Savior 5

John 3:1-5



Christmas is coming! And wouldn't it be great to give a gift that was received with as much excitement as the kid in this video?

So what does this have to do with the story of Nicodemus. I've read it, reenacted it for Vacation Bible School, heard sermons preached about it and so on all my life. It's a key passage in our understanding of what it means to be a Christian.

But when I was preparing to write this 10/2 Grow, I wanted to look up the Greek for the word "born." Something about the conversation recorded in John seemed important!

What I found interesting is that the word for "born" is gennaō and it has two distinct meanings. The first is to be born physically, but it can also mean to excite or sort of stir up. So the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus is sort of a word-play that we take for granted because we have read it and heard the term "born again" all our lives!

Take the word "born" out of verse 3 and replace it with excite and from above, which is what the annotated Bible uses:

"I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is excited from above."

If we take this verse this way, it shows that what Jesus was trying to tell Nicodemus (and us by extension) was that we have to get stirred up! We have to be inspired! And it comes from above.

We should be creating this sort of passion about our salvation every day of our lives, not taking it for granted. It's the greatest miracle Jesus performed while on earth... sacrificing himself for our sins and rising again to conquer death.

And that's something to get excited from above about.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Think about your salvation from sin today and ask God to create in you a passion and excitement that will honor it as the gift it is.