Light and Dark

Posted on by korgrocker

“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.”
John 3:18-21 NLT

It is a fundamental physical fact that all earth dwellers experience light and dark. So when the sun rises it brings light with it, and when it sets darkness ensues. Biological functions such as photosynthesis rely on it. God created light as we read in Genesis 1. But this natural phenomenon is not what Jesus was referring to. He was telling Nicodemus about spiritual light and dark. God’s light, Jesus, came into this world as a once only event bringing an opportunity for the salvation of mankind. The Word illuminated the sinful ways of mankind, and we read in Hebrews 4:12-13, “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable”. We associate the “word of God” with the Bible, Holy Scriptures, but we mustn’t forget the opening verse in John 1, “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God”. 

But sin brought evil into the world, a darkness that has prevailed ever since the days of Adam. There is something attractive about sin, and Jesus very perceptively pointed out to Nicodemus that people prefer to walk in spiritual darkness for one simple reason – if they go anywhere near the light of God then their sins will be exposed. A person thinks that their thoughts, and deeds done in private, are safe from scrutiny, but God sees all. But people are generally in denial, deluding themselves that what they do and think is just for them.

We pilgrims saw the Light of the world and brought ourselves into God’s presence. We exposed all our sins before His cross in repentance and received forgiveness. But there are many people who know all about the Light and refuse to go into His presence because they prefer to continue with their sinful lives. Around us in the work places, the schools or colleges, the leisure and amusement facilities, we see the outworking of sin. People’s behaviour exposes the darkness within them, and last thing they want to do is change so that they can live in the light.

A believer doing right in an evil world finds themselves in a difficult and lonely place. Shunned by evil-doers. Denied promotions in the workplace. Persecuted for their faith in God. But God is pleased with such people because “they are doing what God wants”. I think we all would prefer God’s approval rather than follow the crowd, as they stumble through the darkness.

Dear Lord Jesus. You said that You are the Light of the world. Please help us to reflect Your light to the people around us. In Your precious name. Amen.

Judgement

Posted on by korgrocker

“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.”
John 3:18-21 NLT

Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:17 that He didn’t come to judge the world but to save it. He then continued this theme, by saying that if anyone believes in Him then they are not subject to judgement, which, He said, was reserved for those “not believing in God’s one and only Son”. 

In our natural world, if anyone commits a crime, then judgement will follow only if the person is caught and brought before a court of law. So a speeding motorist will escape justice if he isn’t apprehended by a police officer, or clocked by a speed camera. But in God’s Kingdom, no-one escapes justice because God sees all. In fact, more than this, He sees what is in every person’s heart, their every thought. So God knows whether or not someone believes in Him and His Son Jesus. And if they don’t then judgement is inevitable and unstoppable.

Again, in our natural world, someone brought before a judge for a misdemeanour can try and claim mitigating circumstances so that perhaps they can get a lighter sentence. So perhaps they could try and claim that their speeding was as a result of a medical emergency or perhaps a shoplifter said that they had no money and had to feed their children. And in many circumstances, such pleas might be valid and result in a more lenient or compassionate response from the judge. But in God’s Kingdom, not believing in His Son Jesus is a far more serious situation. There will be no mitigating circumstances. There is only one verdict and only one sentence possible. Of course, there are many who justify their rebellion against God by claiming that a loving and compassionate God would never send anyone to hell. That God is loving and compassionate is a correct conclusion, but He can do nothing to save someone who has rejected Him and His Son. As John wrote, “anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son”.

Thankfully, not believing in Jesus need not be terminal – as long as the person concerned realises their mistake and turns to God while they still have time. So the thief on the cross next to Jesus turned to Him in repentance just in time, and Jesus was able to assure him that he would soon be with His Lord in paradise. After a lifetime spent in criminality, that thief suddenly came to realise the enormity of his future without God and turned to Jesus while he had time.

