Sermon: John 3: 1-21 Hard Truth for the Religious: You Must Be Born Again

From as far back as I can remember, I’ve been going to church. Our Sunday School was before the service, and I was at that too. Mum and dad realised that they could get some peace, so I also went to holiday clubs and Bible clubs in the local Presbyterian, Methodist and Elim churches as well. It seems as if I’ve known that Bible verse for my whole life - and that might be the case for you as well. With a little prompt, ‘For God so...’ you could say it off without thinking. Children in Sunday Schools know it from an early age. It’s a great promise to hold on to, and yet, when it was first spoken, it was shocking for the one who heard it.

As chapter three opens, we’re introduced to a very religious man. ‘Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.’ Nicodemus was at the top of the tree when it came to religion. He’s a Pharisee, the strictest group of Jews, and he’s a ruler of the Jews. He’s part of the ruling council. Later on, Jesus also calls him ‘the teacher of Israel’. So imagine a bishop coming to Jesus. Someone very religious, one who you think Jesus is going to be very impressed by. One who strives to live a good life and to obey God’s law. One who carefully tries to be good. And Nicodemus comes to Jesus - by night - and he says what he knows: ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one could do these signs that you do unless God is with him.’

There’s probably a wee bit of flattery there - but perhaps also an earnest searching. Jesus, are you really from God? So what would Jesus have to say to Nicodemus? Or what would Jesus say to a decent member of the Church of Ireland who tries very hard, and turns up, and pays in? What does Jesus say to this very religious man?

Do you notice how Jesus says in v3, 5, 11 ‘Truly, truly, I say to you...’? Jesus (who John tells us in 1:14 is full of grace and truth) tells this religious man the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. It’s the truth this religious man needed to hear - and the truth that we who may have a tendency towards religion also need to hear. The truth is this: that religion will not save you. [If you take nothing else from today, or if you stop listening in a rage, or decide to fall asleep, remember this truth - religion will not save.]

Jesus tells us this in his first hard truth: ‘unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ (3) Nic said what he knows, from what he has seen, but Jesus says that to see the kingdom of God, you have to be born again.

Sometimes these words have been used as a slur against what some people see as the ‘serious’ Christians, maybe from small independent churches. Ah, they’re just the born againers. But Jesus says that you can’t see the kingdom of God without being born again Every Christian is a born again Christian, or else they’re not a Christian at all.

But what does Jesus mean? Nicodemus begins to wonder about the mechanics of entering into his mother’s womb and revisiting the maternity ward and delivery room. his question is: How? But he just doesn’t get it. Being born again is about starting over, a fresh start, a whole new way of life - not just improving the old way of living. As Paul puts it in 2 Cor 5:17 ‘If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.’

And, as Jesus goes on with his second hard truth, being born again means being born of the Spirit. V5: ‘unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.’ You see, flesh gives birth to flesh - every so often the zoo shows off its new baby animals - the mummy giraffe gives birth to a baby giraffe; a mummy tiger gives birth to a baby tiger. Flesh gives birth to flesh - humans give birth to humans; but only the Spirit can give birth to those born again by God. The new start doesn’t come by effort or religion, but only by being born of the Spirit. That’s the only way to get into the kingdom of God.

Just as you can’t see the wind, you can only see the effects of the wind, when the trees sway about or are blown over, or the slates come off your roof - in the same way, you can’t see that someone has the Spirit of God in them - but you do see the effects.

Again, Nicodemus is baffled. Again comes his question - and maybe it’s the question you’re asking as well. ‘How can these things be?’ How do you get this fresh start of being born again? How can you be sure of entering the kingdom of God if it isn’t of your own efforts and good works? How do you make sure you don’t end up knock, knock. knocking on heaven’s door only to be kept out?

Jesus gives Nicodemus the third and final hard truth. And it’s the truth that links in to what we’ve already seen in John’s gospel. Listen for the familiar words in v11: ‘we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony.’ So far we’ve seen how John the Baptist and then Andrew and Philip bore witness. Here, Jesus is the witness, speaking what he knows, bearing witness - but ‘you do not receive our testimony.’ [The ‘you’ is plural - youse-ins]

So what is the testimony Jesus shares, which they don’t receive? It’s what he knows, having come from heaven, the testimony of God’s saving purposes. Jesus has come to earth to bear witness by his life - and by his death. Will we receive it?

