Throughout this week, we have talked about the heartache and pain that Jesus endured during His time on earth. Ultimately, Jesus was rejected, mocked, and crucified on the cross for the sins of the world. The incredible truth is that He did this willingly. Why was He willing to endure such pain? He did it so that humanity would have an opportunity to experience eternal life with Him if they place their faith in Him.
In John 3, Jesus explained to an inquiring religious leader why He had come to endure such pain and suffering. A religious leader named Nicodemus went to speak with Jesus “after dark” (verse 2). He probably went to speak with Jesus during the evening because Jesus was not popular among religious leaders. As a result, Nicodemus did not want other religious leaders to see them talking. As they were talking, Jesus explained, "For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent His son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him" (verses 16-17). Jesus came to endure pain and heartache to the fullest extent in order to save the world from sin and offer eternal life to anyone who trusts in Him. That was why Jesus came, and this purpose led Him to endure amidst excruciating hardships and pain. He persevered so that you and I could experience eternal life one day.
The apostle Paul carried on the mission of Christ and persevered in order to spread the name of Christ all over the world. He explained His motivation to persevere in 1st Corinthians 9. He said in this passage of Scripture, “I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings” (verse 23). Paul’s calling was to spread the good news to everyone around him, even when that meant enduring persecution and hardship. That purpose was the filter by which he lived. Paul continued teaching in 1st Corinthians 9, “Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose with every step" (verses 24-26). Paul wanted to see more and more people come to know Christ, and as a result, he persevered, running his race with purpose.
Like Paul, our calling, too, is to share the hope of Christ with those around us. After all, there are so many people around us lost in sin and looking for hope. How could we keep that to ourselves? May we persevere with our calling, never wavering in spreading the hope of Christ to the people around us.
Who do you know who needs to know the hope of Christ? Reach out to them this week and invite them to join you at one of our weekend services. The eternal life that He offers all who trust in Him is too good to keep to ourselves!
1There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. 2 After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.”
3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
4 “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”
5 Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. 7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”
9 “How are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked.
10 Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things? 11 I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony. 12 But if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.
16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.
18 “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. 19 And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. 20 All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. 21 But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.”
