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. (John 3:19 NLT)

—

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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. (John 3:19 NLT)
—
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If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God’s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from Pastor Greg Laurie, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you. 

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God’s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from <a href="https://harvest.org/about-greg-laurie/">Pastor Greg Laurie</a>, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you.

Greg Laurie provides commentary on the day's Bible verse.

Daily Devotions From Greg Laurie

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. (John 3:19 NLT)

Accustomed to the Dark | John 3:19

“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.” (John 3:16 NLT)

Not all Jewish religious leaders opposed Jesus. Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the ruling Sanhedrin. He was educated and influential in Jewish society. And he was impressed by Jesus—so impressed that he wanted to meet with Him personally.

He came to Jesus at night. Maybe he chose that time because that’s when the crowds went home, and he could have some one-on-one time with Him. Or maybe he chose it because he didn’t want other religious leaders to see what he was doing.

Nicodemus recognized that Jesus had been sent by God; no one could do what Jesus did without God’s power. But he thought of Jesus as a teacher—a rabbi—one of many in Israel. Jesus helped him see that He wasn’t bringing new learning; He was bringing new life.

Jewish people believed that their birth assured them a place in God’s kingdom. Because they were God’s chosen people, their Jewish identity guaranteed their entrance into Heaven. Some rabbis even taught that Abraham stood watch at the gates of Hell to make sure that none of his descendants entered by mistake.

Jesus explained that it isn’t the first birth that assures people a place in God’s kingdom; it’s the second birth. To receive eternal life and enter Heaven, we must be born again.

Nicodemus assumed that He was talking about some kind of moral awakening. That would have been confusing to him because the Pharisees considered themselves extremely moral people. They worked hard to be above reproach. As far as Nicodemus was concerned, he had already experienced the new birth.

Jesus helped him see that a second birth—and eternal life—would be possible only if Jesus were “lifted up.” First, on the cross, to take God’s punishment for the sins of the world. And second, when He ascended to Heaven after His resurrection, when He destroyed the power of death forever.

John 3:16 gives us the story of salvation in a single verse. It starts with God’s love, something we’ve done nothing to earn. It’s a gift. All we have to do is receive it. It required an unimaginable sacrifice. God gave the most precious thing He had to give: His Son. He sent Jesus to suffer and die in our place.

Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, everyone who believes in Him will not perish. Believing means more than just agreeing with what the Bible says about Him. It means placing our full trust in Him, embracing the truth that only He can save us.

Everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life. Eternal life refers not just to quantity, the length of time we will exist (which is forever); it also refers to quality. The life we will experience after we die will be deeply fulfilling and joyous. There will be no sickness, suffering, or weakness. We will live as God created us to live.

