My goodness this week has flown by! EM has been gone on a work trip and I have been surrounded by three sick little ones. Momming ain’t easy folks! Thankfully EM comes home today and this mama couldn’t be happier!
I was planning on writing this post last night, but I fell asleep putting the kids down and then was up all night with two coughers and a puker…so that was fun.
This week we read the story of Nicodemus, which includes the ever quoted verse of John 3:16 “for God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son.” Something that as a mother I can’t even fathom. But before I get into that – here is the reading…
Nicodemus
Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. He came to Jesus at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you are doing unless God is with him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a person once grown old be born again? Surely he cannot reenter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?” Jesus answered, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I told you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus answered and said to him, “How can this happen?” Jesus answered and said to him, “You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this? Amen, amen, I say to you, we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony. If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil.For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.
“For God so love the world that He gave His only Son.” Y’all. Wow! First off, He is God, He could’ve done what He wanted when He wanted and could’ve easily said – I gave you life no you’re on your own. But He didn’t. He could’ve easily snapped His fingers and fixed it all, but He didn’t. Instead, He became man and gave us His Son. He gave us a choice. He gave us the free will to choose whether to love Him or not. He didn’t force us. Because He loves us!
Now putting myself in His shoes (does God wear shoes…?), as a mother, I don’t think I’d be able to give one of my children for others. People who sin. (aka ALL of us). I couldn’t sit by and watch my child be slandered, spat at, beaten, and all of the other horrible things Christ endured. Why? Because I’m selfish! God’s love for us is the PERFECT (like legit perfection) example of sacrificial love. That love is what we all should strive for in our relationships – with our spouse, kids, whomever. If we could love selflessly no one would ever feel taken for granted, but truly cared for.
There is so much to the story of Nicodemus, which aspect stuck out to you most?
The concept of how important belief aka faith is in having a life with Christ. This passage really made me reflect on belief. And how Jesus is call us to believe in Him and the rest will come. We can’t possibly know it all, but we can know Him and believe in Him and we will be okay, more than okay even.