Scripture to Read: John 4:43–45
Jesus returned with His disciples to His hometown of Galilee after being in Samaria. We read in John 4:45, So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things that He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they themselves also went to the feast. The only reason the Galileans received Jesus was because they had seen His miracles at the feast—sad but true—sometimes familiarity can blind us to God’s Truth and we end up missing what our Lord is trying to teach us. Jesus even said in Mark 6:4, “…A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own household.” The people who knew Jesus as He was growing up had difficulty believing Him to be the Messiah. Even His half-brother, James, who wrote the Book of James, did not come to know Christ as his Lord until after Jesus had ascended into heaven. We should never be surprised at the unbelief in people. The god of this world is actively working to keep people in the dark when it comes to Christ and His Word. God’s Word tells us in 2 Corinthians 4:3–4, And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.—that’s why we must let the light of Christ shine through us.
Challenge & Application
• What are some reasons that people don’t believe that Jesus is the Messiah?
• What must we do to help others see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!