How can these things be?!

Read: John 3

This chapter is so full and packed of rich truths to work through- but I feel April racing upon us! ( I know its a month a way but still) There is so much grace and truth written in the chapter but in leaning towards our theme of the first and last Adam I will be focusing in on 9-21.

The more time I am in the Word the more I become acutely aware of our need to be saturated in His Word. It holds such glorious depths of the riches of God's love and mercy for His people. It teaches us about who He is and what Christ has done for us. It points us to life, and life everlasting. It becomes the only way to truly hold the weight of temporary things to verse eternal matters. Knowing scripture and sound doctrine within that scripture is a necessity to preserve our hearts and minds. I always wonder what separates today's church and the contemporary believer from the heroes of the faith. The men and women from biblical times to the present age who are willing to forsake it all for the sake of Christ. I think it is because they believe that what God says is true. They are invested in the word and not content with a quick fix but are so engrossed in the Word and sound doctrine that they are able to have a foundation that cannot be shaken. It is what enables them to live in faith, now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see (Hebrews 11). We cannot have that faith unless we too know in whom and by whom and for how we have that hope. That hope is Jesus Christ.

V9-15: Nicodemus has come under the guise of darkness to talk to Jesus. A pharisee, a teacher of the law; desiring to know if Christ was a fulfillment of the law. Pharisees are a second that started at some point the in second century B.C. Their greatest stumbling block- allowing man-made rituals and traditions on the same level as scripture. He says to Jesus, How can these things be, when speaking of being born again. Nicodemus a teacher of the law cannot understand the grace of Jesus Christ. He cannot understand that there is nothing he, himself can do to come to Christ, but it is only through what Christ can do for him. How can one be born again he previously asks. He is limited by his own works. He is not personally capable of fulfilling the law. He cannot be born a second time physically. You can almost feel the conviction. Years of teaching tradition and ritual, in keeping perfect law and following scripture to a t...and it isn't enough. It will never be enough, because it is under the banner of our own sin. It is under the curse of Adam and man can toil and fret and worship and sacrifice but apart from the work of Jesus Christ and the cleansing of our sins that only faith in Christ through his bodily death and resurrection can do. Jesus sites the the prophecy that he is about to fulfill. "Just as Moses..." At the hand of the sins of the Israelites, Moses was commanded to place a serpent on a pole and lift it up, so all who were suffering as a result of their sin, could look upon it and be healed. A foretelling as Jesus says here, "So must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life." Christ lifted on the Cross. All who are sinners, who look to the cross; who believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who is the Way the Truth and the Life, who repent for their sins and put their faith and hope in He who was lifted- are given the ultimate cure from the agony of sin and sickness- eternal life. And this is good news.

There are so many times we come to scripture, come to Jesus and ask, "How can these things be?" Part of it is out of disbelief. Part of it is out of ignorance, or driven by fear. We cannot fathom that we can't be our own heroes. That we can't earn our salvation. That we can't merit our own worthiness to God. We are simply gifted salvation. It makes it almost too hard to accept for some. When we see who we are, and who God is; this free gift of salvation becomes all the more glorious but to those who struggle with believing it becomes all the more incredulous. How can these things be! Jesus is telling Nicodemus, it is; because He is. He is the only way. It is by him, and through Him and from Him and for Him. It is for His glory. It is through His blood and it is by His grace.

Do not assume that because you go to church, because you know the words, because you do all the things... that you know the Savior. We discussed this a few days ago, even the demons believe...and shudder. We need to do more than read. We need to embrace Christ as the One who is the giver of Life. We need to be born again as Jesus taught.  It is by grace through faith, it is a gift of God, so that no one may boast.

V16-17 For God so loved the world, that he gave His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Romans 5:17   17 For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

We are all given the gift of time right now. (well most unless you are an "essential" employee) use it wisely. Use it to be with Christ. I think of a story I heard about a pastor who was imprisoned for preaching. 7 years, in a cell; he goes on to talk about what a gift that time was; instead of seeing his isolation and solitude as a death sentence he called it a "honeymoon with His Savior." We are going into the celebration of the Resurrection of our King! Do not waste this time of preparation! Do not be caught without oil in your lamp when He comes!

I want to end with the words of Patrick in lieu of St. Patty's Day (we are O'Neills after all)
"Christ be within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ inquired, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger."
One thing that set Patrick apart "Patrick, says Fletcher, “was soaked in the Bible.”

Do we desire this much of Christ and the Word today? Oh that we may use this time in history as a glorious honeymoon with our savior!