Pastor Ralph Posted December 21, 2014 Report Share Posted December 21, 2014 Q4. (John 12:37-41) In what way does declaring truth to resistant people harden them further? How can a person (or a Pharisee) see a miracle and become even more determined to resist Jesus? How do you understand this paradox? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pickledilly Posted March 1, 2015 Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 This makes me think of Pharaoh and his response to the truth that Moses spoke from Yahweh. Rejection of the truth was already in his heart. Every time he was confronted with truth and chose to refuse it, his heart became set that much more against it. In Jesus’ day, the Pharisees were doing the same thing. They made mental decisions to close their own eyes to the truth before them and to choose unbelief, and that framework of refusal made their hearts more and more hardened. Such resistance could originate from just about anything (ultimately, the root is pride), but repeated and consistent denial of truth ultimately leads the LORD to give the unbeliever over to the natural progression toward total blindness to truth and deadness of understanding to spiritual reality (according to Isaiah 6:10 as quoted in John 12:40). The interesting thing about this is that in His omniscience, God already knows who will reject truth and He knows that the message of truth will harden that rejection. But as the fair Judge, He gives opportunity and responsibility for the unbeliever to demonstrate that response to truth - and to choose to believe. God offers healing of the calloused heart through the grace of Christ, if the unbeliever will only turn. But defiant rejection of truth leads to increased hardness, and persistent hardness leads toward an irreparably degenerate condition. Even a miracle won’t necessarily break through that kind of intellectual choice not to believe the truth, especially as the heart/mind become hardened from rejection. Again, I think of my brother Doug that I mentioned in an earlier lesson. He saw the same miracles that brought our mother back from death’s doorstep, yet he rejects the truth that the past 9 years of her life have been a gift from our powerful and merciful healing God. I continue to pray that his heart will soften and turn before it's too late. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoiKosum Posted March 2, 2015 Report Share Posted March 2, 2015 (John 12:37-41) In what way does declaring truth to resistant people harden them further? How can a person (or a Pharisee) see a miracle and become even more determined to resist Jesus? How do you understand this paradox? In my opinion, people who have hardened their hearts have already made up their minds about a certain issue and it is virtually impossible to change their minds. Pushing the issue in their face would serve no purpose other than to make them more adamant about their stance. In this case, the Pharisee was resistant to Jesus and even more so after witnessing His miracles. In such cases, obviously their hearts are already hardened and all the miracles are doing is giving them more ammunition to find fault with Jesus. It is not a matter that they don't believe the miracles but rather they are afraid that Jesus may upstage them and take over their position, authority and status. This doesn't mean that there is no hope for such persons to change their minds/hears. They would personally have to encounter God, like Paul on the road to Emmaus, before they start to change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerbrand van Schalkwyk Posted March 2, 2015 Report Share Posted March 2, 2015 In what way does declaring truth to resistant people harden them further? Most of the time people don't want to be taught and definitely not corrected. By declaring the truth they feel they have to prove you wrong. Thus they look for reasons to not accept the truth How can a person (or a Pharisee) see a miracle and become even more determined to resist Jesus? It is clear that false prophets can also do miracles. Thus it Ian easy to find fault. How do you understand this paradox? We are chosen. It is God's will whether He helps us u.understand or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blezed Posted March 3, 2015 Report Share Posted March 3, 2015 (John 12:37-41) In what way does declaring truth to resistant people harden them further? 1. People are harden further because, as predicted by Isaiah, God has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts so that they could neither see nor understand nor turn to God to be healed. How can a person (or a Pharisee) see a miracle and become even more determined to resist Jesus? How do you understand this paradox? 2. People become so set in their ways that they don't even try to understand Jesus message. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haar Posted March 3, 2015 Report Share Posted March 3, 2015 Q4. (John 12:37-41) Q. In what way does declaring truth to resistant people harden them further? A. When people had hardened their hearts again the source of truth, they would not listen to the declared truth even if the truth is proclaimed with miracles. Q. How can a person (or a Pharisee) see a miracle and become even more determined to resist Jesus? A. As stated above, once people had set their hearts against Jesus, even when He performed miracles, they still did not believe Him or put their faith in Him. Q. How do you understand this paradox? A. A bit difficult for me to understand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebeccaMallinson Posted March 3, 2015 Report Share Posted March 3, 2015 People do not like being removed from their comfort zones. They therefore resist strenuously. The truth, even when in the form of a miracle, can cause people to feel very threatened. The Pharisees had a lot of power and did not like Jesus’s message which negated power. