Lamentation for a Prideful King

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Ezekiel 28:1-19

 

Ezekiel 28:2

“Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, ‘Thus says the Lord God:

“Because your heart is lifted^[a] up,
And you say, ‘I am a god,
I sit in the seat of gods,
In the midst of the seas,’
Yet you are a man, and not a god,
Though you set your heart as the heart of a god

(NKJV)

 

In Ezekiel 26-27, Scripture records a proclamation and lamentation for Tyre. In this text, Scripture becomes personal for the text records a proclamation against and lamentation for the king of Tyre. Ezekiel 28:2 tells us that the reason for the fall of Tyre was the pride of their king whose pride had risen to the point of him believing he was a god. Pride precedes a fall in one's life and why it must be avoided at all costs (Proverbs 16:18).

 

Ezekiel receives another word from the Lord, this time the word is directed at Tyre, a city that once existed as an island in the Mediterranean Sea (Ezekiel 28:1-2). The reason for the proclamation against them is the pride of their king, a pride that rose to the point of him believing he was a god. The proclamation challenges this self-deification by asking the king if he thought he was wiser than Daniel (Ezekiel 28:3). God tells the king no secret is hidden from him with his great wisdom and understanding increasing the riches of Tyre (Ezekiel 28:4-5).

 

However, the king’s pride will be his downfall because the Lord will bring strangers against the beauty of the king’s wisdom, defiling his spender (Ezekiel 28:6-7). These enemies shall throw the king down into the Pit with him dying the death of the slain in the midst of the sea (Ezekiel 28:8). The Lord then asks the king if he will still claim to be a god when his enemies slay him when in truth the king is a man who shall die the death of the uncircumcised at the hands of aliens (Ezekiel 28:9-10).

 

The Lord then gives Ezekiel a word of lamentation for the king of Tyre that begins with the Lord telling him he was the seal of perfection full of wisdom and perfect in beauty (Ezekiel 28:11-12). Ezekiel 28:13-17 seems to compare the fall of the king of Tyre to the fall of Satan for it mentions him being in Eden, the anointed cherub who covers and one who was perfect till his fall (Ezekiel 28:13-15). Like Satan who was cast from the mountain of God due to sinful pride, the king of Tyre is cast from his kingdom due to pride at the abundance of his trading (Ezekiel 28:16).

 

The hearts of both Satan and the king of Tyre were puffed up because of pride in their beauty which corrupted their wisdom leading to the Lord casting them both to the ground (Ezekiel 28:17). The king of Tyre defiled his sanctuaries with his iniquities causing the Lord to bring fire from his midst that devoured him, turning him to ashes in the sight of all who saw him (Ezekiel 28:18). The king of Tyre became a horror among the peoples who knew him and ceased to exist (Ezekiel 28:19).   

 

Through Ezekiel the Lord issues both a proclamation and lament directed to the king of Tyre, letting him know why destruction has come upon himself and Tyre. The Lord begins by letting the king know it is his pride that has led to his downfall (Proverbs 16:18). In fact, the king’s pride had reached the level where he believed he was a god sitting in the seat of gods (Ezekiel 28:2). This level of pride is the pride of self-deification or the replacement of God with self to the extent one believes they are a god. Besides the reference to the fall of Satan mentioned in the passage, another example of leadership failure due to this level of pride is Nebuchadnezzar taking pride in his kingdom only to be humiliated by eating grass like oxen for seven years (Daniel 4:28-33). The difference for Nebuchadnezzar is he came to his senses and repented with his sanity restored (Daniel 4:34-37). The danger of pride in one’s life is it replaces God in one’s life with self, leading to their downfall.

 

Pride still precedes a fall (Proverbs 16:18) and is something leaders must avoid. The lukewarm Church of Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22) became lukewarm due to their reliance on their riches and wealth, claiming they needed nothing, including God. This level of pride in the Church makes God sick to His stomach (Revelation 3:16). So sick was the Lord with their lukewarmness caused by pride that Jesus is standing outside the door knocking and asking to come back in instead of His involvement within the Church (Revelation 3:20).

