John 3:14-17

The Serpent on the Pole Jesus on the Cross

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 

15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 

17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

The Serpent on the Pole Jesus on the Cross

The parallel between the serpent on the pole and Jesus on the cross is amazing! In the account found in Numbers 21, the people were to look at the bronze serpent that Moses made so that they could be healed from the poison of the snake-bites. God sent the serpents into the Israelite camp because of all the complaining they had done against God and Moses. Even though they had done wrong, God still showed them grace and mercy. In the same way, God has shown us mercy and grace by sending us Jesus. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross saves us from spiritual death. The people had to obey God and look at the bronze serpent in order to live physically. We have to obey God and look to Jesus, “the author and finisher of our faith” in order to live eternally (Hebrews 12:2). The bronze serpent cured the people from the venomous poison of the serpents. Jesus’ blood that He shed on the cross cures us from the poison of sin in our lives. We come into contact with Jesus’ blood through water baptism, and that blood washes away our sins (Acts 2:38, Romans 6:3-4) It is a beautiful comparison. Why does Jesus use this parallel with Nicodemus? Jesus, the master teacher, is building on knowledge that Nicodemus already has. This would have been a story that Nicodemus, being a teacher of the law, would have known. This was a perfect visual aid for him. Just like the people had to look at the bronze serpent to live, Nicodemus would need to look to Jesus to live and be “born again” spiritually. Verse 15 says that whoever believes in Christ after He is lifted up on the cross will have eternal life. Of course we know that belief alone is not enough. Action is required. So many take this one verse, and say that belief is enough. But Matthew 7:21 tells us that we must “do” the will of God, which means we have to obey Him. James 2:19 says that even the demons believe in Jesus. They just choose not to obey Him. If a person truly believes, then obedience will follow. I love how this discussion with Nicodemus leads up to one of most quoted and beloved verses in the Bible, John 3:16. I feel like this verse has been read, written, memorized, tattooed, cross-stitched, posted on billboards, etc. until its true meaning and importance has been stifled and blurred a little. It’s like “Oh yeah…..there’s John 3:16”. But does it really give me the gut punch or the chill bumps that it should? Sadly, the answer was “no, not really” until today. Studying and writing about this has brought this verse back to me, and given it new life in my heart. The first word that sticks out to me in this verse is “so”. The word “so” here is translated as the phrase “in this manner” or “in this way”. This gives us a clue that more is coming. God loved us “in this way or manner” that he……etc. God is not going to just say that He loves humankind, and then sit back and watch us destroy ourselves. He is going to prove it. How will He prove it? By sending His precious Son to suffer and die the most shameful death imaginable for all of us. For even me….a weak, pitiful, sinful human with no hope at all who can do absolutely nothing on her own. It is amazing that the God of the universe has this kind of love for people who let Him down constantly. Let’s remember this. He did not have to do anything for us. We could have been left here to live a miserable life without God, and then die a physical death, and it all be over. Or He could have just given up on humankind completely, and destroyed us a long time ago. But no…..not our God. He has not given up on any of us. I’m so thankful that He didn’t give up on me in my worst moments. The cause and effect here is a beautiful thing. What caused God to send His only begotten Son, aka one and only Son, to die for us? It was His great love for us! Agape love….the most unselfish, unconditional type of love that always wants what is best for others. It is a love that we can’t even fathom. Let’s put ourselves in God’s shoes for just a second, and think about these questions. Would we watch one of our precious children suffer and die the way that God watched Jesus suffer and die in order to save someone who has hurt us and rejected us over and over? Go and read Ephesians 2:1-3, and see just how terrible we (humans) were/are. We “walked according to the course of this world”……“conducted ourselves in the lusts of the flesh”…..fulfilled the desires of the flesh and the mind……were “sons (and daughters) of disobedience”, and…..were the “children of wrath”. Sounds terrible doesn’t it? But then comes the rest of the story! But GOD…. “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:4-7) Amazing! We were dead spiritually, and He made us alive through His only Son. God’s love is unconditional. God would still love me if I died in my sins today! But salvation is not unconditional. We have to commit to God and obey Him, because sin cannot be in the place where God resides. No sin can be in heaven. That is why Jesus has to continually wash our robes in His blood as we strive daily to walk in the light, so that we can stand before God justified on that great and terrible day. Verse 17 says God sent Jesus here to save us, not condemn us. It is up to us to accept the gift that God has offered us. So….like the verse says, if we believe in Jesus then we “should” be saved. We certainly should. Has your belief led you to true obedience to Him? 

