For God so loved the world…
John 3:16-21 (New International Version)
16″For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[a] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.[b] 19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”[c]
Footnotes:
- John 3:16 Or his only begotten Son
- John 3:18 Or God’s only begotten Son
- John 3:21 Some interpreters end the quotation after verse 15.
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son must be the most quoted and most memorized scripture in the Bible. For God so loved the world—has there ever been a greater love?
I have one son by birth and two by marriage. I cannot imagine giving up Jonathan or Kristin or Kevin in order that other people might be saved. I am too selfish. I thank God for our men and women in uniform, but I never wanted that life with its inherent risks for my son or my step-sons. I am too fearful.
But God so loved the world–people born in darkness and who many times choose darkness over light–that He sacrificed His only son so that the world, separated from God by their sins, would at last be reconciled again to their Father who art in Heaven. How can we not believe, worship and adore our Father and Jesus His son when we recognize what they did to purchase our salvation, to redeem us from a lost and dying world?
Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so, little ones to Him belong, they are weak but He is strong. Thank you, Jesus, for loving me, for dying for me, and for making a place for me in Heaven.
Do you know Jesus as your personal Savior? If not, contact me and I will pray with you.
Jesus loves US, this I know.
A new week–ushering in December
It is hard to believe how quickly this year has gone. Thanksgiving saw 26 people here for lunch, and it was all good. Now we get back into our routine of reading through the book of John.
John 3
Jesus Teaches Nicodemus
1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council.2He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
3In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.[a]”
4“How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!”
5Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You[c] must be born again.’ 8The 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.”
9“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
10“You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.[d] 14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.[e]
There are several things that are notable in this passage: (1) Nicodemus approached Jesus at night. Why? Because He was a respected leader and id not want anyone to know he was meeting with and seeking the counsel of Jesus. (2) Nicodemus acknowledged the identity of Jesus (3) Jesus explained how we are to received salvation, and (4) Jesus foreshadowed His death by crucifixion.
I have never understood how those who met Jesus face to face could reject Him. It is easier for me to understand how we in the 21st century can reject Jesus–not much easier, but certainly it makes at least a little sense that some people cannot make the leap of faith to believe in one they have not seen. I am thankful to have been blessed with faith that enables me to believe beyond sight, to hear beyond sound. I know in my head and in my heart that Jesus is the Son of the Living God, that He left a throne in Heaven to come to earth to purchase my salvation, and that the plan for reconciliation was drawn before the foundation of the world.
If you would like to invite Jesus into your heart, you may contact me by making a comment on this page or write me at carol.grace.01@comcast.net. I will try to answer any questions and I will pray with you and for you.
Give thanks with a grateful heart…
1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God.”
For a long time, I had trouble with this verse. After all, there is not one adult person whom I have met who has not gone through a difficult if not nearly impossible life event. Whether death, divorce, illness, or economic loss, we each have dealt with suffering in some shape or size, and to think we must give thanks for everything we have gone through seems inconceivable. But is that really what the scripture says?
No, the Scripture does not say we give thanks for everything, but that we should give thanks in everything, for this is the will of God. It is not God’s will that we suffer–God is our Father and He does not want His children to suffer–period. But we live in a world dominated by sin, so we will suffer–it is inevitable. God’s will is not that we suffer, but that when we suffer we give Him thanks, even in the midst of our trials. God’s will is that we know, understand and believe that He is with us regardless of our circumstances.
Jack Hayford says it this way:
“In everything give thanks for this is the will of God concerning you.” What’s the will of God concerning you? That in everything we give thanks. That’s the will of God concerning you. The thing that happened isn’t necessarily, but that you give God praise in the middle of it. Why? Because you feel good? No. But praying without ceasing introduces a song of praise into a situation that’s so tough you find yourself standing facing it with tears. Begin to sing, not because you say, “Well, I guess I need to submit to this because God intended me to have this horrible event in my life.” But by the song, by the praise, we begin to infest the situation with the possibilities of His presence and His power. Rather than resigning the situation unto the best way we can muddle our way through it, or pry our way through it. … “We’ll just do the best that we can.” The best that you can make of it is not going to be very good. The best that He can make of it will be something that will bring the reason the Bible tells us to “in everything give thanks;” not because God foisted or worked this number on you to get even with you or somebody else, but because the Lord says, “Into the poison pollution of this planet, if praise is lifted up there will come the presence of My power. So lift up song because it invites God’s presence. Lift up praise.”
