Meditations
for Seeking the Life in Christ
The Gospel of John
Although he had performed so many signs in their presence, they did not
believe in him. This was to fulfill the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “Lord,
who has believed our message, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been
revealed?”
John 12: 37-38
When churches offer Christmas cantatas, there are always some in the congregation with bored expressions on their faces, or perhaps even taking a nap. The pageantry, the music that thrills the hearts of many of the faithful, seems lost on others. We wonder how people can be so unmoved by the experience. Similar happenings occur at Easter Sunday worship services. The congregation sings ‘Christ the Lord has risen today’, and the faithful feel tears rolling down their cheeks. Others mumble the words. While many open their hearts to drink in the majesty and mystery of the celebration, still others respond with ‘ho hum.’
Such is human nature. In today’s
passage, John is remembering the signs pointing to Jesus as the Messiah: water
to wine; the official’s child; the man by the pool; food in the desert; walking
on water; the man born blind; and Lazarus raised from the dead. Many believed.
Many did not. Some believed, but wanted to keep it a secret. How do you explain
the differences? John seems to suggest that some people had help to not
believe. Could it be that God closed their hearts and minds so they could not
believe? That would be like the reverse of prevenient grace, with God closing
hearts instead of opening them. I don’t think that’s what John is saying.
His reference to God closing hearts and minds is figurative, not literal. He used this expression to emphasize how remarkable Jesus’ miracles were, and how much more remarkable it was that some still did not believe. Even so, God cared enough to send Jesus to all the people, and God loves the whole world so much that each person is free to decide for themselves whether to accept God’s love.
I have decided to
follow Jesus;
No turning back, no
turning back.
The world behind me,
the cross before me;
No turning back, no
turning back.
Though none go with
me, still I will follow;
No turning back, no
turning back.
Will you decide now
to follow Jesus?
No turning back, no
turning back.
I Have Decided to
Follow Jesus
attr. to S. Sundar
Singh
Sē’lah
My book on
prayer,
First Think, Then
Pray
is now available
on Amazon Kindle.
(Selah is a word that appears in the
Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my
correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about
these things.)
These
meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his
way of life. The meditations are
published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/
and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may
subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.
Copyright © 2024 by Alex M. Knight
Unless
otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless
otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible,
New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House
Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream,
Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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