Calloused

John 12:37-40 – Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. 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?” For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: “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.”

John 2:11 – What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

Isaiah 6:10 – Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

Mark 4:11-12 – He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that, “‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’”

Luke 8:10 – He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, “‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’

Application:

• ·         John always refers to Jesus’ miracles as “signs”, a word emphasizing the significance of the action rather than the marvel. There are seven such “signs” in the main body of this Gospel; the large catch of fish is in the epilogue.
• ·         The Jewish leaders purposely rejected God and chose evil and God in turn brought on them a judicial blinding of eyes and hardening of hearts.
• ·         In that very blindness, they will accomplish God’s purpose of salvation through the death of the Messiah.
• ·         “Secrets of the kingdom of God” are truths that can be known only by revelation from God.
• ·         The quotation (“though seeing, they may not see”) from Isaiah does not express a desire that some would not understand but simply states the sad truth that those who are not willing to receive Jesus’ message will find the truth hidden from them.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV