A light shines in the darkness
Mark Landrum serving in Sydney
One of the biggest obstacles to Jewish people coming to faith in Jesus as their Messiah is the high social cost to pay. New Jewish believers do not expect to hear ‘Mazel Tov’ when they tell their families they now believe Jesus is the Messiah. In fact, many hold off for some time before sharing this news with their family due to the expected reprisals.
I meet regularly with Michael, a Jewish man, in a local Sydney café. There, we eat Israeli food together and talk about life and God.
Recently, I asked him about what was keeping him from receiving Jesus as his Messiah; was it what his wife or parents would think? These are often major issues that keep Jewish people from coming to faith, even if their parents or grandparents are no longer alive, so I was glad to hear him express very clearly that this would not stop him from receiving Messiah.
Michael always listens attentively as I share the Good News with him. He has a good understanding of the gospel and can clearly articulate it, but has not arrived at the point where he has taken the message to heart. It is only an intellectual understanding. He is also influenced by unbiblical New Age philosophies, which can be an obstacle.
At a recent meeting, we were talking about various difficulties and trials going on in Michael’s life. I decided to steer the conversation to a more uplifting topic, so we turned to the passage of Scripture I had prepared to read with Michael.
It was John chapter 1, focusing on verses 4 and 5, which say:
‘In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.’
Michael closed his eyes, as he often does to enhance his focus when I read the Scriptures out loud with him. At that moment, a light suddenly beamed straight through the café window and caught Michael’s face.
The timing of the flashes of light coincided with me reading: "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."
As we arrived at verse 14 – which explains that the light being referred to is Jesus – Michael expressed his sincere appreciation for the passage. I am looking forward to telling Michael more about Jesus, the Light of the World, as we continue to meet.
Please pray that Michael will reject the unbiblical spiritual philosophies he holds to and will encounter Jesus – the true Light of the World – as I continue to share the Good News with him.