John 3:12-13 If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man.
There’s a lot in these two verses, but I want to focus today on one thing. As of the moment Jesus was speaking, no man had ascended into heaven and descended from heaven but Jesus. He came from heaven, but He had descended from heaven and ascended to heaven many times throughout history. Therefore, He could speak of heavenly things. As He previously said, He spoke of what He knew and had seen. He knew of the new birth from a heavenly perspective. He understood, had seen firsthand, and participated in the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. Such is the authority of Jesus when He speaks.
The writer of Hebrews told His readers about Jesus speaking of heavenly things when he wrote,
God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high (Heb. 1:1-3)
And again in this passage.
How will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will. (Heb. 2:3-4)
God has spoken through Jesus of heavenly things, like the new birth and the powerful ministry of the wind of the Holy Spirit. Nicodemus could not see how the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven intersected. His only points of reference were in the natural realm. To his thinking, if one was in the lineage of Abraham, then he was in God’s kingdom or family. When Jesus spoke of the necessity of the new birth, it was outside of Nick’s understanding. It was a mystery to him. A mystery is something that is outside the range of unassisted comprehension—only to be understood with the help of the Holy Spirit.
I’ve discovered that living to love with Jesus is also a mystery. One can’t understand it without the Holy Spirit's assistance to believe that Jesus is God in the flesh, has died and was raised (descended from and ascended to heaven), and now has sent the Holy Spirit to generate His life in the bodies and souls of His children. So they live to love with Him in this world. Do you understand that Jesus is life, and He lives in you? Do you see His passion in your life for loving His Father and others? I hope so. That’s what I’m calling you to—to live to love with Jesus.
I invite you to become a partner in our ministry. Would you pray about becoming a regular supporter of Elijah Ministries and the Live to Love with Jesus ministry? I hope you will receive the joy and benefit of “giving it forward,” so others may receive encouragement to turn their hearts to God and to live to love with Jesus. You may give online or send a check to the address listed at www.spiritofelijah.com/donate.
