no love for God

Devotions from Jefferson Vann # 2401

John 5:41-47

Joh 5:41 “I do not accept acclaim from people,
Joh 5:42 but I know you– that you have no love for God within you.
Joh 5:43 I have come in my Father’s name, and yet you don’t accept me. If someone else comes in his own name, you will accept that one.
Joh 5:44 How can you believe, since you accept acclaim from one another but don’t seek the acclaim that comes from the only God?
Joh 5:45 Do not be thinking that I will accuse you to the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom you have set your hope.
Joh 5:46 Because if you believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me.
Joh 5:47 But if you don’t believe what he wrote, how will you believe my words?”

no love for God

Jesus’ words in this passage strike with unusual force. His critics prided themselves on being guardians of the law, defenders of Moses, and experts in Scripture. Yet Jesus declared that they lacked the very thing the law required most: love for God. This was not a minor accusation. It cut to the heart of their identity. They believed themselves to be the true heirs of Moses, yet Jesus insisted that Moses’ own writings stood as a witness against them.

Moses had commanded Israel to love the LORD with all their heart, soul, and strength. That command appears again and again in Deuteronomy—6:5, 11:1, 11:13, 13:3, 30:6—forming the core motivation of the entire covenant. Love for God was meant to shape obedience, worship, and daily life. It was the foundation upon which every other command rested. Without that love, even the most meticulous observance of the law became hollow.

But Moses also pointed forward. In Deuteronomy 18:15–22, he spoke of a coming prophet—one who would speak God’s words with unmatched authority. Israel was commanded to listen to him. That promise found its fulfillment in Jesus. Yet the very leaders who claimed loyalty to Moses rejected the One Moses had promised. In rejecting Jesus, they revealed that their devotion to Moses was only superficial. They honored the letter of the law while ignoring the heart of the lawgiver.

Jesus’ indictment exposes a timeless truth: genuine love for God always leads to acceptance of His Messiah. Love for God opens the heart to Christ’s words, awakens trust in His identity, and produces faith in His mission. The critics of Jesus had knowledge, tradition, and religious discipline, but they lacked the love that would have led them to recognize the One standing before them.

This reflection presses inward. It is possible to admire Scripture, defend doctrine, and practice religion, yet miss the central call to love God wholeheartedly. And when love grows cold, Christ’s voice becomes easy to ignore. But when love for God is alive, the heart is drawn toward Jesus—drawn to listen, to believe, and to follow.

LORD, increase our devotion to Jesus, and deepen our trust in His words.