1 Samuel 2:22-3:18; John 5:19-23; Psalms 106:1-2; Proverbs 23:6-8

OT: “The boy Samuel served the Lord in Eli’s presence. In those days the word of the Lord was rare and prophetic visions were not widespread. One day Eli, whose eyesight was failing, was lying in his usual place. Before the lamp of God had gone out, Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was located. Then the Lord called Samuel, and he answered, “Here I am.” He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” “I didn’t call,” Eli replied. “Go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down. Once again the Lord called, “Samuel!” Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am; you called me.” “I didn’t call, my son,” he replied. “Go back and lie down.” Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, because the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. Once again, for the third time, the Lord called Samuel. He got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli understood that the Lord was calling the boy. He told Samuel, “Go and lie down. If he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The Lord came, stood there, and called as before, “Samuel, Samuel!” Samuel responded, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” The Lord said to Samuel, “I am about to do something in Israel that will cause everyone who hears about it to shudder.”” (‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭3:1-11‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

The days when Samuel grew up were a dark time spiritually in Israel. Eli’s sons (the heirs to the priesthood) were disdaining the ways of the Lord and making a mockery of the priesthood. They were taking the best of the offerings and getting fat off of what belonged to the Lord. They were also sleeping with the  female attendants of the tabernacle. The word of the Lord was rare, for why would the Lord speak if no one wanted to listen and obey. However, there was a boy serving in the tabernacle that had been given to the Lord’s service by a gracious and grateful mother who had been heard by God. Samuel’s entire life, from the time he was weaned, had been dedicated to serving the Lord – and now that Samuel was old enough, the Lord began speaking to his open and attentive ears. Three times, the Lord called to Samuel in the middle of the night – but Samuel had never heard the voice of the Lord and assumed it was Eli, the only other person in the room. Thankfully, Eli had enough discernment left to realize that it was the Lord who was calling – so he instructed Samuel and went back to sleep. The Lord called Samuel a forth time, and this time Samuel knew Who it was and listened to the word of the Lord. It is not God’s desire to withhold His voice, but He will not waste His words on someone who is not willing to listen. However, if you open your inner ear and make yourself available, the Lord will speak to His servants who are listening, no matter who you are.

NT: “Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, the Son is not able to do anything on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, the Son likewise does these things. For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing, and he will show him greater works than these so that you will be amazed. And just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so the Son also gives life to whom he wants. The Father, in fact, judges no one but has given all judgment to the Son, so that all people may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.”” (‭‭John‬ ‭5:19-23‬ ‭CSB)

The Pharisees questioned Jesus about why He would defy their laws by healing a man on the Sabbath. This is part of His response. Jesus healed the man on the Sabbath because the Father desired to heal the man on the Sabbath. Jesus didn’t do anything of his own compulsion, but only what the Father desired to do. Jesus was the ultimate example of the listening and attentive servant… and that pleased the Father – so the Father showed Jesus His Son everything that He was doing, for He loved the Son and knew that the Son would honor His will and obey His word. Because Jesus was completely faithful to the Father, the Father held nothing back. The Father’s life flowed through the Son. The Fathers justice would be administered through the Son. Jesus was the exact and perfect expression of everything the Father desired to do. Amazingly, Jesus prayed that the same oneness that He and the Father shared would be shared with us. If we, like Jesus, will be a faithful, listening, and attentive servant, we too can be the expression of the Father through our union with the Son. As the Father gives life through the Son, the Son will give life through us. As the Father administers justice through the Son, the Son will allow us to share in advancing His Kingdom on earth. We just need to be listening, attentive, and faithful disciples of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

1 Samuel 1:24-2:21; John 5:1-18; Psalms 105:37-45; Proverbs 23:4-5

NT: “After this, a Jewish festival took place, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. By the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem there is a pool, called Bethesda in Aramaic, which has five colonnades. Within these lay a large number of the disabled — blind, lame, and paralyzed — waiting for the moving of the water, because an angel would go down into the pool from time to time and stir up the water. Then the first one who got in after the water was stirred up recovered from whatever ailment he had. One man was there who had been disabled for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and realized he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to get well?” “Sir,” the disabled man answered, “I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I’m coming, someone goes down ahead of me.” “Get up,” Jesus told him, “pick up your mat and walk.” Instantly the man got well, picked up his mat, and started to walk. Now that day was the Sabbath.. Therefore, the Jews began persecuting Jesus because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. Jesus responded to them, “My Father is still working, and I am working also.”” (‭‭John‬ ‭5:1-9, 16-17‬ ‭CSB)