 

The Church and its leaders must remember that they need God and have a mission to share Christ with others so they can become disciples (Matthew 28:19-20). The Church is not about its members and leaders touting their riches and good works but about lifting up Jesus which draws all people to Jesus (John 12:32). The Church also needs to repent so the fire of the Holy Spirit can heat up the Church from its lukewarmness (Acts 1:8). Continue praying for revival and the awakening of the Church from its lukewarmness.

 

If you are reading this and have not prayed for the forgiveness of your sins making Jesus the Lord of your life, or have drifted away from your relationship with Christ, I invite you to pray with me now,

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

May God challenge, convict, and bless everyone reading this post.

I’ve Met Jesus, the Messiah!

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: John 4:1-26

 

John 4:25-26

The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.”

²⁶ Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”

(NKJV)

 

Sometimes I look around at what is happening in the world and scratch my head. The woke culture of our time asks us to accept the murder of babies for convenience, marriage between individuals of the same sex, and the superiority of one race over another. As one woke for Christ through a personal relationship with God through Christ, these things are an abomination as I lose conformity to the world through transformation by the word of God (Romans 12:2). However, as Christians, we must remember that Jesus died to forgive the sins of those caught up in today's wokeness and not fear or shy away from sharing the truth of the Gospel with them.

 

When Jesus knew that the Pharisees heard Jesus made and baptized more people than John, Jesus left Judea for Galilee but this required going through Samaria (John 4:1-4). The Jews viewed the Samaritans with disdain since they intermarried with the Assyrians when in exile so Jews would usually avoid going through Samaria if possible. Jesus chose to go through Samaria and being wearied stopped in Sychar by Jacob’s well to rest (John 4:5-6). It is here that Jesus encounters a Samaritan woman who came out to draw water. Jesus asks her for a drink because His disciples had gone into the city to buy food (John 4:7-8).

 

The Samaritan woman is amazed that Jesus, a Jew would ask her for a drink since Jews typically have no dealings with Samaritans (John 4:9). Jesus answered by telling her that if she knew the gift of God and who was asking for a drink, she would ask Him to give you a drink of living water (John 4:10). The woman reminds Jesus He has nothing with which to draw water and asks Jesus if He believes He is greater than Jacob who gave them the well (John 4:11-12). Jesus’ reply tells the woman that those drinking from Jacob’s well will thirst again, but those drinking the water He gives will never thirst but shall have a fountain of water within him or her springing up into eternal life (John 4:13-14).

 

The woman asks Jesus to give her this water to which Jesus tells her to get her husband (John 4:15-16). The woman honestly answers by telling Jesus she has no husband to which Jesus tells her she has had five husbands and the man she currently lives with is not her husband (John 4:17-18). This causes the woman to perceive Jesus as a prophet and decide to ask Him a theological question as to where one should worship God (John 4:19-20).

 

Jesus tells her of a day coming when people will neither worship God on that mountain nor in Jerusalem (John 4:21). Jesus continues by telling the Samaritan woman she worships what she does not know with the Jews knowing what they worship for salvation is of the Jews (John 4:22). In the coming day people will worship God in spirit and truth and not in any particular place which is what the God the Father desires (John 4:23). Since God is Spirit, He must be worshipped in spirit and truth (John 4:24). The woman tells Jesus that when Messiah, Christ, comes He will reveal all things to which Jesus replies, telling her he is the Messiah (John 4:25-26).

