Live Free with Josh Howerton - Blinded by the Dark | Ep. 289 | Thursday, March 14, 2024

Episode Date: March 14, 2024

Despite all the amazing things Jesus said and did, many people still did not believe He was their promised Messiah. Their doubt was prophesized back in Isaiah. It is our choice to stay in the dark or walk toward the light Jesus offers. Jesus loves you and desires you to come to Him no matter where you are or what you’ve done. Will you take Him up on that offer today? For more information, visit lakepointe.church/dailydrive

Thanks for tuning in to today's Daily Drive with Lake Point Church, a daily dose of God's word for your morning drive. When the word, not the world, becomes the majority of your week, your life will start to change. For that reason, our prayer is that God will speak to you through today's devotional. For more digital content to feed your faith, visit lakepoint.comit. And now let's dive in to today's devotional. Hey, good morning to those of you are on your way to work or school. Good afternoon. To those of you are taking a walk or a lunch break, good evening. To those of you are getting ready to sack out for the night. Wherever you are, thanks for joining us here on the Daily Drive podcast. My name is Mike Bro, and I'm so honored to get to hang with you for a few minutes as we go through the gospel of John. Again, John is the name of the writer. He was a close friend and follower of Jesus. He was an eyewitness to all the amazing things that Jesus did. And the word gospel simply means good news. And that is exactly what this is. is. We're in the last part of chapter 12, and it's not an easy passage to unpack, but let's dive in. Beginning with verse 37, John writes this. But despite all the miraculous signs Jesus had done,

most of the people still did not believe in him. John, the one who writes with such awe over all the things that Jesus did, the one who wraps up his writing by saying, I could have gone on and on and on, but these are written that you might believe, and by believing, have life at his name. I think he writes this verse with a touch of sadness and a touch of disbelief. He writes, in spite of all the amazing things, that could only be explained by the fact that this is God in the flesh, including Lazarus being raised from the dead. Most still did not believe. Most would choose the darkness over the light. And then John adds this in verse 38 following. This is exactly what Isaiah the prophet had predicted. Lord who has believed our message, to whom

as 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 healed them. Isaiah was referring to Jesus when he said this, because he saw the future, and he spoke of the Messiah's glory. Now, this is a difficult passage, but I don't think it's saying that anybody was chosen as an unbeliever and that they had no choice in the matter. Because later on, John makes it clear that

some in fact did choose to believe. A blinding of the eyes or a hardening of the heart does not take place against anyone's will. People choose darkness when they reject the light. And because they reject the light, they are incapable of seeing the truth or what is good and what is right and their hearts begin to grow hard. I like the way the message puts this verse. At first, they wouldn't believe. Then they couldn't believe. It's our choice to see. It's our choice to hear.

It's our choice to walk toward the light. And when we continually reject it, our eyes get blinded, and our hearts get hard. John harkens back to this Old Testament prophecy saying here, Isaiah of old said it would be this way, when the light came into the world. And then he adds this in verse 42. Many people did believe in him, however, including saying, some of the Jewish leaders. So some did choose to see, some did choose to open their hearts. But then he asked this, 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. We talked a few episodes back how sad that is, how chasing human applause or the applause of heaven, is a really bad trade. And speaking of bad trades, let me read these next verses in chapter 12 from the message. Jesus summed it all up when he cried out. Whoever believes in me believes not just in me, but in the one who sent me. Whoever looks at me is looking, in fact, at the one who sent me. I am light that is coming to the world so that all who believe in me won't have to stay any longer in the dark. If anyone hears what I'm saying and doesn't take it seriously, I don't reject him.

I didn't come to reject the world. Look him to save the world. In other words, if you aren't quite ready to follow him, he doesn't take it seriously, I don't reject him to save the world. In other words, if you aren't quite ready to follow and obey, keep listening, keep seeking. I came not to condemn the world, but the saved the world. And then Jesus says, but you need to know that whoever puts me off, and the word used here is the word for flat-out rejection.

You need to know, the one who, whoever puts me off, refusing to take in what I'm saying, is willfully choosing rejection. The word, the word made flesh that I have spoken, that I am, that word and no other is the last word. I'm not making any of this up on my own. The Father who sent me gave me orders told me what to say and how to say it, and I know exactly what His command produces, real and eternal life.

That's all I have to say, what the Father told me, I tell you. So today, let's never choose darkness over light. Let's choose today to walk in the light. Let's choose today to walk with the light. Let's always keep our hearts soft, and our ears. open and our eyes fixed on Jesus, let's choose to believe and trust and follow him today. And let's be the kind of light in this dark world that helps guide somebody else home too. See you tomorrow. Have a great day. Thanks for tuning in today. For more biblical teaching and worship, join us for our

church online live weekend services on Saturdays at 5 p.m. and Sundays at 9.30 and 11 a.m. Central Standard Time. information, visit lakepoint.church slash daily drive.