You must be Born Again

"3Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”            John 3:3   NLT

Nicodemus was a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. He was strangely attracted to Jesus but, because of his status among the Pharisee society, he arranged for an evening appointment with Jesus. It would have been too risky for him to be seen talking with Jesus during the day, so it was more suitable for him in the evening. 

There were many things that Nicodemus wanted to ask Jesus, so the meeting was an important one, he believed that Jesus had the answers. Nicodemus had:

Strengths and Accomplishments  He was one of the few religious leaders who believed in Jesus. He was a member of the powerful Jewish high council; a pharisee who was attracted by Jesus' character and miracles. Later, he joined with Joseph of Arimathea in burying Jesus.

Weakness and Mistake  He was limited by his fear of being publicly exposed as Jesus' follower.

Lessons Jesus taught him  Unless we are born again, we can never be part of the Kingdom of God. God is able to change those who we feel are unreachable and He is patient but persistent.

If we make ourselves available, He will use us.

We don't know much else about Nicodemus except, perhaps, after his meeting with Jesus he was born again that evening. We can't prove this but I personally believe that he was saved and a changed man. Later when the council spoke about ways that they could eliminate Jesus, Nicodemus raised the question of justice. He was overruled but, at least he had stood up for Jesus (John 7:50-52). He also joined Joseph of Arimathea in requesting Jesus' body so they could give Him a decent burial. This was such a risk for him to take but, it shows how much he was growing in the Lord. (John 19:39)

Nicodemus was afraid to reveal his belief in Jesus because of reprisals. But, he was no different from all of us who have struggled at disclosing our faith to certain people, especially family, friends and the workplace. But he did his best and started taking the risks as he grew in faith. As we grow in faith, most of us become more confident in sharing our faith, but like Nicodemus was worried about it, it can be risky. People who don't believe in Jesus can make it difficult, especially at work, demanding that you don't 'preach Jesus' at work. But, the Holy Spirit within us leads us forward to make stands for Jesus. Don't ever be frightened to talk about your Saviour, Jesus Christ. He has done so much for you and will continue to. In addition, Nicodemus' meeting with Jesus underpins the importance of knowing Jesus and being born again.

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now
Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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