We will be spending each day in the month of July reading a portion of the book of John. Read the scripture text for the day and then share a comment about it in the comments section. We look forward to interacting with one another as we allow the Word of God to speak to us.
3 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. 9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? 10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? 11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? 13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
Verse 19 talks about how the world loved darkness more than the light because their actions were evil. This encourages me to produce actions that prove my love for the Lord, and not because I have to, but because I love him and want to live in the fullness of his light.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Sometimes as christians we read John3:16, but we forget about verse 17. Jesus was not sent to condemn the world, yet we sometimes have thy mindset in our actions and thinking. We must follow the example of Christ and love them to show them the truth that will save them.
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
I didn’t exactly remember why Moses lifted up
The serpent in the wilderness, after refreshing myself I get it! Moses lifted up the serpent for all who got bitten by snakes to look at and why will be saved and healed.. Jesus is lifted up for us to look on Him and be saved!
Believing on Jesus reverses condemnation in our lives. Our belief in Jesus should result in the actions of living for Him.
Nicodemus was a learned man, who knew scripture but there was still much that he did not understand. There was a limit to his knowledge but Nicodemus’ limit did not stop Jesus. There is so much more available to us if we will seek God out and allow Him to speak to us. Jesus spoke of things that Nicodemus could only see after they had been shared with him and we too find that there are things that will only be revealed to us as we spend some time with Jesus.
John 3 probably has one of the most quoted scripture of all time….. verse 16. Yet, before verse 16 was ever penned, there was discourse already ensuing, that was between Jesus and Nicodemus. Nicodemus had already confessed his belief in Christ when he said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs that you do unless God is with him.” Yet Jesus told him “no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.” Believing is a verb, a word that describes action. That action repentance, baptism, (our part) and the infilling of the Holy Spirit (God’s part) takes from darkness to light.
Jesus did not come into this world to condemn us,but to save us. We receive complete forgiveness when we expose our sin to the light. We don’t have to live in darkness when we choose to follow the light.