Don’t ‘Let it Go’

Here are some phrases you may have heard over the years, or even recently.

“This is too good a deal to overlook.” 

“If you don’t act right now, you’ll never have this opportunity again.” 

“Only the first 100 people to respond will get this chance of a lifetime.”

Normally, when a person hears these types of comments, one immediately thinks of a sales pitch designed to cause people to make rash and quite often costly decisions.  The fear is that if the customer thinks too long about it, they’re going to realize that it’s not such a good deal after all.  Thus, they won’t make the commitment to purchase the product or the service.

The reality is that almost always, if it’s a truly good deal, it will be available the next day or down the road sometime.  Most of the time, it’s usually something we don’t really need, anyway.

The big animated hit “Frozen” has mesmerized thousands with its storyline and fun songs.  One of the songs, Let it Go, has spawned many parodies and a multitude of YouTube renditions which includes impressionists, parents, etc.  It’s sometimes difficult to have a conversation with someone who is struggling with some tough issues without being tempted to tell them to just Let it Go.  

Today, we’ll see that what Jesus is offering his fellow Jews and all who would listen was indeed a limited offer.  What Jesus was offering was something that everyone who has ever walked this planet needs desperately.  You might say that “one cannot live without it.” 

Today, I want to suggest that:

When presented with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, one cannot Let it Go.

Light vs. Darkness - 12.35-36

So Jesus said to them, “For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. “While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light.” These things Jesus spoke, and He went away and hid Himself from them.

Jesus warns them about the imminence of His departure by the use of the phrase a little while.  He used this phrase several times in the last week of His earthly ministry.  Truly the people needed to act on Jesus’ offer and not delay.  Soon it would be too late.

A word that continually appears is the word Light.  With our English translations, it is also capitalized.  This is a help to remind us that Jesus is not speaking about a flame or a torch or another bright object.  He is speaking of Himself.  

There are three things we observe about our relationship and that of the Jews to the Light.

Since the Light is still among the people, they need to walk under the influence of the Light.

While the Light is still among the people, they need to believe in the Light.

Once they believe in the Light, they will become sons of Light.

Let’s look briefly at these three references to the light.  First, since the Light is still among the people, they need to walk under the influence of the Light.  I recall one time while farming for someone else, I was on a field far away from the road and miles from the nearest farmhouse.  I had parked my pickup probably 3/4 of a mile away where I had begun the tractor work.  It was well after 10 PM and I needed to shut down and head home.  I turned the tractor off, faced it toward the west and got down off of it.  I knew the general direction of where the pickup was.  However, there were no stars and no moon visible behind the clouds.  I began trudging across the freshly worked field towards where I thought the pickup would be.  Then coyotes began howling from nearby.  Needless to say, as a young man, I was quite anxious to make it back to the pickup, praying that I was going the right direction.  I was without any light and felt nearly trapped and petrified in that vast prairie blackness.  After a 20 minute or so walk across the soil, I could make out the outline of the pickup.  Safety and a source of light once again calmed my spirit.  

Without the Light of Jesus guiding us, we stumble and fall into many destructive traps.  We participate in things that we may think are okay, but when exposed to Jesus’ light, we recognize their poisonous, harmful nature.  Everything we do ought to be under the influence of the Light of Jesus Christ.  If not, darkness will overtake us and the coyotes will devour us.

For those listening to Jesus speaking directly to them, Jesus was warning them that their window of opportunity to receive salvation is very limited. 

So what is necessary?

While the Light is still among the people, they needed to believe in the Light.  The only way to keep from being lost forever, enveloped by total spiritual darkness, was to believe in the Light.  Very simply, they needed to accept Jesus for Who He said He was.  He was and is the Son of God.  He was and is fully God and fully man.  He was without sin, yet willing to offer Himself in our place, paying the penalty for our sins.  He was and is the only way to salvation and heaven.  The reality is that if they would not believe in the Light while He was still among them, the odds of them recognizing that He is the Light and believing in Him after He’s gone are slim to none. 

So what happens if and when they do believe in the Light?

