Hot or Cold?
Opening Prayer
Gracious God, whenever my love for You gets cool, I pray that Your Spirit will heat it up once again.
Read John 3:1-21
[1] Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. [2] He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” [3] Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” [4] “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” [5] Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. [6] Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. [7] You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ [8] The 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? [11] Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. [12] I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? [13] No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven-the Son of Man. [14] Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, [15] that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” [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. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. [18] Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. [19] This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. [20] Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. [21] But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
What wonderful things do you learn about Jesus here?It’s night on the Mount of Olives and the wind is blowing as two men face each other: Nicodemus the theologian and Jesus the radical, young rabbi. Jesus is explaining that eternal life is the gift of God and the work of the Spirit who blows into a human life like the wind. Nicodemus struggles to come to terms with this bombshell (4,9). Jesus recalls the Old Testament story of the snake being lifted up so that when the Israelites looked at it they were saved (14; Num. 21:4-9). Belief begins by looking in the right place, and that means looking to see Jesus lifted up on the cross. Looking at Jesus, we believe in him, and believing in him, we receive eternal life. But Nicodemus is looking the wrong way. He is looking to his theological qualifications, his status as a teacher, his observance of religious rules. You’re cold, Nicodemus! Move in the other direction, into the light (19) and warmth of a relationship. Looking and believing is a once-and-for-all act. But it also needs to be renewed daily by the Spirit who enables us to look in the right direction.
Apply
If you need to, pray today to ask for a fresh look at Jesus and a renewed faith in him.
Closing prayer
Lord, You are the One who makes all things new and right. Keep me renewed and looking in the right direction.
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