The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 3:14-15,
"Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him."
"Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him."
Jesus' reference to Moses lifting up a snake in the wilderness is an account found in Numbers 21:4-9, where God sent poisonous snakes among the rebellious Israelites. When they repented, the Lord had Moses make a bronze snake, lift it up on a pole and anyone who looked at it would live if they had been bitten. Those who looked to the snake would do so if they believed in what the Lord had said. The account is a type of the saving ministry of Jesus Christ.
When approached by Nicodemus, a member of the Sanhedrin in Israel and one of Israel's esteemed teachers of the law, Jesus told him that no one could see God's kingdom unless he was born again. When Nicodemus asked Jesus how it would be possible for a man to be born a second time, he told him about the second birth, a birth from above brought about by the Holy Spirit, "Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." John 3:3-6.
Five times in this chapter we read of the need for faith, for believing in Jesus for this second birth to take place in a person's life. Three times in his conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus spoke of the need for faith, "everyone who believes may have eternal life", verse 15, "whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life", verse 16, "Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son", verse 18. Later, John the Baptist told his disciples, "The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful", verses 31-32 and "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on them." Verse 36.
Clearly, the emphasis in this chapter of John's gospel is that eternal life is available to all and that life comes only by embracing Jesus Christ in faith. The writer of Hebrews tells us, "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for." Hebrews 11:1-2. Just like them, we can have eternal life by placing our faith and trust in him.
When approached by Nicodemus, a member of the Sanhedrin in Israel and one of Israel's esteemed teachers of the law, Jesus told him that no one could see God's kingdom unless he was born again. When Nicodemus asked Jesus how it would be possible for a man to be born a second time, he told him about the second birth, a birth from above brought about by the Holy Spirit, "Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." John 3:3-6.
Five times in this chapter we read of the need for faith, for believing in Jesus for this second birth to take place in a person's life. Three times in his conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus spoke of the need for faith, "everyone who believes may have eternal life", verse 15, "whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life", verse 16, "Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son", verse 18. Later, John the Baptist told his disciples, "The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful", verses 31-32 and "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on them." Verse 36.
Clearly, the emphasis in this chapter of John's gospel is that eternal life is available to all and that life comes only by embracing Jesus Christ in faith. The writer of Hebrews tells us, "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for." Hebrews 11:1-2. Just like them, we can have eternal life by placing our faith and trust in him.
What is there to hold us back? Rejecting the Son of God is a choice of faith as well. We either believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God and God raised him from the dead, or we don't believe Jesus Christ was the Son of God and that God raised him from the dead. Faith is expressed either way.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
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