“For God So Loved the World”

 

BIBLE READING: John 3-4


“You must be born again!” When Nicodemus, one of the Jewish leaders, comes to Jesus by night, perhaps because he is afraid to show his belief in Jesus openly,  he is met with a startling statement: To follow Jesus he had to be born again.

The Bible describes humanity as stiffened in a spiritual state that is like death (Eph. 2:1-4). Nothing we can do, no good deeds we perform, can change this reality. What each of us needs is an infusion of spiritual life. Jesus states in these verses, that there are two births: flesh can only give birth to flesh, The Spirit must give birth to spirit. “Water” in verse 5 refers to the bag of water that breaks to mark the entry of an infant into the world. The presence of the Holy Spirit marks birth into God’s kingdom. To show that God can give new and eternal life “to everyone who believes” in Jesus his son, Jesus reminds Nicodemus, a student of the Old Testament, of the lifting up of the bronze serpent in Numbers 21:4-9. Those who trusted in God’s word and looked up at the stake were released from the danger of death.  Jesus would soon be lifted up on the Cross so as to provide spiritual life to all who had been “born again.” John emphasizes this truth through one of the most recognized verses in the Bible. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16). 

In the last part of chapter 3, verses 22-36, we read of John the Baptizers joy as his followers begin to turn from following him to following Jesus. John is a true example of understanding his role in God’s scheme of redemption. There was no jealously, no hurt feelings, just a smooth transition as he fulfils his mission in the life of Jesus.

In chapter 4 we read about what is sometimes called “the model personal evangelism story” in the Bible. On his way to Galilee, Jesus goes through the country of Samaria, which had been ostracized from Judea since the return of the 10 tribes from Assyrian bondage. While in bondage, many of the people intermarried with the Assyrians and adopted many of their pagan gods. The conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman about the proper place to worship God illustrates this fact. Jesus sets up the questioning by talking with her about “living water.” In the conversation we see how we can talk to a sinner but, but not be repelled by their sinful condition. (4:15-18). Jesus affirms that the Samaritans are wrong by worshipping in the mountains, but the more important thing to God is the “true worshippers” who will worship God in spirit and in truth. (21-22).

The woman is so impressed by the conversation with Jesus, that she rushes to find her friends and let them know about her encounter with Jesus, which leads many of them to affirm, ”we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”

In the last part of the chapter, we see the true purpose of the miracles, as Jesus refuses to perform a miracle, for show, but will act for a human need.

 

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