The testimony comes in verse 14 onwards. ‘And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.’ When Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt at the Exodus, they spent forty years wandering in the wilderness, always on the journey, never reaching their final destination. And they grumbled - not the ‘are we there yet’ or ‘I’m hungry {or the new hangry - angry because of hunger}’ or ‘I need a wee’. They moaned about Moses. About God. About the wilderness. So God sent serpents to kill some of them. But then the people repented. God didn’t take away the problem, but he gave a new solution - this bronze serpent. A representation of the problem, which became the solution. If you were bitten, all you had to do was look to the serpent, believe that God would heal, and you would be healed. If you turned your back, there was no hope. You had to look to live.

In the same way, Jesus would be lifted up on the cross. A representation of the problem - a sinner’s death. Yet he is lifted up so that all who look to him will live. The curse of sin is on him - the curse you are cursed with - so don’t die on your own; look to him, and be saved, and have eternal life.

This is the truth - religion will not save. The only thing that will save is faith in Jesus. As our famous verse tells us: ‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.’ God loved the world, he gave his Son, to be our Saviour. Anyone, whoever believes in him, whoever you are, whatever you’ve done - believe, and you will not perish. You’ll have eternal life. This testimony leads to belief, leads to life. (John 20 all over again!).

You see, Jesus didn’t come to condemn. He didn’t come to wag a finger and give off and make you feel bad. He came in order that the world might be saved through him. He came that you might be saved through him - not through religion.

Attending all those Sunday schools and bible clubs, I was a proper little Pharisee. I thought that God loved me because of all that I did for him. I won the BB scripture cup every year. I tried really hard, but in the end, the verse I knew so well was what I actually needed - a new start, being born again by the God who loved me in spite of my efforts, and in spite of my sin, and who sent Jesus to be my Saviour.

But this is a hard truth for religious people to hear. It’s like going into your garage or your basement on a dark winter’s night. You turn on the light, and the wee furries and creepies dash to get back into the darkness. Jesus, the light of the world has come, but we prefer darkness, so that our evil deeds aren’t seen. Nicodemus came by night, under cover of darkness. Will he step into the light?

As you follow John’s gospel through, Nic makes two more appearances - (7:50 where he speaks up to ask for a fair hearing for Jesus in the council, and 19:39 where he asks for Jesus’ body, to aid with the burial). Eventually, he comes into the light. He identifies with Jesus, and follows.

What about you? Will you step into the light? Will you hear and receive these hard truths from the one who is grace and truth? You can’t see the kingdom of God without being born again, a new start. You can’t enter the kingdom of God without being born of the Spirit, as he brings about the newness of life. You have to accept the testimony of Jesus, about his saving purpose rooted in God’s love.

You know the verse so well, but today, make it your own. Put yourself in the verse. Personalise it, so that you know it for yourself, receiving God’s love, and his free gift of grace.

‘For God so loved _ _ _ _ _ _ that he gave his only Son, that [as _ _ _ _ _ _] believe in him, I should not perish, but have eternal life.’

Let’s take a moment to let that sink in. And as we close our eyes, I’ll give an opportunity for you to raise your hand as a sign that you are believing this for the very first time, or coming back to it. No one will see. Let’s pray.

This sermon was preached in Aghavea Parish Church on Sunday 27th September 2015.

Sermon: John 3:16 God The Giver

It’s probably the most famous verse in the whole Bible. If I had given you the reference, you could have told me what it was without a moment’s hesitation. Yet just because something is well known, doesn’t mean we really know it. This morning, for a few minutes, we’re going to think about that verse - John 3:16 - and what it means for us.

It might be your favourite verse, but just as a diamond on its own may be impressive; rather we want to see the diamond set among a whole crown of precious stones - the verse wasn’t just randomly spoken by Jesus. They come in a context, in the middle of a conversation, as Jesus points to God the gracious giver.

Nicodemus had come to Jesus by night - perhaps to avoid being seen. He was a religious man, a Pharisee and a leader of the Jews. He knew there was something special about Jesus, but couldn’t work out what it was. Is Jesus really from God?

