In the Life of Christ When Nicodemus came to Jesus at night, he brought an impressive spiritual résumé. He was a Pharisee, a ruler of the Jews, and a respected teacher of Scripture. If anyone appeared qualified for the kingdom of God, Nicodemus did. Yet Jesus did not congratulate him on his accomplishments. He lookedContinue reading “When Jesus Says You Must Begin Again”
Tag Archives: New birth
A Righteousness We Cannot Manufacture
In the Life of Christ When Jesus told His listeners, “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20), I imagine the crowd becoming unusually quiet. The scribes knew Scripture, and the Pharisees were meticulous about religious conduct. If they were not righteous enough,Continue reading “A Righteousness We Cannot Manufacture”
Not Good Enough
In the Life of Christ If I had met Nicodemus before reading John 3, I suspect I would have been impressed. Most of us would have been. He was disciplined, educated, respected, morally serious, biblically knowledgeable, and influential. John introduces him simply: “Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a memberContinue reading “Not Good Enough”
When Being Good Is Not Good Enough
In the Life of Christ “For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” — Matthew 5:20 I can imagine the silence that must have followed those words. Jesus was speaking to ordinary people who knew the reputation of the scribes andContinue reading “When Being Good Is Not Good Enough”
Born From Above, Not Built From Below
In the Life of Christ “Who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” —John 1:13 When I read John 1:13, I am reminded that receiving Jesus is both a genuine human response and a gracious work of God. John has justContinue reading “Born From Above, Not Built From Below”