Live to Love Scripture Encouragement

John 12:37 But though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him.
Seeing is not believing. The lame walked. The blind saw. The dead were raised. God’s work was displayed repeatedly. They saw, but did not believe. The darkness overtook them that quickly. The same is still true. Our churches can be crowded with unbelieving seers. They come and see God at work in their midst, yet walk out and continue walking in the dark. They live as children of darkness. They love their lives in this world. They live to find satisfaction and significance, to receive honor and glory from men rather than from God. I’ve been there and so have you. Maybe you are still there. In Jesus’ name I call you to turn to the Light, surrender and abandon your life and self-driven way to Jesus. Believe in Him and His love for you, and live for the purpose of loving with Him. You can find out more from my book, Live to Love, at livetolovewithjesus.com. His love is free and so is my book.

John 12:36 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.
With these powerful words Jesus ended this encounter with the crowd. All of a sudden, the Light disappeared. Lest we miss it, let’s remember that the crowd thinks of themselves as sons of the Law and that the Law is the light. They asked about the Law in vs 34. Jesus was calling them to Himself, the true light. John made this point in the intro to his gospel when he wrote in John 1:9-13. “There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” Have you received the Light? Living to love with Jesus is to believe, receive, and walk in the true Light.

John 12:35 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."
Jesus was to be among them for only a little while longer. He wants them to see where they are going and knows that once the light is gone from them, the darkness will overtake them and they won’t be able to see where they are walking. The reason I say so often, live to love with Jesus is this: to live is to walk. To live to love with Jesus is to walk in the Light of His life. When you live or walk in the light of His love, you know where you are. You are in God’s will, and you know where you are going. You are going to live with Him forever. You either live to love with Jesus or you stumble in the darkness. Can you see where you are going or are you stumbling around in the darkness trying to find your way in this world?

John 12:34 The crowd then answered Him, "We have heard out of the Law that the Christ is to remain forever; and how can You say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up?' Who is this Son of Man?"
The crowd must have understood that Jesus was identifying as the Christ. The disciples certainly knew it but had been told to tell no one. Matthew 16:20 “Then He warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ.” The same crowd that said they heard thunder when God spoke, expressed confusion over how the Christ, the Son of Man, could be crucified. Their understanding was that He was to live forever. The disciples thought the same. So the question was and still is. How does one die, yet live forever? The answer: Jesus is the resurrection and the life. To live to love with Jesus we must be convinced that we must die to (we must hate) our lives in this world in order to experience Jesus’ resurrection life which pours Himself out in love.

John 12:32-33. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself." But He was saying this to indicate the kind of death by which He was to die.
It’s like Jesus had been sitting in the secret council chambers of the Pharisees. He knew their plans, but unbeknownst to them, He would accomplish the very thing they were trying to prevent, namely, the whole world going after Him (12:19). They would kill Jesus by crucifying Him, and He would literally draw all—Greeks and Jews alike—to Himself. Remember, this conversation was initiated when the Greeks wanted to see Jesus. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Jesus we worship you and have been drawn to you because you were lifted up for us so we might know and express Your love. Glory be to God.