God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about how to be saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus, and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves…..and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! 

Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? If you aren’t, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are…..believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan that God has set forth in His Word, for humankind to receive His grace that leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

Then, we remain faithful in our commitment to Christ until death. (Revelation 2:10, 2 Peter 2:20-22)

John 3:9-13

9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?”

10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? 

11 Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. 

12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 

13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. 

How Can These Things Be? Final Answer…..Jesus

“How can these things be?” This was Nicodemus’ reaction after Jesus spoke to Him about being “born of water and the Spirit” in the previous verses. He didn’t understand. Jesus challenged Nicodemus again with a question. Paraphrasing, “How are you a teacher of the law and you don’t understand the things I’m saying to you? You should know all this.” Of course, Jesus knew exactly why and how Nicodemus didn’t understand. This was just a challenge to Nicodemus to further study, and gain more understanding of the scriptures. This also tells us that Jesus isn’t teaching something new that is not found in Old Testament prophecy. It was there. The Jews had just not fully understood the scriptures. The Jews had missed the message. They knew the law, but they didn’t understand it the way that they thought they did. In verse 11, Jesus very plainly says, paraphrasing in my words, “Hey, WE are only telling you what WE know and have seen, and you (plural to mean all Jews) will not accept OUR message.” This is big, because when Jesus says “We” and “Our”, He is referring to He and God, His Father. Assuming that Nicodemus knew what Jesus meant by “We” and “Our”, that had to be a bombshell. “God and I are telling you (Jews) what to do, and you won’t accept it.” Doesn’t that sound like the world today? They can plainly be shown what God’s Word says, but they just won’t accept it. Example….baptism. You can show them all the examples in the Bible of people being baptized for the remission of sins. You can show them every verse that references baptism as the doorway into Christ and into the Lord’s church, but they are just blind to it in exactly the same way that the Jews were blind to what Jesus taught 2000ish years ago. It is so sad. Or…..like myself for many years, we can know it and be raised in it, and choose to put it on the back burner of our lives while we enjoy worldly pleasures…..while we put basically everything in front of God. Wow, am I ever ashamed of that period of my life! What can I say? I finally grew up, and put away childish things. Although I still fail daily, I pick myself up and press on. 

Moving on, Jesus makes another challenging statement/question in verse 12. Paraphrasing, “How can you expect to believe spiritual things when you don’t even believe the physical things that you have seen?” Jesus had been performing all these miracles, and the people still didn’t truly believe in Him enough to actually change their hearts and lives (John 2:23-24). They only wanted to follow Jesus to get some kind of physical satisfaction from Him. What can Jesus do for me? Or what can I witness Jesus do so that I can have a story to tell my friends who missed it? It was a very shallow type of belief, not a true grounded belief in who Jesus was. Even with miracles, the majority didn’t truly believe, so they certainly weren’t going to believe His teachings on spiritual things. Now on to verse 13. I had a little trouble understanding this verse, but with some further study, I understand it better. My digging took me first to Proverbs 30:4 which could be the prophetic scripture that Jesus is referring to, “Who has ascended into heaven, or descended?……..What is His name, and what is His Son’s name, if you know?” Paraphrasing Jesus’ words, “no one else has descended from heaven to be able to bring you this message, only Me. Who else is there for you (Jews) to believe?” Then, my digging took me to Deuteronomy 30:1-3 where Moses says, paraphrasing, that obedience would bring them back into a relationship with God. Then in Deut. 30:6, Moses says that God will circumcise their hearts so that they will love the Lord with all their hearts and souls so that they may live. This is the transformed “born again” life that Jesus was speaking to Nicodemus about. Then, in Deut. 30:11, Moses says that the commands are not too hard for them to keep, but how? The answer comes in Deut. 30:12-14, “It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.” Paraphrasing, “you don’t have to go to heaven to retrieve the message, because Jesus is coming to earth to bring the message in person. He will put the words in your heart (mind)”. “You’ll understand someday” is basically what Moses is saying to them. Of course, we know that everyone did not understand until after His death. Then the Holy Spirit came and put the words in the “mouths” and in the “hearts” of the apostles on Pentecost. Then they wrote it all down for us, and it is in our hearts this very day. It should be in our mouths as well. We should be talking about God’s word more and worldly things less. I’m speaking to myself here. Sisters, we are the “mouths” today. God wants us to spread His message just as much as He wanted His apostles to spread it. He needs us to spread it. He doesn’t want anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:9). So…..as the world gets more corrupt and further away from God, what do we do? We continue to set the example…..no matter how much hate we get for it. We continue to stand up for the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ…..no matter what. I ask myself, am I doing all that I can? Is the love of Jesus showing forth within me? Sometimes the love of Jesus is what we call “tough love”, because no one wants to hear that they are lost. As human beings, we don’t like to be proven wrong, do we? But…..are we truly loving them if we don’t tell them? What if a person was walking towards a bottomless pit, and they couldn’t see it and didn’t know it was there, but we did? Wouldn’t we try to stop them from falling into it? Of course we would! Or…..let’s turn the tables…..would we want someone to stop us and our loved ones from falling into it? Same answer…..of course we would! I hope this gives you some encouragement today to keep pressing on in your Christian life, and keep trying to shine the light of Jesus to others. I hope it encourages you to never give up on anyone in this life. If we have done all we can to help a person understand the truth, but it seems as though he/she isn’t going to accept it, let’s never forget that we still have the avenue of prayer. We keep praying for the person…..always. The example of what Jesus prayed on the cross is so humbling. He prayed for the people who rejected Him, mocked Him, beat Him, scourged Him, nailed Him to a cross, and killed Him. He said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Wow…..the love of Jesus is unmatched. How lucky we are to have Jesus for our Savior, and God for our Father. 

