The Gospel of John, Day 20: ch. 3, vv. 16-21

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. 

<sup>Jesus was sent to save us.  However, if we do not believe in him, we are condemned, even though Jesus did not to condemn.  This is a little confusing, but the next passage tells us why we are condemned if we don't believe in Jesus.

19</sup> 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.

We love darkness, but Jesus is the light.  John taught this in the first chapter.  Everything we do is done in the sight of God, and if we love the dark we do not realize that and we fear the exposure of our deeds.  However, if we are open and honest with God, we will come into the light and live by truth.

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.