The message for us pilgrims is that we must never give up praying for our loved ones, for our friends and neighbours. We must continually encourage them at every opportunity to do as we read in Isaiah 55:6-7, “Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.“‭‭ We live in a season of grace that mustn’t be ignored.

Dear God. That You for Your grace and mercy. We worship You today. Amen.

God So Loved the World

Posted on by korgrocker

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.”
John 3:16-17 NLT

John 3:16 must be the most well-known verse in the Bible. Books have been written about it. Preachers have evangelised with it. I even heard of it being used at a funeral service, though the minister taking the service left out the bit about “everyone who believes in him” to instead reassure everyone present that they will all end up in Heaven, enjoying eternal life, anyway. But however we view this verse, it is a clear statement as to why Jesus came to this planet two thousand or so years ago. On that occasion, God demonstrated His love for all people in the world, and put into action the plan He had for the salvation of mankind since the beginning, since that fateful day in the Garden, when sin destroyed what God intended.

We notice that the tense in this verse is in the past. Two thousand years ago God expressed His love by sending Jesus. But this was a one-off act of love. God doesn’t keep sending Jesus because there is no need – His one-off birth, life and death, were all that was required to provide a timeless pathway, so that He could one day enjoy the presence of His creation in Heaven with Him. And by so doing, He gave “everyone who believes in him” the opportunity to make a choice about where we will spend eternity. This is a stark choice, John wrote. The options are to “perish” or to “have eternal life”. There is no other way, no half-hearted selection process. We either buy into God’s plan through Jesus or we are effectively turning our backs on Him, choosing instead a lost eternity in a place where we won’t want to be.

In life we don’t know when or how our death will come. Our lives could be cut short in a road accident. Or we could end our days in a hospital bed. We just don’t know, and if asked if we would like to know, we would probably decline the invitation. Looking at the behaviours of some who engage in what are called extreme sports, we perhaps think that some people believe they are immortal. But Jesus came to this world the hard way. Born as a baby to a peasant girl in her early teens, He grew up normally, as far as we can tell, but by the time Jesus started His public ministry, He knew how His life would end. But He didn’t flinch. He didn’t look for a way out. He resolutely looked forward to the Cross, knowing that He would have to endure the whipping, the abuse, the false trial beforehand, all before a devastatingly painful and humiliating death on a Roman Cross. Knowing that this was all part of His Father’s plan. 

Jesus came to this world so that all who believed in Him would have eternal life. And just to emphasise the message, He went on to say that He wasn’t on earth to judge the people there – that was going to come much later – but instead He was going to open a window of opportunity of salvation for everyone through Him. There will come a day when the window will close forever. Jesus taught about it in Matthew 25:31-46, or we can read about it in Revelation 20. Jesus will come again so we must be ready to meet Him.  We pilgrims will never perish and we will enjoy eternal life with Jesus in our Heavenly home. Forever.

Dear Father God. Thank You for Jesus, for Your plan of salvation for mankind, for Your loving kindness. We can never stop thanking and worshipping You. Amen.

The Bronze Snake

Posted on by korgrocker

“No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.”
John 3:13-15 NLT

Jesus made a statement that people who have gone to Heaven have never returned. But why would they want to? To the thief on the adjacent cross, Jesus called it paradise, inferring that Heaven is a wonderful place. There are those who claim that they died and went into Heaven but returned to their bodies when resuscitated, though Jesus’ statement to Nicodemus puts doubts on their conclusion, albeit briefly, of a visit to Heaven.  Of course there are those who are convinced that they have seen ghosts. But we should remember that after death our spirits end up in one of two places – Heaven for the believers and Hades for the non-believers. If they exist at all, ghosts are the product of Hades. Jesus gave us an illustration about the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) that sets out the difference between the two places. From this story, it is not surprising that the spirits incarcerated in Hades would want to escape.

