May 21, 2018 Monday

““Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. “If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? “No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, “that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:11-17 NKJV)

            Nicodemus is a scholar and a leader of Israel but the teachings of Jesus leave him confused and this confusion about earthly things cuts him off from understanding heavenly things.  Some in the Church are either like Nicodemus or even worse.

            Without prayer we cannot keep our relationship with God growing and alive, without studying the Bible we cannot get to know God, and the Bible keeps our prayers and our teaching about God correct and growing.

            Jesus having lived in both the world and heaven can guide us to a true understanding of both and how they interact.  Every teaching of Jesus helps us grow to know who we are and who we can be, how forgiveness bridges the gap between earth and heaven and how we can know about God and also know God!

            The teaching of Jesus does not just connect heaven and earth but also the Old and New Testaments.  As the people of Israel were dying of snake bites because of their sin Moses made a pole with a serpent on it and all who looked at it would be healed.  This symbol is used for the medical profession even today.

            As Jesus was lifted on the cross all who look at Jesus will be healed from their sin and receive eternal life.  Eternal life is more than living forever, it is living NOW!  Eternal life is moving beyond just existing to life which is abundant and free!  Eternal life is wrestling with sin rather than allowing it to destroy us by keeping us from Jesus who is life!

            A person in one of the congregations I served said while most people love John 3:16 he loved John 3:17.  We do celebrate the great love of God who was willing to die so we could have life but we also celebrate the God who came not to condemn us but to save us!

This is a God worth serving and loving!

            When you have a question do you like Nicodemus ask God for an answer?  When you get an answer do you receive it and make it part of your relationship with God?

(This week has been hard and I have fallen behind so much.  My mind has been so fuzzy so putting thoughts together has been so difficult.)