[:en]Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the ruling high council called the Sanhedrin. The Pharisees were a group of religious leaders known to be hypocrites. But Nicodemus was a learned teacher who kept on searching the truth. He came to Jesus to be taught and he wanted to examine Jesus personally without listening to rumors.
No matter how intelligent or well-educated you are, you must have an open mind and a willing heart to be taught. There is a Chinese sayings “三人同行、必有我師” meaning, while walking with 3 persons, there is one who is my teacher”. You must be discerning not to listen and believe in rumors but rather examine facts from rumors.
Nicodemus knew that the Kingdom is composed of God’s people which would be restored on earth and ruled by God. But Jesus revealed to him that the Kingdom would come to the whole world and not just for the Jews. And only those who are personally born again can become part of it. To Jesus, the Kingdom is personal, not national or ethnic. Its entrance required true repentance and spiritual rebirth. Later, Jesus taught that God’s kingdom had already begun in the hearts of the believers (Luke 17:21). It will be fully realized when Jesus returns to judge the world. (Rev. 21-22)
Jesus said: “No one can enter the Kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit” (v. 5) Water signifies physical birth while spirit signifies spiritual rebirth by Christian baptism. The Holy Spirit is a gift from God. It works in ways that we cannot predict or understand. (1 Cor. 2:10-12).
The Jewish teachers knew the Old Testament thoroughly but they did not know the Messiah. It is good to know the Bible but more importantly, we should know God, the author of the Bible.
When the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness, God sent a plague of snake to punish the people for their rebellious attitudes. And God commanded them to look up the elevated bronze shake if they wanted to be healed. (Num. 21:8-9). Similarly, when we look up to Jesus, He will heal the deadly bite of SIN.
“For God so love the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believed in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (16) This is the pattern of true love – giving out fully to the point of self-sacrifice.
To believe means to put our trust and confidence in Him. It means to let Christ be in charge of your pursuit, plan and eternal destiny. It is believing and trusting His words as reliable and relying on Him for the power to change. “Whosoever believes in Him is not condemned but whosoever does not believe stand condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” (v. 18) The only one thing we need to fear is eternal condemnation. But if we recognize our insufficiency and find solution by asking Him to be our Savior, we shall be saved.
Light is the opposite of darkness. Many people do not want their lives to be exposed to God’s light because they do not want their deeds to be revealed. Let us live by the truth.
The disciples of John the Baptist were disturbed when the people were following Jesus instead of John. They were sowing seeds of discord and doubt. But John the Baptist focused his devotion to Jesus. John continued his ministry but his main purpose was to point people to Christ. John’s humility is shown by his willingness to decrease in importance.
Pastors and Christian leaders must focus on Christ rather than on the success of their ministries. Do not put more emphasis on achievements rather than in the progress of God’s Kingdom.
Jesus came from heaven. He is God’s Son, the Messiah, the Savior, who existed from the beginning and will continue to live forever. He is the highest revelation of God to humanity. (Heb. 1:2) Spiritual rebirth starts at the moment when one has faith in God.
This is the time for you to make the greatest choice in life. Choose Him and have eternal life. (Deut. 30:15-20). To put off the decision means you are not willing to follow Christ. And the wrath of God is upon those who rejected Him.
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