"The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man? Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light.
These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them. But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him. Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God."
By demonstrating their reluctance to accept Jesus as the promised Messiah, the Jewish leadership, in the text of today's quote, demonstrated the fulfilling of yet another prophesy, "Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?" (Isaiah 53:1)
The refusal to believe in Jesus, demonstrated my many of the Jews, was a part of God's plan to provide a savior for the world. Isaiah also prohpesied that God would blind their eyes and harden their hearts so those Jews wouldn't hear and believe.
The last part of this lesson reflects much of today's "Christianity" in that like the Jews of Jesus' day, the so called "Christians" of today are far more interested in their outward appearance before the world than they are their inward appearance and devotion to God.
Jesus promised that a time will come when all those who take on the gospel of Jesus Christ, in appearance only, will be judged for their performance or the lack thereof. As Jesus said to the Church of the Laodiceans who exactly reflect much of today's "Church", "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent." (Revelation 3:15-19)~
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