It's possibly the most famous and memorized verse in the Bible: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NIV)

Nicodemus was a religious man, a Pharisee, and a member of the Jewish ruling council. During a time when many fellow religious leaders were looking for a way to permanently get rid of Jesus, Nicodemus was different. Sneaking out under the cover of darkness, Nicodemus went to meet Jesus where He made this profound statement, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him."

Nicodemus wanted to meet Jesus for himself. He wanted an honest conversation. He didn't want to be swayed by those around. Nicodemus didn't want to have to carefully craft the words of his questions so he himself would not be persecuted. He knew what Jesus said was true, and that he had to have come from God. Comprehending this, Jesus told Nicodemus that he had to be born again. Nicodemus initially thought that Jesus was speaking literally. The idea seemed preposterous, "How can this be?"

Jesus recognized the doubts of Nicodemus, as well as the unbelief of the Pharisees and religious leaders. And while Jesus often seemed to challenge those who opposed Him with words and teachings that confused even His own disciples, Jesus clearly explained to Nicodemus what it meant to be born again, in its most simple terms.

- For God so loved the World
- He gave His one and Only Son
- so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.

This is the Good News that you and I have been given to demonstrate and proclaim to every people in every nation.

Today there are many parts of the world that are resistant to the Gospel. Some places are incredibly hostile, where followers of Jesus face serious persecution and even threats on their lives. Yet in these difficult-to-reach places where many people don't even know they need a savior, there are people like Nicodemus who are searching for the truth. Many live in places where just asking about Jesus is risky, yet they are looking for someone who can plainly and safely share Jesus with them. These are the places where Reach Beyond and our partners are working and leveraging technology to explain the Gospel.

Reach Beyond recently helped a new station go on the air in a part of West Africa where Islam and traditional religions are widely practiced. A listener came to the station and said, "Even though I come from a Muslim background, after hearing the preaching, devotional messages, and content on the Radio — I do believe now that there is only one way to salvation and that is through Jesus Christ as I confess my sin and give my life to Christ."

God is at work!  I pray that He will strengthen you today as you walk with Him. Thank you for helping bring the uncomplicated truth of the Gospel to unreached people around the world.