John 3

The following take on John 3 comes from an international student who recently came to Christ. Enjoy!

Read John 3.

Growing up in China I’ve definitely HEARD about Jesus, the Bible, and Christianity, but did I LISTEN? No. I was convinced that there was no God and living in a life that was full of myself; I was always THE troublemaker at school, I believed that it was MY life so nobody had any right to tell me what to do, I was lost and blind. Amazingly, things started to change after I graduated from high school, realizing I was never in control of anything made me want to seek the purpose of life.

Jesus said: “No one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John 3:5-8)  

Looking back, Jesus was the only explanation for why my life turned around. About a year and a half later I came to the United States to get my Bachelor's degree, around the same time I joined Salt Company and IFC. One night, my friend Jessica and I were driving back to town after Salt, “I believe God sent you the way here for a reason”, she said to me. For the first time I asked myself – Is Jesus THE reason? About six months later, I was praying in tears on a flight from Washington D.C. to Des Moines, after a long and exhausting trip, because I knew the shooting star I just saw on the airplane, so clear and close, was Jesus comforting me.

“I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?” (John 3:12)

I can’t imagine how heartbreaking it must be, when He looks at us, the people he so loved that it even cost him his life, asking the same question Nicodemus asked – “How can this be?” This can be because He is God, and He loves us, even when we turn our backs on him. God created light so we wouldn’t have to walk in darkness; then when we were blinded by our sin, He gave his only son Jesus to us, so Jesus could be THE LIGHT, so we can find the way back to him.

Starter Prayer:

Lord, there were countless times throughout the years that I would claim I trusted you, yet I found my heart asking "How can this be?” After all you have done, after all you have shown me.
Lord, your love and mercy are the light of the world, the light of my world. Please help me to fix my eyes on you and only you.
Whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done though God.
For you must become greater, I must become less, please make me a humble servant of yours, that when I give my testimony to the world, the world would easily understand it is all about you and your glory.
Lord, You are the truth. I want to follow you with all my heart because that’s where the light is. Please protect me and guide me away from evil deeds, till one day I can see you face to face and be by your side eternally.
Amen.