Jesus immediately begins to burst his bubble. You see Nicodemus thought that his religious duty would be enough to bring him to God. His prayers and his sacrifices and his giving and his religious performance would surely be good enough for God. You might find yourself in agreement with him. It’s a mindset that we’re very familiar with in Northern Ireland. Our duties and services and sacrifices to God are made in order to win God’s approval - you could also find that this Pharisee could be renamed Nick O’Demus.

But straight away, Jesus declares: ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above’ - or, as other versions put it, which actually make more sense of Nicodemus’ next words: ‘without being born again.’

Sometimes ‘born again’ is used as a slur against certain types of Christians; maybe those who are more extreme, or more straight-laced. But Jesus says that everyone and anyone needs to be born again to enter the kingdom. Every Christian is therefore a born again Christian, or else they’re not a Christian at all.

Nicodemus wonders about the mechanics of entering the womb a second time, but Jesus points to the new birth by the Spirit. Again Nicodemus can’t get his head around this. He doesn’t quite grasp what Jesus is talking about. All this chat about born again and Spirit and what have you. And so he asks: ‘How can these things be?’ (9)

Jesus takes him back to the Old Testament, and gives an illustration of what Jesus himself has come to do, which shows that salvation is a gift from God - that God is the giver.

Back in Numbers, from our first reading, Moses is leading the people of Israel through the wilderness. They have been rescued from Egypt, and they’re on the way to the Promised Land. Have you ever been on a long car journey and the voice from the back seat pipes up: ‘are we nearly there yet?’ ‘I’m hungry’ ‘I’m thirsty.’ ‘I need a wee.’

Moses is on the journey that lasts forty years. The people of Israel grumbled over and over again. And in this particular incident (Num 21:4-9), the LORD sends poisonous serpents among the people. The people began to die when they were bitten. It was a serious situation, as the people saw loved ones perishing and they feared for themselves.

So they repent - they recognise that they have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against Moses. They ask Moses to pray for them. And so Moses prays. And how does God resolve the situation? The people wanted the serpents taken away, but rather God provides the means of salvation from the serpents.

‘Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.’ (Num 21:8). So what does it take to be healed? Look and live. Can you imagine someone being bit, but refusing to look at the bronze serpent on the pole? You’re in pain, you close your eyes - but all it takes is to look at the serpent (in faith) and you will live.

God sent the punishment, because he is the righteous and just judge. But God also sent the cure, because he is the gracious and loving one. It’s the point Jesus makes: ‘And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.’

Jesus was lifted up on the cross, raised high, so that whoever was perishing, whoever was in danger because of their sin, they can look to Jesus, believe in him, and be saved, be given eternal life. And that leads us into our verse. It flows naturally - because of the ‘for’ at the beginning of verse 16. When we say it by itself, it sounds a bit strange having a for at the start, but within the flow, it perfectly fits:

‘And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.’

The bronze serpent points forward to what Jesus would do on the cross. Just as God gave Moses the serpent for saving lives, so God gave Jesus to provide salvation and eternal life. God is the giver - and it’s all because of his love. ‘For God so loved the world...’

What a remarkable and wonderful and amazing statement. God loved the world- as Don Carson says, this isn’t amazing because of the bigness of the world, but because of the badness of the world. The world here means people hostile to God; yet even though we are sinful and rebellious, God loved us. Indeed, you can even go so far as to put your own name in there: ‘God so loved ... ‘ God so loved Joe Bloggs that he...

God’s love led to God’s giving, as he gave the most precious object he had - his only Son - in order to rescue us. God is the giver, in giving us Jesus, who came to die on the cross, lifted up to draw all people to himself.

But as with all gifts, they have to be received. If I were to write you a cheque, you have to cash it in to receive the benefit. And so it is here- God has given, but we must receive. We are to believe in him- to trust in him, to throw all your weight on him, to depend on him. In doing so, we are promised that we will not perish, but have eternal life.

On this Gift Day, as we bring our gifts to God, it cannot be as a religious duty; as a way of earning merit or receiving approval. Rather, our giving must be in joyful response to the God who is the giver - of all things, everything we have, but especially the giver who has given us salvation in Jesus Christ.

It’s one thing to know what John 3:16 says. It’s so much more precious to really know it in our lives and experience. May we know the giver, and rejoice in his gift. Amen.