God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about how to be saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus, and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves…..and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! 

Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? If you aren’t, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are…..believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan that God has set forth in His Word, for humankind to receive His grace that leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

Then, we remain faithful in our commitment to Christ until death. (Revelation 2:10, 2 Peter 2:20-22)

John 3:6-8

6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 

7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 

8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

“Born of Water and the Spirit”

Flesh is flesh and spirit is spirit. It seems simple to understand, right? To us who are Christians in today’s world, it probably is easier for us to understand the difference. It really depends on who is hearing those words. Understanding is not the same for everyone. The words of Jesus in these verses were not simple to Nicodemus, when He came to see Jesus one night. But think about it. Why would Nicodemus understand spiritual things? Everything Nicodemus had ever been taught about following the law had been fleshly or physical. Think about it…..circumcision, sacrificing animals, having a man as high priest, the physical temple, ceremonial washing (remember the washing pots at the wedding at Cana), and there are many more examples. Now they wouldn’t need any of this any more because of Jesus. No more physical circumcision…..only a circumcision or cutting of the heart. No more sacrificing animals….Jesus would be the only sacrifice anyone would ever need again. No more human high priests….Jesus is the High Priest for all of us. No more physical temple…..Jesus is the symbolic temple that we are in when we become a Christian (in Christ). No more ceremonial washing to cleanse oneself…..Jesus blood would cleanse everyone forever…..forwards and backwards. Also, with the Jews it was all about how they looked on the outside. Their religion was superficial. Remember the story Jesus told about the Pharisee praying and the tax collector praying (Luke 18:9:14)? Which one prayed with humility? It was also about all the works of merit they did, and all the money they gave. Remember the woman who gave the two mites (Luke 21:1-4)? Who gave of their means in humility, and who gave to show off? In verse 7, Jesus tells Nicodemus not to be surprised that they will have to be born again. I mean….like he said….”flesh is flesh”…..weak and frail. Flesh can’t do anything on its own without God. Flesh decays. Spirit remains forever. 

