John 3:1-21
Jesus Teaches Nicodemus
1 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.
John 14:1-31
Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life
1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”
5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”
9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”
23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
28 “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. 30 I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, 31 but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.
“Come now; let us leave.
John 17:3
Now This is Eternal Life
3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
Isaiah 55:8-9
God's Thoughts are not Our Thoughts
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
It is written that God’s thoughts are not the same as man’s thoughts...For God's thoughts are not like man's thoughts, and neither are God's ways our ways...As the heavens are higher than the earth, so God who is from heaven and lives in heaven and is God has different and higher ways than man...God's thoughts are eternal thoughts...His thoughts have been around since the beginning...And His eternal thoughts are sacred and holy thoughts...
God sent His Son Jesus to us to teach us about these eternities and eternal ideas and in a way about eternal thoughts...To men these things of eternity are hard and confusing to understand...So when I read about Jesus teaching Nicodemus, I read and feel these ideas about eternity that were written by St. John and taught by Jesus, are something is different for me to understand...They are hard for me to understand... Nicodemus came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that You are a Teacher who has come from God...For no one could perform the signs You are doing if God were not with Him.”...Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the Kingdom of God unless they are born again.”...Now being born again is an eternal teaching...So Nicodemus asks, “How can someone be born when they are old?”...“Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”...Nicodemus is quickly confused (just as I am)...Jesus answered and tells Nicodemus, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit...Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit...You should not be surprised at My saying, ‘You must be born again.’...The wind blows wherever it pleases...You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going...So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”...“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked...Nicodemus had trouble learning about eternity and how God thinks...
I have this same reaction, when I read about Jesus talking and when He is comforting His Disciples before His arrest...He tells His Disciples that they need not let their hearts be troubled....We should believe in God; and we should also believe in Him...Jesus says His Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, He would have told us...So He would die and then ascend to heaven and then would go to the Kingdom of God and prepare a place for His Disciples...And when He went there and prepared this place for them, He would come back and take them to be with Him so that they could be where He lives...And He told them that they knew where He was going...
With all this talk about eternity, it is confusing...Thomas asked, “LORD, we don’t know where You are going, so how can we know the Way?”...Jesus answered Thomas by saying some of the greatest words ever to be spoken, “I AM the Way and the Truth and the Life...No one comes to the Father except through Me."....Right here we are told, as are His Disciples that the Only Way to God is through Jesus...So, if we really know Jesus, then we will know the Way to His Father as well, and to the Kingdom of God...So from now on, if we believe Jesus and know Him, then we know God and have seen God...Knowing God and Jesus is eternal life...And with this continued talk about the eternities, Philip too is confused...Philip said, “LORD, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”...Jesus answered and said this to Philip: “Don’t you know Me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time?...Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father...How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?...Don’t you believe that I AM in the Father, and that the Father is in Me?...The words I say to you I do not speak on My Own authority...Rather, it is the Father, living in Me, who is doing His work...Believe Me when I say that I AM in the Father and the Father is in Me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves...Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in Me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I AM going to the Father...And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son...You may ask Me for anything in My name, and I will do it."...As we read these words we can see the divinity in them and their sacredness...
Nicodemus is confused about being reborn...Nicodemus has come to Jesus at night, admitting that Jesus is a Man of God and from God...And Jesus has answered his questions accordingly...Thomas is confused about knowing the Way to heaven and to the Father...And Philip wants to see God, so that he might straighten things out in his confused thoughts about these eternal teachings...And the confused Thomas and Philip hear more information about the eternities...The Disciples know that Jesus has a special relationship with God... And Jesus has given them their answers...Jesus has came from heaven and from God...How else could He answer their questions, except with the Truth about the eternities?...And the Truth requires knowing somethings about eternity and having eternal knowledge...
And then Jesus goes on to tell Thomas and Philip and the other Disciples about the Holy Spirit...The Holy Spirit is another eternal teaching...They have trouble grasping this concept, it seems...He mixes the Holy Spirit with love...“If you love Me, keep My commands...And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of Truth...The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him...But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you...I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you...Before long, the world will not see Me anymore, but you will see Me...Because I live, you also will live...On that day you will realize that I AM in My Father, and you are in Me, and I AM in you...Whoever has My commands and keeps them is the one who loves Me...The one who loves Me will be LOVED by My Father, and I too will LOVE them and show Myself to them.”...
Jesus has given them a New Commandment...Jesus tells His Disciples about His Commandment of LOVE...And then He adds about the Holy Spirit...The Holy Spirit and love are truly connected...God LOVES the world and has sent His Son to save us...