This sermon was preached at the Gift Day in Aghavea Church on Sunday 2nd June 2013.

The Way of the Cross (8)

The children of Israel are on their way through the wilderness - taking the long, windy, circuitous route because of their disobedience. Along the way, they complain (although not for the first time) about having no food, no water, and the food they have is worthless (which makes a mockery of their first point...).

God sends a judgement on them on fiery serpents, who proceeded to find plenty of food in the wilderness - biting the humans, 'so that many people of Israel died.' (Numbers 21:6). Just as God will judge all eternally, so he can also bring forward that judgement temporally, using many forms of judgement.

The people are convicted of their sin, so let's see what happens next:

And the people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live." So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live. (Numbers 21:7-9)



The people ask that the discipline of the LORD be removed, but instead, God provides healing and salvation through the serpents, and the bronze serpent in particular. It's found in the badge of many ambulance services across the world, because of the healing described.

For healing, for salvation, the promise was simple - look and live. To look at the symbol of the problem, raised up high on a pole, and believe God's promise, is to find salvation. Can you imagine someone being bitten, but refusing to look at the bronze serpent, even when friends and family urge them? It would be a pointless death, a sad and sorry avoidable stupidity. Salvation is right there - just look and live.

No wonder, then, that when the Lord Jesus spoke of himself, he used this incident to talk of his cross, and the healing that flows from it:

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. (John 3:15)

There's a direct correlation - the serpent was lifted so that those facing certain death could look and live; Jesus was lifted up on the cross so that those facing eternal death could look (believe) and have eternal life. The promise is there - whoever - and the promise is certain, eternal life. Look, and live.

Crying for Help - A sermon preached in St Elizabeth's Dundonald on Sunday 7th September 2008 - Psalm 109

Sticks and stones my break my bones but names will never harm me. Would you agree with that? We find that words have a way of getting under our skin, especially the hateful, spiteful words intended to harm us. How do you respond when people are nasty to you? Or when they go out of their way to make your life miserable? It might be hard enough if it is people we barely know, but what if it is our close friends?

In our Psalm this evening, David is under attack. He has been the victim of an attack – not physical, but verbal. Lying lips surround him, wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against him. But what makes it harder to bear is the fact that they are his close friends who are attacking him. These are people he knows well, and they have turned on him.

Notice, first, that the Psalmist starts in the right place, with the initial cry in verses 1-4. From the outset, he knows who he is addressing, as he cries out for help. This is the God of my praise. The one that he has cried out to before, the one who is worthy to be praised. And what is it that the Psalmist wants God to do? ‘Be not silent.’ It was bad enough that the evil men were surrounding him with lies and evil words, but then it seemed as if God were silent. The crown on the assault. Voices of hate around him and silence from God.

The argument is saying – look, if they’re speaking all this evil against me, will you not speak up in my defence? Speak and act to prevent this assault. As we’ve already thought about, the ones who attacked him were his closest friends. Look at verses 4 and 5 – there’s a frustrating exchange going on there. ‘In return for my love they accuse me … so they reward me evil for good, and hatred for my love.’ He keeps giving and giving and giving good and love, while they pour out accusations, evil and hatred.

Yet in the midst of all that is going on, ‘I give myself to prayer.’ The NRSV expands this to say ‘even as I make prayer for them.’ It’s this sense of seeking their welfare, even while they attack him.

But if this is the case, then how do we understand the central section, verses 6-20. The psalm quickly changes from third person to second person – from ‘they’ to ‘him’. As we read the psalm, the requests can seem brutal or barbaric. Even a quick scan shows the brutality – ‘may his days be few … may his children be fatherless and his wife a widow … may his children wander and beg … let there be no one to extend kindness to him, nor any to pity his fatherless children.’ What do we make of this passage of Scripture?

Verse 6 brings to mind the image of a court. The Psalmist wants his attacker to be tried for his actions. He wants his day in court, and for a guilty verdict. Do you see in the second half of verse 6 – ‘let an accuser stand at his right hand’ – an accuser is the word ‘Satan’. A friend’s wife is training to be a barrister in Dublin, and her position at present is ‘a devil’ – one who files motions and appears in court to argue cases for their barrister.

This serves to remind us of what the devil’s business is. Satan is, according to Revelation 12:10 ‘the accuser of our brothers and sisters.’

