John 3:1-15
3: Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
Reflection
As an old man, Nicodemus learned he needed new birth—the Spirit-born awakening that enables a person to see and believe in Christ. Apart from the work of God’s Spirit, Nicodemus could not even see the kingdom of God (John 3:3), much less enter it (v. 5). Becoming a Christian is a supernatural act of God’s generosity. We, like Nicodemus, are just as dependent on God for our second birth as we were for our first (v. 8). When Jesus was lifted onto the cross, he took God’s judgment for us so that those who look to him with Spirit-born faith will receive eternal life (vv. 14–15).
Titus 1:10-16
10 For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. 11 They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. 12 One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” 13 This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, 14 not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth. 15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. 16 They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.
Reflection
In this passage we see that Paul identifies fallen humanity’s fundamental problem as a corrupted heart with distorted desires. Emphasizing external behavior (Titus 1:14) does nothing to address the corruption of the heart. Those who are “defiled and unbelieving” cannot force a sinful heart to change just by doing good behaviors —for these people, “nothing is pure” (v. 15; cf. Matt. 15:11; Rom. 14:17–20).
Even worse, those with defiled hearts will try to use religious activities for “shameful gain” (Titus 1:11). Such religion, Paul says, is empty and deceptive (v. 10). Ironically, these false teachers share the same mentality and motivations as those who live according to their corrupt sinful desires (v. 16; cf. 3:3).
Psalm 118:27
27 The Lord is God, and he has made his light to shine upon us. Bind the festal sacrifice with cords, up to the horns of the altar!
The supernatural realities of God’s kingdom require supernatural insights that can be given only by God himself. Ask him to open the eyes of your family members and neighbors who do not yet see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 4:6).