Laying all around the Pool of Bethesda (house of mercy) was a crowd of blind, lame, and paralyzed, waiting for the stirring of the waters with hope that they would be healed. Isaiah 35:3-6 prophesied that the Messiah would strengthen weak hands, steady shaking knees, open blind eyes, unstop deaf ears, cause the mute to sing, and cause the lame to leap like a deer. When Jesus arrived on the scene, He was drawn to one man in particular – a lame man who had been wanting by the waters for healing for thirty-eight years. The lame man was apparently clueless as to who Jesus was… probably because he had spent the past 38 year laying by a pool. When Jesus asked him if he wanted to be healed, not knowing Who was speaking to him, he began to give excuses as to why that was not possible. How often to we do that? God desires to do something great to us or through us, and we give excuses as to why it can’t happen. God isn’t limited by our inability, and neither is His Son. While the lame man was still giving his excuses, Jesus authoritatively said to him, “Get up…” and the man got up and was instantly made well. Jesus didn’t lay hands on him. He didn’t do a song and dance routine or rock back and forth or do anything of the sort. Jesus simply spoke with authority and power. At the sound of Jesus’ word, the man stopped his excuses and stood up, grabbed his mat, and went on his way completely healed. All would have been fine, except the day that this occurred was a Sabbath. On his way home, the newly healed man was stopped by the Pharisees for unlawfully carrying a mat on the Sabbath… and to stay out of trouble with the Pharisees, the healed man later turned Jesus in. When questioned about His “working” on the Sabbath, Jesus responded, “My Father is still working, and therefore, I am working.” By saying “My Father” instead of “Our Father,” Jesus was claiming to be the Son of God… and went from being an accused Sabbath-worker to a blasphemer in the eyes of the Pharisees. This event was the 3rd sign that John highlighted from Jesus’ ministry to prove that Jesus is the Son of God and that we can have life in His name. Not only did Jesus fulfill Messianic prophecy, He also spoke with demonstrated power and authority and claimed to be the Son of God.

1 Samuel 1:1-23; John 4:46-54; Psalms 105:27-36; Proverbs 23:1-3

NT: “He went again to Cana of Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. There was a certain royal official whose son was ill at Capernaum. When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea into Galilee, he went to him and pleaded with him to come down and heal his son, since he was about to die. Jesus told him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” “Sir,” the official said to him, “come down before my boy dies.” “Go,” Jesus told him, “your son will live.” The man believed what Jesus said to him and departed. While he was still going down, his servants met him saying that his boy was alive. He asked them at what time he got better. “Yesterday at one in the afternoon the fever left him,” they answered. The father realized this was the very hour at which Jesus had told him, “Your son will live.” So he himself believed, along with his whole household. Now this was also the second sign Jesus performed after he came from Judea to Galilee.” (‭‭John‬ ‭4:46-54‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

The first sign that John highlighted to prove Jesus’ divinity was turning water into wine at a wedding in Cana of Galilee. By turning plain water into fine wine, Jesus demonstrated that He was not limited by molecular constructs, nor by time. Not only did Jesus turn water into grape juice – in a moment that grape juice went through the fermenting and aging process that normally takes months to years to complete. After returning from Jerusalem, Jesus made His way back to Cana, which provided the opportunity for the second sign. While Jesus was in Cana, he was approached  by a distraught and desperate high-ranking official from the town of Capernaum (about 16 miles away). We don’t know anything about the leader – whether he was a Jew or Gentile – only that his son was dying and he believed that Jesus could heal him. The leader approached Jesus and pleaded with Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son. Interestingly, Jesus lamented out loud about the people’s need to see a sign before they could believe, but He didn’t perform a visual sign. He didn’t go to Capernaum and do something physically that everyone could see. Instead, Jesus spoke a word… and the royal official believed the word, and went on his way. The fact that the official was satisfied with  Jesus’ words instead of Jesus’ presence is pretty amazing in itself. What faith! And as the Capernaum official soon found out, his son was healed by the power and authority of Jesus word. With this second sign, Jesus demonstrated that He was not limited by space or distance, and that His word alone carried the power of life.

