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.

Our Crucifixion 1

Romans 6:12-14

One of the best times in life when I was a child was the end of school. I remember being absolutely giddy with happiness that I no longer was under the strict rules of school nor the strict schedule of classes. I was free to do what I chose.

What are we to avoid? According to verse 13, what type of people are we? What are we to do with the parts of our body? Why is sin not our master?

As with Christmas, the holiday of Easter can lose some of its meaning. We can easily get caught up in the warming weather, the Easter Sunday meal, the egg hunts, the chocolate. And while we can remember that we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, we can overlook why that is important.

The candy, the eggs, the food, the clothing, even some of the pageantry of Easter are all simply layers that have been put upon the celebration of the resurrection. At the core Easter is all about Jesus rising from the tomb into new life. It was a demonstration – real and tangible – that nothing was impossible for God. It showed that we also have hope beyond death. The grave is not the end for us; just an interruption between this life and the eternal.

But beyond a hope and anticipation of things to come after our death, the resurrection gave us new life and freedom today. Because Jesus assumed the guilt of sin on the cross we are no longer under the law – that is, we do not have to fret and worry over the religious rules and regulations, the hoops and obstacles of faith. It is not through strict adherence to rules that gives us salvation and hope.

Instead we are under the grace of Christ. The crucifixion of Jesus took away our sins if we will accept the sacrifice.

So, under grace, we are free. We do not have to be slaves to sin. Rather we can refuse to do what is not acceptable. We are forgiven and we are empowered by God to do what is good and right. And so, as Paul urges, we do not offer ourselves or any part of ourselves to sinful or wrong activity. Instead, with the freedom of grace, we offer ourselves freely to the service and worship of God.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What evil desires do you need to put to an end?