Once they believe in the Light, they will become sons of Light.  They will become children of God.  They will have Christ, the Light, in them.  They will radiate and reflect to the whole world that they have the Light of Christ within them.  And by the fact that they will become sons of Light,  they will not want to participate in the things of darkness which is of Satan.  They won’t have to worry again about the darkness.  Even when the Light is not physically present on this planet any longer, those who have chosen to believe in the Light, have the Light of Christ within us always.

Interestingly, after Jesus states this, John comments that Jesus went away and hid Himself from them.  This ought to have stirred a sense of anxiety and urgency among those listening.  If it did not, it certainly carries with it a sense of finality and judgment to all who would not accept the Light of Jesus Christ.

Ludicrousness vs. Deity - 12:37-43

But though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him. 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?” For this reason they could not believe, for Isaiah said again, “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.” These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him. 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; for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.

It seems that from the previous verses that the most important and pivotal part about the discussion regarding the Light was the need for the people to believe in the Light.  However, in the opening verse of this section, we see that this did not happen.  Even though the evidence was obvious and was visible to them, they were not believing in Him.  

It seems incredulous to most of us that those who were God’s chosen, who had God’s Word revealed to them, who had studied the Scriptures so thoroughly and were so knowledgeable, that they would choose to not believe in Jesus.  However, if we look at this only from this viewpoint, we miss out on understanding what was and is the real blockade.  The power of sin is incredible.  It has the ability to deceive and manipulate and cause people to make the worst possible choices in every area of life.  You recall that even those who had observed the amazing miracles Jesus performed would suggest that those miracles were done by Satan’s power.  This is even seen from the quote from Isaiah, as the arm of the Lord, refers to miraculous and powerful events.  Sadly, even with the most irrefutable evidence, unless the Holy Spirit has done a work on a person’s heart and mind, they will never get it.

John takes some time to explain to the readers.  Interestingly, we see a two-fold reason for this.  One is because of God’s Sovereignty.  The other is because of humanity’s choice.  They work together.

Let’s look first of all at God’s Sovereignty.  Several hundred years earlier, Isaiah had prophesied this taking place.  Yet, as we look at verse 40, we feel a bit of bewilderment.  Verse 40 seems to state that it was God Who kept them from believing in the Light, Who was Jesus Christ.  Isaiah prophesied and John agrees that [God] blinded their eyes and hardened their heart.  And as we see, the reason given appears that the intent was to make sure they would not be saved.

Not only did God know and see before time began that the majority of Israel would reject Jesus, it was part of His purpose in judgment upon Israel.  We even see this clarified by Paul in Romans 9-11.  However, in Paul’s writing, he goes on to show that this was actually a blessing; for it allowed salvation to come to the Gentiles.  

Then we have a little comment by John in verse 41, which reminds us that according to Isaiah 6, Isaiah saw God’s glory.  Here, in this context, John reminds us that the one of Whom Isaiah spoke was Jesus, Himself.  That may not excite some of you, yet I find myself thrilled to be reminded once again that Jesus is God.  Just this little snippet is further evidence of this.  Those who thought they could see all the spiritual truth which they needed, were in reality, spiritually blind.  And God was the One to make sure of it.

But remember the other aspect of why the majority did not believe in Him?  Very simply it is humanity’s choice.  I like how Leon Morris explains this:  “When John quotes ‘he hath blinded their eyes …’ he does not mean that the blinding takes place without the will, or against the will of these people.… These men chose evil. It was their own deliberate choice, their own fault.” 

John MacArthur states:  “It is a sobering reality that those who persistently harden their hearts against God may find themselves hardened by Him.”

John points out in verse 42, that there were actually some of the leading Jews who secretly believed in Him.  Yet, they kept quiet for fear of being kicked out of the synagogue and Jewish life, as a whole.  Yet, it seems obvious that their belief was not genuine.  Why do I say this?  Because verse 43 shows that they didn’t get verse 41.  They loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.  That would not have been the case if they had genuinely believed in Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God, for as John reminded us in verse 41, Isaiah wrote what He did under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and said [these things] because he saw His glory.  Whenever anyone experiences the glory and holiness of God, they do not care about the approval of men.  They want to experience what it means to be children of Light.  Even Jesus remarked about this is John 5.44:  How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God?

