BELIEVE IT OR NOT! by Sis. Diane Leonardo

(The 3 R’s of John 3:16)

There was a tightrope walker, who did incredible aerial feats. All over Paris, he would do tightrope acts at tremendously scary heights. Then he had succeeding acts; he would do it blindfolded, then he would go across the tightrope, blindfolded, pushing a wheelbarrow.

An American promoter read about this in the papers and wrote a letter to the tightrope walker, saying, "Tightrope, I don't believe you can do it, but I'm willing to make you an offer. For a very substantial sum of money, besides all your transportation fees, I would like to challenge you to do your act over Niagara Falls."Now, Tightrope wrote back, "Sir, although I've never been to America and seen the Falls, I'd love to come."

Well, after a lot of promotion and setting the whole thing up, many people came to see the event. Tightrope was to start on the Canadian side and come to the American side. Drums roll, and he comes across the rope which is suspended over the treacherous part of the falls -- blindfolded!! And he makes it across easily.

The crowds go wild, and he comes to the promoter and says, "Well, Mr. Promoter, now do you believe I can do it?" "Well of course I do. I mean, I just saw you do it." "No," said Tightrope, "do you really believe I can do it?" "Well of course I do, you just did it." "No, no, no," said Tightrope, "do you believe I can do it?" "Yes," said Mr. Promoter, "I believe you can do it." "Good," said Tightrope, "then you get in the wheel barrow."

The word “believe”, in Greek means "to live by".

This is a nice story...makes you ask, how often do we say that we believe Christ can do it, but refuse to get in the wheelbarrow?

In this gospel, John provides clear evidence that Jesus is the Son of God and that by believing in HIM, we may have eternal life. Before it was called “The Gospel According to John”, it was originally from the Greek word “Kata Ioannen” which means according to John. “Ioanness” is derived from the Hebrew name Johanan which means “Yahweh Has been Gracious”

John 3:16 is the summary of the conversation of Nicodemus and Jesus Christ over the issue of being born again. This verse is spoken by Jesus Christ himself. In the previous verses, we can see that Nicodemus came to see Jesus Christ at night. Nicodemus has been described in the bible as a Pharisee and a ruler of the Jewish council called the Sanhedrin. He chose to see Jesus Christ at night so that the other Pharisees would not see him. Daylight conversation between Pharisees and Jesus Christ tended to be conflicting. But Nicodemus really wanted to learn something from Jesus Christ.

Nicodemus as described in the bible is a learned teacher himself. Yet, he came to see Jesus to examine HIM for himself to separate fact and rumor. Their conversation was focused on the idea of being born again as a requirement to see God’s kingdom. Jesus Christ was able to unfold powerfully Nicodemus’s question about entering to the mother’s womb again and be born again. He also explained to Nicodemus the mysteries that only God can do.

That conversation made Jesus mentioned how God loved the world by giving His one and only Son. After that event, Nicodemus was seldom mentioned in the Bible. He again appeared when the religious leaders attempt to arrest Jesus Christ. He spoke boldly in His defense because he understood that Jesus was truly the messiah. His next appearance was when he joined Joseph of Arimathea in asking Jesus’ body in order to provide for its burial. From this perspective, we can say that Nicodemus is growing continually. His growth in the Lord was not instant, rather gradual.

1. Representation of God’s Love

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son….(v 16a)

Jesus Christ is the representation of God’s unconditional love. A love that is not static or self-centered; a sacrificial love through His Son Jesus.

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Ephesians 2: 4-5 But God being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ

In the Old Testament, a higher form of love, involving loyalty, steadfastness, and kindness, is expressed by the Hebrew word hesed, which is sometimes translated as “loyalty” (2 Samuel 22:26). More often, however, this Hebrew word is translated as “steadfast love” or “loving-kindness.” Love is the mutual and binding grace between God and man!

2. Requirement To Eternal Life….that whoever believes in Him…

To believe is more than intellectual agreement that Jesus is God. It means to put our trust and confidence in Him that He alone can save us. …that whoever believes in HIM…- refers to Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ is the very image of God himself.

Therefore believing in HIM means obeying the Law and the word of God.

Its impartiality--He gives it to whosoever; that is, to all alike (Matthew 5: 45)

Its limitations--it is nowhere said in the Bible that because God so love the world that He will save unbelievers

The belief in the dual nature of Jesus is essential to salvation. Unbelief is the world's crowning sin! Nicodemus believed that Jesus Christ have come from God. He then made a decision to see Him despite the danger and consequences if other Pharisees would see him.

1 John 5:13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

3. Reward Of Believing …eternal/everlasting life

After believing, the reward is really great. The reward is the assurance that we will not perish and spend eternity in the lake of fire; rather, we will all have everlasting life. Jesus mentioned to Nicodemus that he must be born again so that he can see the Kingdom of God where we all have eternal life with our Maker.

Some people are repulsed by the idea of eternal life because their mortal lives are miserable. Eternal life is God’s life embodied in Christ given to all believers now as a guarantee that they will live forever. In eternal life, there is no death, sickness, enemy, evil or sin. We will not experience unfair treatment there unlike to what we experience here on earth. The real happiness awaits us there.

Its beneficial richness--it blesses with life eternal!

1 John 5:11-12

¹¹ And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son ¹² He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Conclusion:

Salvation is free for all but the requirement is to BELIEVE. The principle is simple, If we believe in Jesus Christ, we will be saved with the promise of eternal life. If we believe, are we willing to get in God’s wheel barrow and travel through the tightrope with Him? On the contrary, if we don’t believe, we will perish. The choice is ours.

May God bless us all!