Do we really know? In His Word 4-28-2025
Thinking about John chapter 3 today, and I wondered about
the fact that Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish ruling council, some
versions call him a Pharisee, questioned Jesus about salvation via being born
again.
There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.”
Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
“What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”
Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”
“How are these things
possible?” Nicodemus asked. John 3:1-9
I wasn’t thinking about the obvious but the underlying fact
that this man was schooled in the Jewish literature, scriptures etc., and yet Nicodemus
had no clue? He did not have the Holy Spirit guiding his thoughts yet, or did
he?
First- He went to see Jesus in the dark of night so as not
to be seen by other leaders or people who may tell other leaders he had been there.
I think this shows us that he was feeling drawn to find out
the truth via Jesus and God the Father etc. So, here I think he knew.
Second—He affirms that Jesus is a teacher or Rabbi, from God
(the Father) and gives the truth about the proof of God working in Him.
This shows us Nicodemus was paying attention and knew who
Jesus really was, but perhaps was still afraid to admit it.
This reminds me of my own testimony, when I was wanting to
believe but still afraid to believe in God, Jesus etc. It was like I was afraid
to admit it to someone else that I believed Jesus was Lord, and yet at the same
time I wanted everyone to know I was figuring this out!
I had had a dream with Jesus in my back yard. In my dream I
announced aloud “Hey, that’s Jesus Christ! Boy have I got a lot of questions to
ask Him!” and I attempted to go to the back yard. The thing is there was an
easy door on my room I could have gone out and been literally 10-15 steps
walking to Jesus. He was so close to my room window, next to a tree at the edge
of our green belt.
Instead I went up stairs, then through two rooms to get to
the back door of the Dinning Room. After fighting with the sliding glass door
to get it open Jesus was gone.
Why? Good question! Maybe because I always did things the
hard way, it was my personality. Maybe because I had to miss Him. If I had gone
straight to Him I would not have found Him to be gone.
I spoke to a coworker at Orange Julius where I worked, and
told her about the dream. I asked her what she thought, since I knew she
professed to be a Christian I figured she would have a clue. She said it
sounded like I was missing something.
Duh, I missed Jesus, but still I asked her “Like, what?”
“Like Jesus in your life.” Was her response obviously.
“Oh. Hmmm.” I replied
thinking I was being coy. I knew it was the answer, I knew I needed Jesus, but
I needed to hear it point blank. To admit it to myself.
Now I’d like to say that was
enough to get me on my knees right there, but that’s as far as the conversation
went. It took an evangelist from South Africa, and the death of my grandmother
and aunt, before I accepted the truth. Yes, it took a few more amazing details
as well! I had to read the Gideons New Testament I had kept on a shelf since I
was a younger child playing school in Canada. Eventually I admitted I believed.
Signed my name and all that.
The thing is Nicodemus may
have been playing the coy game with Jesus. He knew Jesus was of God. He wanted
to know Him more. But He was afraid to believe the unbelievable truth.
Why do I call it the
unbelievable truth? I do this because Faith is just that.
Faith shows the reality of
what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. Hebrews 11:1
I believe Nicodemus, just
like me, hoped he had found the Christ promised in the scriptures he had read
all his life, though I had heard of this Jesus who loved me according to songs,
I did not even really know Him yet. My friend from work called me on it. Just
like Jesus did!
... Jesus replied, “You are
a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things? I assure you, we tell you what we know and
have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony. But if you don’t believe me when I tell you
about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly
things? No one has ever gone to heaven
and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a
pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone
who believes in him will have eternal life.
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave
His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but
have eternal life. God sent his Son into
the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him.” John
3:10-17
He could see the truth, but
Nicodemus needed to have faith to really see it spiritually.
We can read the rest of the
chapter, but I want you to think as you do. Are you seeing what God wants you
to see when you read His Word? Or are you blinded?
Ask Him to open your eyes
that you may see His truth, His spirit may speak to yours, and you will be spiritually
made whole! Born again in Spirit!
All it takes is really
knowing the Truth, and Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Light, and Life!