Easter Devotional
Thursday
Scripture Reading
John 12:36-43 (ESV)
36 …When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. 37 Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, 38 so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
“Lord, who has believed what he heard from us,
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
39 Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,
40 “He has blinded their eyes
and hardened their heart,
lest they see with their eyes,
and understand with their heart, and turn,
and I would heal them.”
41 Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. 42 Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.
36 …When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. 37 Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, 38 so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
“Lord, who has believed what he heard from us,
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
39 Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,
40 “He has blinded their eyes
and hardened their heart,
lest they see with their eyes,
and understand with their heart, and turn,
and I would heal them.”
41 Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. 42 Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.
Reflection Questions
- Jesus suggests that God blinds eyes and hardens the heart of those that reject the light of Jesus. Is this fair for God to do? Why or why not?
- How are you rejecting God’s light in your life?
- What does the prophet Isaiah suggest we must do to be spiritually “healed” (v. 40)?
- In light of the previous question, how might you need to humble yourself before God and ask for His grace and forgiveness?
- John seems to suggest that one of the most common ways we restrict the light of Jesus’s glory comes from our fear of what others think (v. 42-43). We long for the glory of people more than the glory of God. How might this temptation be manifesting itself in your life this day? What do you need to do to correct that?
Prayer
- Confess your sins to God and ask for His forgiveness.
- Pray that you would love the glory of God more than the glory of people.
- Pray for opportunities to tell other about Jesus’s glory. Make a list of specific people and situations where you might have a platform to do that.