August 9
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BLINDED EYES AND HARDENED HEARTS
37 But though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him. 38 This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet which he spoke: “LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT? AND TO WHOM HAS THE ARM OF THE LORD BEEN REVEALED?” 39 For this reason they could not believe, for Isaiah said again, 40 “HE HAS BLINDED THEIR EYES AND HE HARDENED THEIR HEART, SO THAT THEY WOULD NOT SEE WITH THEIR EYES AND PERCEIVE WITH THEIR HEART, AND BE CONVERTED AND I HEAL THEM.” 41 These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him. 42 Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.
– John 12:37-43
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In this account, the Jewish leaders still continued in their unbelief despite Jesus’ many signs and wonders. The writer, John quotes Isaiah’s prophecy in the book of Isaiah chapter 6. He was referring to the reason why these Jewish leaders reject Jesus’ deity. They have been blinded to see the revelations that the Lord had been doing because their hearts are hardened.
Isaiah vision is a revelation from the Lord. God spoke to the prophet and explained to him that these people kept on listening but do not perceive. They kept on looking but do not understand. The people are insensitive: their ears are dull and their eyes are dim. The Lord is warning the people through Isaiah that their inability to see and understand was because of their unbelief. This was exactly what was being fulfilled in this story about the Pharisees who kept on rejecting truth and not believing that Jesus is the Son of God. This was what exactly Isaiah was prophesying a long time ago before Jesus was even born.
It is so sad to watch unbelievers who reject the truth that Jesus is God. So many unbelievers are going to miss out on the promises that God gave to all those who believe that Christ is the Son of God, sent to us so we can all be free from sin. Unbelief leads to many other sins such as pride, rebellion, arrogance, wavering, doubt and many other. Blindness and hardened heart surely close the door to one’s salvation. The Pharisees continued to have unbelief because they were hanging on to human approval and losing their place in the synagogues. They weren’t concerned about God’s approval.
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REFLECTION
• Why do unbelievers become blind to truth?