Friday 20th October
Read John 8:21-22
“Once more Jesus said to them, ‘I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.’ 22 This made the Jews ask, ‘Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, “Where I go, you cannot come”?’” (NIVUK)
More confusion reigns from Jesus’ statements. But breaking down His statement, Jesus is saying ‘I am going away’ (I will no longer be physically with you on earth). ‘You will look for me’ (Because they always claim to be looking for God to arrive in power). ‘You will die in your sin’ (By not recognising Jesus for who He is, they will die in their unbelief).
What they hear Him say is completely different to that – because they don’t have ‘ears to hear’. Their assumption seems to be that He will kill Himself and they will not be able to follow Him into death. Their deafness, like their blind refusal to accept that He is the light of the world, condemns them.
Pray that we ourselves would have ears to hear and eyes to see and, with Paul, pray ‘that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe.” (Ephesians 1:18-19a) (NIVUK). Pray this for those whom you love too.
