John 3:1-15
Often, what we call logic or common sense leaves us short of
the mark when it comes to Jesus. In the
third chapter of the gospel according to John, we are introduced to a man of
the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. He comes to Jesus by night, and the reason
for coming at night may have been that he did not want grief from his
associates. He came with a statement of
what “we believe” and you can assume the "we" is making reference to
his religious friends. This is his
statement; “Rabbi,
we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs
that you do unless God is with him.” (John 3:2) It sounds like Nicodemus and his “we” friends
have also believed in Jesus, that is quite a confession and yet Jesus answered him,
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born
again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Now, is that any way to reply to a man who just said, that he
and his buddies believe “that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do
these signs that you do unless God is with him.”
Jesus, being Creator God, knew the real question in the
heart of Nick, and that is that he had this need, this void, and he was trying
to fill it with religion, with accomplishment, with travel, with wealth, and
stuff, but he could not seem to fill it.
Nick was looking for anything that will give him peace, hope, and joy,
and that was the need that Jesus was addressing in Nick’s life. But Nicodemus has been to school, in fact he
is the teacher of Israel, he has degrees on all four walls of his study and
people listen when he speaks, and what Jesus had just said did not make sense
to this learned man. “Nicodemus said to
him, “How can a man be born when he is old?
Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” (John
3:4) Nicks reply is, are you a nut case,
anyone knows you cannot climb back into your mother’s womb, but it a wise
person who listens to Jesus’ reply. “Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and
the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
That which is born of flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the
Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I
said to you, ‘You must be born again.’
The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not
know where it comes from or where it goes.
So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
“Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be? Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand
these things? Truly, truly, I say to
you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you
do not receive our testimony. If I have
told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell
you heavenly things? No one has ascended
into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the
wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him
may have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son,
that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John
9-16)
Jesus is the void filler, what Nicodemus wanted was much
deeper than the question that he ask, and Jesus being all knowing, understood
the question. This question is common
to all who have ever lived, it is; “can you fix me,” can you show me how to be
in right standing with God, can you fill this emptiness that I can’t seem to
fill? Jesus gave Nick the answer, and it
is the only way, in John 10:10 we are told that the enemy came to make the hole
or void bigger, but Jesus came with life, abundant life!
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice
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