Ruth 3:7-4:22; John 4:43-45; Psalms 105:16-26; Proverbs 22:28-29

OT: “Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I am buying from Naomi everything that belonged to Elimelech, Chilion, and Mahlon. I have also acquired Ruth the Moabitess, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, to perpetuate the deceased man’s name on his property, so that his name will not disappear among his relatives or from the gate of his hometown. You are witnesses today.” …Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. He slept with her, and the Lord granted conception to her, and she gave birth to a son. The women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you without a family redeemer today. May his name become well known in Israel. He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. Indeed, your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” Naomi took the child, placed him on her lap, and became a mother to him. The neighbor women said, “A son has been born to Naomi,” and they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.” (‭‭Ruth‬ ‭4:9-10, 13-17‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

The Moabite people were a result of an incestuous relationship between Lot and his oldest daughter (Genesis 19:36-37). When the nation of Israel returned to their promised land after their 40 years in the wilderness, instead of allowing the Children of Israel to pass through their land, the Moabites hired Balaam to pronounce a curse on them (Numbers 22). Because of that, the Lord forbade Israel from welcoming the Moabites into their nation (Deuteronomy 23:3-6). Those facts make the story of Ruth even more amazing, and go to show the merciful nature of the Lord God. When things weren’t going so well in Israel, Elimelech, along with his wife and two sons, “abandoned ship” for the nation of Moab. Instead of relying on the promised blessing of the Lord, Elimelech decided to take matters in his own hand; which opened the door to tragedy and bitterness. Ironically, while the Jewish Elimelech’s unfaithfulness led the family into death and loss, it was the Moabitess Ruth’s faithfulness that brought the family back into blessing. Although Ruth came from a cursed people, her faithfulness to Naomi and her submission to the ways of the Lord erased the curse from her life and placed her on the path to unexpected blessing. God is no respecter of persons and does not favor one nation, ethnicity, or people group over another (Acts 10:34-35). If you place your faith fully on Him, He fully removes from you the curse of sin. Regardless of your heritage or your past, you can be redeemed from your heritage and past through faith in God and in His Son Jesus Christ. That is what happened to Ruth. She left her past behind, fully embraced the God of Israel, and obediently walked in His ways. The result: not only was she redeemed, but her family was redeemed… and this cursed descendant of an abominable father-daughter relationship became the great-grandmother of the great King David. If that wasn’t enough, she is also named in the lineage of the King of Kings, Jesus Christ. What a turning point! What a transformation! What a heritage! Oh the beauty, power, and potential of redemption born out of complete faithfulness.

Ruth 2:1-3:6; John 4:31-42; Psalms 105:8-15; Proverbs 22:26-27

NT: “In the meantime the disciples kept urging him, “Rabbi, eat something.” But he said, “I have food to eat that you don’t know about.” The disciples said to one another, “Could someone have brought him something to eat?” “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work,” Jesus told them. “Don’t you say, ‘There are still four more months, and then comes the harvest’? Listen to what I’m telling you: Open your eyes and look at the fields, because they are ready for harvest. The reaper is already receiving pay and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that the sower and reaper can rejoice together. For in this case the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap what you didn’t labor for; others have labored, and you have benefited from their labor.”” (‭‭John‬ ‭4:31-38‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well about a well of living water. Then He spoke to His disciples about a source of food/nourishment that they didn’t know about. After the Samaritan woman left Jesus to tell all her friends about her encounter with the Messiah, the disciples arrived from their grocery run and were trying to urge Jesus to eat something. Jesus replied that he had a hunger that was greater than the pangs in His stomach… and His hunger was satisfied by a “food” that they were unaware of. His hunger was to see His Father’s will accomplished, and the only way to satisfy that hunger was to be about His Father’s work. What was that work? Sowing the seeds of the Gospel and reaping the fruits of the Harvest. As the Samaritans in the village began streaming to Jesus because of the testimony of the Samaritan woman, Jesus told His disciples, “Open your eyes and look at the fields… the harvest is ready.” The disciples were focused on feeding the hunger of their flesh and were putting off ministry until their flesh was satisfied. Jesus was focused on feeding the hunger of the Samaritan’s souls and was not about to waste the opportunity to serve His Father for the sake of a few temporary hunger pangs. How many times have we been so engrossed in our work that we forgot to eat? Yet how often are we more committed to our comforts, our desires, our gratification that we ignore the call to love and serve others? If we come to Jesus, our thirst will be quenched and we will never be parched. If we obey Jesus, our hunger will be satisfied. He is the Good Shepherd that leads us to still waters to drink and green pastures to eat. As we come to Him, place our faith in Him, follow Him, and labor with Him, He will give us rest and satisfy the longings of our souls.