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanMary Posted March 3, 2015 Report Share Posted March 3, 2015 Q4. (John 12:37-41) In what way does declaring truth to resistant people harden them further? A hardened heart is pride fully stubborn and rebellious. When one has that mindset, truth makes them more determined than ever to be "right" in their thinking and to reject what they are hearing or reading or seeing. (Even miracles can be "explained away") How can a person (or a Pharisee) see a miracle and become even more determined to resist Jesus? We have an enemy whose goal is to blind eyes and deafen ears....it's called deception. When one is deceived and is comfortable with the deception (believing it is truth) It's very difficult, if not impossible to change their mind. How do you understand this paradox? Having lived around a few prideful, narcissistic people, I've observed how it works. It's very frustrating, but pride and stubbornness are "as witchcraft" and are why God says "He hates" them. Their strong opinion, though they believe a lie, is very empowering to them, and so rather than admit they've been in error, they persist, sometimes to their own destruction. (1 Sam 15:22,23: ...."to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance (pride) like evil of idolatry." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen Posted March 5, 2015 Report Share Posted March 5, 2015 Q4. (John 12:37-41) In what way does declaring truth to resistant people harden them further? How can a person (or a Pharisee) see a miracle and become even more determined to resist Jesus? How do you understand this paradox? It is pride, arrogance, and deliberate refusal in the human heart. The attitude of many people here (they think they are independent, they are stubborn to a fault) is that "No one can tell me what to do". Can you see the slight curling of the lip. Those people saw the miracles but not the God who performed them. They don't want God. It is not about Him, it is about them and unfortunately that is where is will end. Maybe it is like glue. When first applied it is soft and appliable and as time goes by it hardens so that it cannot be moved. You can hear them saying I have set my mind always before me so that it cannot be moved. The mind apart from Christ is evil. That is what they know and that is what they want! God Bless! Jen Numbers 6:24-26 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hanks Posted March 6, 2015 Report Share Posted March 6, 2015 Q4. (John 12:37-41) In what way does declaring truth to resistant people harden them further? How can a person (or a Pharisee) see a miracle and become even more determined to resist Jesus? How do you understand this paradox? We learned earlier (vv. 6:37; 6:44) that unbelievers cannot come to Jesus on their own initiative, they need God to begin to work in their life and heart. Also in 1 Corinthians 2:14 we read, “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned”. So, without help the unbeliever cannot possibly understand the truth – it remains foolishness to them. Even after our Lord had done so many miracles the people did not believe in Him, proving that this unbelief cannot be because of any lack of evidence. From Isaiah 6:9-10 we learn that God blinded the eyes of the people of Israel and hardened their hearts after their stubborn and wilful rejection of the Messiah. The more people reject the gospel, the harder it becomes for them to receive it. Vance Havner (1901-1986) said it well: “The wise Christian wastes no time trying to explain God's program to unregenerate men; it would be casting pearls before swine. He might as well try to describe a sunset to a blind man or discuss nuclear physics with a monument in the city park. The natural man cannot receive such things. One might as well try to catch sunbeams with a fishhook as to lay hold of God's revelation unassisted by the Holy Spirit. Unless one is born of the Spirit and taught by Him, all this is utterly foreign to him. Being a Ph. D. does not help, for in this realm it could mean ‘Phenomenal Dud!’” We often hear of so called brilliant scientist who are supposed to be so clever yet they are the strongest atheists. But we know that, “For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength” (1 Corinthians 1:25). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarence Posted March 8, 2015 Report Share Posted March 8, 2015 Q4. (John 12:37-41) In what way does declaring truth to resistant people harden them further? How can a person (or a Pharisee) see a miracle and become even more determined to resist Jesus? How do you understand this paradox? Paul points out in Romans 1:20 that people are without excuse because God's power and deity is reflected in all his creation (my paraphrase). So when they witness miracles, (the whole of life is really a miracle) people will still not believe in God because they are set in their ways and refuse to consider any other view point. Paul also states that it is the power of God to salvation (Romans 1:16). In addition, 2 Corintians 4:4 also notes that ..."the god of this age"...has blinded the minds of people who do not believers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteD Posted March 9, 2015 Report Share Posted March 9, 2015 