For Your Benefit

John 12:27-30 (NIV)
²⁷ "Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.
²⁸ Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again."
²⁹ The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.
³⁰ Jesus said, "This voice was for your benefit, not mine.

Some things never change. Jesus confirms God’s voice from heaven and that it came for the benefit of those around Him. What a wondrous and awesome event to witness. Yet the crowd does not get it. They do not recognize the voice. Many say it was just thunder. Others do perceive a voice but don’t understand it. I wonder how many actually heard the words and knew who was speaking.

Many today only accept an explanation of creation, of life and death, which fits within their perception of the natural and what makes sense to them. No room is given for God. No credence is given for anything outside self and man.

The most awesome act of Jesus overcoming death, His resurrection by God and the gift of life for those who choose to accept this grace, is viewed by many as so much noise. Just as the crowd then said those words from heaven were only thunder, the crowd today will tell us this story of resurrection is a myth.

When God speaks do we hear Him? Are we at times so dull or worn down that we are only aware of thunder?

Jesus said, "This voice was for your benefit, not mine.