Ruth 1:1-22; John 4:4-30; Psalms 105:1-7; Proverbs 22:24-25

NT: “He left Judea and went again to Galilee. He had to travel through Samaria; so he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar near the property that Jacob had given his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, worn out from his journey, sat down at the well. It was about noon. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. “Give me a drink,” Jesus said to her, because his disciples had gone into town to buy food… Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up in him for eternal life.” “…Sir,” the woman replied, “I see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.” Jesus told her, “Believe me, woman, an hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know. We worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and in truth.” The woman said to him, “I know that the Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ ). “When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Jesus told her, “I, the one speaking to you, am he.”” (‭‭John‬ ‭4:3-8, 13-14, 19-26‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

There is a lot that could be said about this passage of scripture. So many key truths are wrapped up in these 20+ verses of scripture, so I will try to narrow down my thoughts to the “big-ticket items.” Jesus talked to the Samaritan woman about living water: that those who come to Him to satisfy their thirst will be given living water that becomes a well of life that springs up from within them – never to be thirsty again. He also talked to her about true, authentic worship: that the time had come when true worshippers don’t make pilgrimage to a place to worship, they come to a person to worship. While it isn’t specifically drawn in this conversation, there is a correlation between true, authentic worship and the well of living water. Later in John, Jesus will explain that He is the way, the truth, and the life and the only way to the Father is through Him. True worshippers of the Living God, who worship in Spirit (as they have been born again) and in the fullness of truth, can only do so by coming to Jesus and accessing the Father through Jesus. The Father is looking for true worshippers, and true worshippers worship the Father by first coming first to Christ. And in the midst of their worshipful surrender, they are given access to God’s never drying well of living water that springs up from within them to bring refreshment to a dry and weary world.

Psalms: “Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; proclaim his deeds among the peoples. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell about all his wondrous works! Boast in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wondrous works he has done, his wonders, and the judgments he has pronounced…” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭105:1-5‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Pastor Jack Hayford once wrote that the fountain head of all of the grace of God is found at the place of worship. Worship begins with glorifying God the Father, and God the Son through thanksgiving and praise, while making ourselves low. We boast in His name, nor our own. We seek the Lord, His strength, and His face instead of relying in our own strength and our own way. As we take this posture of humility and submission while magnifying the Lord in our sight and the sight of others – there we will find grace… and there God is able to glorify us as we glorify Him.

Judges 21:1-25; John 3:31-4:3; Psalms 104:31-35; Proverbs 22:22-23

NT: “The one who comes from above is above all. The one who is from the earth is earthly and speaks in earthly terms. The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, and yet no one accepts his testimony. The one who has accepted his testimony has affirmed that God is true. For the one whom God sent speaks God’s words, since he gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hands. The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who rejects the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.” (‭‭John‬ ‭3:31-36‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Unlike any other prophet, priest, or patriarch; Jesus came from above and did not originate from the earth. People who originate from earth only have an earthly perspective: they have never seen the glories of heaven and only know what has been revealed to them through God’s word. Jesus, the Son of God, has seen and experienced the glories of heaven. In fact, according to John 1, He is the very Word of God that gives earthly people revelation. Not only did Jesus come from above, He was sent from above by God the Father to testify of God and make known to us the mysteries of God. Because of God’s love for the Son, He hasn’t held anything back. Jesus knows all, understands all, is endowed with all, and is empowered by all. With that all-encompassing-ness, Jesus came to testify and extend the fullness of God to us. When it comes to believing Jesus’ testimony, there is no neutral ground: we either believe it or reject it. For those who fully believe the testimony of Jesus and fully receive all that He has to offer us, they will have the eternal live of God – not just in the next life, but now in this life. For those who do not believe Jesus’ testimony and therefore reject His testimony, they will remain in their sin and condemnation, and will be subject to the wrath of God.

