John 3:16Sample

Earthly and Heavenly Things

If you’ve ever struggled to get your head around Jesus or God, you’re in great company. Jesus called Nicodemus a "teacher" of God’s people, yet He diagnosed Nicodemus as lacking understanding of the very things He taught.

The sentences immediately before John 3:16 refer to the Scriptures that Nicodemus studied. Before we’re tempted to mock or dismiss Nicodemus, notice how Jesus brings "Heavenly" insight. As Tom shares on the John 3:16 Podcast, the contrast between Earthly and Heavenly things seems to establish Jesus’ status as being (from) above what previously had been declared of God’s revelations to us.

Like Nicodemus did, coming to Jesus for His Wisdom and Explanations is optimal for understanding the things Scripture contains. Jesus is key to unlocking God’s Words and Ways, from the Old Testament books of Ezekiel and Daniel that reference the "Son of Man", to the peculiar account in Numbers 21 of Moses lifting up a bronze snake. How Jesus combines "Son of Man" and that snake, for example, is vital to our understanding of belief in His Name.

Written by BEN McEACHEN