John 12:42-45 NIV “Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved human praise more than praise from God. Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me.”

They believed Jesus was who He claimed to be.
But belief stayed private.
Silent.
Safe.

And Jesus will not allow that kind of faith to remain misunderstood.

“Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me.”
—John 12:44–45 (NIV)

Jesus is God.

That truth must do more than sit in our theology—it must permeate our identity. To identify with Jesus is to identify with God Himself. And that identification is not merely internal; it is public by design.

The leaders in John 12 loved approval. Just not God’s approval most.

Fear of rejection kept their mouths shut. Fear of consequences muted their witness. And fear of man still does the same thing today.

When we crave human praise more than God’s praise, our light stays under a basket. Our influence weakens. And those around us remain untouched by the truth that leads to eternal life.

We celebrate athletes who proclaim Jesus on national television—and we should. But Scripture presses the responsibility closer to home. We are called to proclaim Him where we live, work, coach, build, and lead.

Those are not accidents. Those are assignments.

Jesus was rejected by many religious leaders in His day—and believed by others. The point is this: we don’t know who will believe until we speak.

Faithfulness determines fruitfulness.

And Scripture is clear—fruit reveals faith. A faith that never bears fruit is a faith that never truly trusted God. Without faith it is impossible to please Him, and without evidence of faith, there is no entry into the kingdom of heaven.

This is not about volume or bravado. It’s about allegiance.

We who believe have seen God—because we have seen Jesus. And God is good.

So why would we withhold that goodness from a world starving for unconditional, sacrificial love?

Run Today’s Play: Identify where fear has silenced your faith.

Ask yourself:

• Where am I choosing approval over obedience?

• Who knows I’m a Christian—but has never heard me speak about Jesus?

• What relationship has God placed in my life that I’ve avoided engaging spiritually?

Confess where you’ve stayed silent.
Ask God for courage that values His praise above all others.
Speak the name of Jesus clearly—without apology—where God has already placed you.

Because secret belief is not biblical faith.

Jesus is God.
And a world desperate for truth is waiting for men bold enough to say it.