The Gospel of John, Day 19: ch. 3, vv. 9-15

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?

At this point in Jesus' ministry, there are already people who have been born again.  I think this is the earthly thing that Jesus is talking about.  You can see the changed lives.  You can see lives renewed into God's kingdom.  Jesus also talks about 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.”

Now Jesus speaks of the heavenly things.  Only Jesus has been to heaven, he came from heaven!!  We have eternal, that is unearthly and heavenly, life if we believe in Him.

The Gospel of John, Day 18: ch. 3, vv. 4-8

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[b] gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You[c] 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.”

If we are going to be with God in His Kingdom, His Holy Spirit has to give birth to our spirit. He has to make our spirit for LOVE come back alive again. Oh, and if we have this spirit of love for God and others, we may not know where we are going of where life will take us.  However, if we do not have the Holy Spirit, we know where life will take us: down a destructive road devoid of love.

The Gospel of John, Day 17: ch. 3, vv. 1-3

3:1 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.[a]”

In order to see God's kingdom of peace and righteousness, we need to be born again and see others born again. No law or program will make this world a better place by itself, but people with a newborn heart of love will go where no law or program could ever take them. We need new hearts.

#politicsarenottheanswerbutJesusis

The Gospel of John, Day 16: ch. 2, vv. 18-25

18 The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”

19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”

20 They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.

23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name.[d] 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. 25 He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.

The greatest sign of Jesus' authority is his resurrection. It is for this simple reason that many believed. Is there historical evidence for this miraculous event? I think so, and this is the greatest and simplest reason for hope. So much more than creation/evolution debates and other highly intellectual debates. Oh, and the other thing this hope comes with: Jesus' full authority in our lives.

The Gospel of John, Day 15: ch. 2, vv. 13-17

13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”[c]

The money-changers at the temple were using a place devoted to God for their own selfish benefits and purposes. Are you using the title of Christian or using church simply to benefit yourself or increase your reputation? If so, don't be surprised if the tables turn on you.

The Gospel of John, Day 14: ch. 2, vv. 5-12

5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.[b]

7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.

8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”

They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”

11 What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

12 After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.

The primary people who experience Jesus' first miracle of turning water into wine are the servants. Hmmm, imagine that, the greatest are the servants, does that sound familiar? This is also found in Matthew 23:11. The servant's are the ones that experience Jesus in the most powerful way.

The Gospel of John, Day 13: ch. 2, vv. 1-4

2:1 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”

4 “Woman,[a] why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”

Know one knows Jesus' timing, not even his own mother. So we shouldn't expect to either.

Live the right way, the way of faith and trust. It's pretty important: Hebrews 10:38, Romans 1:17, Habakkuk 2:4.