<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><br></div>John 12;36b-43<div><br></div><div><b>36b. &nbsp;When Jesus had said this, he departed and hid himself from them.</b></div><div><b>37. &nbsp;Though he had done so many signs before them, yet they did not believe in him;&nbsp;</b></div><div><b>38. &nbsp;it was that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: &nbsp;“Lord, who has believed our report, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”</b></div><div><b>39. &nbsp;Therefore they could not believe. &nbsp;For Isaiah again said,</b></div><div><b>40. &nbsp;“He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes and perceive with their heart, and turn for me to heal them.”</b></div><div><b>41. &nbsp;Isaiah said this because he saw his glory and spoke of him.</b></div><div><b>42. &nbsp;Nevertheless many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:</b></div><div><b>43. &nbsp;for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>Two&nbsp;(of three) different types of&nbsp;people are described in these verses.</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;&nbsp;The first are those whom God has hardened their hearts. &nbsp;Think of the Pharaoh in Egypt who continually refused to yield to the authority of God and allow the children of Israel to depart. &nbsp;&nbsp;God hardens the heart of those who willfully defy him, who persistently and&nbsp;willfully&nbsp;resist&nbsp;the Holy Spirt. &nbsp;There comes a point where continual resistance of the Holy Spirit to convert, to give the gift of repentance, becomes the unforgivable sin. (Mark 3;29) Only God knows when that condition is reached. &nbsp;It is not for us to declare it. &nbsp;When the Church excommunicates, it is not saying one is damned.&nbsp;&nbsp;It is saying one’s’ behavior is risking the wrath of God and is judged as&nbsp;being in a state of&nbsp;willful intentional&nbsp;defiance of the will of God to turn us so that he can&nbsp;save us. &nbsp;Such impenitence is the last step before God hardens the heart forever. &nbsp;The Church excommunicates as a desperate act of love, trying to rescue the willful sinner. &nbsp;It is an effort to awaken the person to see the danger they are putting their soul in. &nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Notice that even some of the Jewish&nbsp;<span>authorities did believe in Jesus. &nbsp;This shows that even t</span><span>he people of Israel can and do become children of God through repentance and&nbsp;</span><span>faith in Jesus. &nbsp; It is God our Savior, </span><i>“who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” </i><span>(1 Timothy 2;4)</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>To have a hardened heart is the stubborn willful choice of those whom God seeks to save. Such people are the seed which falls along the path and the birds come and carry it (the saving Word)&nbsp;away. &nbsp;&nbsp;At some point God confirms them in their rebellion against him. &nbsp;Trying to determine when exactly that happens is not for us to say. &nbsp;Trying to delve further into the question of; ‘Since all of us are spiritually dead,&nbsp;born into sin and can not save ourselves&nbsp;(unless God gives&nbsp;into us the gifts of repentance and faith), why are&nbsp;some saved&nbsp;and not others?’ &nbsp;This question is a mystery we must leave&nbsp;to God. &nbsp;We do not possess all knowledge, we see as through a glass dimly. &nbsp;This much we know:&nbsp;God is just and he is good, he does not unfairly condemn anyone. &nbsp;</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>The second group are Believers who&nbsp;<i>“love the praise of men, more than the praise of God.” </i>(v.43) and therefore fail to confess their faith. &nbsp;These are like the seeds sown in rocky soil and among the thorns, they sprout and grow but do not bear fruit. &nbsp;Being fruitful for the Lord <u>is confessing him before men.</u></span></div><div><span>This is what attending church does,&nbsp;it gives us an opportunity to confess our faith in a safe place amongst friends. &nbsp;Attending the&nbsp;</span><span>assembly of Believers in Divine Service gives us a chance&nbsp;to be a witnesses to the world of the faith and life&nbsp;</span><span>God has given us in Christ.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Not mentioned in these verses is a third type of person,&nbsp;those who deny self and follow Christ, they are&nbsp;the&nbsp;<i>“seed which falls on good soil and bears fruit”. &nbsp;</i></span><span>(Matthew 13;18-23). &nbsp;</span><span>Being ‘good soil’ is our prayer. &nbsp;In the power of the Holy Spirit we respond to God’s call for us to in faith&nbsp;make the ‘good confession’.</span></div><div><span><i></i></span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Prayer: &nbsp;Dear Heavenly Father, bless us to be bold to confess Jesus as the only Savior of the world.</span></div><div><span>Make us fruitful we pray, knowing this, that,&nbsp;<i>“as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” &nbsp;</i>(1 Corinthians 11;26). In Jesus we pray, Amen.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Love,</span></div><div><span>Dad,/Baba/Eric</span></div><div><span>Grandpa Pickle Pastor</span></div><div><span>“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.”</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><i></i></div><div><i><br></i></div><div><br><br><a href="https://overview.mail.yahoo.com/?.src=iOS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></body></html>