 

Even though Jews had nothing to do with the Samaritans, Jewish men would especially avoid any encounter with a Samaritan woman when alone. Jesus, Messiah, and Christ was not like any ordinary Jewish man and therefore did not shy away from this encounter. The typical Jewish man of Jesus’ time would have seen the Samaritan woman as one divorced from her five previous husbands and now sleeping around with a man who was not her husband. They would have viewed the fact that Jesus did not run away from her based upon what He knew as proof He was not truly Jewish. Those viewing Jesus’ actions in this manner miss the point that this encounter is Jesus' opportunity to reveal himself as Messiah to someone needing salvation (John 4:19-26). Jesus knew who He was and what His mission was.

 

We must follow the example of Christ and not shy away from encountering others who may be undesirable to us because Jesus came to provide salvation for all fallen humanity. In today’s culture, this may entail encountering someone caught up in the woke culture of our time. Abortion is a sin for it is the murder of an unborn baby (Exodus 20:13). Homosexuality is a sin condemned in both the Old and New Testaments (Leviticus 18:22, 20:13; Romans 1:24-28). As for racism or Critical Race Theory, I want to ask a question, what race were Adam and Eve? Genesis 1:27 clearly states that God created man in His own image so since we do not know the race of God, we do not know the race of Adam and Eve. Therefore, there is no racism with God who sent His Son Jesus to die for the sins of all humanity, including all races (Romans 3:23, 5:8).

 

The key is learning to separate the sinner from the sin. One supporting or having had an abortion, a homosexual, or one who is racist has committed a sin needing forgiveness from God. We must not fear or shy away from any encounter with these individuals but when we encounter them share the truth of the gospel with them so they can receive forgiveness like the Samaritan woman did. All are welcome into our Church services but the Church must not compromise with sin to accommodate sinners but instead give them an opportunity to receive forgiveness for their sins through the grace of God (Ephesians 2:8-9).

 

I want to invite anyone reading this post who has not prayed for salvation from their sins and to make Jesus the Lord of their life through the confession of their belief in Jesus as their Savior to do so now by praying with me,

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

May the Lord challenge, convict, and bless everyone reading this post.

Lamentation for Tyre

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Ezekiel 27:1-36

 

Ezekiel 27:3

and say to Tyre, ‘You who ^[a]are situated at the entrance of the sea, merchant of the peoples on many coastlands, thus says the Lord God:

“O Tyre, you have said,
‘I am perfect in beauty.’

(NKJV)

 

We could label the recently completed Olympics in Paris as the woke Olympics and why many, like me, chose not to watch. However, what remains a constant in global sporting events like the Olympics is the demonstration of nationalistic pride as each nation pits its best athletes against those of other nations, hoping their athletes will prevail. However, when nationalistic pride becomes something nations depend on for continued prominence, these nations fall prey to the words of Proverbs 16:18, setting themselves up for a fall. Such was the fate of Tyre in Ezekiel 27:1-36, providing a warning to any nation, state, city, organization, or individual caught up in pride.

 

The Lord gives Ezekiel another word, instructing him to take up a lamentation for Tyre (Ezekiel 27:1-2). The word begins with the Lord telling Tyre they are prideful having said they are perfect in beauty (Ezekiel 27:3). The lamentation remembers the greatness of Tyre a city whose builders perfected the city’s beauty using the finest materials and craftsmanship (Ezekiel 27:4-9). Not only this but their army consisted of men of war from Persia, Lydia, and Libya with men of Arvad guarding the city walls and men of Gammad in their towers as watchmen (Ezekiel 27:10-11). The merchants of Tyre both bought and sold merchandise from many nations and peoples with the ships of Tarshish transporting the merchandise (Ezekiel 27:12-25).  

 

However, despite this greatness, the east wind broke Tyre in the midst of the seas (Ezekiel 27:26). The riches, wares, and merchandise of Tyre also fell in the midst of the sea on the day of the ruin of the city of Tyre (Ezekiel 27:27). The common-land or pasture lands shook at the sound of the city of Tyre’s pilots with those at sea handling the oar, the pilots, and mariners leaving their ships to stand on the shore (Ezekiel 27:28-29). Those affected by the fall of Tyre took up a lamentation at the fall of Tyre, a once great city destroyed in the midst of the sea (Ezekiel 27:30-32).

