Oh the kingdom
Apr 28
John 3:1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2He 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 first thing that struck me about this particular passage of Scripture was that Nicodemus was a Pharisee. The Pharisees were part of the ruling elite as far as the Jewish Council were concerned. So Nicodemus would have been one of the rabbis or one of the chief ministers in the Jewish church so to speak. Secondly, Nicodemus came to Jesus in the night and asked him these questions. I am absolutely a reason he came in during the night was because he did not want to be seen hanging around with someone like Jesus Christ.
The Jews were highly suspicious of Jesus Nicodemus had been watching Jesus and he came to him and said a Jew or a teacher has come from God. In our Nicodemus did not say to Jesus that you are God, but he said that you are a teacher come from God. The reason that Nicodemus came to this conclusion as we see in verse two is that no one could possibly formed the miraculous signs that Jesus was doing if God was not in him.
3In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again
Jesus replies to him in quite a strange manner considering the circumstances.
5Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.
Then again in verse five Jesus continues to say that no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. So the first time Jesus says that no one can see the kingdom and the second time he says that no one can enter the kingdom. There is a contrast between these two. In both cases it is impossible to get anywhere near the kingdom of heaven unless there is some kind of rebirth.
If you are reading this blog today, my question to you is have you been reborn? If you were to die today are you certain that you would go to be with God in heaven? If you answer to that question is yes, what would you say to God if he asked you “why should I let you into heaven?” I hope that you answer will be that I have been born again, just as Jesus taught Nicodemus in John chapter three.