December 6, 2025
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Reading along with us in our Lenten readings from “The Life of Jesus”? Here’s today’s reading:
Advent 2025 – Day 6 in the Book: “The Life of Jesus“
The Beginning of Jesus’ Public Life
Read Sections 2.10 through 2.12 (pages 24-28)
This book is an account of Jesus’ life and teachings told through in chronological order from the four Gospels to create one continuous story.
*If you do not have a copy of the book please contact the church at (401)667-0775 and we can get you a copy.
It’s Passover time in Jesus enters the temple courts finding that the religious leaders has allowed money changes in merchants to set up Shop They were more concerned about making money than the fact that the temple was for prayer and worship. It’s no wonder that Jesus became angry, and the fact that The animals that were sold for much more money than they were outside of this area. Jesus was angry at the dishonest and the greed, right in front of his father‘s house. Jesus took these evil acts as a direct insult against God, his father, he was consumed with righteous anger against such a disrespect for God. Nicodemus finds out that not only man is born Physical but a man has to be born spiritual also as Jesus came to give men a second birth so that we would only have to die once
Such significant interactions in these 3 sections here. First it is interesting how Jesus jumps right into his main point not even giving credence to the compliments Nicodemus gives Him. As if, ok, if you think I am all that, let me tell you what you most need to hear. You don’t need to have something happen on the outside to be saved, you need something to happen on the inside. God is Spirit and therefore we must be born of the Spirit to be properly related to Him. And what better way to describe that total transformation than to say it is like being born again. It is just what someone conditioned by the externals of religion needs to hear. And then we have this conversation involving John the Baptist. Of course if Jesus’ ministry is being established more and more, and John’s role in God’s plan was to prepare the way for that, then of course it makes sense that Jesus would increase and John would decrease. Now that is a word we all need to hear. And then there is the Samaritan woman. What does she need to hear? That you have been seeking fulfillment in all the wrong places and you’ve been holding on to a distinction about being a Samaritan that isn’t true. See, woman, you need to drink living water that satisfies you to the core. And God doesn’t care about physical location, it is Spirt and truth that matters. SO three people in very different positions and situations all realizing what they needed to hear.
Advent 2.10-2.12
Psalm 42; Jeremiah 19; The Life of Jesus 2.10-2.12
Advent 2025 – Day 6
Nicodemus thinks so literally about being born again, however, it should be such a transformation that we see a difference. Obviously we do not re-enter our mother’s womb but we should look, different, sound different, act diiferent, and experience a noticable transformation so Nicodemus was not so far off in his thinking!
Haven’t we all been in the place of the Samaritan woman in a couple of ways; first the feeling like we are undeserving of God. She felt as a Samaritan, Jesus should not want anything to do with her but we have all been in places where we feel like God can’t or wouldn’t want to use us. Second, is the point when we realize that He truly sees us, as is, in all our good and all our bad and realize He still loves us! It is as overwhelming and encouraging as it was to this woman at the well. To know we are seen, we are loved, and He can and wants to love and care for us and use us for His glory!
Day 6
These are some of my favorite verses in the New Testament. Nicodemus, although he was a Pharisees, believed that Jesus was a Man of God. He gets an earful when he seeks Jesus out to get some questions answered. We must be born again. What an absurd statement it must have sounded like at the time! We know what it means, but when Nicodemus first heard it, it must have sounded very strange. And those who look upon the Man of God who is lifted up and believes will have everlasting life. God loved people so very much that he gave his only Son so that those who believe in him will not be lost. That is the true meaning of Christmas. Jesus is the reason for the season, and that is what gives us joy this time of year!