John 3

This month we’ll be reading John 3.

It is one of the most we’ll known chapters in the Bible, AND it is a chapter full of depth and wonders.

The two Nicodemus paragraphs have layers of learning and is left unresolved. What is Nicodemus’s final response?

The whole John 3:16 paragraph has such needed truths.

The two John the Baptist paragraphs teach us to be like John the Baptist.

The final paragraph is one to read and re-read (and re-read again and again) slowly letting it sink in.

It’s not a simple chapter. It has a few things to unravel. It has a few things hard to do. And it has a few things that are high and lofty and can give us great depth and even greater insight.

Enjoy!

 

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This is very human and quite thought provoking

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Learning God

Learning about God Himself is the most important thing to learn as a human.

There are things to learn about God from the three parts of John 2.

In the miracle of turning the water into wine we learn that God is social, that despite us being sinful and flawed mankind is near and dear to His heart. That’s the kind of God we have. He likes us, despite ourselves. You are liked and enjoyed by God. Let THAT sink in. He does not hate us. We are not an annoyance. God loves and cherishes and is devoted to His creation.

We also learn that God has a time for everything and way of doing everything. He is, after all, God. And by definition, His ways are always superior to ours. This is GOOD. There is security in knowing and believing that. Our God is wise, exceedingly smart. And His ways of doing things is ALWAYS good. Today (everyday!) rest a little easier that God’s work in your life is GOOD and is being done in perfect, flawless, mouth-dropping wisdom. Trust THAT! Believe THAT!

More to come.

 

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This is something GOOD to know about what to expect from your pastor and elders

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Who raised Jesus from the dead

Jesus says something interesting in John 2:19.

But Romans 8:11 seems to contradict that.

But Galatians 1:1 seems to contradict both of those.

What gives? And what’s the issue?

Who raised Jesus from the dead is the issue? Was it Jesus (John 2:19), or the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11), or God the Father (Galatians 1:1)?

How do we reconcile this? What’s the answer? All three raised Jesus from dead. The trinity was all involved in bringing Jesus back from the dead.

That’s a good and surprising thing to learn.

 

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When we’re dumb we do dumber things

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Jesus with a whip

The second story in John 2, the cleansing of the temple, is a violent event.

If we had been there, and if we had been teachable, the lesson would have been Jesus’ indignation and wrath. It would have been a corrective lesson. It would have left a lasting memory, especially if the lesson hit home hard.

Today that lesson can be lost on us. We didn’t experience it. We didn’t suffer any loss. We’re very distant observers.

Nevertheless, some things, some places, some moments, some words are holy. They may not be serious to us, but they certainly are to God.

That’s worth thinking about.

 

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This is eye opening

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Why

The grand story of Jesus turning the water into wine has three significant difficulties.

First, why does Jesus refer to his mother as woman instead of mom or mother?

Second, what does it mean that “my hour has not come” in this context? We understand it better when he says it near his crucifixion. Why does it appear that he says it in declining to help his mother?

Third, Jesus does the miracle, but it appeared He wasn’t going to do the miracle.

Three historically hard questions.

Tomorrow night at the evening service these three difficulties will be wrestled with.

 

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Wise words in our political atmosphere

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The first miracle

The first miracle Jesus does is at a wedding. The miracles does not involve anyone dying, or ill, or lame, or blind, or suffering from leprosy.

There is no great need like when Jesus feeds very hungry people or when people are possessed with demons.

The issue is wine. They’ve run out.

Why does Jesus provide for the need? We don’t fully know, but verse 11 might well be one of the main reasons. For the first time Jesus revealed His glory and that resulted in the disciples believing in Jesus.

The first part of that sentence is more important than the second part. God’s glory is more important than how people respond to it. His glory is how He expresses and reveals Himself. It’s part of what defines God. It’s much of what ought to draw us and keep drawing to Him.

In this very first miracle we and the disciples get to see what God in the flesh can do without lifting a finger.

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. Romans 11:36

 

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This is good, but it might be hard to fully grasp

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The 3 things of John 2

John 2 is divided into three sections. Turning water into wine. Driving sellers and buyers out of the temple. And Jesus not entrusting Himself to people.

The first section is sweet and kind and reveals the power/glory of Jesus and causes His disciples to believe in Him.

The second sections also reveals the glory and power of Jesus. It shows us how serious he can be and to what extent He will go to make things right.

The third section shows us an unexpected side of Jesus. He did not entrust Himself to people because he knew what is in each of us.

The chapter is small panoramic of three not-so-small sides of Jesus It’s a WOW chapter.

Enjoy. Let it run deep.

 

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This is good

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Darkness

John addresses something we know about, but not something we often think about deeply.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:5

Darkness is real. There is a dark side to this world. And there is darkness in each of us. Jesus shines into that darkness and Jesus is greater than the darkness

John adds more in chapter three.

And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. John 3:19

When we are honest we are apt to admit that there is a side of us that is drawn like a magnet to sin.

And Jesus adds this…

I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. John 8:12

The way out of darkness; the way to fight darkness is to follow Jesus closely. Daily, hourly, intentionally.

 

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This has an unexpected conclusions about lying

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A hidden gem

There’s a hidden gem in John 1.

Jesus says it first, then Nathanael says it.

We humans can be skeptical. We can be doubters or hesitant. Sometimes someones word is not enough. We need proof, we need to see it or hear it for ourselves.

Two disciples ask Jesus (vs 38) where He is staying. He doesn’t tell them where, He says, “Come and you will see.”

Nathanael tells Philip about Jesus, and Philip is skeptical (vs 46), so Nathanael says, “Come and see.”

That’s the gem. We are invited to come and see. The church is Christianity made visible. We can tell people, “Come and see.”

 

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This is short and so important

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