John 3:14-21 (NRSV)
Read John 3:14-21 on biblegateway.com
Verse 14And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, Verse 15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. Verse 16"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. Verse 17"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. Verse 18Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. Verse 19And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. Verse 20For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. Verse 21But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God."
Devotion
I’m not sure we can appreciate the risks Nicodemus took when he stole a few moments with Jesus under the cover of darkness. As a leader of the Pharisees, he put everything on the line: his reputation, his relationships, his standing in the community. But something about Jesus drew him in … and ultimately, changed his life.
Opening up your life to Jesus is risky business. Being a disciple means no longer being okay with keeping quiet when you see injustice taking place. It means choosing to set aside time for God even when your day is crammed with housework or homework or hockey practice. It means wrestling with difficult questions that have no answers. It means giving away the most precious parts of yourself. It means living so that others might come to know Christ too.
Why must we do this? Because two thousand years ago, God took a risk for us, so that we might see that God's love has no bounds. Perhaps we all need to do a little risk-taking this week.
Prayer
Lord, give me the courage to risk sharing my faith openly today. Amen.