God’s love, our faith
Gospel Enquiry
The Church celebrates the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on September 14. The Gospel reading for the feast day comes from the meeting Nicodemus has with Jesus.
Jesus said to Nicodemus, “The only one who has ever gone up to heaven is the One who came down from heaven—the Son of Man.
“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, the Son of Man must also be lifted up. So that everyone who believes can have eternal life in him.
“God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son so that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world guilty, but to save the world through him” (John 3:13-17).
SEE
What are the facts of this meeting between Jesus and Nicodemus? Read Chapter 3 of John’s Gospel to learn about the context for this gospel passage. What do you learn about Jesus from this Gospel reading? Have you learned anything about Jesus that you did not know before you read this passage?
What does Jesus tell you about God’s motivation for sending him? What has motivated you to engage in this enquiry?
What is promised to those who follow Jesus? How does his promise affect your life?
JUDGE
What do you think of the motivation behind Nicodemus’ decision to meet Jesus in secret?
What does your faith tell you about when, where and how to meet Jesus?
Ideally, what should motivate people to seek Jesus and spend time with him?
ACT
What needs to change so that people can follow Jesus openly and without fear?
What action can you take over the next week to bring about this change?
Who can you involve in your action and how can they help to motivate people to seek Jesus?
Author: Pat Branson
Image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Matthias_Stom_-_Christ_and_Nicodemus.jpg
