2/13/2012

John 3:13 “No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is , the Son of God who is in heaven.”

No one rose (ascended) into heaven who came down first from heaven except Jesus Christ the son of God. Yes, Elijah and Enoch were both swept away into heaven but they did not descend from heaven…they had only been on this earth.

I love how clearly this verse points to Jesus Christ as being the One and Only son of God because Jesus is the ONLY ONE who fits this description. Imagine how unfathomable it is that Jesus Christ came from heaven where He had constant communion with the Father to earth….a place that had originally been paradise but was now contorted and twisted because sin had entered the world. What a difference from perfect peace and harmony in heaven to constant strife and conflict on this earth!

Jesus, thank you for even being willing to consider yet alone fulfill this calling to come to earth. This leads me to question in my own life, how far am I willing to go for Christ? Are there areas I am holding back? Am I offering myself a living sacrifice unto the Lord? (Rom. 12:1) God, I want to be willing to go to whatever extent Your calling is on my life. Please give me the strength to live this out.

2/14/2012

John 3:14 “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.”

Here Jesus is explaining to Nicodemus the things that would be happening to Him in the near future. I thought it very interesting that Jesus uses this example of Moses in the Old Testament to explain his crucifixion. I don’t know if this was Jesus’ intention, but I found it fascinating that Moses (often representing the law) was the one who lifted up the snake…in the same way the Pharisees, who were following the law religiously, lifted up Jesus on a cross. Jesus most likely used this example from the Old Testament because Nicodemus was a leader of the Jews and most likely very well read in Old Testament scriptures. Jesus was using what was relatable for Nicodemus to understand.

Application: I think this is a very critical point when evangelizing or ministering to someone…that I use relatable terms unique for each person because everyone is different in the way they understand and grasp new concepts. Jesus used what was relatable to Nicodemus, God please give me insight on how to most effectively minister to those around me using concepts and vocabulary that they can best understand and relate to.