THEY COULD NOT BELIEVE / JOHN 12:39-40

START YOUR DAY RIGHT DAILY DEVOTION

(KJV) John 12:39-40

Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, ⁴⁰ He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.

Choosing Sight or Blindness: Understanding John 12:39–40

We often think of belief as something that just happens to us—a feeling that washes over us when we see enough evidence. But the Gospel of John reveals a sobering truth: belief is deeply tied to the condition of our hearts.

In John 12:39–40, we encounter a tragic moment in Jesus’ ministry. Despite witnessing countless miracles, many people simply could not believe. John points back to the words of the prophet Isaiah to explain why:

“Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again: ‘He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, lest they should see with their eyes, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.'”

The Danger of a Closed Mind

The people of Jesus’ day could not believe because their own views and preconceived ideas about the Messiah closed their minds and hearts to God’s true purpose. They had a specific blueprint for how the Messiah should act and look. When Jesus didn’t fit their political or social expectations, they chose to look the other way.

In other words, they chose not to see what God had clearly revealed right in front of them.

This reminds us that the message of Christ is never neutral. It demands a decision, and it will always bring change to those who hear it—even to those who refuse to accept it. The gospel acts like the sun: it softens the hearts of those who are receptive, but it hardens the hearts of those who resist. When we repeatedly choose our own ways over God’s truth, our hearts naturally become more resistant and calloused.

Hardness is Not the Final Answer

We see this theme throughout Scripture. The Apostle Paul notes that many in Israel were cut off from their relationship with God because of their unbelief (Romans 11:20), echoing the warnings of the Old Testament to not harden our hearts as in the wilderness (Psalms 95:8, Hebrews 3:8).

But thank God, spiritual hardening does not have to be permanent.

God’s mercy always leaves the door open. Jesus promised that anyone who turns, accepts Him, and follows Him will receive eternal life (John 12:44–50). We see the beautiful fulfillment of this truth just a few chapters later on the Day of Pentecost. After the Holy Spirit fell and the Word of God was preached with boldness, thousands of the very people who had resisted Jesus were “cut to the heart” and believed (Acts 2:41).

If you feel like your heart has grown cold or heavy with doubt, remember that it is never too late to turn back to the One who heals. God can take a heart of stone and transform it into a heart of flesh. The choice is ours: will we protect our own views, or will we open our eyes to see the Savior?

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, we come before You today asking for the grace to maintain a soft and receptive heart. Forgive us for the times we have allowed our own pride, expectations, or stubbornness to blind us to Your truth. Lord, remove any spiritual cataracts from our eyes. Do not let us become calloused to Your voice or resistant to Your Spirit.

We pray for those around us who are currently wrestling with unbelief. We ask that You break through the hardness of their hearts with Your overwhelming love and truth, just as You did on the day of Pentecost. Give us the courage to speak Your Word boldly, and give us minds that are always ready to receive You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Some of our Post That Might Interest You, All Out of the Current Book / Chapter

