Good morning – I hope it
really is good for you. The soldiers took Jesus and put the crown of thorns on
His head. They mocked Him, and then took Him out to be crucified. They found
Simon to bear His cross. They gave Him wine to drink mingled with gall; after
tasting it, He was unwilling to drink. This was like a sedative so He would not
feel as much pain; but He would have none of that. When they had crucified Him,
they divided up His clothes among themselves, casting lots. When we think of
Jesus being crucified, we think of the entire long process – not just the
nailing Him to the cross, and raising it into the air. They put up a sign –
this is Jesus the king of the Jews. In another gospel, it has the religious
leaders telling the governor that he should change it to Jesus said He was the
king of the Jews. Two robbers were crucified with Him. The people standing by
watching mocked Him, “ if You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”
“He is the king of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we shall
believe in Him. He trusts in God; let Him deliver Him now, if He takes pleasure
in Him; for He said I am the Son of God.” These statements have all the
elements of first John – all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and
the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father but
from the world. These are the same areas in which the devil tempted Him in the
wilderness. He resisted the temptations in that situation, and He resisted them
in this situation! Father thank You that You care about the reader and his/her
family. Make this a wonderful day for them!
Unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God
Good morning. While Jesus was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing. Jesus was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men. Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. It doesn’t say, but I assume it is still during this time of the Passover. This man came to Jesus by night. Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do the signs that You do unless God is with him. It just said that the people believed in His name because of the signs He was doing; yet it does not say what those signs were. Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. That is why unbelievers cannot tell what is of the kingdom of God and what is not – they’re not born again. Nicodemus doesn’t have a clue. How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he? Unless one is born of water and the Spirit ...
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