For some, it is unseemly for David to have expressed these words. So, for example, the NRSV inserts two extra words into verse 6 to make it ‘they say …’ The long litany of doom is then presented as the words of his attackers. The ‘him’ is then David. This seeks to make sense of the change of person, up to verse 19, but even then, verse 20 is presented as the words of the Psalmist, in seeking to turn all these things back on the accusers.

But the Psalm lacks the two words ‘they say.’ So how can we presume to include them? We should always be careful to sit under Scripture, listening to it, not sitting in judgement over Scripture, imposing our own standards.

It seems to me that the words of verses 6 – 20 must be seen as the heartfelt condemnation of the guilty. This is the cry of the oppressed. In at least one instance, God is seen to honour this very cry. Turn with me to Acts 1 (page 1095). It’s the ten days between Jesus’ ascension and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. The Twelve have become the Eleven, with Judas’ suicide.

Peter clearly links the words of our psalm with the situation of Judas. Look, more than that, he states ‘Brothers, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus… For it is written in the book of Psalms, “May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it”; and “Let another take his office.”

David is seen to have prophesied the betrayal of Judas and his subsequent removal from his privileges. This is why we cannot see it as the curses of David’s attackers coming down on his head.

It is clear that the feelings are very strong for the Psalmist. His desire is for vengeance and justice for his cause. The strong calls for punishment are based on the immorality of the people involved. Look at verses 16-18. Here we have a string of evil practices, deserving justice. Failure to show kindness, and instead exploiting and persecuting the poor and needy. Clothing himself in cursing.

Notice the downward spiral in 17. ‘He loved to curse; let curses come upon him! He did not delight in blessing; may it be far from him!’ David is praying here that the natural consequences of his enemies’ life be fulfilled. So that if we are bitter and resentful, then we’ll become more bitter and more resentful. Or if we spend our life in cursing others, then we will in the end, be cursed. CS Lewis once wrote that those in hell are those who have consistently said to God, ‘my will be done’, and God has honoured their wish. We must be careful of the patterns we put in place in our own lives. (Galatians reminds us that what a man sows, that shall he reap).

We’ve been thinking about the string of evil practices committed by the attacker. No doubt these are sins that are deserving of punishment. But the question is – should we follow in the footsteps of the Psalmist? When we are the victims of attacks, should we recite these curses against them?

How does it all fit with the command for us to ‘bless those who persecute you: bless and do not curse them’? (Rom 12:14). Well, we have to view the Psalm through the lens of the cross. Things are not the same. Jesus has dealt with sin, and even while he was being crucified, he did not revile – he was silent like a lamb before its shearers. Rather, he prayed ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ (Luke 23:34).

As a result of the cross, the Day is coming when God will finally deal with sin, on the great Day of the Lord, which we were thinking about this morning. As Peter writes in his second letter, ‘The Lord is not slow to fulfil his promise as some count slowness, but is patient towards you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.’ (2 Peter 3:9). On that Day, God will punish sin, all sin, and justice will be seen to be done.

And in the meantime? We have a mission. Our task is not to call down judgement on our oppressors, but rather to call our oppressors to escape the judgement – to pray for them to be saved. How much harder this is, than to call down fire and brimstone on them – yet it is not our job to judge. In this matter, we must let God be God – who will surely punish sins.

Rather, with the Psalmist, we should flee to God, looking to him to save us. Notice that from verses 21 on, David returns again to God. He knows that God will act ‘for your names’ sake’. His focus moves from his accusers to himself, to his God. Twice he reminds himself of the Lord my God’s steadfast love, calling on God to act according to it.

And what will it look like when God acts for his servant? ‘Let them curse, but you will bless!’ Despite all the words of his accusers and his attackers, despite their lies and words of hate, God will have the last word. Rather than heeding the curses, God pours out blessings on his servants. This is why, in the end, we have nothing to fear, if we are trusting in the Lord Jesus. He has the final word.

It doesn’t matter what the devil accuses us of – if we are trusting in Jesus, our sins are wiped out, paid by the death of Christ on the cross, and we are granted a clean slate. We thought about this earlier today, in 1 Corinthians, when we were reminded that the church of God is a holy church, sanctified in Christ Jesus.

