284: The Unbelief of the People

In today’s Talkin’ Bible, Rohan Bell and Jeff Baxter close out the week by diving into John 12:37–50, a passage that wrestles with unbelief, spiritual blindness, and Jesus’ final public call before the cross. Even after so many signs, many still would not believe — but why?

Rohan and Jeff unpack the tension between human stubbornness and God’s sovereignty, the connection to Isaiah’s vision of God’s glory, and the challenge of living boldly for Christ when fear and pressure tempt us to hide our faith.

👀 In this episode, you’ll hear…

✅ 🔎 Why miraculous signs don’t guarantee belief — and how pride can blind us

✅ 📖 How John ties Jesus to Isaiah’s throne-room vision (Isaiah 6) as divine glory revealed

✅ 💡 Why God “blinding” hearts can actually be an act of grace, not cruelty

✅ ✝️ How unbelief led Jesus to the cross — the place of ultimate glory

✅ 🙋‍♂️ Honest reflections on times we’ve hidden our faith out of fear

✅ 📢 Jesus’ final public cry: I came not to judge the world, but to save it

✅ 🔑 Why obedience means speaking God’s words, not just our own

✅ 🌱 How transformation usually happens incrementally — small daily deposits of Scripture, worship, and community

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 – Intro & reading John 12:37–50

02:20 – Why unbelief persisted despite the signs

04:20 – The “Book of Signs” and its conclusion

05:40 – Is God the one hardening hearts? Pharaoh, Isaiah, and grace explained

08:00 – The glory of Jesus: cross and throne

10:15 – Isaiah’s vision and John’s Trinitarian claim

14:30 – Secret believers: loving human praise more than God’s

16:30 – Jesus cries out: not to judge, but to save

19:00 – Speaking only what the Father says: obedience & Scripture lens

21:00 – The slow, incremental shaping of a biblical worldview

23:40 – Encouragement: keep looking for “a little bit of Jesus” each day

🙋‍♀️ Reflection & Application

It’s easy to judge those who rejected Jesus, but John challenges us to examine our own hearts: Do we sometimes prefer human approval over God’s? Do we let pride, fear, or busyness blind us to truth? The invitation remains: believe, follow, and let His word shape you day by day.

💬 Question for you: Where are you tempted to hide your faith, and how can you courageously confess Christ this week?

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