Gospel Lesson For The Week

.Second Sunday in Lent.

For your convenience, you can also copy (highlight the passage then press Control-C) & paste (Control-V) the passage into the BibleGateway Search Engine located on this site and read the passages online.

Please Read

John 3:1-17

Read also

Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God."
Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above."

Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?"

Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.

What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be born from above.'

“The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?"

Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?
"Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony.

If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?

No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.
“ And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

"Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

--- John 3:1-17

John 3:16 is the ultimate scriptural cliché. But don’t knock clichés, and don’t let a smug, sarcastic, wearily tolerant, smile form on your lips over this one. Like most clichés this one points to an important truth. Jesus, in dialogue with Nicodemus, imparting to him the necessity of new birth, draws an analogy between the saving serpent staff that Moses lifted in the wilderness and the cross on which one day he will be impaled. God loved, God gave, Jesus died, the world is saved, and every believer inherits eternal life. Good News! Nothing to snicker about.

. "How can these things be?" .

Into a BudLite world

came a man with a placard.

What does this mean,

this name and two numbers

spliced together:

John 3:16?

More than a pious slogan

or a mere sign

lifted along an NFL sideline,

it is the charter of humanity,

positing a God who loves and gives,

a Son who died,

a world saved from condemnation.

Eternal life.

And there are corollaries

to this good Good News:

If God so loves and gives

and we are created in God’s image

then are we not similarly bound

to love and give?

So I will give first to God,

holding nothing back.

No tithe is really good enough

for such a lover.

All that I am and have

come by God’s grace.

The claim is total and absolute;

I will hold nothing back.

And I will love the world

and give my share

toward its renewal and preservation.

If God valued the creation

enough to invest the greatest treasure,

God’s Son,

the least that I can do

is the least that I can do:

buy low-energy light bulbs

recycle everything I can,

conserving all my resources

and taking whatever steps seem prudent

to preserve this fragile planet.

And I will love humankind,

whether it be the person near at hand

or in some distant place,

sharing with him the good Good News,

offering to her a life-giving hand,

a morsel of food,

a vial of serum,

knowledge to be imparted,

a skill to use and pass on.

So next time I see

a man with a placard

with no message other than

a name and two numbers:

John 3:16

I’ll bow for a moment

in reverent grateful silence,

but only for a moment,

for I must get busy,

helping to bring to life

the reality of that slogan.

I know what it means.

--- rvc

The Weekly Lessons are based on the lectionary texts for the week – usually the Gospel lesson. They are not designed as a formal commentary. Rather, they are the personal reflections and original compositions of The Relay Online editor, Rev. Robin Van Cleef, and offer a jumping off point, using the scriptures as triggers to thought, imagination, and (we hope) empowerment. As you read them, let your own imagination play, and let the Spirit speak to you, leading you where it will. The Gospel Lessons reflected on this site may not be copied, reproduced or otherwise manipulated elsewhere on the internet without the expressed consent of the author. Please also note that while we're unable to quote Bible scripture on these pages, it is permissible to redirect our viewers to Bible passages using hyperlinks to web sites having that authority. The Verse Of The Day and BibleGateway Search engine are the property on BibleGateway.com and are used here with their specific permission.

Gospel Lesson for the Week February 17, 2008 *(Please remember to "Refresh" your browser to see the latest entry!)* .Second Sunday in Lent. For your convenience, you can also copy (highlight the passage then press Control-C) & paste (Control-V) the passage into the BibleGateway Search Engine located on this site and read the passages online. Please Read John 3:1-17 Read also Genesis 12:1-4a Psalm 121 Romans 4:1-5 Romans 4:13-17 Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God." Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above." *Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?"* *Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.* *What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be born from above.'* “The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?" *Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?* "Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. *If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?* *No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.* “ And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. *"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.* *"Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.* --- John 3:1-17 John 3:16 is the ultimate scriptural cliché. But don’t knock clichés, and don’t let a smug, sarcastic, wearily tolerant, smile form on your lips over this one. Like most clichés this one points to an important truth. Jesus, in dialogue with Nicodemus, imparting to him the necessity of new birth, draws an analogy between the saving serpent staff that Moses lifted in the wilderness and the cross on which one day he will be impaled. God loved, God gave, Jesus died, the world is saved, and every believer inherits eternal life. Good News! Nothing to snicker about. . "How can these things be?" . Into a BudLite world came a man with a placard. What does this mean, this name and two numbers spliced together: John 3:16? More than a pious slogan or a mere sign lifted along an NFL sideline, it is the charter of humanity, positing a God who loves and gives, a Son who died, a world saved from condemnation. *Eternal life.* And there are corollaries to this good Good News: If God so loves and gives and we are created in God’s image then are we not similarly bound to love and give? So I will give first to God, holding nothing back. No tithe is really good enough for such a lover. All that I am and have come by God’s grace. The claim is total and absolute; I will hold nothing back. And I will love the world and give my share toward its renewal and preservation. If God valued the creation enough to invest the greatest treasure, God’s Son, the least that I can do is the least that I can do: buy low-energy light bulbs recycle everything I can, conserving all my resources and taking whatever steps seem prudent to preserve this fragile planet. And I will love humankind, whether it be the person near at hand or in some distant place, sharing with him the good Good News, offering to her a life-giving hand, a morsel of food, a vial of serum, knowledge to be imparted, a skill to use and pass on. So next time I see a man with a placard with no message other than a name and two numbers: *John 3:16* I’ll bow for a moment in reverent grateful silence, but only for a moment, for I must get busy, helping to bring to life the reality of that slogan. *I know what it means.* *--- rvc* * D I S C L A I M E R * The Weekly Lessons are based on the lectionary texts for the week – usually the Gospel lesson. They are not designed as a formal commentary. Rather, they are the personal reflections and original compositions of The Relay Online editor, Rev. Robin Van Cleef, and offer a jumping off point, using the scriptures as triggers to thought, imagination, and (we hope) empowerment. As you read them, let your own imagination play, and let the Spirit speak to you, leading you where it will. The Gospel Lessons reflected on this site may not be copied, reproduced or otherwise manipulated elsewhere on the internet without the expressed consent of the author. Please also note that while we're unable to quote Bible scripture on these pages, it is permissible to redirect our viewers to Bible passages using hyperlinks to web sites having that authority. The Verse Of The Day and BibleGateway Search engine are the property on BibleGateway.com and are used here with their specific permission.

Go Back	Archive Home Page	Next Lesson

© 2004-2008 United Methodist Relay All Rights Reserved. Greater New Jersey Annual Conference