Do Not Marvel

"Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'" (John 3:7)

Nicodemus had no reference for Jesus' words, because He worshiped God according to the dictates and traditions of men. When He encountered God Himself in Jesus, he did not know what to make of Him. Jesus' words were spirit and life, and they were spoken with authority unlike any words Nicodemus had ever heard. The thought of being born again had never occurred to him, and those words challenged everything he believed. Being a Jew, a man of means, a ruler, and a Pharisee meant little or nothing from this moment forward. The only thing that mattered is what He would do with these words, "You must be born again." The same is true of you and me.

Witness how rarely you hear these words today. The simplicity of the Gospel offends the sin nature man inherited, so some seek to appeal to them without it. They rely on expertise, studies, and "theologies," while asking and answering all the wrong questions. The Bible calls this a form of godliness that is devoid of the power of God (2 Timothy 3:5). Our vile sin nature desperately seeks to be coddled, to be heard, to be understood, and ultimately, accepted as it is. But Jesus never deviates, and His message today is the same one He shared with Nicodemus; "You must be born again."

Let's Pray - Dear God, thank You for sending Jesus to lay down His life so that I might have life. I truly believe Your word, and I truly believe in Your Son. Amen.