Acts 1:1-3
Jesus Teaches His Disciples Over a Period of Forty Days
1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.
John 14:1-7
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.”
John 3:1-9
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.”
John 10:1-17 (KJV)
Jesus is the Door for His Sheep
1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
6 This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.
7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
I sometimes try to remember as far back in my life as far as I can...Which really isn't very far...I cannot remember much about my childhood anymore...And of course, I remember nothing of when I was born...But, I often think that when we are in our mother's womb, we are alive, and living...Yet, we do not know we are alive and living...In fact, we don't know very much at all in our mother's womb, if anything...But we are alive, and have started living...Something or Someone is taking care of us...And then when we are born, maybe it is our second birth, if we count the day we are conceived as our first birth...And these earliest of days in our lives, is a mystery to me...I do not understand much how our early life unfolds...But as we live on life seems to open more and as we mature living makes more sense (or does it)...
Jesus tells Nicodemus that no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again....And this is also a mystery to me...We live a life on earth, follow Jesus, but to see His Kingdom, we must be born once again...How can this be?...Jesus tells us He is the Door for His sheep... He is the Door...And if we enter through His Door, we shall be saved...His Door is the path to heaven, and to God, His Father...
C. S. Lewis wrote, “Death opens a door out of a little, dark room (that's all the life we have known before it) into a great, real place where the true sun shines and we shall meet.” ...Maybe, just maybe we are reborn when we die, or maybe after we die...And into this great, real place where the true sun shines and we all shall meet...In this great place, maybe there is this Great Light...And this Great Light transforms us into the Spirit, and then we are born of Spirit...This is only a guess...But I know I was living long before I can remember anymore...And maybe the latter part of our lives are in some ways like the earliest part of our lives...We are living, but Someone is helping us get through until we can be on our own...And I know I will need help being born again, because I do not understand how the mystery unfolds...But the One who is the Light knows...And He was lifted up on the third day...And maybe if we have Him in our hearts and believes may have eternal life in him...
I think after Jesus died, that the Disciples outlook on death changed...But this outlook changed after they saw Jesus alive...Death had opened a new Door for them...And as He visited His Disciples over the forty days, after His first death, the looked at death in a completely different and new way...I really believe, if they feared death they feared it much less now...A true and great place had opened for them...Jesus had changed their thoughts on death...They now knew He could prepared a room and place for them in heaven...Jesus changes the outlook and thoughts about death...