1. DRAW ALL MEN TO MYSELF / JOHN 12:32
2. PRINCE OF THIS WORLD WILL BE DRIVEN OUT / JOHN 12:31
3. WHOEVER SERVES ME / JOHN 12:26
4. HATES HIS LIFE IN THIS WORLD / JOHN 12:25
5. SON OF MAN GLORIFIED / JOHN 12:23-24
6. SHOUTING HOSANNA / JOHN 12:13
7. THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY / JOHN 12:12
8. MARY POURED IT ON JESUS’ FEET / JOHN 12:3
9. FOR THE SCATTERED CHILDREN OF GOD / JOHN 11:51-52
10. THE DEAD MAN CAME OUT / JOHN 11:44
11. JESUS WEPT / JOHN 11:35
12. DEEPLY MOVED IN SPIRIT / JOHN 11:33
13. I BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE THE CHRIST / JOHN 11:27
14. I AM THE RESURRECTION / JOHN 11:25-26
15. STAYED WHERE HE WAS TWO MORE DAYS / JOHN 11:6
16. JESUS LOVED MARTHA AND HER SISTER AND LAZARUS / JOHN 11:5
17. SICKNESS FOR GOD’S GLORY / JOHN 11:4
18. YOU ARE GODS? / JOHN 10:34
19. THEY SHALL NEVER PERISH / JOHN 10:28
20. MY SHEEP LISTEN TO MY VOICE / JOHN 10:27
21. I KNOW MY SHEEP / JOHN 10:14-15
22. I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD / JOHN 10:11
23. THE THIEF COMES … I HAVE COME / JOHN 10:10
24. I AM THE GATE / JOHN 10:9
25. JESUS THE GOOD SHEPHERD / JOHN 10:1
26. THOSE WHO SEE WILL BECOME BLIND / JOHN 9:39
27. THEY THREW HIM OUT / JOHN 9:34
28. WORK OF GOD MIGHT BE DISPLAYED / JOHN 9:3
29. BEFORE ABRAHAM WAS BORN, I AM / JOHN 8:58
30. WILL NEVER SEE DEATH / JOHN 8:51
31. HE IS A LIAR AND THE FATHER OF LIES / JOHN 8:44
32. IF GOD WERE YOUR FATHER / JOHN 8:42
33. YOU WILL BE FREE INDEED / JOHN 8:36
34. EVERYONE WHO SINS / JOHN 8:34
35. THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE / JOHN 8:32
36. IF YOU HOLD TO MY TEACHING / JOHN 8:31
37. I PASS JUDGMENT ON NO ONE / JOHN 8:15
38. I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD / JOHN 8:12
39. NEITHER DO I CONDEMN YOU / JOHN 8:11
40. IF ANY ONE OF YOU IS WITHOUT SIN / JOHN 8:7
41. JESUS HAD NOT YET BEEN GLORIFIED / JOHN 7:39
42. AS THE SCRIPTURE HAS SAID – STREAMS OF LIVING WATER / JOHN 7:38
43. GAIN HONOR FOR HIMSELF / JOHN 7:18
44. IF ANYONE CHOOSES TO DO GOD’S WILL / JOHN 7:17
45. IT HATES ME / JOHN 7:6-7
46. FEAST OF TABERNACLES / JOHN 7:2-3
47. JESUS HAD KNOWN FROM THE BEGINNING / JOHN 6:64
48. EATS MY FLESH AND DRINKS MY BLOOD / JOHN 6:54
49. THE FATHER … DRAWS HIM / JOHN 6:44
50. MY FATHER’S WILL / JOHN 6:40
51. I WILL NEVER DRIVE AWAY / JOHN 6:37
52. I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE / JOHN 6:35
53. DON’T BE AFRAID / JOHN 6:20
54. JESUS PRAYS ALONE / JOHN 6:15
55. THE FEEDING OF THE FIVE THOUSAND /JOHN 6:7
56. MIRACLES / JOHN 6:1-2
57. DO NOT BELIEVE WHAT HE WROTE / JOHN 5:47
58. ACCEPT PRAISE FROM ONE ANOTHER / JOHN 5:44
59. YOU DILIGENTLY STUDY / JOHN 5:39-40
60. YOU HAVE SENT JOHN / John 5:33
61. THOSE WHO HAVE DONE GOOD – RISE TO LIVE – THOSE WHO HAVE DONE EVIL / JOHN 5:29
62. HAS GRANTED THE SON TO HAVE LIFE IN HIMSELF / JOHN 5:26
63. HEARS … BELIEVES / JOHN 5:24
64. MAKING HIMSELF EQUAL WITH GOD / JOHN 5:18-24
65. PERSECUTED HIM / JOHN 5:16
66. STOP SINNING / JOHN 5:14
67. THE MAN WAS CURED / JOHN 5:9-10
68. THIRTY-EIGHT YEARS / JOHN 5:5
69. SIGNS AND WONDERS / JOHN 4:48
70. CROP FOR ETERNAL LIFE / JOHN 4:36
71. LOOK AT THE FIELDS / JOHN 4:35
72. SURPRISED TO FIND HIM TALKING WITH A WOMAN / JOHN 4:27
73. TRUTH / JOHN 4:24
74. WORSHIP … IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH / JOHN 4:23-24
75. SAMARITANS WORSHIP WHAT YOU DO NOT KNOW / JOHN 4:22
76. WATER … ETERNAL LIFE / JOHN 4:14
77. SAMARITAN WOMAN / JOHN 4:7
78. WHOEVER REJECTS / JOHN 3:36
79. GIVES THE SPIRIT WITHOUT LIMIT / JOHN 3:34
80. LOVED DARKNESS INSTEAD OF LIGHT / JOHN 3:19
81. GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD /JOHN 3:16
82. JUST AS MOSES LIFTED UP THE SNAKE / JOHN 3:14-15
83. THE WIND … THE SPIRIT / JOHN 3:8
84. BORN OF WATER / JOHN 3:5
85. BORN AGAIN / JOHN 3:3
86. TEMPLE / JOHN 2:19
87. DROVE ALL FROM THE TEMPLE AREA / JOHN 2:15
88. SIGNS / JOHN 2:11
89. CHOICE WINE – HAD TOO MUCH TO DRINK / JOHN 2:10
90. WINE – THEY HAVE NO MORE WINE / JOHN 2:3
91. YOU SHALL SEE HEAVEN OPEN / JOHN 1:51
92. CEPHAS … PETER / JOHN 1:42
93. THE FIRST THING ANDREW DID / JOHN 1:41
94. THE TENTH HOUR /JOHN 1:39
95. WILL BAPTIZE WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT / JOHN 1:33
96. LAMB OF GOD / JOHN 1:29
97. PHARISEES / JOHN 1:24
98. GRACE AND TRUTH / JOHN 1:17
99. THE WORD BECAME FLESH / JOHN 1:14
100. BORN NOT OF … HUMAN DECISION / JOHN 1:13
101. RECEIVED … BELIEVED / JOHN 1:12
102. THE WORLD DID NOT RECOGNIZE HIM / JOHN 1:10
103. GIVES LIGHT TO EVERY MAN / JOHN 1:9
104. HIS NAME WAS JOHN / JOHN 1:6
105. LIGHT SHINES IN THE DARKNESS / JOHN 1:5
106. LIFE WAS THE LIGHT OF MEN / JOHN 1:4
107. WITH GOD IN THE BEGINNING / JOHN 1:2
108. THE WORD / JOHN 1:1
109. CREWS N AWAY: ANCHORED IN GRACE

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Blessings, Margarita & Stace