Jesus died to save us from our sins and from condemnation, the consequence of sin. As we accept Him as our savior, we are given the Holy Spirit's power to resist temptation so that we may sin less and repent more. But what about sins that really don't involve temptation? For example, what about remaining silent as evil grows and spreads through the culture?. Ezekiel 3:18-19 makes it clear that we are to speak up, or else be held accountable. If we allow evil to grow, unchecked, we dishonor the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf. It's easy to look the other way as millions of unborn babies are murdered, but I don't think that's what Jesus wants from us. To honor His incredible sacrifice, I believe the least we can do is speak up fearlessly about evil and make it clear that we don't accept it.
John 3:8 ESV‬‬
[8] "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
... you hear it's sound...
~you feel the power and presence of the Spirit.
... you do not know where it comes from or where it goes...
~The Spirit leads us in the direction of God's will; we don't know God's plan, why He leads us nor where He is leading us (usually in a direction far different from our own plans & wishes)
....so it is with everyone who is born of the spirit...
~this is how it is for all true believers: have faith in God, trust His spirit to lead us in unknown/ unexpected and uncomfortable directions; He is leading us to do his will!
What always strikes me about this story is the quietness of it, the secrecy of it, the intimacy of it. Jesus was in Jerusalem for Passover and had thrown the money changers out of the Temple because it was to be a house of prayer. After that, did he retreat to Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives? Luke tells us it was his habit to retreat to Gethsemane to pray. So it could be that the last Adam was walking in the beautiful garden that He loved, communing with God as the first Adam communed with God before the fall. I can picture Him among the olive trees, looking over Jerusalem, longing to gather the people together as a hen gathers her chicks. In the quiet of Jesus' communion and prayer comes Nicodemus, a leader of the people, a Pharisee who had questions. He sought out Jesus to get answers to the longing in his heart and the purpose for his life. And the last Adam opened the door again to communion with the Father. For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whosoever believes on him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.
There in the garden, Jesus opens the door to all that was lost. Relationship with the Father, the promise of eternal life, the blessings of an intimate walk with the Almighty. And in that garden, overlooking Jerusalem, among the olive trees, Nicodemus believed. He, the learned man who was a powerful influence, became a child and gave his heart to Jesus. After Jesus was crucified, Nicodemus would assist Joseph of Arimathia to bury Jesus in the a different garden in a tomb made of stone. Two heartbroken men burying Jesus in a garden tomb. What they didn't know was that the work of Jesus was a design from the beginning that the last Adam was opening the way through the Garden to communion with God without obstacle, without the veil, face to face as the first Adam did in Eden, in the cool of the day, intimately walking and talking with God. Jesus opened the gates again so that we might be saved and have eternal fellowship with God the Father as Adam did, face to face and heart to heart. In a quiet garden, Nicodemus got his questions answered and believed..
Thank you, Jesus, for your greatest sacrifice on the cross for us. I know it was you speaking to me and bringing me out of a vast darkness into your light all those years ago. It has forever changed me and I am forever grateful to you. My prayer is that I stay close to you in my walk and that I glorify you for all that you do... past, present, and future. Thank you for all that you have done for me and for where I am today. In your name, Jesus... Amen.
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Jesus died to save us from our sins and from condemnation, the consequence of sin. As we accept Him as our savior, we are given the Holy Spirit's power to resist temptation so that we may sin less and repent more. But what about sins that really don't involve temptation? For example, what about remaining silent as evil grows and spreads through the culture?. Ezekiel 3:18-19 makes it clear that we are to speak up, or else be held accountable. If we allow evil to grow, unchecked, we dishonor the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf. It's easy to look the other way as millions of unborn babies are murdered, but I don't think that's what Jesus wants from us. To honor His incredible sacrifice, I believe the least we can do is speak up fearlessly about evil and make it clear that we don't accept it.
John 3:8 ESV‬‬
[8] "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
... you hear it's sound...
~you feel the power and presence of the Spirit.
... you do not know where it comes from or where it goes...
~The Spirit leads us in the direction of God's will; we don't know God's plan, why He leads us nor where He is leading us (usually in a direction far different from our own plans & wishes)
....so it is with everyone who is born of the spirit...
~this is how it is for all true believers: have faith in God, trust His spirit to lead us in unknown/ unexpected and uncomfortable directions; He is leading us to do his will!
What always strikes me about this story is the quietness of it, the secrecy of it, the intimacy of it. Jesus was in Jerusalem for Passover and had thrown the money changers out of the Temple because it was to be a house of prayer. After that, did he retreat to Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives? Luke tells us it was his habit to retreat to Gethsemane to pray. So it could be that the last Adam was walking in the beautiful garden that He loved, communing with God as the first Adam communed with God before the fall. I can picture Him among the olive trees, looking over Jerusalem, longing to gather the people together as a hen gathers her chicks. In the quiet of Jesus' communion and prayer comes Nicodemus, a leader of the people, a Pharisee who had questions. He sought out Jesus to get answers to the longing in his heart and the purpose for his life. And the last Adam opened the door again to communion with the Father. For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whosoever believes on him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.
There in the garden, Jesus opens the door to all that was lost. Relationship with the Father, the promise of eternal life, the blessings of an intimate walk with the Almighty. And in that garden, overlooking Jerusalem, among the olive trees, Nicodemus believed. He, the learned man who was a powerful influence, became a child and gave his heart to Jesus. After Jesus was crucified, Nicodemus would assist Joseph of Arimathia to bury Jesus in the a different garden in a tomb made of stone. Two heartbroken men burying Jesus in a garden tomb. What they didn't know was that the work of Jesus was a design from the beginning that the last Adam was opening the way through the Garden to communion with God without obstacle, without the veil, face to face as the first Adam did in Eden, in the cool of the day, intimately walking and talking with God. Jesus opened the gates again so that we might be saved and have eternal fellowship with God the Father as Adam did, face to face and heart to heart. In a quiet garden, Nicodemus got his questions answered and believed..
Thank you, Jesus, for your greatest sacrifice on the cross for us. I know it was you speaking to me and bringing me out of a vast darkness into your light all those years ago. It has forever changed me and I am forever grateful to you. My prayer is that I stay close to you in my walk and that I glorify you for all that you do... past, present, and future. Thank you for all that you have done for me and for where I am today. In your name, Jesus... Amen.