 

The commerce and merchandising of Tyre satisfied many people and enriched kings but was now broken down by the sea destroying it all (Ezekiel 27:33-34). The inhabitants of the isles were astonished at what had occurred leaving kings greatly afraid, leaving them with troubled countenances (Ezekiel 27:35). All the merchants could do was hiss at what used to be Tyre with it becoming a horror and existing no more (Ezekiel 27:36).

 

After the proclamation against Tyre (Ezekiel 26:1-27), Ezekiel receives a word of lament for Tyre, bringing to remembrance the once great stature of Tyre that had now fallen into the sea. Ezekiel 27:3 tells why the city of Tyre fell, due to their pride, believing they were perfect in beauty. Ezekiel 27:4-24 provides details of the great stature of Tyre and how they came to the prideful belief in their perfection in beauty. However, even this great stature would not prevent the east wind from breaking Tyre in the midst of the seas (Ezekiel 27:26). Those once trading with Tyre now take up a lament for them with the merchants hissing at them for Tyre is a horror, ceasing to exist (Ezekiel 27:32, 36). Pride precedes a fall with the city of Tyre providing a historical example to warn us not to become prideful (Proverbs 16:18).

 

History is full of great nations, cities, and states that once held great prominence, only to fall due to pride in their accomplishments. In Daniel 2:24-45, Daniel interprets a dream of Nebuchadnezzar. The dream illustrates the emergence of three earthly kingdoms, the Babylonians, Persians, and Romans to prominence, only for them to later fall. This vision plus what occurred to Tyre should stand as a Godly warning to any nation, state, or city gaining prominence and beginning to depend on this prominence instead of the God that brought the nation to prominence.

 

As I write this my heart is heavy as I observe the prideful arrogance of many in my own country, the United States. The United States has achieved a high global stature due to hard work and its foundation of Godly principles. As I observe the nation sliding from these principles of hard work and godliness, I see a nation becoming prideful in its accomplishments, setting itself up to fall like the Babylonians, Persians, Romans, and Tyre. Please continue to pray for the United States, praying that the nation and the Church will return to Godliness, bringing about revival.

 

If you are reading this and have not prayed for the forgiveness of your sins making Jesus the Lord of your life, or have drifted away from your relationship with Christ, I invite you to pray with me now,

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

May God challenge, convict, and bless everyone reading this post.

He Must Increase but I Must Decrease

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: John 3:22-36

 

John 3:30-31

He must increase, but I must decrease. ³¹ He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.

(NKJV)

 

All of us need to take time to pause and withdraw from the business of the day to reflect and remember why we do what we do. For those in some form of ministry, this means going back to the calling we received from God to determine if what we are doing remains true to this calling. For John the Baptist who had a calling to prepare the way of the Lord (John 1:6-9), this required checking up on whether he was willing to decrease with the emergence of Jesus on the scene or attempt to compete with Jesus. In this text we see John remaining true to his calling from God.

 

Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea with Jesus remaining with them and baptizing people (John 3:22). John was also baptizing in Aenon near Salim because much water was there (John 3:23). This occurred before John was thrown into prison (John 3:24).

 

At this point a dispute arose between John’s disciples and the Jews regarding purification (John 3:25). The disciples of John and the Jews come to John but do not ask about purification. Instead, they let John know that Jesus whom John testified about is also baptizing with all now coming to Him (John 3:26). Since there is no conversation about purification, we can surmise this comment is an effort to cause contention between the disciples of John and the disciples of Jesus.

 

John answers by reminding them a man can receive nothing unless it is given to him from heaven (John 3:27). John then reminds them he had said He is not the Christ but the one sent before Him (John 3:28). John uses the illustration of the bride and bridegroom with the bride belonging to the bridegroom. John is a friend of the bridegroom who rejoices greatly at hearing the bridegroom’s voice (John 3:29). He, Jesus, must increase while John must decrease because Jesus is from heaven and above all, with John earthly, speaking earthly things. Jesus who comes from heaven is above all (John 3:30-31).

