DAY #145: John 2:23-3:21

Nicodemus was a Jewish religious leader, a Pharisee—the most strict Jewish sect of those times. The Jewish religious leaders were divided into several groups. Two of the most prominent groups were the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The Pharisees separated themselves from anything non-Jewish and carefully followed both the Old Testament laws and the oral traditions handed down through the centuries. As a “leader,” he was a member of the Jewish ruling council.
Jesus’ words to Nicodemus are unmistakable and to the point: “Unless you are born again, you can never see the Kingdom of God.” That a person must be born again speaks of spiritual birth, but Nicodemus understood Jesus as referring to a physical rebirth. Jesus revealed to this devout Pharisee that the Kingdom would come to the whole world, not just the Jews, and that Nicodemus wouldn’t be a part of it unless he was personally born again.

Humans can produce only more human beings; Only God the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven. At the same time God puts his Spirit into us, we are given a new regenerated human spirit. It is God’s Spirit, not our effort, that makes us children of God. Jesus’ statement to Nicodemus that evening has been heralded to all the world ever since. Both Jew and Gentile have heard the divine mandate: You must be born again. Without the new birth, one cannot see or enter into the Kingdom of God.

In response to Nicodemus’s continued question, Jesus called him a respected Jewish teacher and expressed amazement at his lack of understanding. Having such a position, Nicodemus should have known what Jesus was talking about, for the new birth is not a topic foreign to the Hebrew Scriptures (1 Samuel 10:6; Isaiah 32:15; Jeremiah 31:33; Ezekiel 36:25-27; 37; Joel 2:28-29). Jesus’ question must have exposed Nicodemus, who perhaps thought that he and Jesus were teachers who would discuss spiritual matters from an equal level of learning and understanding. This Jewish teacher of the Bible knew the Old Testament thoroughly, but he didn’t understand what it said about the Messiah.

According to Numbers 21:6-9, while the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness, God sent a plague of snakes to punish the people for their rebellious attitudes. But God also gave the remedy for the poisonous snakebites—he told Moses to erect a pole upon which he was to attach a bronze snake. Those bitten by the poisonous snakes could be healed by obeying God’s command to look up at the elevated bronze snake and by believing that God would heal them. Their healing came when they looked upon this lifted-up, bronze snake.

Jesus used this incident to picture his coming salvation work on the cross. To be lifted up in Jesus’ time—according to the usage in John — was a euphemism for death on the cross (the victim was literally lifted up above the earth). God has provided this way for us to be healed of sin’s deadly bite. The Israelites were spared their lives; the believer in Jesus is spared eternal destruction and given eternal life.

This offer is made to everyone who believes. To “believe” is more than intellectual agreement that Jesus is God. It means putting our trust and confidence in him that he alone can save us. It is to put Christ in charge of our present plans and eternal destiny. Believing is both trusting his words as reliable and relying on him for the power to change. Jesus accepted our punishment and paid the price for our sins so that we would not perish. Perish does not mean physical death, for we all will eventually die. Here it refers to eternity apart from God. Those who believe will receive the alternative, the new life that Jesus bought for us—eternal life with God.

According to the context, to do what is right is to come to Christ, the light; the result of coming to the light and living in the light will be clearly seen in believers’ lives. Christ’s life in us will make our lives able to stand exposure to bright light, for our deeds will be honest, pure, and truthful.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

Lord, once again we are brought square to the truth of what you left on this earth to do - win people to Christ. Jesus didn't have a quota of people He talked to everyday about salvation. He just saw a need and spoke to that need. Giving people an opportunity to receive or reject His offer of eternal life was and is paramount on His mind. Would to God the same would be true of us.

Lord, give us your courage to share and overcome our fear of rejection and ridicule. Help us see eternity everyday.

"I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13 (NIV)