John 12, Part 6

Scripture: John 12:44-50

Observation: Jesus summarizes His ministry in these verses. This is what He came to do: to bring light into the world. Faith in Jesus Christ is faith in the Father, for it is the Father who has sent Jesus, and to see Jesus is to see the Father (v.44-46). Jesus came to offer salvation. The world is darkness; Jesus is the light. Yet there is rejection, and Jesus speaks of it in two forms: Those who hear the words but do not keep them (v.47), and those who do not receive His words and reject Him totally (v.48). Those who hear His words but refuse to keep them He does not judge, because His purpose is to offer salvation. Those who reject Him are condemned by the very words they reject. This condemnation applies to both parties, really, because by rejecting Jesus the unbeliever also rejects the Father, and by hearing but not keeping Jesus' words, it is God's words that are not being kept. In the end all these teachings have come from the Father, and eternal life comes to those who listen and obey.

Application: Many people today profess Jesus as their Lord and Savior, yet you wouldn't know it by looking at them. Their lives are parallel to the world and its behaviors. Knowing Jesus should, MUST, change our lives, because we no longer live for ourselves but for Christ. If we continue to live as the world lives, then Christ does not live in us, and our words are empty. We need to evaluate and re-evaluate our lives in accordance with Scripture and not with what is popular and acceptable in our culture today.

Prayer: Father, it's easy to get caught up in the ways of the world. After all, the enemy doesn't make sin seem unpleasant; if he did we'd all run from it. Yet You have shown us that sin is toxic and we must flee from it. Help me to see sin as You see it and not as the world sees it. Give me a heart that cares about You and what You want for me, not about what others will say about me. I know that obedience to You may not make me popular, but it will give me a joyful life, eternal life, which the world could never offer. Thank You for Your love and faithfulness. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.