Psalms: “May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works. He looks at the earth, and it trembles; he touches the mountains, and they pour out smoke. I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God while I live. May my meditation be pleasing to him; I will rejoice in the Lord. May sinners vanish from the earth and wicked people be no more. My soul, bless the Lord! Hallelujah!” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭104:31-35‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Psalm 104 is a beautiful ode to God the Creator and Sustainer of all life. It describes the works of God in poetic detail and explains how we can see God’s handiwork throughout the natural world. As Roman 1:20 states, creation itself testifies of the greatness and vastness of God. The psalmist ends his song with this summarizing declaration: May the glory of the Lord endure forever, may God rejoice forever in the glory of His handiwork, and may I enjoy His glory as I meditate and sing of His greatness. For those who refuse to acknowledge the revelation of God and the testimony of all creation, they will eventually be no more.

Judges 20:1-48; John 3:22-30; Psalms 104:24-30; Proverbs 22:20-21

NT: “After this, Jesus and his disciples went to the Judean countryside, where he spent time with them and baptized. John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water there. People were coming and being baptized, since John had not yet been thrown into prison… So they came to John and told him, “Rabbi, the one you testified about, and who was with you across the Jordan, is baptizing — and everyone is going to him.” John responded, “No one can receive anything unless it has been given to him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah, but I’ve been sent ahead of him.’ He who has the bride is the groom. But the groom’s friend, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the groom’s voice. So this joy of mine is complete. He must increase, but I must decrease.”” (‭‭John‬ ‭3:22-24, 26-30‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

For a time, John the Baptist’s and Jesus’ ministry overlapped. Both were teaching and baptizing people at the same time. As more and more people followed Jesus, John’s disciples became concerned at John’s diminished following. When John’s disciples confronted him about it, John’s response showed great humility and understanding. Ministry is not, nor should be a competition. Ministry is not, nor should be about drawing attention, validation, or worth to ourselves. John the Baptist was very clear on who he was and what his role was. He was also very clear on who he was not. He was not the Messiah. He was the “voice crying in the wilderness” calling people to prepare for the coming Messiah – and when the Messiah came, John was to point people to Him. Jesus was (and is) the bridegroom. The church was (and is) the bride. John was simply a groomsman, and he wasn’t about to compete against the Bridegroom for the affections of the bride. In fact, he rejoiced to see the Bridegroom united with His bride. “He must increase, but I must decrease,” said John. How do we apply John’s mature and humble perspective on ministry to our lives? It is so easy, in an attempt at building notoriety, to draw attention to ourselves… to all the things that we have done… to all the people who may follow our leadership or be influenced by our words or ideas. It can be very tempting to pad your resume to build yourself up in other people’s eyes. But the point of ministry is not to draw attention to yourself – it is to point people to Jesus. The Apostle Paul said that it is in our weakness (not our enhanced or inflated portrayal of ourselves) that Christ is made strong. Instead of building ourselves up, we should boast in the Lord and the great things He has done in us and through us despite our weaknesses. It is so easy for church congregations to begin competing with one another – “stealing” congregants from one another – trying to “one-up” each other – even bad-mouthing each other. What would happen if we saw the whole church as the bride, and not individual congregations vying for God’s attention? What would happen if we saw pastors, not as grooms, but as groomsmen to the Bridegroom Jesus Christ? What would happen if we, instead of competing against each other, had one common cause: to see our Lord Jesus Christ united with His radiantly beautiful bride that we all have an opportunity to edify, teach, and grow? Maybe, the Lord would actually receive the glory that is due His Name, and people from all walks of life would desire to come to Him and follow Him. That would be joyous!

