Jesus and Nicodemus

John chapter three contains verse sixteen which is the most quoted verse in scripture. However, verse sixteen is preceded and followed by other verses detailing a conversation between Jesus and a religious leader named Nicodemus. The other verses are equally important in understanding God’s plan for mankind. I will tell that story in my own words.

One night as Jesus and His disciple chums were getting ready to go to sleep a Pharisee named Nicodemus stopped by for a visit. When Nicodemus came over several of the apostles started grumbling. One said, “Why don’t you make an appointment with the receptionist and then you can see Jesus during normal business hours?” Nicodemus was not persuaded by that advise; he came at night for a reason and the apostles knew it. Most of the Pharisees who approached Jesus tried to find a reason to condemn Him so the other Pharisees would admire them. But Nicodemus wanted to ask spiritual questions and that would have put him out of favor with the other Pharisees. After all why would a learned Pharisee seek council from a vagabond like Jesus?

Nicodemus said to the apostles, “I just want to see your teacher for a few minutes.” So they led him over to where Jesus was resting. Nicodemus said, “Yo teach how’s it goin?” Jesus replied, “I will tell you the truth unless you are born again you will not see the kingdom of God.” Nick said, “I see we are dispensing with the formalities and getting right to the point. “You say a man must be born again. “How do you propose he gets back into his mommy’s tummy?” Jesus looks at him and says, “I can see this is not going to be easy.” “Listen Nick, the things that are born of flesh remain flesh and the things that are born of the spirit remain spiritual. “So don’t be surprised when I tell you that you have to be born again.”

Nick says, “How can these things be?” Jesus says to him, “You are one of Israel’s teachers and you don’t understand this? “How will you ever understand the things of heaven that I will tell you about?” “What things?” asked Nick. Jesus said, “The same way Moses lifted up a serpent in the wilderness so will the son of man be lifted up.” Nick said, “What does Moses lifting up a serpent in the desert have to do with heaven?” Jesus said, “Everything.” “You see when the people looked at the serpent that Moses had lifted up they were healed. “When I am lifted up on a cross I will be the healer of the nations.”

Nick said, “How?” Jesus said, “Like I told you before, the things that are flesh remain flesh and the things that are spirit remain spirit. “When someone believes in me they will have a new spirit and we will be one.” “For God loves the people of this world so much that he sent his own son and anyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. “For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world but that through him the world might be saved.

Then Nick said, “I thought the messiah was going to judge the Gentiles?” Jesus said, “Anyone who believes in the Son of God shall not perish but have eternal life.” “I came to bring light into the world. “The people of this world love darkness rather than light because they are doing things that are wrong in God’s eyes. “The light exposes their deeds and they will be ashamed. “Yet the one who loves the light does the things that are honoring to God and the works they do are what God intended man to do all the days of his life.” With that Nick left to ponder what Jesus had told him.

The conversation Jesus had with Nicodemus brought to light what Jesus had come to earth to accomplish. We can debate at length why Jesus needed come to the planet and suffer and die as He did but it may be self evident. I continue to go back to the time when Jesus was in the desert (Matthew 4:1-11) and find numerous truths about God’s intention for mankind in these verses. There is a war going on between the heavenly kingdom and Satan’s kingdom and the prize is mankind. The war is fought house-by-house and street-by-street and the outcome for each one of us comes down to our personal decision.

Jesus tried to explain this to Nicodemus by expounding on God’s love for the world to the extent that he would be willing to offer his most prized possession; his only son, for the sake of the world. God’s love becomes clearer when Jesus told Nicodemus that he is the light and men love darkness but need to go to the light in order to find God. Nicodemus had trouble understanding these things because he believed that as a Jew he was already saved and it was the heathen gentiles that had to come to the light of God. Jesus made it clear that God had no favorites and that all men needed to seek him in order to be saved. (Acts 10:34-35)