In His conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus has talked with him about The Greatest Problem, The Greatest Love and The Greatest Gift. Next Jesus shares with Nicodemus, The Greatest Promise. The promise is this, “whoever believes in Him (Jesus) will not perish but have eternal life.” “Whoever”…that is one of the greatest words in the Bible! It means anyone, everyone who believes in Jesus can have eternal life. Romans 10:13 tells us, “For whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Whoever means you! Jesus reminded Nicodemus of a well known story from the Old Testament to help him understand how God’s gift of forgiveness and salvation is a matter of faith. In Numbers 21 we read that the people of Israel were once again complaining against God and against Moses. As judgement for their sin, God sent what the Bible calls, “fiery serpents,” among the people. Their bite felt like fire. Many of the people were bitten and many of them died. The people realized their sin and cried out for deliverance. God told Moses to make a serpent of bronze, lift it up on a pole and tell the people that if they will look in faith to the serpent on the pole, they would be saved. Many times in the Old Testament bronze is symbolic of God’s judgment against our sin. Unfortunately, there were probably those who didn’t believe that this simple act was God’s way of their salvation. But,, for those who believed and looked up in simple faith, the Bible tells us they lived.
Jesus went on to explain to Nicodemus that, in the same way, He, the Son of Man, would one day be lifted up to pay the penalty for our sin. The Good News is that if we will look to faith in Jesus and believe that He died on the cross for us and rose from the dead, we will live forever with Him. We read later in the Gospel of John that Nicodemus, the man who visited Jesus privately at night, became an open unashamed follower of Jesus. What about you? Will you put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ to save you? You can receive God’s greatest love, His greatest gift by believing His greatest promise. I pray that if you have not already trusted Jesus, you will, because He is the only way to Heaven.
Jesus went on to explain to Nicodemus that, in the same way, He, the Son of Man, would one day be lifted up to pay the penalty for our sin. The Good News is that if we will look to faith in Jesus and believe that He died on the cross for us and rose from the dead, we will live forever with Him. We read later in the Gospel of John that Nicodemus, the man who visited Jesus privately at night, became an open unashamed follower of Jesus. What about you? Will you put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ to save you? You can receive God’s greatest love, His greatest gift by believing His greatest promise. I pray that if you have not already trusted Jesus, you will, because He is the only way to Heaven.