Moments to Ponder
Pondering is a lost practice today.
The idea that we might actually take a few moments to think deeply about anything seems indulgent in our busy, full schedules. Yet, our souls crave rest and space to breathe, process our lives, choices, and walk with Jesus. I invite you to join me fora few moments to take in Scripture and take away a few thoughts to ponder throughout your day.
Moments to Ponder
Episode 122: Unveiling Truth under the Night Sky (John 3)
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What makes late-night conversations so uniquely powerful, and how can they lead to life-altering revelations? Join me, Betsy Marvin, on Moments to Ponder as we explore this intriguing question through the story of Nicodemus and his midnight meeting with Jesus. We'll uncover how the quiet of the evening provides a fertile ground for introspective dialogue about spiritual rebirth and the essence of God's kingdom. Discover how Nicodemus, despite his religious credentials, approaches with an open heart, seeking truth and transformation. This encounter challenges his beliefs and highlights Jesus' mission of salvation, shedding new light on the timeless message of John 3:16 about God's profound love and purpose.
In our next segment, we shift the focus to the personal journey of inviting Jesus into your life. Reflect on the transformative energy of acknowledging your own shortcomings and seeking forgiveness through faith in Christ. By bringing any hidden darkness into the light, you allow His grace and love to fill your life. Whether you're just beginning your faith journey or have been walking this path for years, there's a call to let His light shine through every shadowed corner of your existence. If today's reflections stirred your spirit, reach out and let me support you with prayer and encouragement as you embrace the hope and joy in making Jesus your Lord and Savior.
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Hi friends, welcome to Moments to Ponder. This podcast is designed to help you spend a few moments in God's Word, gain fresh perspectives and find meaningful takeaways to ponder throughout your week. I'm Betsy Marvin and this is episode 122. Late night conversations. There's something about evenings with a bit of shadow and quiet that invites deeper conversations. There's whispers and giggles that come from sleepovers. There's that quiet moment when your kid is snuggled in bed and now they want to talk. Busyness of the day is done, there's nowhere you have to be, and in our relaxed tiredness we are so much more open to vulnerability.
Speaker 1:This is the setting for the beginning of chapter 3 in John. It's Jerusalem. At night, the city is quiet. As darkness falls, those who have come for Passover have settled down for the evening with their family and friends. The day was warm, so Jesus and his disciples are sitting on the roof of the home where they're staying. The cool night air is welcome and they hear a quiet knock at the door. They look at each other with that question look, people can get. Who could be at the door at this hour? Soon their host leads a man dressed in the robes of a religious leader up the stairs and as he looks up, they recognize Nicodemus. What could he want with Jesus? As Jesus welcomes Nicodemus, the disciples quietly leave the roof, knowing that this is no simple chat.
Speaker 1:The Pharisees are not necessarily favorable to Jesus after the whole temple incident. So if a Pharisee is coming by night to talk with Jesus, he must have a reason. Coming at night, in secret, that brought questions like does he have a warning for us? Does he have a warning for us? Does he have a question that only Jesus can answer? And I have to wonder if John, being curious, stayed close enough to listen, as he is the only gospel writer who shares this encounter. Here's John 3.
Speaker 1:There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader, who was a Pharisee. After dark one evening he came to speak with Jesus. Rabbi, he said we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you. Jesus replied I tell you the truth Unless you're born again, you cannot see the kingdom of God. What do you mean, exclaimed Nicodemus? How can an old man go back into his mother's womb and be born again? Jesus replied. So don't be surprised when I say you must be born again. The wind blows wherever it wants, just as you hear the wind but can't tell where it comes from or where it's going. So you can't explain how people are born of the Spirit. How are these things possible, nicodemus asked? Nicodemus, right away, shares with Jesus that he, along with other leaders, recognize that Jesus has things to teach them. So Jesus dives right in with his main teaching you need to be born again. The words here actually mean born from above. The words here actually mean born from above. Now, this is interesting to note because the Jews felt they were born from above because they were God's chosen people. So they felt they already had the inner transformation that they needed because they were well Jews.
Speaker 1:What Jesus is telling Nicodemus would have been confusing, which led to the question what do you mean? I love that.
Speaker 1:Nicodemus is curious. He would have had years and years of teaching. He knew a lot, yet he's asking questions. Something in him knew that his knowledge wasn't enough. Something in him knew that his knowledge wasn't enough. There's more and his world is about to be rocked. What he would hear would require a complete reorientation of his life thinking. Jesus tells him that if he wants to participate in the fullness of all that God brings and enter new life in God's kingdom, then he must receive the life that God gives, to be born from above, through the Spirit. And as Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit who gives birth to spiritual life, he says this is a mystery that no one understands, which leads to Nicodemus' next question how is this possible?
Speaker 1:We continue in verse 10. Jesus replied when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of man has come down from heaven. And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. For this is how God sent his son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him, but anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God's one and only son, and the judgment is based on this fact. God's light came into the world, but people love the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants. This is quite a set of verses.
Speaker 1:John 3.16 is quoted often. It's on pictures and signs and billboards. It's a verse that sums up so much of the gospel, but it becomes so much more when it's placed in its context, doesn't it? Jesus tells us straight up that God's work is to bring life, not death, and it comes by sharing who he is, what he came to do and why. So Jesus shares with Nicodemus who he is. He has come from heaven.
Speaker 1:Jesus shares with Nicodemus who he is. He has come from heaven, and later in the verses he referred to himself as God's son, leaving no doubt about who he is. Then he shares what he came to do. Jesus said he meaning himself. He will be lifted up like the bronze snake Moses lifted up in the wilderness. This is a reference this Jewish teacher would have known really well but might not have understood. Moses made the bronze snake so that, when the Israelites who were being plagued by poisonous snakes could look on it with belief and receive healing.
