Aches and Praise Five Hundred & Nine

Posted on 2021-06-11 in English |

June 11, 2021
 
 

Dear friends,

                                                                                                                                                           
In a Bible study on Zoom on Wednesday, we looked at the encounter that Nicodemus had with Jesus, as recorded in John 3. Although I have read the fourth gospel many times, I am discovering that I overlooked some things. One of those things is the connection between the second and third chapters. After John wrote “… many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man” (2:23-25), he introduced the interview of the next chapter with these words: “There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews” (3:1). I had not seen the connection between the ending phrase of chapter 2 and the beginning phrase of chapter 3 before I read a commentary by Dr. Edwin Blum of Dallas Seminary in “The Bible Knowledge Commentary.”
 

The apostle John states that Nicodemus came to Jesus by night. Why did he come at night? It may have been because, as a member of the Sanhedrin, Nicodemus did not want to be seen talking with Jesus. Another possibility is that night time was the best time for a lengthy conversation, given their busy schedules during the day. As our study group considered this, I remembered that I came to faith in Christ at night. On January 9, 1973 I was reading the gospel of Luke and following a Bible course that I received from Christian Direction, a ministry that began with the “Sermons from Science” pavilion at Expo ’67. When I came to the end of the third lesson, there was a place to write if I had asked God’s forgiveness for my sins and received His gift of salvation. By God’s grace, I realized that I could not return the lesson to my counsellor, Jim Yorgey, if I had not repented of my sins and trusted Christ. When I did so, my heart was flooded with His peace and I went down the hall at home to tell my parents what happened.

As you read God’s Word, you may have many questions, like Nicodemus had. I urge you to keep studying the Bible and asking the Lord to reveal wondrous truths to you. We are blessed with many resources – in printed form as well as online – to help us. With all the changes in technology over the past few decades, the Word of God is now available in places that were previously unreached. The Lord is building His church around the world!

The sixteenth verse of John 3 reveals the gospel. In his Study Bible, Dr. David Jeremiah writes: “This single verse tells more about God and His plan for this world than any other verse in the Bible. God gave the most extravagant thing He could to demonstrate His love for lost humankind, summoning and sending His only begotten Son to pay the debt for sin.” Did Nicodemus believe that Jesus is the Christ, the long-awaited Messiah?  You’ll have to look at the nineteenth chapter of John’s gospel to find the answer.

Scripture for the weekend: “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” 1 John 3:1 (NKJV)

Thought for the weekend: “God’s love is the ultimate source of encouragement. The more we discover and experience just how much He loves us, the more hope we’ll have for the future. God has designed a plan and purpose for your life – and it brings Him joy to see you flourish.” – from “Encouraging Stories & News 2021 No. 2” published by Our Daily Bread Ministries Canada, Windsor, ON (www.ourdailybread.ca)

 

By His grace,
 

Steve

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