In verse 8, He begins to talk about the wind. I didn’t understand this verse on the surface, but I did some research and I get it now. Wind is translated from Greek as “wind, breath, spirit”. The same word in Hebrew is found in Ezekiel 37:9 when God made the dry bones come to life with “breath” which is translated “wind, breath, spirit”. He put His Spirit in them to bring them to life. If we are “born of the Spirit” we understand this concept. But the world cannot see it, just like we physically can’t see the wind. We can’t tell where the wind comes from and where it is going. In the same way, the world does not understand how the Spirit of God works. Everything is physical to the world. They don’t comprehend the spiritual. The world does not know which way to go while here on earth, or where they are going after this life. But….as Christians, we do know these things, because we are truly “born of water and the Spirit”. The phrase “born of water” refers to baptism, but encompasses so much more. It is the beginning of a transformation of the heart…..a complete metamorphosis begins to happen when we are baptized, which then leads into the phrase “born of the Spirit”. Once we are born again in baptism, we allow the Holy Spirit to continually work on our transforming heart until we are truly born of that Spirit. The old man or woman of sin is gone, and the Spirit of Christ is within us, making us a brand new person. Will the transformation happen all at once as soon as we come up out of the water? No, it is only the beginning. We continue to learn, grow, and transform throughout our lives. Being “born of water and the Spirit” is obeying Jesus by repenting and being baptized for the remission of sins, and allowing the Holy Spirit, through God’s Word, to guide us as we live a faithful Christian life. It is a lifelong commitment. Once we are “born of water and the Spirit”, then we can know where the “wind” or Spirit comes from…..which is God. We can also make decisions, know which way to turn, and what path to be on while we are here on earth. We go where the Spirit leads us. And how do we access the Holy Spirit? That is ultimately up to us, because it is our free will to either study and grow in God’s Word or not. The more that we are in God’s Word, the more that we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us. If we don’t open His Word, and allow it to guide us, then we will not continue to grow and transform. And, if we are letting the Spirit guide us, then we can know where we are going when we leave this world, which is paradise or heaven depending on when Jesus returns. The world has no comprehension of spiritual things. Just like we can’t physically see the wind, the world cannot comprehend the Holy Spirit.

We aren’t saved by physical things that are seen. None of the works of merit that others see us do will matter. We cannot earn our salvation. It is the unseen things that God has done since the beginning of time through sending His Son, Jesus that will save us if we are truly “born of water and the Spirit”. This is why it was so hard for the Jews to understand this completely different concept that Jesus was speaking about, in regards to “Spirit”. Back to Ezekiel 37, God shows Ezekiel a vision of dead bones being brought to life. This is a visual image of what happens to us when we are born again in baptism. We are dead bones before we become Christians. In Ezekiel 37:14, God said, “I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live….” Isn’t this what Jesus has done for us? He has put His Spirit in us, and we will live for eternity! Keep the faith, Sisters! It will all be worth it someday! 

Like I said at the beginning of this post, understanding is not the same for everyone, and that is perfectly ok. God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about how to be saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus, and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves…..and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! 

Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? If you aren’t, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are…..believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan that God has set forth in His Word, for humankind to receive His grace that leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

Then, we remain faithful in our commitment to Christ until death. (Revelation 2:10, 2 Peter 2:20-22)

John 2:23-25

23 Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. 

24 But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, 

25 and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.

I Can’t Pretend with Jesus

What is our reason for believing in Jesus? The people in this passage believed in Jesus only because of the miracles that He performed. The word “believed” here is translated as “trusted in”. They trusted in His abilities. They wanted to be around Him because of what He could do for them. It was a selfish belief more than a sincere belief. This makes me suddenly think of one of Jesus’ parables. The prodigal son had lots of friends until he ran out of money. They were not truly his friends. They only stayed around to get what they wanted from him (Luke 15:11-32). Likewise, these people did not have a real deep-rooted belief and trust in who Jesus was. This is why Jesus did not “commit” Himself to them. Another word for “commit” is “entrust”. Some of these same people would soon reject Him, and be consenting in His death. They were not going to stick with Jesus through thick and thin, and He knew that. Jesus was and still is a discerner of the thoughts of all of us. Hebrews 4:12 says that the Word of God “is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Jesus was the Word made flesh according to John 1:1, 14. He knows if our motives are pure in every situation. People who have a true belief and trust in Jesus are changed on the inside. It is a heart transplant. We allow Him to give us a new heart. Jesus saw nothing like this in these people. This reminds me of what Jesus says in Matthew 15:8 and Mark 7:6…. “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me”. This is a quote from His Father from Isaiah 29:13. This also reminds me of the stony ground in Jesus’ parable of the sower. The seed that fell among stones sprung up quickly, but had shallow roots which soon destroyed the plant. These people were that stony ground. They accepted Jesus quickly only because of the signs that He performed, but their roots were shallow. Their belief was shallow. When trials and persecutions came, their shallow roots would not allow them to remain faithful to Jesus (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23, Mark 4:1-9, 10-20, Luke 8:4-8, 11-15). 