 

Jesus testifies of heavenly things He has seen with no one receiving His testimony (John 3:32), but one that receives His testimony certifies that God is true (John 3:33). Jesus, the one sent by God speaks the words of God because God has not given Him the Spirit by measure (John 3:34). God the Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand (John 3:35). John concludes by reminding them that one choosing to believe in the Son has everlasting life with those choosing not to believe not seeing life but having the wrath of God abide on them (John 3:36).

 

The Jews question the disciples of John are about purification, leading to their approaching John about the fact they Observe Jesus is also baptizing with all going to Him. John’s response to his disciples represents a great example of one in ministry humbling themselves and surrendering to God. This humility and surrender is consistent with the words he told the Jews, priests, and Levites sent to him at Bethabara (John 1:19-28). While we are not certain if the Jews approaching the disciples of John are the same ones that questioned John’s disciples, the disciples are without excuse for they heard John exalt Jesus (John 1:29-34). John knew his role in God’s plan and willingly surrendered his prominence to Jesus. All believers in Christ must be willing to do the same and not seek prominence.

 

In our media-dominated culture, celebrity preachers can quickly gain a large following. The potential wealth and fame from such celebrity status is a temptation for the pastor to place him or herself on a pedestal of fame with Jesus taking a back seat of prominence. There is nothing wrong with a minister having media exposure to increase their outreach to a lost world, but they must guard their hearts not to become prideful and allow themselves to rise to a pedestal of fame. The temptation of believers to attach to someone other than Christ is nothing new for Paul spoke out against it to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 1:10-17). The role of ministry must always be to bring glory to Christ by lifting Him up so all people are drawn to Him (John 12:32).

 

God entrusts all in ministry with a flock of people to nurture. Woe to the minister who uses prominence gained from their position to acquire wealth and fame. We all must remember that we will stand before God and give account for our actions. Do we want to be one who used God to acquire wealth and fame or one who spoke truth from the word of God even if it meant losing potential wealth or fame? I pray that those in ministry today would resist the temptation of wealth and fame and continue declaring the truth of God’s word.

 

I want to invite anyone reading this post who has not prayed for salvation from their sins and to make Jesus the Lord of their life through the confession of their belief in Jesus as their Savior to do so now by praying with me,

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

May the Lord challenge, convict, and bless everyone reading this post.

Proclamation Against Tyre

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Ezekiel 26:1-21

 

Ezekiel 26:2

 “Son of man, because Tyre has said against Jerusalem, ‘Aha! She is broken who was the gateway of the peoples; now she is turned over to me; I shall be filled; she is laid waste.’

(NKJV)

 

In football, taunting an opponent after a play carries a 15-yard penalty for a personal foul. While this penalty can change the momentum of a football game, it is mild compared to the penalty for taunting God’s people when God is disciplining them for their sins, as he did when Judah and Jerusalem went into Babylonian exile. There is no city on the island of Tyre today because they were completely destroyed by God for their taunting of Jerusalem when the city was laid waste by the armies of Babylon.

 

Ezekiel receives another word from the Lord, this time it is a proclamation against Tyre because they rejoiced at the destruction of Jerusalem (Ezekiel 26:1-2). Because of their actions, God will cause many nations to come against them like waves crashing the shore (Ezekiel 26:3). The enemies will destroy the protective walls of the city, and its towers so they will be unable to see the enemy coming, and flatten the land so it becomes a place for spreading nets in the middle of the sea (Ezekiel 26:4-5). The destruction will also include the daughter villages of Tyre in the fields which will be slain by the sword (Ezekiel 26:6).