Lesson 22 q4. I've always had difficulty with this passage. It seems to me that Jesus is saying that in humans there is a pride thing - a willfulness that refuses to accept and receive help. It's a rock hard stubbornness. And it seems that people can either admit their need and dependence on Jesus and what he is offering or the defensively dig in and resist. Why some people believe - why I believe is simply a mystery to me. Here we are talking about the Spirit of God reaching our spirit.. We can receive God's gift of love or reject it. If we receive it we realize that even this is not from ourselves -it is a gift. I've come to accept this as a paradox, which is to say, I cannot get my mind around it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delivered Posted March 10, 2015 Report Share Posted March 10, 2015 Q4. (John 12:37-41) In what way does declaring truth to resistant people harden them further? A heart of stone is difficult to break through, therefore, if it has hardened to the degree of no resistance, they will have eyes that “WILL” not to see, and ears that will not hear. Q4. How can a person (or a Pharisee) see a miracle and become even more determined to resist Jesus? Without the will to exercise the gift of “FAITH” and seeking for that of truth, they will be left with the philosophy of man; “LOGICAL THINKING” can therefore become a barrier to that of “truth”, a hardening process that will resist the ways of God. Q4. How do you understand this paradox? If mans “WILL” is to reject God’s truth, over and over again, their hearts will begin the hardening process, producing a heart that is waxed gross, a heart that will become callous to the things of God, they will hear, and will not understand, they will see, and will not perceive. The paradox is being lived out today in America, for Her heart is waxed gross, She has become hardened to the things of God, “She” hears, and does not understand, “She” see’s, and does not perceive; the Godly foundation She was established on is now grumbling beneath “HER”: She who once knew God, but no longer hold dear His commandments, is the reason God will give her up to uncleanness, as Her desire and “WILL” is to walk in the “LOGICAL THINKING” of man’s wisdom, therefore, She will follow after the lusts of her heart, She will make laws that will bring dishonor to their own bodies, laws that will change the “TRUTH” of God into a lie is why God will give her up to her vile affections, the results of her stony heart saddens me, for even though She knows the judgment of God will be on those who commit such gross acts, and are worthy of death, not only will She make laws to do them, She will find great pleasure in making such laws. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quilter Posted March 14, 2015 Report Share Posted March 14, 2015 In time resisted God your heart hardened so much it will take a miracle from God to soften it. We are to continue to pray for them. Our Savior gives us many chances to come to Him . they are responsible for their own decisions. God is a just God but if we keep refusing Him He will refuse us. I pray for all with harden hearts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lighthouse2014 Posted March 16, 2015 Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 Q4. (John 12:37-41) In what way does declaring truth to resistant people harden them further? How can a person (or a Pharisee) see a miracle and become even more determined to resist Jesus? How do you understand this paradox? Declaring the word of God to people who are resistant to it and harden their hearts more because they refuse to change their lives, they prefer their sin instead. Thus they believe not the gospel and want to remain in their sin. People who see a miracle as in the days of Jesus still refuse to believe. They say it was an act of coincidence or if a person believes in himself strong enough he could heal himself. They refuse to believe God works among people today and nature and evolution has and is taking it's course. A paradox of seeing a miracle and not believing is because people have set their on a path that science and humans can duplicate much of what appears to be a miracle. They are humanist believing in human nature rather than faith in God. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grace2free Posted April 1, 2015 Report Share Posted April 1, 2015 Q4. (John 12:37-41) In what way does declaring truth to resistant people harden them further? People harden further specially when it comes to changing their life style. No one wants to die or change or to be transformed in the image of God because their eyes have been blinded and their heart were hardened. How can a person (or a Pharisee) see a miracle and become even more determined to resist Jesus? We have read and we have seen the miracles of Jesus even in our own salvation. There is no way we can understand salvation only because of the mercy of God. So a person or a Pharisee can see on their own eyes many miracles but still they are blind spiritually and their heart were hardened. How do you understand this paradox? The glory of God will be revealed when the sick, blind, and hardened heart will be healed by him. Only to whom the arm of the Lord had revealed. Only when Jesus have mercy on you and revealed himself to you, then you will have understanding of it. So let us continue to worship God through Jesus his Son for his mercy and grace because we have the light (John 12:36). