{"id":3366,"date":"2025-03-08T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-08T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cstrinity.org\/?p=3366"},"modified":"2025-03-05T16:39:10","modified_gmt":"2025-03-05T23:39:10","slug":"lent-day-4-john-1227-36","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cstrinity.org\/esp\/lent-day-4-john-1227-36\/","title":{"rendered":"D\u00eda 4 de Cuaresma: Juan 12:27-36"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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John 12:27-36<\/strong><\/p>

32\u00a0<\/sup><\/em><\/strong>And I, when I am lifted up[<\/sup><\/em>g<\/sup><\/em><\/a>]<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0from the earth,\u00a0will draw all people to myself.\u201d\u00a0
33\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.
34\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>The crowd spoke up, \u201cWe have heard from the Law\u00a0that the Messiah will remain forever,\u00a0so how can you say,\u00a0\u2018The Son of Man\u00a0must be lifted up\u2019?\u00a0Who is this \u2018Son of Man\u2019?\u201d
35\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>Then Jesus told them,\u00a0\u201cYou are going to have the light\u00a0just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light,\u00a0before darkness overtakes you.\u00a0Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going.\u00a0
36\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.\u201d\u00a0When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.<\/em><\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

When I lived in Oklahoma, I used to hear a phrase of folk wisdom: \u201cBelieve none of what you hear and half of what you see.\u201d The skeptic in me appreciated the acknowledgement that we usually misinterpret what we hear, so we ask questions to get more clarity. However, even when we are an eye witness to an event, we see it differently than others. Knowledge is usually incomplete, even if we don\u2019t recognize it.<\/p>

As Jesus foreshadows his death, the Jerusalem crowd questions the biblical authority of what he is saying. They do not understand why He is contradicting the Law. The same crowd had just\u00a0 experienced (v. 28) the audible voice of the Heavenly Father, and they immediately began to misinterpret it as \u201cthunder\u201d or an \u201cangelic voice.\u201d While they are sitting at the feet of Jesus, they are skeptical of His message, even after He explains the audible voice.<\/p>

Most Christians do not hear an audible voice of God telling them what to do. Most believers do not see God\u2019s handwriting on a wall as a means of learning His will. Thanks be to God; we do have His will available in the 66 books of the Bible. We also have the Spirit of Truth \u2013 the Comforter, the Holy Ghost \u2013 who speaks to us in \u201ca still, small voice.\u201d (1 Kings 19:12) The NIV alternate translation is \u201ca delicate whispering voice.\u201d<\/p>

Jesus said, \u201cWalk while you have the light\u2026\u201d and \u201cBelieve in the light while you have the light.\u201d He commands, \u201c\u2026become children of light.\u201d <\/em>Light drives out darkness. Light reveals the truth of our situation. Light allows us to see where we are going and helps to maintain safety.<\/p>

Am I walking in the light of Jesus? Do I allow His light to shine in the darkness of my life \u2013 my stories, my memories, and my spirituality? Do I listen for God\u2019s voice as I read scripture? Do I listen to the \u201cdelicate whispering voice\u201d of the Holy Spirit? Am I ready to hear Truth (with a capital \u201cT\u201d)? Am I ready and willing to believe<\/em> in the light, to walk<\/em> in the light, and become<\/em> a child of light?<\/p>

Author:<\/strong> Bryan Merrill<\/p>

Other Lenten readings for today:<\/strong><\/p>