Speaker 1:Jesus is foreshadowing that he too will be lifted up for all to see, so that, as God's only son, he can save the world from the poison of sin and offer life eternal life to all who believe. And then he answers why it's because of love God so loves the world that he gave, and it's a love without judgment that's offered freely to all who believe so that we can be with him and live in him. We're early in Jesus' ministry at this point in the gospel, but he is already sharing of the sacrifice to come. Yet, as he told his mother, that time has not yet come Now. This element right here is why John's writing is called a gospel, which means good news. This news that Jesus came so that we could be forgiven and offered life is good news to anyone who chooses to believe it.
Speaker 1:Eternal life, eternal life, is one of those mysteries of faith, meaning a life that never ends. Now, not our physical life we do experience death here on earth. Jesus is speaking of life everlasting for our truest selves, our souls. He speaks of a place where there is no more pain or sickness, evil or sadness, a place where those who believe will be with God in a way we can never experience here on earth, but it does require belief and the acknowledgement that we do sin and need saving. Jesus goes on to speak of those that will choose not to believe that there will be those who choose to walk in their own darkness because they fear his light. His light does reveal sin.
Speaker 1:Marian Thompson wrote in her commentary that the proper work of God's light is to illuminate the truth, not to obscure or hide it. God has sent the true light into the world so that people may see God by means of that light. The world so that people may see God by means of that light. But some simply do not come to the light and so remain in darkness. The irony is that while people fear coming into the light, afraid that the exposure of their deeds brings judgment and condemnation, is that this is where they will find salvation in life. God has not sent the Son to condemn but to save the world, for in him there is light in the darkness and life in the midst of death. I thought she said that so well. For those of you that know the whole of the story, you know that Jesus will live out verse 16. He will give his life as an offering, a sacrifice, as the payment for sin my sin, your sin so that we can be given the gift through belief of eternal life with him. Belief of eternal life with him. When we believe in Jesus, we're placing our trust and confidence in the one, knowing that he alone can save us, and it's entrusting his words, like he's asking of Nicodemus here in John 3, it's entrusting this that light is found. Let's take a minute and finish chapter 3., verse 22.
Speaker 1:Then Jesus and his disciples left Jerusalem and went to the Judean countryside. Jesus spent some time with them there baptizing people. At this time, john the Baptist was baptizing at Anan, near Salim, because there was plenty of water there and people kept coming to him for baptism. Now, this was before John was thrown into prison. A debate broke out between John's disciples and a certain Jew over ceremonial cleansing. So John's disciples came to him and said Rabbi, the man you met on the other side of the Jordan, the one you identified as the Messiah, is also baptizing people, and everybody's going to him instead of coming to us.
Speaker 1:John replied no one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven. You yourselves know how plainly I told you. I am not the Messiah. I am only here to prepare the way for him. It's the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the bridegroom's friend is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I am filled with joy at his success. He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less. He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. We, we are of the earth and we speak of earthly things, but he has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else. He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but how few believe what he tells them.
Speaker 1:Anyone who accepts his testimony can affirm that God is true, for he is sent by God. He speaks God's words, for God gives him the spirit without limit. The father loves his son and has put everything into his hands, and anyone who believes in God's son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn't obey the son will never experience eternal life, but remains under God's angry judgment. John says it pretty straight, repeating basically the words of Jesus to Nicodemus anyone who believes in him, who is sent by God, will have eternal life. Not all will believe, but all are invited. Believe, but all are invited. John also gives words to what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. He said, jesus must become greater and greater and I must become less and less. We will talk about this more in episodes to come.
Speaker 1:John will write another letter that's found later in our Bible and it's called 1 John, and this is what he says. He says that's what we are, and God has given us his spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify, that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them and they live in God. We know how much God loves us and we have put our trust in his love. God is love and all who live in love live in God and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid of the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. Thanks be to God.
Speaker 1:As we close today, I need to ask you closed today, I need to ask you have you taken that step into faith, into believing in Jesus. You just heard his words. It's a choice open to all. All we need to do is ask and believe. Dear one, if you have never placed your faith in Jesus, I invite you to do that right now. Just walk through this with me. I'm going to walk you through just a couple of things and then I'm going to give you some time to just pray.
Speaker 1:All we need to do is acknowledge our own sin and our need for forgiveness. By bringing it into the light and repenting of that sin, we let Jesus know that we believe that he has done what he said, that he gave his life so that you could be forgiven, and that he rose from the dead to conquer that sin, to offer you eternal life. So let's just take a moment and invite him into your life as your Lord and Savior. If you're ready to do so, all it takes is belief. Heavenly father lord, I just ask that whoever is listening right now, if their heart is indeed ready to step into life with you, that they would openly bring their sin into the light, knowing that there is no judgment and no condemnation, only grace and love, and that, as they acknowledge their sin and acknowledged what you have done for them that they would say please come into my life. I would like to walk my life with you and Lord, as we close, we just thank you. We thank you for your forgiveness and love and the incredible gift of eternal life In your name, amen.
Speaker 1:If you're listening today and you are a disciple of Jesus, you've already placed your faith in him. I encourage you to hold on to the joy set before you. May his light shine into any dark places that you've held on to and allow the light to come and bring freedom. May he restore hope and joy in you, amen. If you chose to pray with me today and take a step toward Jesus for the first time, or if you found this episode something that your heart just needed to remember, I would love to know so I can be praying for you and lifting you up. At the opening part of the show notes, you'll see a place that says you can text me. I would love to hear from you. You can also go to my website, betsymarvincom, and there's a place to contact me and let me know. I pray that you have an incredible day. Thanks for being with me.