Seeking Glory

I've been immersed in the Passion narratives for the past week as I've prepared for Good Friday services. Today, I found this passage to be extremely sad:

"Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God." (John 12:42-43)

To be so close and miss out on relationship with Christ because they were more concerned with approval from the Pharisees than worshiping Christ. That's one of the saddest statements in Scripture. My prayer this Good Friday is that God would chip away at my pursuit of man's glory and captivate me with His glory.