 

The Lord provides more details of how this destruction will occur. In some Godly irony, it will be the very nation that destroyed the city of Jerusalem that will invade and destroy them and their daughter villages (Ezekiel 26:7-8). The Lord gives Ezekiel details of how the destruction will occur so that when it happens, they will know Ezekiel spoke the word of the Lord (Ezekiel 26:9-12). The consequences of this destruction are permanent with the people losing their songs and the sound of their harps and the city never rebuilt (Ezekiel 26:13-14).

 

The Lord then speaks to Tyre, letting them know other nations will be affected by their destruction (Ezekiel 26:15-16). These nations tremble at the thought of a once renowned city inhabited by seafaring men who were strong at sea bringing terror on their inhabitance (Ezekiel 26:17). The coastlands tremble and are troubled at the fall of Tyre (Ezekiel 26:18). What the Lord has decreed for Tyre will come to pass with its destruction complete (Ezekiel 26:19). The Lord will bring Tyre down with those who descend into the Pit, making them dwell in the lowest part of the earth (Ezekiel 26:20). Nations will be terrified at the fall of Tyre with Tyre existing no more (Ezekiel 26:21).

 

This is another of the Oracles of Ezekiel, given to assure God’s people that God would punish their enemies for their mistreatment of God’s people. The description of people of Tyre mistreating God’s people is taunting or doing an endzone dance when Jerusalem was destroyed (Ezekiel 26:2). The Lord throws the flag on Tyre but the penalty is more than a 15-yard personal foul and instead their complete destruction (Ezekiel 26:7-21). Even though God leads His people into exile, it is to correct and not destroy them. Tyre could have remained quiet and escaped this judgment but instead taunted the people of Jerusalem and suffered complete destruction.

 

The Church experiences taunting from two places.

 

1. From those outside the Church – Jesus warned his disciples that this type of taunting would occur (John 16:33). The reason for this is Satan knows that Jesus overcame death and made a pathway for all humanity’s salvation by believing and following Jesus with their lives. Those from the outside choose to taunt the Christians instead of accepting God’s gracious gift of salvation and eternal life (Ephesians 2:8-9; John 3:16). Like the people of Tyre, failure to accept this gift will result in their condemnation (John 3:18).
2. From other believers inside the Church – Jesus told His disciples that the world would know they were His disciples by their love for one another (John 13:34-35). However, when those outside the Church see Christians taunting each other, they observe no difference between believers in Christ and those in the world. Jesus outlined a way to resolve conflict that would not involve taunting each other in Matthew 18:15-20. This involves,
1. Trying to resolve conflict between each other (Matthew 18:15)
2. Take one of two witnesses to validate things (Matthew 18:16)
3. Take the conflict to the Church for resolution (Matthew 18:17)
4. If these do not work, consider the man an outsider from whom taunting is expected (John 16:33; Matthew 18:17).

 

The Church and the people of God must work in unity towards the common goal of spreading the Gospel and making disciples. However, differences of opinion or interpretations will occur in any organization, including the Church. For the Church, the way to handle these conflicts is to follow the outline of Matthew 18:15-20. The Church must manage conflicts differently by following the Word of God to set a Godly example in a fallen world.

 

If you are reading this and have not prayed for the forgiveness of your sins making Jesus the Lord of your life, or have drifted away from your relationship with Christ, I invite you to pray with me now,

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

May God challenge, convict, and bless everyone reading this post.

The New Birth

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: John 3:1-21

 

John 3:14-17

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵ that whoever believes in Him should ^[c]not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

(NKJV)

 

Unfortunately, there seems to be little mention in many Churches today about the new birth or being born again. In the text of John 3:1-21, Jesus has a nighttime encounter with Nicodemus a Pharisee who believes Jesus is a teacher come from God. Jesus begins his discourse by telling him he must be born again to see the Kingdom of God (John 3:3). This indicates the importance Jesus places on this truth and why the Church must return to making this a foundational teaching in the Church for it is the door opening up an intimate relationship with God.

