The human condition is that we are fallen and sinful. We love our sin more than we love God, but the good news of the gospel is that we have a good God who so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 

We continue to examine a conversation between Jesus and a religious teacher named Nicodemus who has come to find out more about this man. Jesus gives the command to be born again. This Spiritual rebirth is necessary for admittance into the kingdom of heaven. Jesus has authority to command this when it is he who was lifted up on the cross. 

Jesus is approached by an expert in the law named Nicodemus who has seen his signs. He’s intrigued by Jesus. Jesus tells him that a person must be born again in order to see the kingdom of God.

The early ministry of Jesus continues as he cleanses the temple. A sacred place has been corrupted but we see that Jesus is the true temple who brings us into the presence of God. 

Jesus performs his first sign which manifests his glory. It’s an odd introduction to a ministry but it’s an important catalyst to the disciples believing in Jesus. He’s the one who turns water into wine, the Lord of the feast, and the bringer of a greater covenant.

Jesus meets some of his earliest disciples and we see several significant affirmations made about the Lord. He is the Lamb of God, the Christ, the one to whom the scriptures point, and the Son of God and King of Israel.

In this passage, we explore the ministry of John the Baptist, a man who has one purpose: pointing to Jesus.

As this passage echoes one of the greatest sins of the Old Testament, we are reminded of the grace of God throughout the Bible, most notably the grace that we receive through Jesus.

The divinity of Jesus is an essential element of his gospel but his humanity is just as important. Jesus is fully God and fully man. In this passage, we see that the Lord of creation entered into creation.

The opening verses of the Gospel of John make several powerful affirmations about Jesus: he’s eternal, he exists in fellowship with God, he is God, and he made everything.