These three verses, John 2:23-25, have always seemed very cut and dry to me until now. That is the way this entire study of John has been for me. I have learned so much from passages that seemed very simple on the surface. I have read them several times before in the past, and not really thought about them. However, as I have dug in and studied each set of verses to get the true meaning behind them, my eyes have been opened to a whole new world…..a world of amazing and infinite teachings and truth. The lessons learned are endless. It is amazing how deep I can go with just one verse. Every word of the Bible is important, even parts that didn’t seem so important to me in the past. The verses that I have dug into today are very important, because they remind us that Jesus knows whether we are truly rooted and grounded in Him. We may be able to pretend with the people around us, but we can never pretend with Jesus. He knows if we are genuine or not. I strive to be genuine. I strive for my life to be rooted and grounded in Jesus. I don’t want to be like the people in these verses. I want nothing more than for Jesus to be able to “entrust” or “commit” Himself to me. I know this is a daily struggle for all of us. I know that I struggle with it, and I own the struggle. I know that I need to check my heart and my motives daily. I need to pray about this every day. I need to pray for help to be genuine in my Christian walk. Jesus should be my “reason why” in everything I do. I think of the song, “Is My Heart Right With God?”. I need to ask myself that question daily. Is there anything in my life that I need to make right? Is there anything amiss? I would venture to say that there is something that I need to make right every single day…..within myself anyway.

Verse 25 says that Jesus had no need for anyone to testify about any other human being, because He already knew what was in every human being’s heart. This is still the case today. No one will be there on the judgment day to testify on my behalf, because there will be no need for that. Jesus will already know if I have been loyal and true to Him or not. I will not be able to plead anyone else’s case for them on judgment day, even those that I love most, and feel like I know better than anyone else. You see…..compared to Jesus, I don’t know them at all. Every day, let’s all ask ourselves if we’re right with God. Every day, let’s all ask ourselves if Jesus is our “reason why”. Let’s keep a daily check on our motives behind the things that we do. Hope everyone is having a wonderful Saturday! 

Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? If you aren’t, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are…..believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan that God has set forth in His Word, for humankind to receive His grace that leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

Then, we remain faithful in our commitment to Christ until death. (Revelation 2:10, 2 Peter 2:20-22)

John 2:19-22

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

20 Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?”

21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body. 

22 Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.

I Will Raise It Up

How many times was Jesus misunderstood when He was on earth? Jesus is misunderstood in John 2:19 which is not surprising. But here, He is not only misunderstood, but also misquoted! Two false witnesses testified against Jesus on the night that He was arrested. (Mark 19:58, Matt. 26:61) They repeated what Jesus had said in verse 19, but….they misquoted Him. They said that Jesus said that HE would destroy the temple and then rebuild it. And again in Matthew 27:39-40, He was mocked while hanging on the cross for that same statement, but once again…..He was misquoted! They mocked, paraphrasing in my own words, “Hey you! I heard you say you would destroy the temple and then rebuild it in three days! If you can do that, then save yourself!” Jesus actually meant….YOU (speaking to the Jews) will destroy this temple, and I will rebuild it in three days. Of course, we know that He spoke of his death and resurrection. Why did Jesus refer to His body as the temple? Well…the temple was very important to the Jews. It was where God actually dwelt. It held the ark of the covenant which held the stone tablets, which was their law. It held Aaron’s rod, which symbolized the miracles that God performed on their behalf. And it held a bowl of manna, which symbolized God’s blessings as He provided for their needs. Jesus was getting ready to take the place of the physical temple Himself. The high priest had to go into the most holy place to sprinkle blood and make atonement for the people’s sins once a year, only to have sins rolled forward with no actual forgiveness. But…..not anymore! Jesus would shed His blood on the cross one time for all time…..for all people…..past, present, and future. And…..this sacrifice would not just to roll sin forward, but it would actually forgive sin. Jesus would then be our High Priest forever. (Hebrew 6:20, 7:17, 24) At that point, we would all have access to Christ, who is our symbolic spiritual mercy seat….in the most holy place of the temple at any time, and from any place on earth, not just in Jerusalem. Christ is our symbolic temple. We can approach the throne of God through Jesus,  which is parallel to the high priests of the old law approaching the throne of God in the most holy place of the temple. It is so amazing to belong to Christ, and have these blessings in Him!  I also love verse 22 where John lets us know that the disciples remembered Jesus making this statement about the Jews destroying the temple and raising it up in three days, after He was resurrected. Jesus did say in John 14:26 that the Helper would come and help them remember everything that He had said to them while He was on earth. We have complete access to the “Helper” through His wonderful Word. Let’s make sure we aren’t neglecting it. The Word of God which is the Sword of the Holy Spirit is called our “Helper” for a reason. (Ephesians 6:17) But it can’t help us if we don’t open it up and utilize it. Are we letting the Word be our “Helper” daily? 

Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? If you aren’t, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are…..believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan that God has set forth in His Word, for humankind to receive His grace that leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

Then, we remain faithful in our commitment to Christ until death. (Revelation 2:10, 2 Peter 2:20-22)

John 2:13-18

13 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 

14 And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. 

15 When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. 

16 And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!” 

17 Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.”

18 So the Jews answered and said to Him, “What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?”

Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Passover as He was commanded to do so in the old law. People were using the temple to make money for themselves. They were selling oxen, sheep, and doves to people for them to use for their sacrifice. It would have been hard for people traveling a long way to bring a lamb without blemish all the way to Jerusalem. Pigeons and doves were the sin offering for the poor, so they were being sold at the temple as well. They were also taking up the temple tax that every male 20 years and older was to pay (Exodus 30:13-14). People who came from far away could not pay their tax with foreign currency so there were money changers there to exchange the foreign money for the currency needed to pay the temple tax. In verse 15, we see that Jesus makes a whip of cords and drives the people selling doves and the money changers out of the temple. He also poured out the changers’ money and turned their tables over. Jesus definitely made His point! 

This account is also found in Matt. 21:12-13, Mark 11:15-17, and Luke 19:45-46, but John’s account is significantly different. In the Matthew, Mark, and Luke accounts, the writer focuses on the dishonesty of the people who are conducting business in the temple. However, in John’s account, Jesus focuses on the people who are selling doves. He doesn’t say that they are dishonest. So….whether the entrepreneurs are honest or not, Jesus deems this activity that is happening in the temple as wrong. They should not be using the temple to run a business even if they are being honest and fair. Of course, we know that there was dishonesty going on because of the other gospel accounts where Jesus said, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”. Jesus quotes scripture from the old testament in the Matthew, Mark, and Luke accounts. He quotes from Isaiah 56:7 where it says, “For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.” He quotes from Jeremiah 7:11 where it says, “Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of thieves in your eyes?” John does not record these quotes, but instead focuses on Jesus’ words to the people selling doves. He told them to take these things away, and that they should not be running their business out of His Father’s house. Maybe they were honest business owners, but Jesus let them know that this was not the place for that. It was interfering with the worship. The temple was a place to pray and give thanks. All of this activity was a distraction to the true purpose of the Passover event…..which was to worship and praise God for all that He had done for them.

Does this statement by Jesus carry over to us today? It absolutely does. What about coffee shops selling drinks and breakfast items in church buildings? I’m not talking about coffee and a muffin provided for free at the back of the classroom before the bible study class. Some may disagree with this, and it is up to the elders whether they think this is appropriate or not. Personally, I don’t think that is a big deal, but I’m not getting into that argument today. I’m talking about an actual Starbucks/coffee shop pulling in revenue during church services. This is exactly what Jesus was talking about in this account. “Don’t make my Father’s house a house of merchandise.” What about selling books, DVDs, CDs and other materials at the time of worship? The church should not be making money in this manner. The church gets its funds from the generosity and pure hearts of the members who come to worship in spirit and truth. That generosity is an act of worship. No one should have to buy study materials at the church building during worship. If study materials are out on display at the time of worship, then they should be free. We are trying to convert people to Christ. If a visitor came into our worship service, we would not want them to have to buy our materials in order to learn the truth. Now…..I’ve been to ladies’ days where a female author would be speaking, and after the service/program is over, she would have some of her books out on display for sale to anyone who was interested. This is not what I am referring to. A ladies day or a lectureship is a program for Christians to grow in their faith, and the speaker’s materials are sometimes out for sale after the program. It is not for the church to make money off of. It is for that individual to be compensated as they continue their work in the kingdom. I’m only referring to general study materials/tracts/DVDs laid out on Sunday morning before and during worship. Nothing should distract from our worship or take our mind away from focusing on God…..certainly not getting out our cash or debit card to buy a coffee or a book. Our church is not the temple of the Old Testament. God is not confined within the walls of our buildings, but we do go to the building to worship as God’s people, and we should worship Him in spirit and truth with no distractions. 

