In John 5:41, Jesus states "I receive not honour [respect] from men"

First, note that this verse is not saying that Jesus refuses a person's praise—in fact, in verse 23, Jesus said "That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father"

When we consider both John 5:23 and verse 41 together, we understand that Jesus is simply telling us 1.) how to worship Him (we must honor Jesus as God the Father, v. 23) and 2.) that He will refuse any type of praise that falls short of this (v. 41).

Hence, when Jesus states "I receive not honour [praise] from men," He is simply saying that He rejects any praise that does not recognize Him as God.

Consider these "real-world examples" of praise that Jesus rejects:

Mahatma Gandhi, a religious leader in India in the 1900s, received a letter from Milton Newberry Frantz urging Gandhi to consider Christianity, and Gandhi replied: “[Jesus was] one of the great teachers of mankind,” but stopped short of calling Jesus God. (1)

Although Gandhi called Jesus a good teacher, Jesus refuses this “compliment” because Gandhi did not believe or acknowledge that Jesus was God.

Consider also how Elon Musk once said that ‘“There was great wisdom in the words of Jesus and I agree with those teachings’” but, just like Gandhi, has not yet acknowledged or praised Jesus as God. (2) This is yet another example of praise Jesus refuses.

Unfortunately, a staggering number of people refuse to believe that Jesus is God. A survey once revealed that “About one-third of young adults (35%) say instead [of Jesus being God] that Jesus was merely a religious or spiritual leader…” (3) Though people may call Jesus a prominent figure in religion or a great moral teacher, any praise that does not acknowledge Jesus as God is no compliment at all. In fact, John 5:41 reveals that Jesus outright refuses this praise.

Application:

1. Our view of Jesus matters. We cannot truly praise Jesus unless we praise Him as God.
2. Do you know of other well-known figures, classmates, or friends who view Jesus as simply a moral teacher or simply a historical figure? If so, try to have the courage to point them to the truth - that Jesus is God, and the only way to the Father is through Him.

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(1) “Mahatma Gandhi Letter on Jesus up for Sale in US.” BBC News, 2 Mar. 2018, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-43252705. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

(2) Bechervaise, Tim. “Elon Musk: Everything You Need to Know about the Tech Genius Who Loves Jesus’ Teachings.” Premier Christianity, 9 Feb. 2022, https://www.premierchristianity.com/features/elon-musk-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-tech-genius-who-loves-jesus-teachings/2379.article. Accessed 1 Oct. 2022.

(3) “What Do Americans Believe About Jesus? 5 Popular Beliefs.” Barna Group, 1 Apr. 2015, https://www.barna.com/research/what-do-americans-believe-about-jesus-5-popular-beliefs/. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.