From Dream to Deliverance
Wednesday, October 6, 2004
My Prayer Today
Heavenly Father, Thank You for making the truth of the Gospel so simple that a child may receive it, and yet so complex that a great religious leader of the Jews was unable to understand it! Thank You for “leveling the playing field” when it comes to salvation, and making all of us equal at the foot of the cross. I pray that as I go about this day that Your Holy Spirit will lead and guide my every thought, word and action. Speak through me to others, and use me to encourage those who are down, and to challenge those who are slacking in their faith. These things I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
God's Word For Me Today
John 3:1-21
1After dark one evening, a Jewish religious leader named Nicodemus, a Pharisee, 2came to speak with Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are proof enough that God is with you.”
3Jesus replied, “I assure you, unless you are born again, you can never see the Kingdom of God.”
4“What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”
5Jesus replied, “The truth is, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 6Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven. 7So don’t be surprised at my statement that you must be born again. 8Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”
9“What do you mean?” Nicodemus asked.
10Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things? 11I assure you, I am telling you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe us. 12But if you don’t even believe me when I tell you about things that happen here on earth, how can you possibly believe if I tell you what is going on in heaven? 13For only I, the Son of Man, have come to earth and will return to heaven again. 14And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so I, the Son of Man, must be lifted up on a pole, 15so that everyone who believes in me will have eternal life.
16“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.
18“There is no judgment awaiting those who trust him. But those who do not trust him have already been judged for not believing in the only Son of God. 19Their judgment is based on this fact: The light from heaven came into the world, but they loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. 20They hate the light because they want to sin in the darkness. They stay away from the light for fear their sins will be exposed and they will be punished. 21But those who do what is right come to the light gladly, so everyone can see that they are doing what God wants.”
Reflecting on God’s Word
What does today’s interaction between Jesus and Nicodemus tell us about the value of “titles” when it comes to spiritual maturity?
A Deeper Exploration of God’s Word
How did Nicodemus respond to Jesus explanation of what it means to be born again? (3:9)
What did Jesus do to try to help Nicodemus understand? (3:10-15)
Understanding God’s Word
What does Jesus say must happen in order for everyone to be able to receive eternal life?
Applying God’s Word to Our Lives
What is the most important application of today’s Scripture for your life right now?
Thoughts...Jesus Being "Lifted Up"...
Nicodemus couldn’t understand Jesus’ teaching on being born again, so Jesus moved to the “next level,” as it were, telling Nicodemus about Jesus’ impending crucifixion. Jesus compared His death on the cross to the pole that Moses raised up in the wilderness to bring a cure to those who had been bitten by poisonous snakes. Jesus wanted Nicodemus to realize that being born again takes place THROUGH Jesus. He is the one who makes the new birth possible. As we seek to live meaningful purpose-filled lives we must always remember that such lives start and end with JESUS! He alone is the source of life-and eternal life!