New Year has always been an amazing time. Its a time to reflect upon the things happened in the past, all the success, learning and experiences to praise and glorify God. Thanking him for given us the gift of life and hope in him in the new year.
Paul when explaining about the reconciliation, he says that how we look at others when they were introduced to Christ or how a person will be when he is in Christ. He will be a new creation - The old has gone. The point of reference is that Jesus came to reconcile us from our sins. That he died so that we are made perfect, faultless and blameless before our heavenly father.
New Creation:
Jesus Teaches Nicodemus
Nicodemus came with a question, he thought he knew the answer - When he Questioned about The things God does and about the kingdom of God. For he started saying, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God."
In saying the next statement he undermines the presence of God, "For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
Here he taught the God and his kingdom to be limited to his thoughts.
That is the time when Jesus replies, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.
Jesus then again uses three different approaches to display God's Glory and the real meaning about new birth.
First Jesus tells about the birth in water and the Spirit:
God providence for his creation - The human body - The Temple of the Holy Spirit.
Second Jesus tells about the Wind:
God's Sovereignty over his creation
Thirdly Jesus tells about the limitations of man over God's power:
God's Love - His Heart for Man's misuse of his body. His Love that transcends all our understandings.
In this New Year, Let us understand the God's Will for our life. His Sovereignty, His Power and His Love. Let our trust, hope be on him. Paul says that this worldly thought may come(Like that of Nicodemus, who thought the rebirth means - someone be born again in the physical existence - “How can someone be born when they are old?” , but we are to be aware of it. As Paul continues in verse 16 -
16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.
Paul when explaining about the reconciliation, he says that how we look at others when they were introduced to Christ or how a person will be when he is in Christ. He will be a new creation - The old has gone. The point of reference is that Jesus came to reconcile us from our sins. That he died so that we are made perfect, faultless and blameless before our heavenly father.
New Creation:
Jesus Teaches Nicodemus
3 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 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.”
3 Jesus 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!”
5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You[c]must be born again.’ 8 The 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.”[d]
9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11 Very 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. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.[e] 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,[f]15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”[g]
16 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. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.18 Whoever 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. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But 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.
Nicodemus came with a question, he thought he knew the answer - When he Questioned about The things God does and about the kingdom of God. For he started saying, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God."
In saying the next statement he undermines the presence of God, "For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
Here he taught the God and his kingdom to be limited to his thoughts.
That is the time when Jesus replies, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.
Jesus then again uses three different approaches to display God's Glory and the real meaning about new birth.
First Jesus tells about the birth in water and the Spirit:
God providence for his creation - The human body - The Temple of the Holy Spirit.
Second Jesus tells about the Wind:
God's Sovereignty over his creation
Thirdly Jesus tells about the limitations of man over God's power:
God's Love - His Heart for Man's misuse of his body. His Love that transcends all our understandings.
In this New Year, Let us understand the God's Will for our life. His Sovereignty, His Power and His Love. Let our trust, hope be on him. Paul says that this worldly thought may come(Like that of Nicodemus, who thought the rebirth means - someone be born again in the physical existence - “How can someone be born when they are old?” , but we are to be aware of it. As Paul continues in verse 16 -
16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.
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