John 12;36b-43
36b.  When Jesus had said this, he departed and hid himself from them.37.  Though he had done so many signs before them, yet they did not believe in him; 38.  it was that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:  “Lord, who has believed our report, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”39.  Therefore they could not believe.  For Isaiah again said,40.  “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes and perceive with their heart, and turn for me to heal them.”41.  Isaiah said this 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, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:43.  for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
Two (of three) different types of people are described in these verses.
  The first are those whom God has hardened their hearts.  Think of the Pharaoh in Egypt who continually refused to yield to the authority of God and allow the children of Israel to depart.   God hardens the heart of those who willfully defy him, who persistently and willfully resist the Holy Spirt.  There comes a point where continual resistance of the Holy Spirit to convert, to give the gift of repentance, becomes the unforgivable sin. (Mark 3;29) Only God knows when that condition is reached.  It is not for us to declare it.  When the Church excommunicates, it is not saying one is damned.  It is saying one’s’ behavior is risking the wrath of God and is judged as being in a state of willful intentional defiance of the will of God to turn us so that he can save us.  Such impenitence is the last step before God hardens the heart forever.  The Church excommunicates as a desperate act of love, trying to rescue the willful sinner.  It is an effort to awaken the person to see the danger they are putting their soul in.   
Notice that even some of the Jewish authorities did believe in Jesus.  This shows that even the people of Israel can and do become children of God through repentance and faith in Jesus.   It is God our Savior, “who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2;4)
To have a hardened heart is the stubborn willful choice of those whom God seeks to save. Such people are the seed which falls along the path and the birds come and carry it (the saving Word) away.   At some point God confirms them in their rebellion against him.  Trying to determine when exactly that happens is not for us to say.  Trying to delve further into the question of; ‘Since all of us are spiritually dead, born into sin and can not save ourselves (unless God gives into us the gifts of repentance and faith), why are some saved and not others?’  This question is a mystery we must leave to God.  We do not possess all knowledge, we see as through a glass dimly.  This much we know: God is just and he is good, he does not unfairly condemn anyone.  
The second group are Believers who “love the praise of men, more than the praise of God.” (v.43) and therefore fail to confess their faith.  These are like the seeds sown in rocky soil and among the thorns, they sprout and grow but do not bear fruit.  Being fruitful for the Lord is confessing him before men.This is what attending church does, it gives us an opportunity to confess our faith in a safe place amongst friends.  Attending the assembly of Believers in Divine Service gives us a chance to be a witnesses to the world of the faith and life God has given us in Christ.
Not mentioned in these verses is a third type of person, those who deny self and follow Christ, they are the “seed which falls on good soil and bears fruit”.  (Matthew 13;18-23).  Being ‘good soil’ is our prayer.  In the power of the Holy Spirit we respond to God’s call for us to in faith make the ‘good confession’.
Prayer:  Dear Heavenly Father, bless us to be bold to confess Jesus as the only Savior of the world.Make us fruitful we pray, knowing this, that, “as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”  (1 Corinthians 11;26). In Jesus we pray, Amen.
Love,Dad,/Baba/EricGrandpa Pickle Pastor“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.”





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