In verse 17, the disciples quote a Psalm of David, Psalm 69:9, “Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up….”. The disciples are not speaking about Jesus’ anger at the situation. Zeal is not anger. This lets me know that Jesus was still in complete control of Himself. The disciples were speaking of His zeal for God’s house! It made them think of the zeal that David had for God’s house. Jesus receives some hostility from the Jews in verse 18. Paraphrasing in my own words, they said, “Who do you think you are?” Let’s think about us as members of the Lord’s church today. Don’t we receive hostility for our zeal to follow the scriptures today? Don’t we sometimes feel that same type of attitude thrown at us…..the “who do you think you are” attitude? I mean….Jesus said the world would hate us, but not to worry, because it hated Him first (John 15:18). But He also says in Matthew 10:22 that, “ we “will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.” We are to have a zeal for God’s house as well…..God’s house being the Lord’s church. Our zeal should drive us to want to help save lost souls. Souls make up God’s house. Our zeal for saving the lost should push us to respond to others in a kind way even towards those who are condescending and obstinate towards us. Zeal….pursuing, embracing, or defending the gospel of Christ. Zeal leads to growing God’s kingdom. Isn’t that what being a Christian is all about? 

Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? If you aren’t, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are…..believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan that God has set forth in His Word, for humankind to receive His grace that leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

Then, we remain faithful in our commitment to Christ until death. (Revelation 2:10, 2 Peter 2:20-22)

From Simon to Peter

42 And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, A Stone).

Wouldn’t it be strange if someone that we had just met decided to change our name? “I’ve just met you, but your name isn’t Greta anymore. You will be _____.” Just imagine it! I am sure that would freak most of us out! But Jesus had the authority to change anyone’s name that He wanted to. He also knew the impact that Simon would have in the future for His kingdom, the church. In John 1:42, Jesus changed Simon’s name to Cephas/Peter which means a stone or a rock. And wasn’t Peter a rock? He was a foundational influence on the church of Christ in the first century! A rock symbolizes strength, reliability, and stability. It’s why we build our houses on a rock foundation. It’s why our lives are built on Jesus, the rock of ages. However, he wasn’t much of a rock on the night Jesus was crucified, now was he? He was literally like sand washing away as he denied Jesus three times. Jesus knew all along that Peter was going to deny him, yet he still saw the rock that he would be in the future for His kingdom. That’s a lesson for us. No matter what our past is, we can be a rock for Jesus in the future. And the future can start in the next minute! We don’t have to wait years down the road to begin to change. I have a past that was like sand just like Peter. I was weak, unreliable, and unstable….the complete opposite of a rock. We all have a past. Some have a more complicated past than others, but we all have one. But our past doesn’t matter to Jesus. Jesus sees past all our imperfections, all our past mistakes, all the way to our potential. He also knows if we are going to use our potential to actually do something for Him! You’ve heard of potential energy and kinetic energy, right? Warning, science lesson! Potential energy is stored energy that hasn’t been used yet. It’s different for every object depending on its position, properties, and the forces behind it. It is like a basketball in your hand that hasn’t been released yet. That ball has potential energy. Kinetic energy is energy in motion. It is that same basketball that is released from your hand, and goes through the net to win the game at the buzzer!  Our energy is either potential or kinetic. Is the basketball still in our hand waiting to be released? Is our potential for God’s kingdom still waiting to be released? Is our energy for God in motion? It’s up to us to turn our potential into reality. I want to be a rock for Jesus in my life. I’m a work in progress for sure. I have a long way to go. But…..I’m striving through the ups and downs of this life. Never let your past define you. Don’t let it steal your energy! Never give up! We will never truly reach our full potential, because Jesus is the bar that we are striving to reach. Peter didn’t reach it either. No human ever has. But…..we can reach new levels of potential every day of our lives simply by putting Him first, and then stepping outside our comfort zone every now and then….for Him. Are we turning our potential in God’s kingdom into a reality?  