Now we have to look at the consequences and differences between believing and not believing.

Lostness vs. Deliverance - 12:44-50

And Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me. “He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me. I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness. If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.”

Remember that Jesus has left the scene.  So, these verses are put in here by John to summarize the ending of the ministry which Jesus had with His own people.  It is almost like the closing arguments in a courtroom or the conclusion to a very intense story.

He explains that belief is in the Heavenly Father Who has sent Jesus Christ.   

Then Jesus expounds on this.

He represents the Father. Very simply, one cannot believe in God without believing in the Son, Jesus Christ. If a person believes in the Son, they obviously believe in the Father Who sent the Son.   

He came to rescue us from darkness and into His Light. This seems obvious from what was discussed in verses 35-36. In verse 46, Jesus explains the purpose of the Father sending Him in the flesh to this world. Left on our own, we are stumbling around in darkness, searching for whatever it is we think we need. Jesus is the Light Who was provided for us. If we would but open our eyes and believe in Him, we would no longer remain in darkness. The idea is an eternal darkness, not just till a light comes again. 

He came to save the world, not condemn it. Right now, judgment is held at bay. When Jesus came to this world, the purpose was to provide salvation. However, for the disobedient and unbelieving, there will be a day of judgment, as seen in verse 48. And it will be by the Words which Jesus has spoken. However, there would obviously be and still are many who will not pay any attention to what Jesus has to say. Jesus reminds the people that His purpose was to come to save the world.              

The words He speaks are the Father’s words and they will bring judgment or eternal life, depending on our choice. Finally, we understand that those who reject Christ and the Words which He spoke condemn themselves. And since He is saying what the Father wants Him to say, it is the people’s choice as to whether they will be saved or judged. The judgment will come based upon the rejection of those who hear. If a person rejects Jesus and His words, they reject the Father. If they accept Jesus and His Words, they will become           sons [and daughters] of Light.

Reflections

We are nearing the end of Jesus’ ministry on earth as we go through John.  We have seen the end of Jesus’ attempts to reach the nation of Israel.  The choice was theirs.

For many, this might be a time of reflection and evaluation.  What has happened in my life so far?  What would I like to see be different in the future? What might this evaluation look like?  

First, do I know Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior?  Is Jesus the One Who is in charge of my life?  If not, then you need to do business with God right now.  You cannot afford to take a chance that you’ll ever have another opportunity to believe in Jesus.  You have no guarantees that you’ll even see tomorrow.

Secondly, if you do know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, how is your relationship with Him?  Would you be the one who is somewhat secretive lest someone condemn you or mock you for being spiritual?  Are you one who is a child of Light, but you’re keeping a basket on your head so nobody else notices?  The problem with that is you start walking around like you’re in the dark bumping against and falling into all kinds of dark sins.  If that is the case, then you also need to do business with God.  Confess to Him your reliance upon yourself and your legal standing with God.  Ask Him to restore the joy of your salvation.  Ask God to renew a steadfast spirit within you.  That is revival; taking what was already there and giving it a revived life.

Finally, are you someone who is in a good relationship with Jesus Christ?  You know that He is your Lord and Savior and you’re having a pretty decent walk with Him.  You are walking in the Light as a child of Light.  That is wonderful!  I know that you too have challenging days.  That is the nature of walking on this earth while the enemy is still prowling about desiring to destroy us.  Do I have a challenge for you?  Absolutely. 

Keep pursuing Christ at all costs.  Don’t relax for a minute in this spiritual war in which we’re engaged.  And be sure to let your light shine for the whole world to see.  Let it shine for those who don’t yet know Jesus, so they can start walking towards your direction.  Then introduce them to Jesus.  Let your light shine for those who know Jesus as Lord and Savior, but have wandered away.  That way, they will be drawn to the light of Christ within you and get away from the potholes of sin and darkness and be able to experience what it means to truly be a new creation in Jesus Christ.

One never knows if there will ever be another opportunity to accept Christ, live for Christ, or proclaim Christ.  The world wants us to just Let it Go.  However, When presented with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, one cannot Let it Go.  

2 Corinthians 6:2 reminds us: 

Behold, now is “the acceptable time,” behold, now is “the day of salvation”