JdkDE

THURSDAY • MARCH 12John 3:3 (ESV)An Encounter with the Living Word“Jesus answered him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is bornagain he cannot see the kingdom of God.’”Lent is a time of reflection. The reflection of our lives in light of Hislife. The living Word dwelling in our sinful flesh. His journey, walking ourpath of lost-ness, taking it all to the cross so we can be restored to a rightrelationship with our heavenly Father.Have you ever been sure that you knew something without question?You saw it with your own eyes. You felt the pain of it in your memory. Iwas in a car accident about 20 years ago. A man in a Dodge pickup ran astop sign and hit the passenger side of our truck. I woke up in the hospitaland was, with absolute clarity, certain we had been hit on the driver’s sideby a man driving a Ford truck. Although my memory was pinpoint clear, Iwas nearly dead wrong. To this day that is how I remember the incident.In our Scripture lesson today, Nicodemus is certain he understandsGod’s Kingdom. He has studied under the best Jewish minds his entirelife. But, somehow, in the light of this man Jesus and His journey towardthe cross, he senses that all he believes to be true is somehow flawed.Nicodemus with his physical sight, with his finite mind apart from faith,could not see the Kingdom of God. Jesus tells him he must be born again!Nicodemus has an encounter with the Living Word and hears theGospel. You must be born of water. God so loves you, Nicodemus, thatHe gives His Son’s life in exchange for yours. You must be born again,Nicodemus.As we revisit, during Lent, the journey to the cross that saves us, weencounter the Living Word and see our lives in the light of His. ThroughHis Word and through His Sacraments, we receive faith to see theKingdom of God. In repentance, we are absolved from our sin and given tosee the life that can only found in Him.Lord, forgive us for the sin that blinds us and keeps us from Your presence.Forgive us and renew us so that we may see Your Kingdom. Amen.Rev. David Sternbeck (Nuu-chah-nulth)Fairbanks, Alaska30