Greetings!
Hannah asked Brandi and I to write a guest blog, something she can post to her World Race page for her supporters to read. Kinda scary if you ask me… I mean, what if no one wants to read what we have to say… What if we write something stupid and Hannah pays the price… What if these words reveal just how shallow we are… I just don’t know if I can take that kind of rejection. It would just be easier to do nothing. I personally like the comfort of the mundane, the warmth of all things average and predictable. No need to stick ones neck out, to take a risk or shake the boat. I think I’ll just sit back in my easy chair and let life happen to me instead of taking a risk… So I hope this is enough for a guest blog so we can check it off the list and be done. I hope it didn’t challenge the readers thinking or motivate anyone to do anything outside for their comfort.
Hmm, somehow I think Hannah might want a little more content. *sigh* OK OK… Maybe Brandi will also write something, in fact I’m sure she will. We will double team this so the following thoughts shouldn’t be attributed to my beautiful wife. If there is any fallout it should be directed toward Hannah’s crazy Padre.
The gospel of John records a conversation with Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews starting in chapter 3. Like me I’m sure you have read this passage multiple times. I used to imagine the tone of the conversation being pleasant as Nicodemus addressed Jesus and His reply having a loving tone. Think about it, this is the chapter of scripture that contains the MOST quoted and MOST memorized verse in all of scripture, John 3:16. But I recently dug into this passage and see evidence to the contrary. Looks to me like this Pharisee ruler of the Jews was sneaking around under the cover of darkness. God bless Nick for seeking Jesus out, but I think I see rebuke in Jesus’ tone. Nicodemus seems to pay Jesus a compliment but Jesus’ reply is fast and hard, “unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God”. Jesus recognizes Nick is looking for answers, but Jesus doesn’t let him even ask his first question. Jesus straight away points out that his thinking is way off base. It is as if Jesus is saying, “Nick, you don’t get it. You think in human terms and with that point-of-view you do not understand and you cannot understand. There is something more and I’m ’boutta rock your world, hold on tight.”
This seems to put Nicodemus on the defensive at worst, at best this confuses him so he snaps back, “you are crazy, how can a man enter his mother’s womb a second time?” Jesus then delivers the first of the 1-2 punch, “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” My paraphrase for the rest of Jesus’ reply sounds something like this, “Nick, you really understand fleshly things (I think a deeper dive here might be a conversation about the OT law of sin and death and the NT law of the Spirt of life, Romans 8) but I am here to save you. You may not even know you need saving, but you do and this salvation does not look at all like you think it should. It is a new paradigm, a spiritual salvation, something beyond what you have even considered.”
Now Nick is really confused, maybe even irritated… Again he asks Jesus how these things can be. I continue to detect a certain tone in Jesus reply, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?” Jesus goes on to make a comment about how Nicodemus does not seem to believe earthly things Jesus speaks, how is he going to believe heavenly things. Do you sense the same rebuke in Jesus tone? Jesus just called Nick out, “hey man, aren’t you the teacher of Israel? What is wrong with you, why don’t you understand me?” Also, notice how close we are to John 3:16 at this point.
In my reading Jesus starts to tie things together at John 3:13. I hope you don’t mind my paraphrasing? Jesus describes to Nicodemus that He has authority to discuss heavenly things as the Son of Man who descended from heaven. Then in verse 14, Jesus brings in a reference Nick can understand from the OT. “Hey Nick, remember when the Israelites sinned against God and the Almighty sent fiery serpents and those who were bit died. When the people came to Moses and repented, Moses interceded on their behalf and the LORD’s instructions were to ‘make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live’… Nick, I know you remember this because you are the teacher of Israel. I want you to know that I am going to be lifted up in the same way as that bronze serpent. I am the answer! That bronze serpent was a type and a shadow of what I am about to do for everyone. Whoever looks upon Me and believes will have eternal life! My Father, Yahweh, loves the world So much that he sent Me, his only Son, so save all of you from certain death that you might have eternal life. Oh and by the way, my Father didn’t send me to condemn but to save! Love is the motivation, nothing more.”
Wow! Awesome… So I think in bullet points so here’s a summary:
1. Nicodemus has some questions for Jesus, but is sneaky about it
2. Jesus preempts Nick, lets him know whatever he is about to ask is based in wrong thinking
3. Jesus rocks Nick’s world by introducing him to Spiritual life and seems to be stating that whatever you think you know is only a type and a shadow of greater truth
4. When Nick is dazed and confused Jesus speaks in terms he can understand. The OT law is similar to the bite of the serpent in Numbers. It brings death (confirmed by Paul several times). The Son of Man will be lifted up like Moses lifted up the bronze fiery viper and similarly whoever believes on Me will have eternal life!
5. Condemnation is not a part of the equation. The incredible love of Yahweh is the motivation!
How does all of this related to The World Race and to Hannah Sullivan… Starting week 1 Hannah is being changed by the power of the Holy Spirit. She is being awakened to that Spiritual life. Not that she didn’t have it before, but it is like the scales are being removed from her eyes and that her hearing is becoming more clear. I venture to say Hannah didn’t really understand that the noise of the world around her was keeping her in the flesh. As she has been studying the Word on the race it has come alive to her. As she has been praying and believing the power of the Holy Spirit that dwells inside of her has been living and active! I firmly believe that healing is a part of salvation! The bronze viper that Moses lifted up to heal those who faced certain death was a type and a shadow of Jesus. Jesus is the real and full deal. He took stripes for our healing! Simply believe this. Pause and think about that… We have a hard time believing that God heals, but Jesus in John 3 just before the most famous scripture of all compares himself with that healing fiery viper. Hannah was been completely healed of a lifetime gluten allergy and a recently developed dairy allergy. His healing power is real. It simply takes believing on Him! He paid the price. I’m also so encouraged that the motivation behind all that The World Race engages in is love and not condemnation. These racers, Hannah included, is living out those nice scriptures we like to read and quote and use for bumper stickers! I could not be more proud of her and her fellow racers! These are world changers…
I love you Hannah!
Dad!
