John 5:41
ESV
I do not receive glory from people.
NIV
"I do not accept glory from human beings,
NASB
I do not receive glory from people;
CSB
"I do not accept glory from people,
NLT
Your approval means nothing to me,
KJV
I receive not honour from men.
NKJV
“I do not receive honor from men.
What does John 5:41 mean?
Jesus has just given three forms of evidence to support His controversial claims (John 5:18). These fulfill the requirements of Jewish courtroom law (Numbers 35:30; Deuteronomy 17:6). At the same time, truth is truth, whether anyone accepts it or not. Jesus is graciously speaking to people according to their natural human weaknesses (John 5:34). Unfortunately, many who heard His words refused to accept Him (John 5:38). This, more than any evidence, was the reason for their rejection: they simply refused to believe, no matter what (John 5:39–40).Jesus' statement here is being made in that context. Certainly, Jesus accepted worship and praise from men (Matthew 14:33; Luke 24:52; John 9:38). What He means in this conversation is that whether people accept Him does not change the fact that what He says is true. Jesus will point out that He is the only One with certain kinds of knowledge, so it makes sense that He alone could be a witness about them (John 8:14). This is meant to counter part of the Jewish religious leaders' attack on Jesus.
It's possible these critics thought Jesus was angry because they would not approve His message. Instead, the point is that He does not need their approval. He follows the will of the Father, whether these men accept Him or not. Since they had already made up their minds to reject Him (John 5:39–40), their endorsement will never come anyway.
John 5:30–47 continues Jesus' response to His critics in Jerusalem. After healing a crippled man on the Sabbath and claiming to be equal with God, Jesus now speaks about evidence. Rather than simply saying, "have faith,'' or ''believe Me because I said so,'' He offers reasons why He should be believed. These include human testimony, the miracles He is performing, and the words of Scripture. Jesus also makes the point that those who reject the prior words of God—the Old Testament Scriptures—aren't going to believe in Christ, no matter what.
Jesus again returns to Jerusalem, as required for the various feast days. While there, He heals a man who had been crippled for nearly forty years. Since this occurred on the Sabbath, local religious leaders are angry. In fact, they are more upset with Jesus for working on the Sabbath than amazed at His miracle. In response, Jesus offers an important perspective on evidence. Jesus refers to human testimony, scriptural testimony, and miracles as reasons to believe His declarations. Christ also lays claim to many of the attributes of God, making a clear claim to divinity.
