Thoughts

• Sin separates us from God, and if we are separated from God when we die physically, where will we not be? The obvious answer is heaven. But God wants to have fellowship with us and therefore sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. This was prophesied in Isaiah 53:5-6. “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Our sin, our iniquity, was laid on Jesus at the cross, and through Him we are saved; through Him our fellowship with God is restored, if we believe.
• Jesus talked with Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, telling him that he needed to be born again, to be born spiritually, in order to see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus did not understand, but Jesus explained that the Son of Man (Jesus) had to be lifted up (on the cross) so that those who believe in Him could have everlasting life. Our relationship with God, our fellowship with Him, is restored when we believe in the One who died for us. This is good news, news we need to share with others.