JESUS REDUCED LIFE TO SIMPLE TERMS FOR ALL OF US. People have a tendency to complicate life in many ways and most of the time. This appears to be especially true when it comes to spiritual realties and spiritually false beliefs. Jesus has a way of clearing up confusion in life for all of confused mankind regarding the issue of eternal life if people are willing to listen to what He says and then act on it. You can read about it in the Gospel of John chapter three; it is one of the most noted chapters of the bible and clears up the issue of eternal life in simple terms.

One night one of the members of the Jewish ruling council named Nicodemus approached Jesus to engage Him in a discussion and to acknowledge that Jesus had “come from God,” (v.3:2). I think He was afraid to approach Jesus in the daytime because of his position in the ruling council. Jesus immediately cut through the small talk and got to the question on Nicodemus’ mind. Jesus said, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again,” (v.3:3). Nicodemus was utterly confused so Jesus clarified what He said with this follow-up answer, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again,’” (v.3:5-7). Simplicity for us all: we are born physically and we must also be born spiritually to be a part of God’s eternal Kingdom.

 So how does one get born again? Jesus immediately answered that question and used an illustration or example that Nicodemus and just about any Jewish person would understand. “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in Him,” (v.3:14-15). The illustration comes from the account in the book of Numbers 21:1-9. As the Jews left Egypt and traveled through the wilderness they got impatient and “they spoke against God and against Moses,” (v.21:5). As a result “the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died,” (v.21:6). When they repented God had Moses make a bronze snake and put it on a pole and “when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived,” (v.21:9). The analogy was simple and direct; look at the snake and live or refuse to look and die. All mankind must look to Jesus and His death on the cross for payment of their sins and live or refuse to look to Jesus and die eternally. John followed the illustration Jesus used with this statement, “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,” (John 3:16 NIV). The way to gain eternal life is simple and available for everyone. The cost to God cannot begin to be totally understood.  

 A lot of people have the misconception that God and Jesus hate the people living in the world and for that reason they condemn the people living in the world but that is not true. John reminds us that “God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. 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,” (John 3:17-18). As with the Israelites in the wilderness, so God has provided one way for all mankind to escape eternal death and gain eternal life. It is by looking up to their payment for sin, the Lord Jesus Christ and His death on the cross. Religion complicates a path to salvation. Jesus simplifies this pathway.

 CHUCK DAVIS