seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
John 12:37 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?”[h]
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”[h]
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.”[i]
and hardened their hearts,
so they can neither see with their eyes,
nor understand with their hearts,
nor turn—and I would heal them.”[i]
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.”
Back in the days of Jesus.... in Israel.... especially around Jerusalem.... life for the descendants of Jacob [Israel] was wrapped around the Temple. The Temple controlled how they processed the food they ate.... The Temple controlled where they pooped.... The Temple controlled how they planted crops and harvested them.... The Temple controlled how they washed their own bodies.
Ladies.... it's an interesting note here... that kotex and the right for women to vote both came around in 1920, Back in the days of Jesus.... when women had their "time of the month" they were considered dirty and had to get away from the house for a while.
Back in the days of Jesus.... everything revolved around the Jewish Temple.... and Christians were an insane bunch of humans that had to be dealt with swiftly and severely. The descendants of Jacob [Israel] considered anything outside of the ordinary to be bad. The Pharisees and the Sadducees were responsible for making sure there were no more golden calves jumping out of any huge caldrons on their watch. They were not about to make the same mistake that Aaron made while Moses was in meetings with God.
Jesus kept performing miracles.... and each one was more fantastic than the last. Now Jesus had actually called a dead man.... four days stinky in the tomb... back to life. The Pharisees and the Sadducees just could not accept this. They were God's chosen.... They were in charge of the Temple. If God was going to send the Messiah.... He would have sent them an engraved announcement. The more miracles Jesus performed.... the less they respected Him. He couldn't be from God... God would have told them so.
God did tell them.... with a star... with a legion.... with scientists [astrologers] and God even spoke to them about Jesus.... once at the river when Jesus was Baptized and again in the Bible Study yesterday. Those who believed that Jesus was the Son of God.... heard God's voice as if it were an Angel whispering in their ear.... while those who didn't believe... only heard thunder. God did tell them... but they didn't believe it. If any of the people in their Temple were going to follow that Jesus of Nazareth.... then they would be thrown out of the Temple.... that was bad enough for the average Joe.... but it would have been worse for a Temple Leader like a Pharisee or a Sadducee. For them... being removed from the Temple would have devastated their life as they enjoyed it... so they kept their mouths shut to protect themselves and secure their adoring crowds.
When I was growing up in the Southern Baptist Church..... there were no descendants of Jacob [Israel] in my church..... and as a matter of fact... I was raised to believe the Jews had their own religion about Jesus... and I was taught that I would never understand it. I must add here... there were also no blacks in my church and no Asians.... just white people of European roots. They taught a lot about being unequally yoked. We were to stay "pure" because to do otherwise would wreck our qualifications to be in the Southern Baptist Church. I really qualified.... a freckle faced white girl of Irish descent. I'm one of the "true" Christians...according to some.
Jesus was preaching.... it says He "cried out" and according to the commentaries... that means He was yelling or speaking loud....and according to the commentaries... this was His last Public Sermon. He told them He wasn't there to judge them.... His Dad would do that. He was there to give them a chance to Believe what they had been promised all along. God told Adam and Eve that He was going to straighten out the sin mess that was killing people. Jesus was on earth to handle that problem for them. That's why He called Himself "light". He was showing them their foolishness in the "light" of day.
Jesus said He wasn't here to judge them.... He's going to be our defense attorney when we get to the Judging part..... God is going to set as Judge and Jesus is going to use what He learned about being a human by actually becoming a human... to defend us in front of God. But we have to choose Him.
In Heaven.... there is only one Judge and one Defense Attorney. If you go before the one Judge without the Defense Attorney to speak up for you.... well you might as well just give up... you are doomed.... God depends on the reasonings of Jesus as your defense.
Are you willing to face the One True Living God [Judge] without His Only Begotten Son [Jesus]? Or do you accept Jesus as your Defense Attorney?