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stanley Tavaziva Posted May 2, 2015 Report Share Posted May 2, 2015 Q4. (John 12:37-41) In what way does declaring truth to resistant people harden them further? How can a person (or a Pharisee) see a miracle and become even more determined to resist Jesus? How do you understand this paradox? Jesus had performed many miracles, but most people still didn’t believe in him. Likewise, many today won’t believe despite all God does .We don’t have to be discouraged if our witness for Christ doesn’t turn as many to him as you’d like. Some people don’t believe on miracles, our job is to continue as a faithful witness. We are responsible to reach out to others, but they are responsible for their own decisions. People in Jesus’ time, like those in the time of Isaiah, would not believe despite the evidence. As a result, God hardened their hearts. Does that mean God intentionally prevented these people from believing in him? No, he simply confirmed their own choices. After a lifetime of resisting God, they had become so set in their ways that they wouldn’t even try to understand Jesus’ message. For such people, it is virtually impossible to come to God—their hearts have been permanently hardened. Other instances of hardened hearts because of constant stubbornness are recorded in Exodus 9:12, Romans 1:24-28, and 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
royk Posted May 16, 2015 Report Share Posted May 16, 2015 Q4. (John 12:37-41) In what way does declaring truth to resistant people harden them further? How can a person (or a Pharisee) see a miracle and become even more determined to resist Jesus? How do you understand this paradox?This is a great great point of evangelism on our own, rather than letting God speak through us. Having been the impatient evangelist.. sometimes still am... I would talk too much, and expect a positive spiritual reaction from the person in front of me. I would call this "my sin," in not letting God lead. Also causing the other person to sin by declaring something negative about Jesus. God give me more patience through trials and some suffering, yet I'm still here, praise God. But, God already knew I would be like this. Only if we insist might the person 's heart be hardened, but possibly not for eternity. Let's not give ourselves so much "credit." Life is a miracle, being able to see is a miraculous thing created by God for all of us. Being spiritually blind at a given moment, is not necessarily forever. We are not God and don't know the fate of others, for sure. All of us see miracles of life every day, we can choose to not give God credit for this. Many don't... Look at how Jesus talked to the Samaritan woman at the well. In seven phrases, He transformed and saved her. We say we can't do that and it is true, but don't say that God can't do anything through us, if we let Him fully run the show in the moment. He already know how all things will go, according to His will not ours. We are blessed to be here now and hopefully grow permanently from this bible study. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
royk Posted May 22, 2015 Report Share Posted May 22, 2015 Q4. (John 12:37-41) In what way does declaring truth to resistant people harden them further? How can a person (or a Pharisee) see a miracle and become even more determined to resist Jesus? How do you understand this paradox?Am I to be piercing others hearts with His truth tonight. Who will show up? Me or Jesus? Will I block out Hispanic words that help me lose my focus, or will I listen intently to each breath? Will I be of one accord or blocked by my old ways of sin and self centeredness ? We are all resisting to some extent if we are trying by ourselves to win souls for the Lord. Prayer and slow patience to their reactions will allow us to do God's will in evangelizing. Only God knows what is inside of them. I am His instrument, and empty vessel to carry a message and tone of voice that is not mine, but that of the Master. Oh sacred potter of my clay, please show me what to do tonight. In Jesus name, amen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe_Applegarth Posted September 6, 2015 Report Share Posted September 6, 2015 How does declaring truth to resistant people harden them further? In the misguided belief that is we who are in control, we (humanity) are generally inclined to hold fast to the opinions and interactions to which we’ve committed ourselves. No matter how irrational they may be, we hold these things close regardless of how inappropriate they may be. We harden ourselves simply because the prejudices inherent to our humanity lead us to hold fast to the things that we believe to be true. A hardened heart will always resist anything contradictory to our predilections and when pressed to yield to the will of God, they will always try to strengthen themselves against it. How can a person (or a Pharisee) see a miracle and become even more determined to resist Jesus? In the eyes of the Pharisees, Jesus’ miracles were a direct contradiction, and a very serious threat, to their lifestyles and everything they believed to be true so they hardened themselves against it. Today, this same scenario comes into play when people are required to set aside their personal preferences and yield to the Lord’s will. When confronted with a choice between the world and the Lord, we tend to cling to, and hide behind, our own personal inclinations by denying the truth of His infinite wisdom. How do you understand this paradox? When our own will conflicts with God’s and we feel pressed to give it up, we meet the truth head-on so we tend to excuse and/or defend our sins or even deny that what we’re doing is actually sinning. When that happens, we offer apologies to God that He will never receive and in doing so we delude ourselves. To be a Christian, one must renounce sin and earthly idols and so many of us seem to believe that to be too great a sacrifice. These people are not ready or are simply unwilling to renounce their sin and their idols so they resign themselves to hardening their hearts and strengthening themselves in uncertainty and doubt. We attempt to strengthen our misguided perceptions by trying to justify all of the excuses that we’ve made in an effort to strengthen our position. By doing so, we are putting self ahead of God and are hardening our hearts. This was exactly what the Jews did when Christ preached. