Bible Men: Nicodemus - Ye Must be Born Again

John 3

Nicodemus was a Pharisee, and a ruler of the Jews.  A Pharisee according to Websters 1828 Dictionary, was a sect among the Jews, whose religion consisted in a strict observance of rites and ceremonies and of the traditions of the elders, and whose pretended holiness led them to separate themselves as a sect, considering themselves as more righteous than other Jews.

Nicodemus came to Jesus by night.  Perhaps this was because he would have been busy with the duties of the day, as was the Lord Jesus with his ministry.  But Nicodemus sought the Lord Jesus out when they could be by themselves, and Nicodemus could ask the Lord Jesus the many questions he had on his mind.  To Nicodemus, and to some of the others, it was obvious that Jesus was someone worthy of respect and honour.  He addressed Jesus thus "Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him."(V2)  We know that Nicodemus had seen the miracles the Lord Jesus had done, and known in his heart that God was with Jesus.  But what he did not understand was that Jesus is the Son of God.

 Jesus told Nicodemus, as he is telling every person in the world, "verily verily (truly, truly) I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (V3) But Nicodemus didn't understand this, he was thinking in the fleshly sense, of a baby being born, and how can a man be born a second time when he is old? Could he go back into mother’s womb, and be born? (V4) A very impossible concept to someone who did not understand.  Jesus explained to him that a man must be born of water (the fleshly birth) and of the Spirit (the spiritual birth). And that Nicodemus should not “marvel” that Jesus told him he must be born again.  Jesus gave an earthly example, that the wind blows where it wants to and we can hear it, but we can't tell where it comes from or where it is going, so likewise does everyone that is born of the Spirit.  They are led by the Spirit where the Spirit wants them to go, and we don't know where that will be.



But Nicodemus still wondered, and so Jesus asked him how he could be a master of Israel and not know these things.  He told Nicodemus that "we speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness..." (V11)  If Nicodemus could not understand earthly things, (the wind) then how could he understand heavenly things (the Spirit).. V13 “and no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.”  Nicodemus should have understood this, being a keeper of the law and student of the scriptures.  Jesus was telling Nicodemus that he would be crucified, even though Nicodemus did not understand this as yet.

It was then that Jesus told Nicodemus that wonderful promise "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life..For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.  But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." (V16-21)  And so here it is, the great and powerful gospel message.  God loved the world, ( Jew or Gentile, bond or free, male or female) so much, that he gave his only begotten son,  his son in man's flesh, but yet without sin, for he was born of a virgin, conceived by the Spirit.  And everyone in the world, that will believe and receive this truth, that Jesus IS the Son of God, will not perish as will those who are condemned because of their unbelief.  They will have everlasting life!  And so with that, Nicodemus went away from Jesus, with much to think about. 

 The next we hear from him, a division had risen amongst the Jews.  Who was this Jesus?  Some said he was a Prophet.  Others said "This is the Christ" (John 7:41) but others wondered "shall Christ come out of Galilee?  Hath not the scripture said that Christ cometh out of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem...?" (42) But we know that the Lord Jesus was indeed born in Bethlehem, through the line of David.

And so some wanted to have the Lord Jesus arrested.  The officers knew that no man had ever spoken as Jesus spoke, but the chief priests and the Pharisees, who knew that everything that Jesus spoke was a threat to their traditions, told them that they were deceived (V47)  and begged the question "Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him? (V48)  It is at this point that Nicodemus spoke up for the Lord Jesus. "Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?" (V51)  There is not much doubt that of all the Pharisees, Nicodemus was the only one who had sought out the Lord Jesus, to ask of him, listen to him, learn of him.

And finally, the last time we see Nicodemus, is after the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus, when Joseph of Arimathaea begged the body of the Lord Jesus.  He took the body, and Nicodemus, came too. John 19:39 “And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes”.  The two of them took the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as was the manner of the Jews in burying one of their own.  Jesus was laid in a new sepulchre, where no man had been, and where the glorious resurrection would soon take place.  Here is the change in Nicodemus: when first we see him he is coming to Jesus by night where no one would see, but now he is coming to help bury Jesus in the day time, when everyone would see.

And so Nicodemus was a man who came to Jesus, a man who spoke for Jesus, and man who buried Jesus.  No doubt he was also a man who believed on Jesus.  A personal relationship, as each of us must have..."For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." 1 Timothy 3:16 "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."

vcg/August 2015