Immerse: Messiah - Flipbook - Page 435
12:34-50
John
423
The crowd responded, “We understood from Scripture that the Messiah
would live forever. How can you say the Son of Man will die? Just who is
this Son of Man, anyway?”
Jesus replied, “My light will shine for you just a little longer. Walk in
the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you. Those who
walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going. Put your trust in the
light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light.”
After saying these things, Jesus went away and was hidden from them.
But despite all the miraculous signs Jesus had done, most of the people
still did not believe in him. This is exactly what Isaiah the prophet had
predicted:
“Lord, who has believed our message?
To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm?”
But the people couldn’t believe, for as Isaiah also said,
“The Lord has blinded their eyes
and hardened their hearts—
so that their eyes cannot see,
and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
and have me heal them.”
Isaiah was referring to Jesus when he said this, because he saw the future
and spoke of the Messiah’s glory. Many people did believe in him, however,
including some of the Jewish leaders. But they wouldn’t admit it for fear
that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue. For they loved
human praise more than the praise of God.
Jesus shouted to the crowds, “If you trust me, you are trusting not only
me, but also God who sent me. For when you see me, you are seeing the
one who sent me. I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that
all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark. I will not
judge those who hear me but don’t obey me, for I have come to save the
world and not to judge it. But all who reject me and my message will be
judged on the day of judgment by the truth I have spoken. I don’t speak
on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what
to say and how to say it. And I know his commands lead to eternal life; so I
say whatever the Father tells me to say.”
