God loves the world, so he loves each of us. He gave us an amazing opportunity to enter the Kingdom of heaven. To do this we need to be born again, or have a Spiritual rebirth.
Nicodemus was upheld as a great teacher and an exemplary Jew, yet he knew he was missing something. He went seeking Jesus, just as we need to. Yet Nicodemus thought he was able to do everything on his own. Jesus tells him otherwise. At first Nicodemus is confused and angry, but he eventually finds the truth.
- Nicodemus was on the right path though – He was seeking Jesus for the answer. He went to Jesus at night – he wasn't sure he should be there but knew he needed something past what he all ready had.
- Nicodemus had great wealth, knowledge, and power but was still missing something He thought he could earn or buy his way to heaven – he found out he couldn't Jesus saw through his empty flattery and told Nicodemus what he needed to hear
Nicodemus was blinded by his own agenda and while flattering Jesus he was looking for affirmation that what he was doing would be more than enough to please God and make sure Nicodemus would go to heaven.
- While we can never buy our way into heaven Jesus gave us the opportunity to be born again and enter the Kingdom of heaven by believing in h.
- When presented with the truth Nicodemus was offended he was not good enough on his own, and refused to listen to what Jesus said.
- Jesus knew Nicodemus's need, just as he knows ours, and he wants to help.
Our responsibility is to make a choice and let God help us.
Nicodemus was a well educated man, yet he couldn't understand what Jesus was telling him. He had a path he picked and he was unwilling to try anything new. Nicodemus was cherry picking ideas so that he could make himself feel good, to the detriment of his salvation.
- Even when rebuking Nicodemus Jesus was careful not to attack his weak points but to point out that he was walking down the wrong path. Jesus was correcting out of love. While the rebuke was probably harsh for Nicodemus to hear, it led him to be spiritually born again – despite the uncomfortable conversation.
- Nicodemus had to give up something to step onto the path God had planned for him.
- Nicodemus was forgotten by history due to his decisions, yet he is still remembered by God.
- Nicodemus's legacy lives on beyond what he could have ever known as we still know who he is today and can learn from his changed life.
We all have the same choice to make. Choose to believe in Jesus or choose to reject Jesus. We can go our own way or we can go His way.
- Remember we are all a work in progress, and that it is worth it. You can remind your self with the saying:
Please be patient with me, God's not finished yet.
