How Can This Be?!?

John 3:1-21

“Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.’” John 3:3

“Nicodemus’ problem was not only a lack of understanding of the new birth, but the difficulties of severing the ties of his old life.” Passages that bother us aren’t the ones we don’t understand but the ones we do understand and aren’t obeying.

One night a man named Nicodemus sought Jesus out to talk with Him. Nicodemus was a very prominent leader in Israel. He was a Pharisee, a member of the most deeply religious group in all Jerusalem. Pharisees were strict keepers of the law and were deeply committed to the idea that salvation was gained by keeping the law. He was a member of the Jewish governing body, the Sanhedrin. Jesus called him “Israel’s teacher”, indicating that he was a trained theologian. He was a VIP in the religious world, a man of recognition, influence, and piety. If anyone could have had a right standing with God on worldly terms, it would have been Nicodemus.

Why did Nicodemus come to see Jesus at night? Most likely he did not want to be seen. Some of his fellow members of the Sanhedrin disliked Jesus. Also, Jesus was usually surrounded by people during the day, and Nicodemus wanted a private audience with Jesus. Most of Jesus’ days were very full, and He was probably tired, but He took time to talk with Nicodemus. Jesus always took time for people, and so should we. Once we commit ourselves fully to God, we are on call 24/7/365.

Nicodemus treated Jesus with great respect, calling Him “Rabbi” and “Teacher”. Jesus was not a seminary graduate, nor was He from the priestly tribe of Levi. He was unknown among the respected Jews of Judea. He was just a carpenter from Nazareth so far as His earthly credentials. Pastor Search Committees would probably have overlooked Jesus and hired Nicodemus. But Jesus’ credentials came from God, not man, and Nicodemus recognized that.

Jesus answered a question that Nicodemus had not asked, when He told His visitor, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” Sometimes we don’t even know the questions, but God has the answers for us anyway.

Jesus and Nicodemus were having a discussion on two different levels of understanding. Nicodemus was talking about physical birth, while Jesus was discussing the necessity of spiritual birth. Jesus told Nicodemus, “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to Spirit.” John 3:6. From our fleshly birth, we are born two thirds alive--physically and mentally--but we lack spiritual life. In order to have spiritual life, we must have a spiritual birth. That means none of our accomplishments by self effort amount to anything in God’s kingdom. In order to belong to God, we must have new life from a new birth. John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

We don’t know for sure whether or not Nicodemus was born spiritually but he defended Jesus when the Pharisees wanted to arrest him, and he helped Joseph of Arimathea prepare Jesus’ body for burial. James says we reveal our faith by our actions.

Father, how I thank You for spiritual birth and the hope of heaven. Amen.

What Is Hindering Your Worship Today?

John 2:12-25

“My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” from Mark 11:17

Do you know of any practices in the church today that might hinder non-Christians from coming to know God? Are there any practices in our lives that need to be cleaned out that might keep someone from wanting to accept Christ?

James Hoover, in his study book on Mark, wrote, “The trouble with righteous anger is that it is so much easier to be angry than righteous. But it is possible to be both.” And we know that Jesus was both as He cleansed the temple court.

There is an account of Jesus cleansing the temple at the beginning of His ministry in the gospel of John. The three synoptic gospels tell about this event, but they all place it during Passion Week. There are different opinions as to whether there were two different cleansings or whether John was referring to this incident in Mark. There is also a difference of opinion as to whether the cleansing took place the day Jesus arrived in Jerusalem or on the following day.

This is what happened. The temple area mentioned was the outer court of the temple, the court of the Gentiles. This was the only place in the temple where Gentiles were allowed to go and worship. Two things were going on which caused a bazaar type atmosphere in this area. Pilgrims coming to the Passover needed animals that were acceptable as sacrifices. It would have been difficult for them to bring these animals along on their journey to Jerusalem. Also, their animals might have been rejected by the priests as unacceptable. So proper sacrificial animals were sold for the convenience of the worshipers.

Second, the annual temple tax, which all Jewish males were required to pay, could not be paid in Roman money but had to be paid in a special coin which most Jews would not have. So money changers were set up in the Court of the Gentiles. These services were needed for worshipers from out of town, but they could have easily been provided at another place in the city. The priests profited financially from these transactions. They had allowed this area of the temple to become a noisy, smelly marketplace. The atmosphere of worship had been destroyed. The sanctity of the temple area had been desecrated.

Jesus cleaned house. He drove out the people who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers. I can imagine coins flying everywhere. He drove out the sheep, cattle, and doves. He cleaned out everything that was a hindrance to worship.

If we know of anything that is a hindrance to worship in our lives or churches, we should be as forceful and as thorough as Jesus was in getting rid of all such things.

Father, may I follow the example of Your Son Jesus and get rid of anything in my heart or my surrounding that hinders me from worshiping You. Amen.

Is the Best Yet to Come?

John 2:1-12

“What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.” John 2:11

After His baptism and the temptation in the wilderness, Jesus began to gather some men who would follow Him and learn from Him. He called this group of men His disciples. He and His disciples were invited to a wedding in Cana of Galilee. His mother Mary attended the wedding also.

The host ran out of wine to serve his guests. This must have been an embarrassing and distressing situation for the host.

Probably Mary’s husband Joseph was dead by now, because Mary went to her oldest son with the problem. Jesus’ answer to Mary seems a bit harsh. He said, “Woman, why do you involve me? My hour has not yet come.” Some commentaries suggest that Jesus and Mary may have been related to the host, so Mary felt a sense of obligation for them to help him out. That’s just speculation. I wonder if Mary went to Jesus because she had seen some evidences of Jesus’ miraculous power as He grew up. Jesus may have been telling His mother not to interfere with God’s timetable for His life. We don’t know. But we do know that Mary was not discouraged by Jesus’ answer because she went to the servants and told them to obey whatever Jesus told them to do.

Sitting in the house were six jars large enough to hold from twenty to thirty gallons apiece. Jesus told the servants to fill them with water, and the servants filled each one to the very top. Then Jesus instructed the servants to pour up some of the water and take it to the master of the banquet (the person we would call the caterer today). Imagine what the servants must have thought. Why are we taking him a glass of water? But they obeyed Jesus and discovered that the water had been turned into wine. There is a lesson here for us. When Jesus instructs us to do something we don’t understand--through God’s Word or the urging of the Holy Spirit or circumstances--we need to obey anyway. He knows what He is doing through us, and that’s all we need to know.

It was customary to serve the best wine a person had to offer first, and, after some time had elapsed and some wine had been drunk, the less expensive wine was brought out. But when the master of the banquet tasted the wine that been water, he pronounced it better than the wine served at first. When Jesus touches anything in our lives, He can make it better.

Jesus didn’t turn the water into wine just to help out at the wedding. He was beginning to show the disciples that He was no ordinary man but God in the flesh. Jesus’ miracles were a major credential showing He was who He claimed to be.

Father, when we realize that You want us to perform some specific task, may we be as obedient to You as the servants were to Jesus, obeying without question. Amen.