14This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. (1 John 5:14-15)

1Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.

2Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. 3March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. 4Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. 5When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.” (Joshua 6)

Thoughts: I have often thought that Chapin is like the mythical Lake Woebegone where "all the children are above average."  Chapin has great schools.  It has consistently scored way above the state in average SAT and ACT scores.  We have great teachers, and parents who care for the students.  But in any school there is a lot that can go wrong.  The discipline, the attention can break down.  Teachers could start working for money instead of seeing their work as a service to the community, to the students, and to God.  Administrators could grow weary and shirk their important work.  It takes a lot to make a school work.  But if a school works well, it is a blessing from God. 
       Tomorrow there is a Chapin School Prayer Walk.  You are invited to come out and pray at each school or just one or two schools.  When Joshua and his people came against the walls of Jericho, God told them to walk around it six times, and then on the seventh day seven times.  It is a visible sign of prayer.  On the final day they blew the trumpet as if they were saying, "Now Lord, Help us!"  And then the walls fell.  We can have confidence in prayer.  He hears us, loves us, and wants and is able to answer us.  

Prayer: Lord, help me to pray.  Help our schools to be great to your glory and honor.  Help those Christians in our schools to do their work well and kindly as a good witness for you this year.  

Nicodemus goes from Curious to Neutral

45 Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him in?”

46“No one ever spoke the way this man does,” the guards replied.

47“You mean he has deceived you also?” the Pharisees retorted. 48“Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? 49No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law—there is a curse on them.”

50Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked,51“Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?”

52They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.”  (John 7:45-52)

Thoughts: Nicodemus went from going to see Jesus at night to simply asking for fairness.  He wanted Jesus to be treated fairly.  A little ironically, in verse 48 they ask if any religious leaders have believed in him.  This is Nicodemus' chance.  He does not say, "Oh, I believe in Him."  No, but he asks that he be treated legally and fairly.  Of course they do not treat Jesus fairly.  He went from being curious about Jesus to being neutral about Him.  There are many people today who may not believe but they want Christians to be treated with a fair shake.  Eventually Nicodemus stands up for his new found faith (we'll see this tomorrow).  But he progresses from curiosity to fair, to believing.  In the meantime, Christians should welcome those who treat Christ and his followers with curiosity or fairness.  

Prayer: Lord, help me to follow you and give myself to you.  Give me grace to treat others who are not against you with respect.  

God So Loved the World

16For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.  (John 3)

Thoughts: Nicodemus encounter with Jesus inspired this greatest of Gospel statements.  It is a focus on the world and not just on the Jews.  It is saying that God doesn't just love one chosen people but the whole world.  Yet God had to come into the world through a chosen people.  This also is an open invitation to believe.  The "whoever" is open to anyone in the whole world.  It is a call to all the world to believe in the Son of God who is Jesus the Christ.
  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  
   Today Christianity is the only religion with adherents in every country in the world.  It has people from every language group, every major culture.  Efforts are being made to reach people from every tribe.  

Prayer: Lord, let me see your care for all the world, and your care for me as a part of that world.  Let me take part somehow- by prayers, by giving, by my actions- to reach the world for you.  

How can a person be born again?

9“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

10“You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.^e 14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,^f 15that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him." For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3)

Thoughts: Nicodemus asked "How can a man be born when he is old?".."How can this be?"  Jesus is a bit surprised that Nicodemus does not understand.  But at the time there were few proselytes and lots of people leaving the faith (this is also true in our day).  Jesus wanted Nicodemus who was assuming faith comes through genetics and education, to see that there is a spiritual element of faith.  Jesus was saying something radical- that he was like Moses' snake that healed people of their snake bites.  He would be lifted up in order that people could see and believe they would be healed.  Just as God loved the people of Israel in order to save them from death by serpents, so God loves the whole world to save them from spiritual death into eternal life.  So it takes believing and trusting in Jesus in order to be healed spiritually; saved from sin,death, and hell; and born again to a new way of life. Being born again is not going into the womb again, but it is becoming a brand new person- with new eyes, a new way of life.  It is like getting glasses and being able to see again.  It is like getting an operation and being able to hear for the first time.  It comes by the grace of God drawing us out.  Just as a baby cannot make itself be born- so God draws us out into the new life by the Spirit.  