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Jerry Posted September 12, 2018 Report Share Posted September 12, 2018 The way that declaring the truth to a resistant person harden the heart further is they already have a belief in something and they don’t want to admit that they are wrong. I can see how the Pharisee can see a miracle and become even more determined to resist Jesus because he is going to lose his position in life when everybody believes in Jesus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godswriter Posted May 3, 2019 Report Share Posted May 3, 2019 Q4. (John 12:37-41) In what way does declaring the truth to resistant people harden them further? How can a person (or a Pharisee) see a miracle and become even more determined to resist Jesus? How do you understand this paradox? The way that declaring truth to them hardens them works is through the fact that they already think they believe they know the Lord and everything they can know about Him. A person or Pharisee can see a miracle of the Lord and thus be more determined to resist Jesus because they will their popularity, position and authority in life when others believe in Him. T Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Edwards Posted November 18, 2021 Report Share Posted November 18, 2021 God purposedly permitted them to go on and resist the truth. GOD is the agent in their blindness, hardening of their hearts and not understanding of Christ's teachings. It was the fault of their own unbelief; foreseen by God as a result of God's dealings and teachings. The people didn't believe Isaiah stated about the unbelief as stated in Isaiah 53:1. Yet Isaiah beheld the Shekinah glory of God; his heart was opened to the grace of God...he beheld the only begotten Son of God who manifested the Father (Isaiah 6:5). Isaiah was not hardened in his heart nor blinded. God did not interfere the people from seeing but purposely permitted them to persist in rebellion and reap terrible consequences. This occurs today--rebellion towards God's plan of salvation. Even today many in various Church denominations have heeded to doctrines of devils. Like the Jews during Christ's time--they couldn't believe; they had a very serious mind and heart issue despite the signs and miracles wrought by Christ. The Prophet Ezekiel understood this very well. In many of his sermons, he touched on this theme of unbelief and secret sin. He knew that their hearts weren't sincere and actually they were hypocrites. Despite the pleadings of the Prophets, we read that the Shekinah sadly and hesitantly left the Temple. The Jewish establishment looked at the Temple as good luck charm. However, secret sins were in their hearts, in the hidden chamber of the Temple, idolatry was being committed. Isaiah had a vision of Christ in the Temple while the ordinary worshipper did not. The head elders visited Ezekiel and deemed him as an entertainer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irmela Posted August 22, 2022 Report Share Posted August 22, 2022 Q4. (John 12:37-41) In what way does declaring truth to resistant people harden them further? How can a person (or a Pharisee) see a miracle and become even more determined to resist Jesus? How do you understand this paradox? Resistant persons have invariably determined in their hearts and minds that things are the way they have chosen to understand them to be and nothing that anyone will say and do will make them change their minds to accept the things to be different. It is as if a wall gets built around that decision and the more anyone speaks about it, the thicker the wall gets. They become deaf to anything said about it or become blind to see the reality of the situation. The miracles proved without a doubt that Jesus was not just an ordinary man.There was far more behind this whole scenario than met the eye. The Pharisees realized that by letting Jesus continue in this way, He would have an enormous following and they would loose control of the crowds and a following. They could not perform miracles like that. So they refused to believe what was happening in front of their very eyes, they made all kinds of excuses as to why it was happening. In this way they became more determined to resist Jesus. Isaiah has recorded in 6:9&10, that he was to tell the people and this is what would happen, they would keep on listening but not understand, keep on looking but not comprehend; the hearts of the people would be insensitive, their ears dull and their eyes dim. This is what happened in his time and was happening again. It still happens today. the more a person sees or hears, before he is ready to stop resisting, the harder it is to reach him. The only way is for God to soften their hearts and break down their resistance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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