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I. THE CLOSED MINISTRY (ver. 36). It had been a ministry of -

1. Manifested glory. Glory one of the keynotes of the Gospel. The Divine Being looked upon by Israel in the first temple had been rejected by Israel in the second. This glory —

(1) Was of a higher order than that seen by the prophet. That was symbolical, this real.

(2) Of more frequent exhibition. He had only one glimpse, they repeated manifestations.

2. Offered grace. The ministry was one persistent effort to secure their personal and social redemption.

3. Attesting power (ver. 37).

II. THE FORSAKEN PEOPLE. "Did hide Himself" (ver. 36).

1. The unbelieving majority (ver. 37). The completest evidence had been laid before them. Yet they voluntarily closed their eyes to the light. One would have expected the opposite from ver. 13. But Christ was not deceived by popular applause.

2. The believing minority.

(1)  Considerable, embracing many of the rulers.

(2)  Sincere, though defective.

(3)  Timid, afraid of excommunication.

(4)  Reprehensible, preferring human approbation to Divine.

III. THE FULFILLED PREDICTION (ver. 38).

1. The prediction.

(1)  That the report of Jehovah's suffering Servant would not be believed.

(2)  That the "signs" would not be understood.

2. The fulfilment. This came to pass when the nation misinterpreted the signs, disbelieved the message, and rejected the person of Christ.

3. The connection: the fulfilment necessary because of the prediction.

(1)  Not that compulsion was laid upon the Jews to reject Christ to save the credit of a prophet. But —

(2)  that the foreordained programme of human history should come to pass. That, however, did not exempt the Jews from guilt.

IV. THE ACCOMPLISHED DESIGN (ver. 89).

1. The law of moral hardening. The truth rejected always results in a diminution of the soul's susceptibility for receiving it.

2. The Author of this law, God. It being part of the moral order of the universe (Ephesians 4:19), God does not shrink from the responsibility.

3. The working out of this law. They could do no other than reject the Saviour, because they hated the light. Lessons —

1. The day of grace may terminate before the day of life.

2. Unbelief seldom springs from lack of evidence.

3. No prediction of God will ever fail.

4. The Divine foreknowledge exempts no man from responsibility.

5. It is perilous to shut one's eyes against the light of truth.

6. Unbelief is a disease for which Christ is the only Physician.

7. Christ the healer of souls is the Jehovah of the Old Testament.

8. It is not enough to believe on Christ; we must also confess Him.

9. They who follow Christ must expect persecution.

10. Who love the praise of men more than the glory of God cannot be saved.

(T. Whitelaw, D. D.)

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KJV: But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:

WEB: But though he had done so many signs before them, yet they didn't believe in him,