Judges 19:1-30; John 3:16-21; Psalms 104:8-23; Proverbs 22:17-19

NT: “For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. This is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed. But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.” (‭‭John‬ ‭3:16-21‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Isaiah 53:6 says that we all, like sheep, have gone astray and turned to our own way. The Apostle Paul explained in Romans 3:23 that we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Sin entered the human race at the fall of mankind, and all of mankind since then has had sin etched in their DNA. Just like a virus invades our bodies and injects its harmful genetic material into our cells… just like cancer causes our cells to mutate away from their original design and purpose, so sin has infected us and caused our entire race to mutate into something other than our original intent and purpose. Because of sin, we are all condemned to death, unless we are provided with a cure. Enter the one and only Son of God. God loves us deeply and does not want us to suffer the fate of our condemnation – so He sent His one and only Son as the one and only cure that can eradicate the virus and cancer of sin. Jesus didn’t come to condemn sinners – we were and are already condemned. He came to save sinners from their condemnation. Just as if we will die if we refuse the only cure for our disease, if we refuse Jesus, our condemnation remains… sin continues to ravage our lives until we eventually experience eternal death. When mankind sinned, the earth was cast into darkness – manipulated by the kingdom of darkness. Eventually, darkness leads to blindness – and we see the effects of that blindness all around us. The only remedy to darkness is light… and the Light has come. For those who have suffered in darkness for a while, light can be painful… and as such, many prefer the blinding darkness than to deal with the healing, yet painful consequences of coming into the light. To come into the light, one has to actually acknowledge their shortcomings and sin… they actually have to stop catering to their carnal desires and learn to live a righteous and disciplined life in the Lord… they have to stop being the lords of their own lives and surrender to the Lordship of Christ – so for many, they prefer the anonymity and unaccountability they have in the dark. If you desire to have life, the only way out of the condemnation of death is through the Son. If you desire to fully see and fully know the truth, the only way out of darkness is to come into the Light. The choice is yours.

Judges 18:22-31; John 3:1-15; Psalms 104:1-7; Proverbs 22:16

NT: “There was a man from the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to him at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could perform these signs you do unless God were with him.” Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” “How can anyone be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked him. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born again. The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit… Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”” (‭‭John‬ ‭3:1-8, 14-15‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Nicodemus was a Pharisee that was sincerely intrigued by the signs that Jesus performed instead of being threatened by them. He was awake and observant enough to recognize that Jesus was anointed by God. The fact that he used the pronoun “we” suggests that he wasn’t the only one – that he was perhaps there as a representative of a curious group of leaders. Before Nicodemus even had the chance to ask a question, Jesus framed the conversation that was about to happen with a very definitive statement: “You cannot see nor fully understand the Kingdom of God unless you are born again from above.” When Nicodemus asked for more clarity, Jesus responded by explaining that everyone has a natural earthly birth (of water), but to see the Kingdom of God, understand the Kingdom of God, and enter the Kingdom of God, one must also have a heavenly spiritual birth. The Kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom, so to fully grasp it and understand it, you must be born into a new spiritual nature, by the Spirit. Simply being religious is not being born again. Claiming your parents faith is not being born again. Identifying as a Christian is not being born again. Believing that Jesus is the Son of God is not being born again. Having your name on the membership role of a local church is not being born again. Being baptized or dedicated as an infant is not being born again. Jesus went on to foreshadow how people would be able to be born again and receive eternal, spiritual life. In Numbers 21:4-9, we read the story of how, because of their sin, the Israelites were plagued by poisonous snakes… and many were bitten and died (much like we have been poisoned by the sin of our life and are on the path to death). God told Moses to fashion a bronze snake and lift it up on a pole so that all could see it – and anyone who looked on the snake would not die. Jesus said, in the same way, I will be lifted up – and anyone who places their complete faith in me, they will not die but will be graced with eternal life. When we place our faith on Jesus and identify with His sacrifice, our fleshly sinful nature is put to death, we are born again into an eternal spiritual life, and enter into the Kingdom of God. To fully follow Jesus, to fully be transformed into His image, you must be born again.