John 3
September 15, 2022
“Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He 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.’” (v1-2)
Jesus’ ministry was so compelling - that Nicodemus sought Him out, but so controversial - that Nicodemus sought him out at night. If I had been Jesus, I might have been tempted to tell this Pharisee to come back during office hours, especially since his nighttime visit was motivated by the fear of what people might think of him. But Jesus meets him where he is, and takes the time to explain to him how to be saved.
Lord Jesus, I praise You for the way You graciously condescended to save me, even when I was concerned with what people thought of me. You didn’t wait until I was ready to play for an Audience of One before revealing the way of salvation to me. Thank You for Your grace to meet me in my spiritual immaturity. Thank You, too, for not leaving me there - but for saving me and now sanctifying me - so that I become someone who is more interested and motivated by Your opinion of me than anyone else’s opinion of me.
— Pastor Joshua Brooks
Use the following steps to guide your daily time with the Lord…
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Start with prayer. Ask God to open your heart to help you understand and receive His Word.
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Read and observe the passage carefully. As needed, read a second Bible version to help with understanding.
➡️ What does it say?
What does this passage teach me about God? What does it say about my sinful nature and my need for God’s grace? How does this passage point to Jesus?
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➡️ What am I going to do about it?
Does this passage include a promise to claim, an action/attitude to avoid/embrace, or a principle to apply? How can this truth apply to my life? What could my next step be? How can I share this with others? Is there a verse or section of Scripture I need to memorize?
