24. Nicodemus visits Jesus at night
– John 3:1-21
John 3:1-2 “Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, ‘Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
The Pharisees would claim to follow the laws but then be very hypocritical. For this reason, Jesus and John the Baptist would often speak very poorly about them. Also, the Pharisees did not approve of Jesus because they thought that he was undermining their authority over the people. The fact that Nicodemus was even considering the validity of Jesus being God’s son was very unusual. Nicodemus came at night to Jesus so that others may not know what he was doing. Still, Nicodemus risked his status as a member of the Jewish ruling council and visited Jesus. Nicodemus took risks in order to know who Jesus is. Do you take risks for your faith? Would you be willing to risk your reputation if it meant you would get closer to Christ? Are you afraid to show others that you follow God because you are afraid of what they will think? We can learn from Nicodemus that the risk is worth it. Nicodemus uncovered the truth about Jesus. He was able to receive salvation for his sins.
John 3:6 “Jesus answered, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.”
Jesus explained to Nicodemus that people must be born again to be saved. People do not go to heaven for doing good deeds. People do not go to heaven for being a certain ethnicity. The only way for someone to go to heaven is if they are born by the Spirit. Jesus is the only way to go to heaven. You must believe in him and claim his death on the cross as the redemption for your sins. You must accept him into your heart and allow the Holy Spirit to dwell within you. Your debt has been paid. You do not need to do anything but accept it.
John 3:10 “You are Israel’s teacher,’ said Jesus, ‘and do you not understand these things?”
Nicodemus was a Jewish teacher. He understood the Old Testament very well. He knew the laws and the passages. Still, his knowledge did not mean that he had salvation. You should understand the Bible, but even more importantly, you must understand God and the salvation he provides for you. God cares about your heart.
John 3:14-15 “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”
Numbers 21:7-9 “The people came to Moses and said, ‘We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.’ So Moses prayed for the people. The Lord said to Moses, ‘Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.’ So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.”
As the Israelites wandered the desert, they began to be impatient with God. They spoke against God and Moses. To teach the Israelites, God sent venomous snakes to the Israelites. Israelites were afraid of snakes because a bite would often lead to a slow and painful death. The bites from the snakes did end up killing some of the Israelites. In order to save the Israelites, God told Moses to make a bronze snake for the people to look at and be saved. It wasn’t the bronze snake that healed the people; but rather, it was their belief that God could heal them. It was their obedience of God’s instruction to look at the pole and their faith that God would heal them. Jesus referenced this moment in the Old Testament to help show people how salvation works. All believers can be saved by their sickness of sin by looking to Jesus’ death on the cross and having faith that he will redeem our souls.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
This verse is the most widely quoted verses by believers. Imagine if Nicodemus never took the risk to visit Jesus at night. Imagine if this verse was never written in the Bible. This single verse has been a key verse in sharing the Gospel to those who do not know the Good News. This single verse has helped save lives. It all started because Nicodemus stepped out in his faith to try to gain a deeper understanding about Jesus. This verse teaches us that our life is simply an introduction to eternal life. You no longer need to perish in hell for your mistakes. God sent his beloved son who is holy and pure to take on your sins specifically. He paid the price. He won your case and you can know spend an eternity in heaven. Believing in him is more than just knowledge. It means that you have put your confidence and trust in him that he alone will save you. You must trust on his words and rely on him to provide.