Prayer: Lord, it is not so important that I know how to be born again but that I am being born again.  

Nuances of Being Born Again

3Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.^a ” (John 3:3) 

4“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

5Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit^b gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You^c must be born again.’ 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”  (John 3:3)

Thoughts: Jesus speaks of the radical transformation of the heart.  It is like being a zombie and then being made alive.  It is like just existing- to living with meaning and a purpose. 
       The word "anothen" in Greek is the word that is translated different ways.  The two most common ways are born "again" (King James, NIV, ESV, NAS) or born "from above" (ISV, CEV).  The American Standard version says "born anew." The Literal Translation says, "generated from above." 
   So what is the big difference?  It is subtle.  Born again is like a transformation- doing it all over again.  Here anothen emphasizes time but also doing it again. 
      "From above" is a common translation too- and it emphasizes position.  John 3:31- speaks of the one who comes "from above." James 1:17 says "every good and perfect gift is from above. (See also James 3:15,17, Mt. 27:51, Mk. 15:38). 
        Truth is, being born again comes from heaven- from God.  A person can be focused only on the stuff of earth or they can be focused on God.  This emphasizes that the Christian faith comes not from ourselves but from the grace and love of God. 
     However, being born again is also a very good translation.  Nicodemus did not understand Jesus' words because it seemed radical to him- like being born again not just born from above.  Some (Ehrman) have said that Jesus spoke Aramaic and the Aramaic does not allow "again"- but this is not true.  The word "derish" in Aramaic allows both meanings- again/anew and from above.
          For many, the Christian life is just a slow evolution of thought.  It makes sense. It is a call to live not by our instincts like animals but a call to live from above.  But such a way of life differentiates the Christian from others.  It is a holy way of life. The word "holiness" emphasizes "otherness"- being separated from the mundane and usual.  The Greek word "anothen" here emphasizes both senses.  The Christian life indeed is a radical transformation that comes from above.
      Jesus also says we must be born or water and born of the Spirit.  This emphasizes the need for cleansing (symbolized by baptism) and the need to have God's Spirit inside of us.  Again it is like a zombie being filled with a soul and real life.  We can be functionally alive like an animal but having faith in God (not just intellectual belief- but trust) makes us alive to Him.  Calvin speaks of it like being blind to the Word and then the Spirit giving us spectacles to see it.  The world opens up with beauty, understanding, meaning, wholeness and peace.  

Prayer: Lord, keep me from being focused only on this world.  Help me to be radically transformed by your Spirit.   

Be Born Again

3Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.^a ”

4“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

5Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit^b gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You^c must be born again.’ 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John 3)

Thoughts:  Most scholars believe Nicodemus was exposed to the idea of proselytes becoming Jews by being born again.  But Jesus was asking Jews to be born again.  Yet, there is a spiritual rebirth necessary when someone believes in Jesus.  It is not a flesh birth- like being born a Jew.  It is an opening of the blind eyes- the hearing of the deaf ears.  It is being born all over again.  Life begins when someone starts to believe in Jesus.  Being a Christian is not about a political stance.  It is about a change of heart not a change in vote or simply a change in mind.  

Prayer: Lord, let me be a new creation to find your hope.  

Nicodemus

1Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” (John 3)

Thoughts: Nicodemus wanted to believe, but he was perhaps embarrassed to go seek out an upstart rabbi. Or maybe he was just curious.  It is to be commended that he came at all.  No one else from the Sanhedrin bothered to come.  Nevertheless, he came at night.  Now nighttime then was not like nighttime now.  There weren't flashlights, streetlamps, car lights.  There were torches and candles, and it was hard to discern anyone. 
    There are people today who are curious about Jesus.  Maybe they kind of believe, but they have not learned how to trust yet.  Believing in Jesus is not about believing he is smart or wise, but trusting He is God who will help us, save us, and see us through. 

Prayer: Lord, let me not be ashamed of you and your words.  Let not any mere earthly power or lust for status keep me from humbling myself to you.  

(Henry O Tanner- By Henry Ossawa Tanner - idlespeculations-terryprest.blogspot.com, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10980764)