We have profoundly beautiful readings 

For today’s celebration of the exaltation of the cross. 

I’d encourage you, if you have your Mercy Home book, 

Tear out those readings and put them next to your bedside, 

Put them someplace you’ll see them again. 

Hang on to those readings, 

Especially the reading to the Philippians 

That matt’s read so well today, 

That beautiful reading from the Philippians 

About who Jesus is. 

And then we have this powerful reading from john’s gospel – 

The third chapter of john’s gospel. 

I’d venture to say that those two readings, 

You could read over and over and over again to stay close 

To the gift that is Jesus in the world. 

Let me talk about john’s gospel, the third chapter. 

I wanna go back to the very beginning of the third chapter. 

We got the tail end of the third chapter. 

I wanna go back to this encounter 

Between Nicodemus and Jesus. 

It’s a really beautiful, intimate encounter 

Between the two. 

In fact, in john’s gospel, it’ll say that Nicodemus 

Came to Jesus under the cover of night. 

Nicodemus, one of the pharisees, 

Didn’t want anyone else to know 

That he was gonna go talk to Jesus. 

So when it was dark out, what did he do? 

Under the cover of night, 

He went to go have a conversation with Jesus. 

And this is a summary of the conversation 

That we get to before this reading. 

Nicodemus professes, “you speak, you’re close to God. 

God speaks through you.” 

Jesus says something like, 

“Yes, and you should know that we must be born from above.” 

And Nicodemus says something like, 

“What do we have to go back into our mother’s womb?” 

Jesus says, 

“No, you must be born of the holy spirit and water.” 

Just like we are baptized in Christ Jesus 

With the holy spirit and water. 

And Jesus and Nicodemus is kind of incredulous. 

And then we get this beautiful line from today’s gospel. 

Look, you’re born from above, 

You’re born of the holy spirit and water, 

Just believe in me for eternal life. 

Just believe in Jesus to have eternal life. 

That’s what Jesus says to this beautiful character, 

Nicodemus. 

If you wanna see a great portrayal of Nicodemus, 

Watch this series called “the chosen.” 

You could find it on Netflix. 

Watch “the chosen.” 

Run and go watch “the chosen” 

Starting tonight. 

It’s that good. 

And there’s a really great portrayal of Nicodemus 

From season one all the way through to at least season 

Five that we have for now. 

We have this beautiful portrayal of Nicodemus, 

His internal struggle to come to believe in Jesus, 

Who’s the son of God. 

As a pharisee, how he is a good Jewish Pharisee 

Comes to believe in Jesus as the son of God. 

Today, friends, we celebrate the great gift 

That is to us, Jesus. 

The fact that he was lifted up high in the cross, 

Just like moses did with his followers, 

So too is Jesus lifted high on the cross 

So that we might have everlasting life. 

And these readings that we have today point to Jesus 

In the most powerful way. 

As we celebrate the cross, 

Let us stay so close to in our hearts, 

In our minds, in our souls, in our belief, 

The great gift that is Jesus 

Who has given to us for salvation. 

Today, we celebrate him lifted up on the cross 

So that we might too also have everlasting life 

With him in paradise. 

Amen.