So let the devil accuse us, or our enemies hurl curses at us – ‘let them curse, but you will bless!’ I’m reminded of Balaam in the book of Numbers. Balaam was a diviner, one who, for a fee, would bless or curse. Barak, the king of Moab, was afraid of the Israelites, who had come out of Egypt, and were on their way to the Promised Land. So he brought Balaam along, promising great wealth if he would curse Israel. Three times, Balaam begins a prophetic speech, but can only bless Israel, time and again. Here’s just a few words from his first oracle: ‘From Aram Balak has brought me, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains: Come, curse Jacob for me, and come, denounce Israel! How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?’ (Numbers 23:7-8).

If you’re trusting in Jesus tonight, then this could be spoken of you. God’s verdict of you is one of blessing, not one of cursing. There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). Oh how we need to revel in these glorious words! Spend some time in Scripture this week drinking in the wonder of God’s word towards you. Blessing, not cursing.

Building on this theme, as we come to the last couple of verses, we see that not only does the Lord bless those who serve him, he also stands with them. Verse 30 is the pledge of the saved – to sing and praise the Lord, giving him thanks and praising him in the midst of the throng. (Worship is a corporate activity!)

Why this outburst of praise? ‘For he (the Lord) stands at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those who condemn his soul to death.’ Earlier we saw in verse 6 the accuser, the Satan, standing at the right hand. Here, there’s no room for the accuser, because the Lord stands at the right hand of the needy.

While we can perhaps see the reason behind the outpouring of curses in verses 6-20, we do better to flee with the Psalmist to God when we are under attack. By doing so, we find the Lord’s protection, we hear his word towards us, and we know the Lord is with us. And, in the end, we can leave our attackers in his hands – praying for them, so that perhaps the Lord will have mercy even on them.
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The reproach of Christ

Over the past couple of days I have been reading 'I am Moses' by Alan Pain. I think I previously blogged about another of Pain's book ('I am Jeremiah'), so when I saw the Moses one in a secondhand bookshop I thought I would get it.

The premise is that it is Moses writing about his life and ministry, with humorous asides and application for possible future generations (that being you and me). An interesting read, although to my mind he seemed to focus an awful lot on a very few incidents, and not mention others at all - such as the reason Moses didn't enter the Promised Land (Numbers 20, 27).*

As I was reading the book, those verses from Hebrews 11 were floating around in my mind, even though they weren't mentioned either. Check out Hebrews 11:24-26 - 'By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharoah's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.'

Despite Moses being brought up in the palace, and being (in the title of the animated movie) The Prince of Egypt, it was all worth nothing compared to being identified with his people and bearing the reproach of Christ. So what was the reproach of Christ? I think the NIV is helpful here - 'He chose to be ill-treated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking forward to his reward.'

It makes us think again of our priorities - do we seek to take the power and glory and wealth and privilege of the world now? Because ultimately, it will be worthless - the pleasures of sin last for just a short time compared to the eternal reward of Christ.

When persecution comes, will we seek to preserve ourselves, or will we be in the front line, choosing to be ill-treated with the people of God for the sake of Christ? Surely this is an essential element of the call of Christ, to die to self and to carry our cross daily?

Because, at the end of the Day - capitalisation intended - we will be vindicated by the Father.

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* An aside that I noticed on reviewing the story of Moses not being allowed into the promised land links in to the passage I was preaching on last Sunday that I hadn't noticed at the time. Numbers 20 tells of the people of Israel at Meribah. It wasn't the first time the people had grumbled because of lack of water. On a previous occasion, Moses had been commanded to strike the rock, and water gushed out. On this occasion, however, God told Moses to 'tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water' (Num 20:8).

Moses, however, in his anger (or reverting to traditional methods?) struck the rock with his staff twice. The water came out, but Moses was condemned - 'Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.' Moses striking the rock was a sign of unbelief, of not regarding God as holy.

Jump forward to 1 Peter 3, and Peter is calling on those who are suffering persecution to 'Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in our hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defence for the hope that is in you...' (1 Peter 3:14-15). Can you see the link? Moses didn't regard God as holy and suffered unbelief. In the times of persecution, Peter calls on Christians to regard Christ the Lord as holy - to keep faith. Interesting the connections you notice when you're in the word!