You know…..speaking of names…..we wear a new name after we become a disciple of Christ. It is a new identity, or it should be. It was foretold by Isaiah in chapter 62 and verse 2b, “You shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord will name.” It is called “Christian”, and it was first used at Antioch in Acts 17:26. We may look the same physically, but our speech, actions, reactions, behaviors, habits, etc. should look completely different to the world after we become Christians. What is most important to us should change as well. By the world’s standards, I am still Greta, but my identity is “Christian”. I didn’t always wear it well, but I desperately want to wear it well from now on. I hope and pray that from here on out, I will wear the name “Christian” with courage…..like a badge of honor…..without fear or shame…..with all glory going to My Savior and My Creator. 

Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? If you aren’t, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are…..believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan that God has set forth in His Word, for humankind to receive His grace that leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

Then, we remain faithful in our commitment to Christ until death. (Revelation 2:10, 2 Peter 2:20-22)

Be an “Andrew”

John 1:40-42a

40 One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.

41 He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ). 

42a And he brought him to Jesus.

What do we know about the apostle named Andrew? We know that Andrew and John the apostle, were following John the baptizer until John the baptizer pointed out “the Lamb of God” to them in John 1:35-36. At that point, they left John, and went to follow Jesus. They spent the rest of the day with Him. In verse 41, we see a pivotal point in Andrew’s life that He will forever be remembered for. It says that Andrew “first found His own brother Simon”. Because the text says that he “first” went to his brother, we can take this to mean that he went to others after that, and told them about finding “the Messiah”. And actually, Andrew was involved in introducing more people to Jesus as we read through the book of John. He brought the boy with the loaves and fish to Jesus (John 6:8). He also brought some Greeks  to Jesus who wanted to meet Him. Listen to John 12:20-22, “Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus.” The Greeks approached Philip, but Philip went to Andrew to make this happen. Andrew made the connection happen. Andrew seemed to bring people together. 

Andrew was one of the first ones to begin following Jesus, yet we don’t hear his name mentioned very often after this……not like his brother Simon Peter. But…..that is ok. Andrew did what Andrew could do. Andrew seems to be one of those “behind the scenes” workers who did a lot of the little things for the ministry of Jesus that we will never know about. We have people like this in the Lord’s church today. They are always working for the Lord, but no one ever sees what they do. They are not public speakers. They are not Bible class teachers. But, like Andrew, they introduce people to Jesus. They shine the light of Jesus with every breath they take. They invite people to church. They send people cards. They speak to visitors, and invite them to come back. They take food to people. The person who invites someone to church is just as important as the person who actually teaches them the gospel. 

Andrew loved his brother…..so much that he wanted him to meet Jesus. Of course, it is only natural that he would want to tell his family about Jesus first. We would all do the same. Andrew was also fully convinced that Jesus was the Messiah. There didn’t seem to be any doubts in Andrew’s mind about who Jesus was. That is all Jesus wants from any of us…..for us to have no doubts about Him, and for us to spread the word about Him. Another quality that I see in Andrew is humility. Andrew met Jesus first, but then took a step back while his brother kind of stole the show. Simon Peter was the more vocal one, sometimes too vocal for his own good. Simon Peter was the one who walked on water. Simon Peter was the one who preached the first gospel sermon. Where did Andrew go? Well…..Andrew didn’t go anywhere. I’m sure he was always there doing the legwork as I like to call it. There are “Andrews” in this world, and there are “Simon Peters” in the world. The “Simon Peters” might get more attention here on earth than the “Andrews”, but in heaven there will be no difference made between the two. Jesus loves and appreciates them both, and they will both be rewarded. Don’t ever think that you don’t have anything to offer the kingdom. You can be an “Andrew” for the kingdom, and bring others to meet Jesus. 

Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? If you aren’t, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are…..believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan that God has set forth in His Word, for humankind to receive His grace that leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

Then, we remain faithful in our commitment to Christ until death. (Revelation 2:10, 2 Peter 2:20-22)