Dear TVCC Students,
We are continuing our study on the book of John. It was refreshing last night to revisit the story of the Bronze serpent in Numbers 21 and see how it pointed us to the death and resurrection of Jesus on our behalf. Here is a recap...
John 3:9-21
~Nicodemus was a Pharisee (religious leader) who thought that by keeping the law He could gain right standing with the Lord. He failed to see that the purpose of the law was to reveal the sinfulness of man and the need for the Savior.
~John 3:13: Jesus tells Nicodemus that because He has been with the Father, He is able to explain the things of God. Jesus was with the Father before creation and His words teach us about all things- the Father, the law, mankind, the Kingdom of Heaven, salvation...
~John 3:14: Jesus leads Nicodemus back to Numbers 21. The people had spoken against Moses and the Lord, not liking the provision that God was giving them. They refused to be satisfied with God's provision and became discontent and grumbling. God sent serpents to show His judgement but provided a way of salvation through the bronze serpent that He had Moses lift up. God made a substitute to stand in the place of the sinners and those who looked to it in faith would not die. This whole event was to point us to Jesus....
-Romans 8:3: Jesus became sin on our behalf so that we could become righteous through His sacrifice for our sin. We deserve the wrath of God but Christ took it for us... the wrath of God was even more horrific than the extreme torture that the Romans physically inflicted on Jesus. When we look to/have faith in His sacrifice for us, we are able to escape the eternal death that we deserve for our rebellion.
~John 3:16: We are saved through the Son that God sent to die in our place. We are not saved by any of our own righteousness but through Christ alone and for His glory (Titus 3:4-5). The eternal life that we are given in Christ is not just the promise of sinless paradise after this physical life is over. Eternal life is being intimate with the Father (John 17). Christ died so that we could know the Father as a husband knows his bride.
Q: Do you have an intimate relationship with the Father through Christ? Do you long to be with the Lord? Check your heart. Are you someone who just knows the right answers or do you really have a growing relationship with the Lord where He knows you and you know Him?
~John 3:18-21: The verdict for all mankind has been guilty since the garden. We are born in sin and under condemnation. Christ offers freedom from our condemnation but if we reject that, we remain condemned and God's wrath still awaits us.
~John 3:19: We all love darkness and prefer to be ignorant of the truth. The god that we serve is ourselves. Our culture has glorified "Me" and we serve that unless our eyes are opened to the truth by the Spirit of the Lord. Job 22:14 reveals that the heart of man doesn't want God. We want to worship ourselves. Though our hearts are dark we can say with Paul in 2 Corinthians 9:15- thanks be to God for His indescribable gift of salvation! We are totally undeserving of His gift and yet He still extends to us grace through the blood of Jesus!
Dear students,
We cannot express to you the importance of this wonderful message. We all deserve the wrath of God but Christ has taken it for us. Please take time to think about your life and your heart. Do you really understand your sinfulness and that you deserve the wrath of God. Do you believe with your whole heart that Jesus died in your place and are you walking in an intimate relationship with the Father through trusting in the sacrifice of Jesus? We love you all very much and want you to experience the relationship with the Father that is offered through Jesus. Spend time in His Word this week and in prayer with Him and ask Him to draw you close to Him. It is the absoute best thing you can do!
With hope,
Sonny and Casi
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