Our Reading: John 3
Have you ever wished that you could have an intimate face to face conversation with Jesus? What would you want to ask him? Surely, you would seek to have a better understanding about something, perhaps something that didn’t make sense or that peaked your curiosity about the grand scheme of life and the universe. Nicodemus was a very important member of the ruling Jewish council, and he was granted the very special privilege of just such an intimate conversation.
“He came to Jesus at night and said, “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.”” (3:2)
Jesus knew that Nicodemus thought of him as a teacher and that he was seeking a better understanding of God. But, Nicodemus, like the other Jewish rulers had become too engrossed in rules and regulations ( many of which were man made) to realize that the Jewish people had lost connection with the heart of God. Jesus wasted no time in challenging Nicodemus’ faulty belief system. He put the spiritual faith of Nicodemus to the test.
“Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. ”” (3:3)
Nicodemus doesn’t connect to what Jesus is saying initially but Jesus tells him that he is speaking of a spiritual birth and that he expects him to be able to grasp the concept. “You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’” (3:7)
He goes on to say, ”The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”” (3:8). For someone who thought he was in right standing with God because of all the rules and rituals he followed, I imagine the concept of needing something more, something only available via spiritual transformation was hard for him to wrap his mind around and accept.
““How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things?” (3:9-10). Nicodemus would have been very familiar with the Old Testament scriptures and within those scriptures God had made it clear that He would require spiritual transformation of the heart of man. Man could not keep the Law on his own effort. He would need a spiritual heart change. For example, “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” (Ezekiel 36:25-27 )
Notice all of the statements beginning with “I will”. Nicodemus has to understand that in his own efforts, he could not save himself. Jesus challenged Nicodemus to look beyond the tangible rules of the Law to save and to see from the scriptures that it would be a person who would provide this salvation of spiritual transformation. Nicodemus needed more than the Law, he needed to believe in the Son of Man. Throughout the OT is the foretelling of Jesus coming as the Messiah and Jesus gives such an example with its spiritual significance. “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”” (3:14-15 )
The Jews were looking for a Messiah who would free them from Roman oppression and set them up as a powerful, elite people. To reconnect Nicodemus to understanding the heart of God, he explains that God loves “all” the people in the world, not just the Jews and has a desire to save “all” of mankind. God is providing a gift, the precious gift of his Son and everyone, including you and I make a choice to accept or reject that gift. The gospel is just that simple.
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” (3:17-18)
If Jesus were to sit down face to face with you and I, I am sure that his most pressing concern would be to relay to our wounded, tired, confused, and fragile hearts that we don’t have to save ourselves with human effort. What we do have to do, however, is make a choice to accept the forgiving grace of God in the form of his Son, Jesus and to allow his Holy Spirit to transform our hearts.