While I cannot find it within me to give thanks for everything, with God as my help and my strength, I can certainly thank Him in everything. And, when I turn my praise into song, I know the melody wafts its way to heaven and into the throne of the King. I am thankful that I can always praise God: I praise Him for being Jehovah-Tsidkenu, my Righteousness; I praise Him for being Adonai, my Lord; I praise God for being El Elyon, the most High God. And I am thankful for life, health, salvation, family, friends, church, my home and for having food on the table every day. I am thankful He has given me a desire to study His Word, the ability to write, and the longing to be in His presence.
As we enter another Thanksgiving season, may we lift our thanks to God, and may we remember to thank our family and friends for all they mean to us.
This is my Father’s house
Today we look at John 2:12-25.
12After that He went down to Capernaum with His mother and brothers and disciples, and they stayed there only a few days.13Now the Passover of the Jews was approaching, so Jesus went up to Jerusalem.14There He found in the temple [[a]enclosure] those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers sitting there [also at their stands].15And having made a lash (a whip) of cords, He drove them all out of the temple [[b]enclosure]–both the sheep and the oxen–spilling and scattering the brokers’ money and upsetting and tossing around their trays (their stands).16Then to those who sold the doves He said, Take these things away (out of here)! Make not My Father’s house a house of merchandise (a marketplace, a sales shop)!(A)17And His disciples remembered that it is written [in the Holy Scriptures], Zeal (the fervor of love) for Your house will eat Me up. [I will be consumed with jealousy for the honor of Your house.](B)18Then the Jews retorted, What sign can [c]You show us, seeing You do these things? [What sign, miracle, token, indication can You give us as evidence that You have authority and are commissioned to act in this way?]19Jesus answered them, Destroy (undo) this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.20Then the Jews replied, It took forty-six years to build this temple (sanctuary), and will You raise it up in three days?21But He had spoken of the temple which was His body.22When therefore He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this. And so they believed and trusted and relied on the Scripture and the word (message) Jesus had spoken.(C)23But when He was in Jerusalem during the Passover Feast, many believed in His name [identified themselves with His party] after seeing His signs (wonders, miracles) which He was doing.24But Jesus [for His part] did not trust Himself to them, because He knew all [men];25And He did not need anyone to bear witness concerning man [needed no evidence from anyone about men], for He Himself knew what was in human nature. [He could read men’s hearts.] [I Sam. 16:7.]
Footnotes:
The first time I knew of Jesus’ clearing of the temple, I was at vacation Bible School at Grace Lutheran Church here in Little Rock. They showed a film representing this event, and immediately I was skeptical. After all, I had been raised in church all of my ten years, and I had never heard of Jesus being anything other than loving. So this story could not be true, could it?
Indeed, it is true, and now, many years later, I understand why this episode was included in these Scriptures. Let’s see if we can break the Scriptures down for a clearer understanding of what is going on here.
- Jesus was at the Temple during the time of the Jewish Passover, a holy day celebrating the salvation of the Jews’ firstborn sons during the curse upon Pharoah. And why were the sons of the Israelites saved while the sons of the Egyptians were slain? Because the Israelites had acted in obedience to God who instructed that they place the blood of a lamb, spotless and without blemish, on their doorposts.
- What was being sold at the temple? Cattle, sheep and doves, to be used in sacrifices during Passover.
- What is wrong with selling animals to be used in temple sacrifice? Let’s look at Exodus 12:1-7 to see what God said through Moses.
Exodus 12
The Passover
1 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, 2 “This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. 3 Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb [a] for his family, one for each household. 4 If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. 5 The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. 6 Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. 7 Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs.
First, we see that the Israelites were to take a year old male sheep or goat from their family, or if their family was too small they were to share the sacrifice with their neighbor. Taking a sheep or goat from your own flock is quite different from buying one after you get to the temple. When we offer a sacrifice before God, it should be planned and it should be the best we have to offer. To buy an animal to be used as a sacrifice after arriving at the Temple suggested the sacrifice was not planned to memorialize one of the greatest events in the life of the Israelites, but instead was a last minute decision. And, there would be no way to know if the lamb or goat was a one year old as specified in the Scripture.
Jesus was filled with a righteous anger because the meaning of the Scripture, and indeed, the holy day of Passover, had been lost. He showed us clearly in this passage that (1) it is appropriate to display a righteous anger (anger over things that contradict the will of the Father) and (2) that people will always look for a sign, even when standing before the Son of God.
Have you allowed the cares of the world and your day to day activities to overshadow and even replace the things God has told you to do in remembrance of Him? If so, kneel before your Lord now and ask forgiveness–ask Him to place within your heart the urgency and the desire to be obedient to Him.
I am the vine…
Carol J. Grace, vine, fruit, church, growth
Seeking Holiness 