READING: John 3:1-4:45, Luke 3:19-20
The stories in John’s Gospel in today’s reading are interesting parallels. One character is a man; the other is a woman. Nicodemus is named; the woman is not. The man comes to Jesus by night; the woman comes to the well in the heat of the day (though scholars debate the time she came). The man is a ruler of the Jews; the woman is likely an outcast in her culture because of her sordid past. Nicodemus’ response is unclear in this text; the woman, on the other hand, went to tell others she had met the Messiah.
There is another difference I’m thinking about today, though. In the first story, Nicodemus came to Jesus because he had heard all that Jesus did. In the second story, however, Jesus intentionally went to the well where the woman would unexpectedly meet Him. In both cases, the one speaking to Jesus recognized something unique about Him.
Today, it is our responsibility to go to people who are lost and point them to Jesus. Like Jesus in John 4, we are to take the initiative to do evangelism. At the same time, we are to so walk with God that others recognize something different about us—and perhaps ask about our lives. Like Jesus in John 3, we must always be ready to respond when others ask about Him.
PERSONAL REFLECTION: Are you doing both today—taking initiative in evangelism and following God fully, ready to respond to others who are seeking?
DAILY PRAYER: “Father, may my life so please You today that others see something in me. Then, help me to initiate conversations about You today.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Mark 1:14-15, Matthew 4:12-17, Luke 3:23, John 4:46-54, Luke 4:16-30, Mark 1:16-20, Matthew 4:18-22, Mark 1:21-28, Luke 4:31-37, Mark 1:29-34, Matthew 8:14-17, Luke 4:38-41, Mark 1:35-39, Luke 4:42-44, Matthew 4:23-25