says to them, “I’ve been working miracles in my Father’s name. These miracles testify that I am the Messiah.” They testify that Jesus is the Messiah because the Old Testament is replete with prophecies foretelling the Messiah’s marvelous works.
The Jewish leaders, however, knew these prophecies and heard about many of Jesus’ miracles. Why did they not believe in him? Jesus says, “You do not believe because you are not of my sheep.” This is a rather strange statement. Jesus seems to be running around in circles. He’s saying they cannot believe in him because they are not of his sheep. One could also say that they are not of his sheep because they do not believe in him.
To believe in a person, it’s necessary to come to know him, to come to admire and trust him. If we blind ourselves beforehand to a person’s good qualities, we will never come to know, to admire, to trust him. Faith in Jesus is, of course, a freely offered gift from God. But how can we accept it, if we blind ourselves to his goodness, integrity and compassion, to his wonderful human personality?
This was the problem the Jewish leaders had. They recognized that if they were to follow Jesus’ teachings and adopt his values, their current way of life would be untenable. They were not open to accept God’s offer of faith in Jesus. They could not believe because they were not of his sheep. We have a need to keep ourselves near to Jesus, to open ourselves constantly to his magnificent human qualities, for once we allow our friendship with the Lord Jesus to grow cold and fade, our faith in him also may well fade.