—

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

&ldquo;For this is how God loved the world: He gave&nbsp;his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.&rdquo; (John 3:16 NLT)
Not all Jewish religious leaders opposed Jesus. Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the ruling Sanhedrin. He was educated and influential in Jewish society. And he was impressed by Jesus&mdash;so impressed that he wanted to meet with Him personally.
He came to Jesus at night. Maybe he chose that time because that&rsquo;s when the crowds went home, and he could have some one-on-one time with Him. Or maybe he chose it because he didn&rsquo;t want other religious leaders to see what he was doing.
Nicodemus recognized that Jesus had been sent by God; no one could do what Jesus did without God&rsquo;s power. But he thought of Jesus as a teacher&mdash;a rabbi&mdash;one of many in Israel. Jesus helped him see that He wasn&rsquo;t bringing new learning; He was bringing new life.
Jewish people believed that their birth assured them a place in God&rsquo;s kingdom. Because they were God&rsquo;s chosen people, their Jewish identity guaranteed their entrance into Heaven. Some rabbis even taught that Abraham stood watch at the gates of Hell to make sure that none of his descendants entered by mistake.
Jesus explained that it isn&rsquo;t the first birth that assures people a place in God&rsquo;s kingdom; it&rsquo;s the second birth. To receive eternal life and enter Heaven, we must be born again.
Nicodemus assumed that He was talking about some kind of moral awakening. That would have been confusing to him because the Pharisees considered themselves extremely moral people. They worked hard to be above reproach. As far as Nicodemus was concerned, he had already experienced the new birth.
Jesus helped him see that a second birth&mdash;and eternal life&mdash;would be possible only if Jesus were &ldquo;lifted up.&rdquo; First, on the cross, to take God&rsquo;s punishment for the sins of the world. And second, when He ascended to Heaven after His resurrection, when He destroyed the power of death forever.
John 3:16 gives us the story of salvation in a single verse. It starts with God&rsquo;s love, something we&rsquo;ve done nothing to earn. It&rsquo;s a gift. All we have to do is receive it. It required an unimaginable sacrifice. God gave the most precious thing He had to give: His Son. He sent Jesus to suffer and die in our place.
Because of Jesus&rsquo; sacrifice, everyone who believes in Him will not perish. Believing means more than just agreeing with what the Bible says about Him. It means placing our full trust in Him, embracing the truth that only He can save us.
Everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life. Eternal life refers not just to quantity, the length of time we will exist (which is forever); it also refers to quality. The life we will experience after we die will be deeply fulfilling and joyous. There will be no sickness, suffering, or weakness. We will live as God created us to live.
&mdash;
<a href="https://link.chtbl.com/A1PWfZ8W">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

God loves us so much that He sent His Son to die in our place so that we may have eternal life.

You Must Be Born Again | John 3:16

“But his mother told the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’” (John 2:5 NLT)

Even with John the Baptist’s hype, Jesus kept a low profile—until He attended a wedding in Cana with His mother, Mary, and His disciples.

Hospitality was an essential part of first-century Jewish culture. The more lavishly a person entertained, the greater his social standing grew. Weddings were the ultimate test of a person’s hospitality. So it wasn’t unusual for wedding celebrations to last for days, with food and wine flowing all the while.

Running out of wine in the middle of a wedding celebration was a worst-case scenario. But that’s what happened at the wedding Jesus attended. Mary realized that the host would face public humiliation and shame if word got out. So she asked Jesus to intervene.

Jesus was reluctant at first. “My time has not yet come,” He told her (verse 4 NLT). He had not yet performed a public miracle. He knew that when word got out about His miracle-working, crowds would follow. And people would be less likely to focus on His teachings if they were just waiting for the next “wow” moment.

Considering that Jesus hadn’t yet performed any public miracles, it’s interesting that Mary believed He could do something in that situation. She’s the first person in John’s Gospel to put her faith in Jesus. “Do whatever He tells you,” she told the host’s servants.

Jesus rewarded her faith. He instructed the servants to fill six water jars, each with a capacity of 20 to 30 gallons, with water. When the servants dipped into the jars, they found that it was wine of the highest quality.

That may have been the first clue for John and the other disciples that the rabbi they were following was something more than a rabbi.

A short time later, Jesus and His disciples traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration. But when Jesus entered the temple, He saw that it had become a place of business. The Jerusalem temple was the center of worship for Jewish people throughout Israel. Many traveled long distances to worship and offer sacrifices there. But rather than bringing their own animals for sacrifice with them, many purchased them from merchants inside the temple complex.

Several merchants exploited the opportunity and turned the temple complex into a marketplace. Jesus had too much reverence for God’s house of worship to allow it to be defiled like that. So He overturned tables, scattered coins across the ground, and chased the merchants out of the temple. And those—like John—who listened closely while Jesus disrupted business as usual at the temple, might have heard Him refer to the building as “my Father’s house” (verse 16).

The Jewish religious leaders demanded that Jesus perform a miracle to prove that He had authority to take such drastic action.

“‘All right,’ Jesus replied. ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up’” (verse 19 NLT). The religious leaders scoffed because they didn’t realize Jesus was talking about His own body. But John and the other disciples realized it less than three years later when Jesus rose from the dead three days after being crucified.

