The Teacher From God!
Scripture Reading — John 3:1-8
“No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
—John 3:3
Nicodemus was intrigued by all that Jesus was doing. So he went to talk with Jesus. “We know that you are a teacher who has come from God,” he politely began. And Jesus seemed to agree, for he went on to teach Nicodemus things from God.
But the first thing Nicodemus heard from this teacher threw him completely off guard. Jesus said, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
Nicodemus certainly looked for the coming of God’s kingdom—every pious Jew did. He believed that God was coming, and that everyone would see his coming. But Jesus told Nicodemus that he wouldn’t see God’s kingdom at all unless he was born again—not in the sense of becoming a baby once more, but in being “born from above.” (The Greek word for “again” also means “from above.”) Jesus means that we need new eyes if we are to see God’s presence, new ears to hear his voice, and a new heart to love and obey the Lord. We need to be reborn, this time from above, by the power of God’s Spirit.
For me, this is an ongoing project. (See 2 Corinthians 3:18.) Each morning I need to pray for eyes and ears and a heart to see and hear and respond to God. I’m thinking you do too. Would you join me?
You’re right, Jesus. I need different eyes and ears and a new heart to live with you and for you today. Grant them to me, I pray. Amen.
About the author — Harvey Stob
Rev. Harvey Stob and his wife, Audrey, served as missionaries in Argentina for eleven years. They then served churches in Cincinnati, Ohio; Ridgewood, New Jersey; and Ann Arbor, Michigan. Harvey retired from full-time pastoral work in 2009. He and Audrey have three children and seven grandchildren.
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