Year 8, Day 251: John 3

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Today I’m not going to focus on the typical things that come out of this chapter.  The world’s most understood verse is here.  The beginning of Nicodemus’ walk in faith is here.  These are great things upon which we can focus, but that isn’t where I am going to go today.

Instead, there is a dynamic in this chapter that is often overlooked.  This entire chapter is built upon a single thought: how do people figure out who Jesus is and how they are going to respond.  This chapter is about people getting a grip on what God is doing through Jesus.

For example, take Nicodemus.  He wants to know what he doesn’t understand.  Nicodemus chooses to come at night when he won’t be spotted and when Jesus won’t be quite as busy.  Its not likely that Nicodemus is doing official work for the Pharisees or he would have come with the crowds.  Nicodemus wants to know, so he goes to the horse’s mouth.  Nicodemus goes straight to the source.  Notice that he gets his answer, too.  There’s something to be said about the direct approach.

Then we hear about John’s disciples.  They see that many people are going to Jesus instead of John.  Whether out of confusion or jealousy – we can’t be completely sure – they go to John and ask him what is going on.  It might be easy to be critical of them, but resist that temptation.  The reality is that they are going to their mentor.  They are going to the place where God has shown He can speak.  They also take the direct method, it’s just that they are going direct to God speaking through John instead of direct to God speaking in Jesus.  Note, also, that they get their answer.

There is a very important message in this chapter.  We all need to figure out for ourselves who Jesus is.  As Jesus says, those who believe in Him are made to be the children of God in the Spirit.  Those who deny Jesus are already condemned.  We need to figure out Jesus.  The question that this chapter asks is where we will go.  Will we God directly to God?  Will we go to places that we know God uses to speak truth?  Or will we go elsewhere and get whatever we should find there?

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