lest they should be put out
Perhaps even sadder than those who refused to consider the evidence for Christ, are those who Joh speaks of in the next verses. In John 12:42-43 we read of many who did believe in Jesus but refused to follow Him.
They did this because they were motivated by fear of what they would lose. They had grown up as a part of the Jewish synagogue. It had been a part of the very fabric of their lives. They knew that Jesus was the Christ, but they also knew that following Him meant that they would be thrown out of the synagogue.
So, rather than following the Savior, and following what they knew to be right, they stayed where they were. They stayed where they were comfortable. They stayed where they didn’t have Jesus Christ.
Sometimes following Jesus calls us to leave behind that which is familiar, and that which is comfortable. Sometimes it means losing relationships and a community. But it will always be worth it. Who is more important in your life; people, or God?