John 1-3; Proverbs 21
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“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.” John 3:16
This was the first Bible verse I can remember putting to
memory. What wonderful truth and
promise within this verse … God loves the world … God gave His only Son …
eternal life is given to all who believe in Him.
These are the words of Jesus when He was teaching the Pharisee
named Nicodemus who had sought Jesus out at night looking for answers. Jesus went on to say, “For God did not
send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through
him. Whoever believes in him is
not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he
has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” (Verses 17-18).
To help Nicodemus understand, Jesus also used a story that
Nicodemus would have been very familiar with as a teacher of the law – the
story of Moses lifting up the bronze snake in the desert. (This is found in Numbers 21:4-9). This was when Moses and the Israelites
were in the desert, and people were dying from snakebites from the snakes sent
there because of their sinning against God. The Lord told Moses to make a snake and put it on a pole so
that anyone could look at it and live.
Jesus told Nicodemus, “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert,
so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have
eternal life.”
A couple thoughts in response to this today: First of all, a reminder
- we’re all dying because of our sins … we are condemned … unless we look to
Jesus. He’s the only way to be
free from condemnation, the only way to eternal life with God, and it is all
because of His great love for us.
And – a challenge to myself and other believers – Jesus taught Nicodemus
by using an example of something he was very familiar with. What are some “bronze snake stories” we
can use to help others see the truth about Jesus?
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