—

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

&ldquo;But his mother told the servants, &lsquo;Do whatever he tells you.&rsquo;&rdquo; (John 2:5 NLT)
Even with John the Baptist&rsquo;s hype, Jesus kept a low profile&mdash;until He attended a wedding in Cana with His mother, Mary, and His disciples.
Hospitality was an essential part of first-century Jewish culture. The more lavishly a person entertained, the greater his social standing grew. Weddings were the ultimate test of a person&rsquo;s hospitality. So it wasn&rsquo;t unusual for wedding celebrations to last for days, with food and wine flowing all the while.
Running out of wine in the middle of a wedding celebration was a worst-case scenario. But that&rsquo;s what happened at the wedding Jesus attended. Mary realized that the host would face public humiliation and shame if word got out. So she asked Jesus to intervene.
Jesus was reluctant at first. &ldquo;My time has not yet come,&rdquo; He told her (verse 4 NLT). He had not yet performed a public miracle. He knew that when word got out about <a>His miracle-working</a>, crowds would follow. And people would be less likely to focus on His teachings if they were just waiting for the next &ldquo;wow&rdquo; moment.
Considering that Jesus hadn&rsquo;t yet performed any public miracles, it&rsquo;s interesting that Mary believed He could do something in that situation. She&rsquo;s the first person in John&rsquo;s Gospel to put her faith in Jesus. &ldquo;Do whatever He tells you,&rdquo; she told the host&rsquo;s servants.
Jesus rewarded her faith. He instructed the servants to fill six water jars, each with a capacity of 20 to 30 gallons, with water. When the servants dipped into the jars, they found that it was wine of the highest quality.
That may have been the first clue for John and the other disciples that the rabbi they were following was something more than a rabbi.
A short time later, Jesus and His disciples traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration. But when Jesus entered the temple, He saw that it had become a place of business. The Jerusalem temple was the center of worship for Jewish people throughout Israel. Many traveled long distances to worship and offer sacrifices there. But rather than bringing their own animals for sacrifice with them, many purchased them from merchants inside the temple complex.
Several merchants exploited the opportunity and turned the temple complex into a marketplace. Jesus had too much reverence for God&rsquo;s house of worship to allow it to be defiled like that. So He overturned tables, scattered coins across the ground, and chased the merchants out of the temple. And those&mdash;like John&mdash;who listened closely while Jesus disrupted business as usual at the temple, might have heard Him refer to the building as &ldquo;my Father&rsquo;s house&rdquo; (verse 16).
The Jewish religious leaders demanded that Jesus perform a miracle to prove that He had authority to take such drastic action.
&ldquo;&lsquo;All right,&rsquo; Jesus replied. &lsquo;Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up&rsquo;&rdquo; (verse 19 NLT). The religious leaders scoffed because they didn&rsquo;t realize Jesus was talking about His own body. But John and the other disciples realized it less than three years later when Jesus rose from the dead three days after being crucified.
&mdash;
<a href="https://link.chtbl.com/A1PWfZ8W">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

Jesus has compassion for people in need but opposes people who exploit others.

Jesus Goes Public | John 2:5

“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1 NLT)

John wastes no time in establishing Jesus’ identity. The apostle begins his Gospel with the same wording Moses used in Genesis 1:1 to show that God existed before creation. John’s point is that Jesus, too, existed before the world was created. Not only was He with God at the beginning, but He also was God. Jesus is the second person of the Trinity—that is, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Jesus gave life and light to creation. And when the people who received life turned their backs on Him to pursue their own sinful ways, Jesus did something so amazing that John can barely find the words to do it justice.

Jesus, God Himself, entered the world He created. He squeezed His infinite presence into a small container of flesh. He made Himself susceptible to pain, weakness, sorrow, and rejection. He lived among us. He humbly, faithfully, and lovingly served the people He created.

