Like that saying, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all,” I don’t always know what to write in this blog, and I don’t want to just write anything. So I figured, for my benefit and hopefully your encouragement, I’ll let the Author do the talking. So I’m starting a new category, Bible Study, where I’ll dive a little deeper into a chapter of the Bible and see what God has to say to us.
Read: John 3 (NIV)
One of the things I remember clearly in college was that each Gospel writer had his own focus when writing his account of Jesus’ life, and John focused on faith. Even his very first words, the first verse for the first chapter, had to be taken in with faith, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Faith is crucial.
John chapter 3 has 2 events in it. The first is about Nicodemus, the second about John the Baptist. The first happens at night, the second during the day. The first with a pharisee, the second with a prophet. They seem unrelated, but they emphasize each other.
Nicodemus goes to Jesus and admits that Jesus is from God. Jesus calls him out right away.
Basically, Jesus tells Nicodemus that he’s not going to see heaven because he doesn’t have faith. But you don’t just tell a pharisee that. A pharisee is a Jewish leader. He doesn’t just obey the laws of Moses and God. He’s a representation of their faith and culture. But he doesn’t have faith?
No, not the kind Jesus is offering. To be around Jesus when He walked the earth!
“I 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” (v11).
People want proof. They want evidence. They want to believe by seeing. And the pharisees, the Jews, the Gentiles, they had proof and evidence. They saw! Even Nicodemus saw (v2). But they still didn’t believe.
And without faith, there could be no reward. “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” (v16).
Jesus laid it out: believe in Me and you will be saved. Believe in Me and you will see the light. You will no longer live in darkness. You will live in truth and God will be glorified.
Then John jumps to the account of John the Baptist. He didn’t tell us Nicodemus’ response, and from a writer’s POV, that technique to allows readers to decide their own responses. Back to John the Baptist.
John and Jesus were baptizing people in the same body of water. Some of John’s followers and a Jew (certain manuscripts say Jews, plural) were arguing about baptism, especially because Jesus – the man John himself baptized – was baptizing more people than John.
John reminded them that Jesus is greater and the same things Jesus told Nicodemus.
John told them that they had all the proof they need, but they still didn’t believe. “He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony (v 32, compare with v11 above).
John told them Jesus was sent by God and told us about God in ways they should understand (remember Jesus spoke in parables and to the common man), but they still didn’t believe. Compare v31 with v12.
John reiterated that God sent Jesus because of His love for us. But we need to believe in Jesus, to put our faith in Jesus, in order to have eternal life with God in heaven. Compare v34-36 with v16-18
John the Gospel writer hammers the message in through the words of John the Baptist, who is clearly speaking about Jesus.
Just in case we missed it when we read John 3:16 that Jesus meant He was the Son that God sent, we read it again in the following John 3:36.
This verse right here:
is ever so popular, but it comes in the middle of this chapter about placing our faith in Jesus and examples of people who have a hard time doing just that.
Faith is not easy. It’s not easy to understand. It’s not easy to begin. It’s not easy to uphold.
Nicodemus, a pharisee, a leader of Israel, one who studied God for years, had a hard time understanding this faith that Jesus is presenting.
The followers of John, those who listened and repented and followed him for years, argued and didn’t figure out that Jesus is greater than John after John himself told them so.
It seems so simple, but everybody, from the devout follower of God to the common man, has a hard time when it comes to faith.
On one hand, we only need to believe in Jesus. On the other, we’re human and we fall short. But God loves us. He so loves us! And extends us His grace and His promise. Believe, live by the truth, and give God the glory (v21).
Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us and sending us Jesus. Give us Your strength and conviction to live by the truth. To walk, talk, and live by faith in Jesus. All glory be unto You, Amen.
Linking up with Monday’s Musings
