When the fullness of time had come,

God sent forth his Son, 

born  of woman, born  under the law, 

to redeem those who were under the law,

so that we might receive  adoption as sons. 

And because you are sons,

God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts,

crying, “Abba! Father!” 

So you are no longer a slave, but a son,

and if a son, then  an heir through God.

Galatians 4:4-7

“Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him.  But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved praise from men more than praise from God. John 12:42-43

“Here are people who craved praise from men more than praise from God.  Think about the implications of this choice. They were willing to give up praise from:

• The One who has more wealth than Bill Gates.
• The One who has more power than the American president.
• The One who is smarter than Nobel Prize winners Watson & Crick who pieced together the puzzle of DNA.
• The One who is more beautiful than anyone who struts down a Hollywood red carpet.

These leaders essentially said, “I want the friendship of people God created more than the friendship of the Creator.”

Amy Baker, “Getting to the Heart of Friendships”.