John refers to Him as the Word because He embodied everything that God the Father wanted to communicate to us. Everything Jesus said and did reveals something about God.

Very few people recognized Him as God, even though the Jewish people of His day were waiting for the Messiah, the Son of God. The problem was that they’d already made up their minds about what the Messiah would be like and what He would do. And Jesus didn’t meet their expectations. So they rejected Him. And the ones who led the rejection were the ones who should have recognized Him first: the Jewish leaders of Israel.

Of course, God anticipated that people wouldn’t recognize His Son. So He sent John the Baptist to announce His coming. And He gave John the Baptist a sign so that he would recognize Jesus. When John the Baptist saw a dove descend on Him, he knew Jesus was the Chosen One. That’s why he was able to confidently point to Jesus and announce, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (verse 29)

Still, most people—including the Jewish religious leaders—refused to recognize the truth. The leaders even sent a delegation to John the Baptist to ask if he was the Messiah. All the while, John the Baptist kept pointing to Jesus.

While he was standing with two of his own disciples, John the Baptist saw Jesus and said, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!” The two disciples immediately left John the Baptist to follow Jesus.

Two thousand years later, this same scenario is still being played out. People still refuse to recognize the truth about Jesus because He doesn’t fit their idea of what the Son of God should be. And those of us who do recognize and follow Him still have the opportunity and responsibility to say, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

—

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

&ldquo;In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.&rdquo; (John 1:1 NLT)
John wastes no time in establishing Jesus&rsquo; identity. The apostle begins his Gospel with the same wording Moses used in Genesis 1:1 to show that God existed before creation. John&rsquo;s point is that Jesus, too, existed before the world was created. Not only was He with God at the beginning, but He also was God. Jesus is the second person of the Trinity&mdash;that is, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Jesus gave life and light to creation. And when the people who received life turned their backs on Him to pursue their own sinful ways, Jesus did something so amazing that John can barely find the words to do it justice.
Jesus, God Himself, entered the world He created. He squeezed His infinite presence into a small container of flesh. He made Himself susceptible to pain, weakness, sorrow, and rejection. He lived among us. He humbly, faithfully, and lovingly served the people He created.
John refers to Him as the Word because He embodied everything that God the Father wanted to communicate to us. Everything Jesus said and did reveals something about God.
Very few people recognized Him as God, even though the Jewish people of His day were waiting for the Messiah, the Son of God. The problem was that they&rsquo;d already made up their minds about what the Messiah would be like and what He would do. And Jesus didn&rsquo;t meet their expectations. So they rejected Him. And the ones who led the rejection were the ones who should have recognized Him first: the Jewish leaders of Israel.
Of course, God anticipated that people wouldn&rsquo;t recognize His Son. So He sent John the Baptist to announce His coming. And He gave John the Baptist a sign so that he would recognize Jesus. When John the Baptist saw a dove descend on Him, he knew Jesus was the Chosen One. That&rsquo;s why he was able to confidently point to Jesus and announce, &ldquo;Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!&rdquo; (verse 29)
Still, most people&mdash;including the Jewish religious leaders&mdash;refused to recognize the truth. The leaders even sent a delegation to John the Baptist to ask if he was the Messiah. All the while, John the Baptist kept pointing to Jesus.
While he was standing with two of his own disciples, John the Baptist saw Jesus and said, &ldquo;Look! There is the Lamb of God!&rdquo; The two disciples immediately left John the Baptist to follow Jesus.
Two thousand years later, this same scenario is still being played out. People still refuse to recognize the truth about Jesus because He doesn&rsquo;t fit their idea of what the Son of God should be. And those of us who do recognize and follow Him still have the opportunity and responsibility to say, &ldquo;Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!&rdquo;
&mdash;
<a href="https://link.chtbl.com/A1PWfZ8W">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

Jesus came to this world, but the world didn’t recognize Him.

Accustomed to the Dark | John 3:19

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