Good Saturday morning! Take a moment this morning to remember 9/11 and feel free to fly your flag today. I just paused for a few minutes to put my flags out (and get another cup of coffee). I met a batch of 5 kittens last night at the farm. Man, are they ever some tempting little blobs of fur too! Two cats live here already, and some days that is one too many. I'll just have to be content with visitation rights. I think I got stiffed on one of my Claritan pills; the maddening urge to sneeze is back this morning. I hope that my allergies haven't made an adjustment to the new medication already.
God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:17
Jesus didn't come to judge us! The Pharisees seemed to feel some kind of judgment from him during their little talks with Jesus. Have you ever felt that everything someone said was a critique of your performance? We call that the corporate world, but it happens in other parts of the planet too. However, the arrival of the Son in Bethlehem was not God's disapproval of the world. No doubt there were many acts of sin going on that God did disapprove of at that time, just as we can see all around us (and in us) right now. Jesus came as Savior, not as judge. We do know that one day he will judge, but that was not his mission that first time. The people needed a savior then, and we need that same Savior now.
If the Gospel of John ended right here, we would have the message we needed to hear. God loved the world, and he sent the Son to save it. However, John has so much more for us. Nicodemus has much to think about and Jesus has not completed his mission. If John had jumped straight to the trial of Jesus from here, we would have a powerful message to read. Even if John had quickly summarized the remainder of Jesus' earthly life, we would have much to think about. But John writes of much more including, more miracles of Jesus, more teaching, and more questions from the disciples. Do you mean the disciples didn't get saved from hearing these last few verses? Apparently not, as we will read in John. Jesus would repeat the same message in different words, tell the disciples plainly of his death on the cross, and finally die and rise again, before the message he brought would transform the disciples. In the times when you feel a little slow and stubborn in taking in the Word of God, remember what it took to change the lives of those who walked with Jesus for more than 3 years.
Have a respectful 9/11 in Christ!
Bucky
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