 

This text begins with the introduction of Nicodemus, a Pharisee who comes to Jesus at night, believing Jesus to be a teacher from God based on the signs he has performed (John 3:1-2). In response to Nicodemus, Jesus tells him he must be born again to see the Kingdom of God (John 3:3). Nicodemus is confused because he believes Jesus is speaking of one experiencing physical birth as an old man (John 3:4).

 

Jesus provides clarification by telling Nicodemus he speaks of birth by the flesh or water and a new birth in the Spirit (John 3:5-6). He tells Nicodemus not to marvel at Him telling him one must be born again (John 3:7). Jesus then compares birth in the Spirit to the wind which blows with us able to hear it but since it is invisible, we cannot see where it comes from. Such is everyone born in the Spirit (John 3:8). However, Nicodemus is still confused and wonders how what Jesus says can be (John 3:9).

 

Jesus challenges Nicodemus, a teacher of Israel, wondering why he does not know such things (John 3:10). Jesus tells Nicodemus We, speaking of the trinity, speak what We know, and testify what We have seen but he does not receive Their witness (John 3:11). Jesus again challenges Nicodemus by asking him how he can learn of heavenly things if he cannot believe the earthly things He tells him (John 3:12). Jesus tells Nicodemus no one has ascended to heaven but the Son of Man has come down from heaven (John 3:13). Jesus uses the symbol of the serpent lifted up in the wilderness by Moses, Jesus tells Nicodemus the Son of Man must also be lifted up (John 3:14). Those believing in the Son of Man will have eternal life for God, out of love, has given the world His only Son, not to condemn humanity but to save humanity (John 3:15-17).

 

Those choosing to believe in the Son of God are not condemned with one choosing not to believe condemning him or herself due to their unbelief (John 3:18). Condemnation comes to those choosing to remain in darkness even though Light has come into the world through the Son of God (John 3:19). One practicing evil hates the light because the light exposes their evil (John 3:20). One doing the truth comes to the light so his deeds are clearly seen and that they have been done in God (John 3:21).

 

Nicodemus, a Pharisee, comes to Jesus at night believing Him to be a teacher from God, coming at night so as not to be seen by his fellow Pharisees (John 3:1-2). Instead of receiving some great theological insight, Jesus tells Nicodemus about the new birth. Nicodemus has a serious flaw in his theology, believing Jesus is a teacher from God and not God Himself coming down to teach. Nicodemus also confuses natural birth with the spiritual birth of the Spirit of God through belief in Jesus (John 3:16). While this text does not tell us if Nicodemus ever experienced the new birth, there is evidence this discourse affected his life. It was Nicodemus, a Pharisee, who cautioned the Pharisees rejecting Jesus not to convict him without hearing him to know what he was doing (John 7:45-52). It was also Nicodemus who brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes to the tomb (John 19:38-42). This evidence indicates Nicodemus may have become a believer during Jesus’ ministry. Many do come to believe in Jesus as their Savior, experiencing new birth, over time, and why we must never stop praying for our lost friends and family members.

 

In many Churches, there is little mention of the new birth with sermons more about encouraging the flock and making them feel good. While encouragement is one of the 4 E’s of discipleship, discipleship begins with Evangelism or one experiencing new birth in Christ. Listen to this song from Leon Patillo that describes his excitement over experiencing the new birth.

 

The mission of the Church is to preach the Gospel and make disciples (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19-20). However, if the Church neglects to teach about the new birth as how one enters a relationship with Christ, it is doing people who do not know Christ as their Savior a disservice. I call on Church leaders to lift up Jesus Christ and point people to experiencing the new birth and then to continue discipling through equipping with the Word of God, the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, and encouragement so they can disciple others.

 

I want to invite anyone reading this post who has not prayed for salvation from their sins and to make Jesus the Lord of their life through the confession of their belief in Jesus as their Savior to do so now by praying with me,

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

May the Lord challenge, convict, and bless everyone reading this post.