Unbelievable
Opening Prayer
“Speak Lord, for Your servant is listening” (1 Sam. 3:9).
Read John 12:37–50
37 Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. 38 This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet:
“Lord, who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
39 For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:
40 “He has blinded their eyes
and hardened their hearts,
so they can neither see with their eyes,
nor understand with their hearts,
nor turn—and I would heal them.”
41 Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.
42 Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved human praise more than praise from God.
44 Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. 45 The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.
47 “If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. 49 For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. 50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Do you ever get the feeling that someone won’t listen to you no matter how long you keep talking or how convincing you are?In Jesus’ life, it was prophesied about 700 years earlier that people would not listen to his message. Jesus wasn’t flummoxed by people’s reactions of hard-hearted unbelief to the signs he performed and words he spoke (37–41). He knew people’s hearts (John 2:24,25). What characterized them was unbelief. What will characterize us? Some of Jesus’ hearers did believe in him—and some were those with authority in society (42), although they were ensnared by something that many of us struggle with: fearing people and their opinion of us (Prov. 29:25).
Every one of us will be judged according to whether we receive or reject Jesus (44,45,48). There is no middle ground here, only an awesome ultimatum that will define humanity across all cultures and generations applied by the Judge of all (49,50). Who do we say Jesus is? And do we accept and keep his words (47,48)? These words are not Jesus’ alone but also the Father’s (49). Jesus’ words bring light into dark lives (46), showing us how to leave behind prisons of sin and slavery, leading us out of our fruitless, selfish, circular patterns of behavior.
Apply
Have you received or rejected Jesus’ complete Lordship over your life? Do you need to make some changes today?
Closing prayer
Lord, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24). Increase my faith to trust Your words and to live by them.
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