City Life Starter

By Stefan Johnsson

John 3: 9-15

9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things?

11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.

12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?

13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.

14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,

15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

Numbers 21:4-9

4 They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way;

5 they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”

6 Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died.

7 The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.

8 The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.”

9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.

Daniel 7:13-14

13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence.

14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

Nicodemus, a teacher of the law, a Pharisee. He came to Jesus at night in fear of what others may think of him, yet he truly wanted to know more about this Rabbi who did wonders, miracles and spoke with such authority.

Jesus replies by asking Nicodemus how he does not know these things? He has missed the mark. Nicodemus was stuck on keeping the law and forgot what the law was pointing too. He was dumbfounded by the words that Jesus spoke. They were not cryptic, instead very simple, a basic interpretation that had been lost among the Pharisees.

To be born again, how can this be? Nicodemus had missed it all, the point of a spiritual rebirth. His question was simple of how this could be? Jesus, showing grace to him, answers by using two main scriptures to identify himself and what he came to do. These passages are well known to Nicodemus and Jesus uses these to answer his question.

In verse 13, we see that no one has gone up into heaven except the one who descended from Heaven, the Son of Man. This points back to the prophecy of Daniel 7:13-14 where Daniel sees the vision of one like a son of man ascending on clouds of heaven. Something that happened in Acts 1:9 at a later point. Jesus never used the term that he was “God” while on earth, but the name of the “son of man” is very clear to the readers of who this man will be and the authority given to him. There would be no mistake to a Pharisee.

The second was in verse 14-15 where Jesus references the passage of the bronze snake in Numbers 21:4-9. The Israelites had sinned once again against God and God sent snakes among the people. To be healed, they had to look upon the bronze snake that was put up on a wooden pole to be healed.

What a great metaphor of what Jesus did for us on the cross.

That when we are bit by sin, all we need to do is look upon the cross that Jesus was crucified on and shed his blood for us, believe in his sacrifice, and we will be healed. Jesus was telling Nicodemus, just wait and you’ll see. I will be the ultimate sacrifice that will take away all of your sin. All you need to do is believe in what I have come to do. I will conquer sin and the cross and will rise up to the heavens and be given all authority, power, and dominion.

Let me end this devotional with a hymn of the cross. Isaiah Watts: When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.