5-Mar-23 (John 3:1-17)

I want you to think of the hardest question you've had to answer. What was it? Did you find an answer? [Wait for answers]
Today's story from the gospel is about something really hard to understand. A man named Nicodemus came to Jesus and he had some questions for Jesus. But as Jesus usually did, Nicodemus didn't even get his first question out before Jesus said something that really made him think hard. Jesus said, "If you want to see the Realm of God, you have to be 'born from above' or 'born again.'"
Wow, Nicodemus didn't understand what Jesus was saying at all, so Jesus explained further. "God sent someone into the world to show the world how much God loves each and every person. This one will not accused you and punish you, but show you how you can live as part of the Realm of God. That's a different kind of life, so it's like you have to be born all over again, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to live that way."
Don't worry if you're like Nicodemus and you don't understand this all right now. We adults are still trying to figure it out. The point for now is that God loves you and wants you to live forever with God, so he sent Jesus to show us how.

Let's pray and ask God for help with our own learning how to live as Jesus taught.
God, we thank you that you love us enough to send us good teachers, including Jesus himself. Even when we don't understand completely what you're trying to teach us, help us to do what we do understand and work hard to learn more. Thanks for inviting us to be a part of your Realm. Help us to share the good news of your love with other people we meet.
We pray in Jesus' name.
AMEN.