Monday, August 24, 2009

John 3:1-18 – Stumping the Teacher

One night, Nic, a leader in the church, came to Jesus with a burning question. But, because he felt ashamed to visit someone like Jesus, he came at night, when he would not be noticed.
“Teacher,” he said, “we know you are someone important who has come from God, because if you hadn’t come from God, you would not be able to do the great things you do.”
“Let’s cut to the chase,” Jesus said, “If you want to live forever with God, you must start life over again.”
“What the heck? Be born again? How do you do that? I’m a big boy now and I’m not getting any younger like Benjamin Button!”
“Again, if you want to live forever with God, you must start life over again with God. Moms and Dads make babies, yes, but the Holy Spirit makes Spirit. The wind blows wherever it wants to and you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. The Wind of the Spirit blows them where He wants them to go. That’s what it’s like for those who have the Spirit in them.”
“This makes no sense, whatsoever!”
“Well it should. You are Israel’s teacher, right? Listen carefully. I'm speaking sober truth to you. Truth is all I talk about, and it is all reliable. So why do you continue asking questions instead of believing? If I tell you things that are plain as the hand before your face and you don't believe me, what use is there in telling you of things you can't see, the things of God? No one has gone to Heaven and back again except Me. Just as our ancestor Moses lifted up that snake in front of the Israelites so many generations ago, I also must be lifted up so that those who see and believe may live forever. God loves our world so much that he is giving me to it, so that those who believe will not die, but live forever. Nobody else needs to die, you know, and those who believe in Me won’t. God didn’t go through all this trouble so He could point an accusing finger at the world, He came to help put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; but anyone who doesn’t, isn’t. And anyone who has the chance to believe in Him should.

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