35-36 Jesus said, "For a brief time still, the light is among you. Walk by the light you have so darkness doesn't destroy you. If you walk in darkness, you don't know where you're going. As you have the light, believe in the light. Then the light will be within you, and shining through your lives. You'll be children of light."
36-40 Jesus said all this, and then went into hiding. All these God-signs he had given them and they still didn't get it, still wouldn't trust him. This proved that the prophet Isaiah was right:God, who believed what we preached?
Who recognized God's arm, outstretched and ready to act?
First they wouldn't believe, then they couldn't—again, just as Isaiah said:
Their eyes are blinded,
their hearts are hardened,
So that they wouldn't see with their eyes
and perceive with their hearts,
And turn to me, God,
so I could heal them.
41 Isaiah said these things after he got a glimpse of God's cascading brightness that would pour through the Messiah.
42-43 On the other hand, a considerable number from the ranks of the leaders did believe. But because of the Pharisees, they didn't come out in the open with it. They were afraid of getting kicked out of the meeting place. When push came to shove they cared more for human approval than for God's glory.
44-46 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 has come into the world so that all who believe in me won't have to stay any longer in the dark.
47-50 "If anyone hears what I am saying and doesn't take it seriously, I don't reject him. I didn't come to reject the world; I came to save the world. But you need to know that 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 and 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."
There are two sets of verses in this passage that I want to spend time thinking about as I start this day. The first one is verses 35-36. Jesus was on this earth, right in front of these people, and He was telling them that the light was among them and to walk in the light so that they don't become destroyed. But then He went on to say that if they choose to believe in the light that the light will within them and shine through their lives making them children of the light. I do believe in Jesus the light of the world, this means that His light is in me. On these verses John Gill said:"that ye may be the children of the light; that is, that they might appear to be such who are enlightened persons; and such are truly so, who are made light in the Lord, or who are enlightened by the Spirit of God to see their own sinfulness, impotency, and unrighteousness, and their need of Christ, and his righteousness and strength, and of salvation by him; and who are made meet, by the grace of God, to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; and which is made manifest by believing in Christ, and walking on in him, as they have received him, and by walking honestly, as in the daytime, and circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, for such walk as children of the light."
Oh Father may I walk in your light today. May I live wisely and make use of my time as You would have me. May my life please You this day. Thank You Jesus for leaving the glories on heaven to be here on earth for us, for me. Thank You for Your patience with someone like me. Thank You so much.
The second set of verses that I wanted to think on was verses 47-50. Jesus loves everyone and doesn't want any to perish. He's so clear here that He rejects no one but that He came to save the world. But then He says that people who put Him off are choosing rejection. I'm trying to grasp what this means to me in terms of sharing my faith. My husband John is really bold and, I confess that I sometimes think him pushy. One day we were out hiking at Yosemite and had come to a beautiful place where there was a small pool and waterfall and we saw no one about, so we decided to hang out there and enjoy the water and read and generally drink in the beauty. While there another couple came upon us. This couple was obviously Muslim because the woman had on one of those long, covering outfits with jeans and tennis shoes beneath. They were an attractive couple and he told John that he was in graduate school here. John just started sharing a bit of the gospel with them and gave the man a small new testament and challenged the man to read it. I felt embarrassed that John was insensitive and pushy. Later I asked John, why should the man want to read the new testament; all his life he has lived in and been taught his religion and he seems a very good guy. Plus America represents Christianity to him and Americans are somewhat anti Muslim right now. I said that perhaps it's only in relationship with Christians that he and his wife can be drawn to the gospel - not in being told to read the new testament. I've thought about this a lot because it could be on several levels that I was wrong. First off, and I told this to John, who am I to judge him - if the holy spirit prompts him to share than it certainly is not my place to second guess and so I'd asked John's forgiveness. But also, what about what John contended to me - this was highly likely the only time we would ever see these two people and Jesus is the only way to God so why not make an opportunity for Jesus and His word and let God do the work in the man's heart? As I read what Jesus says in these verses I see that it is ever so clearly delineated - every person can choose Jesus or not and He is the only way to salvation.
Oh Father, please grow within me a tender heart that cares about those who don't know You and show me ways to share You. You made me who I am; an introvert who basically rarely talks to anyone about anything. So please show me how someone like me, in my daily life, can share You. I think of all the places where I routinely come in contact with people - the middle school, high school, Daniel's football practice, occasionally neighbors - some of these people know You and some do not. Please show me what You want me to do and say to show these people Jesus.
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