Stroll through Scripture for January 25, 2026

Based on John 3:1-21

This passage comes immediately after the cleansing of the Temple.  By this time, in John’s timeline, Jesus is starting to make a name for himself – or at least be recognized as the guy who flipped tables in the Temple.  And here we see Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a “leader of the Jews,” coming to see Jesus at night. 

Nicodemus talks about Jesus doing signs that no one else could do.  At the end of John 2, we hear about Jesus doing more signs during the Passover festival, but we don’t know what those signs are.  But they were enough that we are told that “many believed in his name because they saw the signs that he was doing.” (John 2:23).  

Nicodemus is a seeker.  He has a position of authority, but he wants to know the truth.  Which is why he seeks out Jesus.  Nicodemus and Jesus have some back and forth with questions and statements.  

Eventually we get to John 3:16 – one of the most known verses of Scripture.  Luther talked about it as the best summary of the New Testament.  “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.”  There is so much in this one statement attributed to Jesus. 

John 3:17 is just as important – “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved through him.”  The rest of the paragraph talks about light and darkness and those that love the light and those that love the darkness.  

This is a good passage to ponder in these days of struggle over so much.  It leaves me with many questions.  

Questions for further reflection:

• What does it mean that “people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil?” (Vs. 19)
• How are we to discern the deeds? 
• John talks about truth coming from the light, so that we can clearly see the deeds of goodness.  Where do we see these deeds today?