But there was one exception – Jesus is the only Person who has lived in Heaven and who came to earth. He came down to this world, implying that Heaven is a place that is above, higher, than where we are. But that introduces even more wonder into His incarnation – Jesus left a place of comfort, He called it paradise, to join mankind to live as one of God’s created beings. And Jesus came to Planet Earth for one reason – to provide eternal life to all those who believe in Him. 

We can read about the episode with the bronze snake in Numbers 21. The impatient and ungrateful Israelite slaves were speaking out, grumbling, against God and Moses, because of the long journey and the sameness of the food, manna. “So the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people, and many were bitten and died” (Numbers 21:6). This act brought them to their senses, and we read in the next verse, “Then the people came to Moses and cried out, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take away the snakes.” So Moses prayed for the people“. And God gave Moses a remedy, “Then the Lord told him, “Make a replica of a poisonous snake and attach it to a pole. All who are bitten will live if they simply look at it!”” (Numbers 21:8). What a great picture of Jesus being lifted up on the Cross at Calvary. Just as the Israelites believed that by looking at the bronze snake on a pole they would be healed, Jesus said that all those who believed in Him, dying on that Cross at Calvary for their sins, would live for ever. The bronze snake prolonged the Israelites’ natural lives, but the Calvary Cross enabled people to live forever.

The Cross is central to our Christian faith. Without it there is no redemption from sin. No salvation and no eternal life. In John 14:6 we read, “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me”. There is no short cut into Heaven. The squeamish won’t find a sanitised route to eternal life. It is only through the blood of Jesus that we are saved. If anyone tries to tell us anything different, don’t believe them.

Father God. Once again, we thank You for Jesus and His willingness to come to this world to save mankind. I pray today for all those I know who have failed to embrace God’s Son and who are heading for a lost eternity. Amen.

Our Testimony

Posted on by korgrocker

“Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things? I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony. But if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things?”
John 3:10-12 NLT

Who was Jesus referring to when He said, “we tell you what we know and have seen”? Was it Him and His disciples? Or was He introducing the royal “We”, referring to the Trinity, God the Father, Jesus Himself and the Holy Spirit? Jesus was, I think, telling Nicodemus about the testimonies about Himself in Scripture, and the direct revelation from God Himself. Nicodemus would have been very much aware of the prophecies from the old Hebrew prophets – after all, Jesus acknowledged that he was a “respected Jewish teacher”. There are many testimonies in the Old Testament that we can interpret with the benefit of hindsight, but to someone living in Israel, there would have been a fog of misunderstanding and misinterpretation much influenced by the traditions and the political environment prevalent at the time. The testimony contained in the Scriptures about the coming of the Messiah was extensive – some scholars have counted up as many as 400-500 prophecies referring to Jesus’ first coming. But unfortunately Nicodemus and his peers would have overlayed on this their human interpretations and expectations. Jesus went on to say to Nicodemus that his lack of belief about the earthly interaction between God and man through Jesus was a blockage to his understanding of the spiritual Kingdom that Jesus was announcing.

Jesus had a testimony underpinned by Scripture and so do we. There is only one theme and that is all about Jesus and His saving grace. Yes, there are variations on the theme but there is one common denominator – what Jesus has done for us. But isn’t it strange that the most important event that can ever happen to a human being is often never spoken about. When pressed to give an answer, so many Christians say the bare minimum with an air of embarrassment, as though being a believer is something to be ashamed about. It is important that we have a testimony ready-prepared, shrink-wrapped to tell those around us. Jesus spoke about this as recorded in Matthew 10:32-33, “Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven“. A public declaration of our faith might open the way to ridicule and ostracisation, but there are bigger issues at stake than how we might feel. 

The psalmist wrote, “I will tell everyone about your righteousness. All day long I will proclaim your saving power, though I am not skilled with words. I will praise your mighty deeds, O Sovereign Lord. I will tell everyone that you alone are just. O God, you have taught me from my earliest childhood, and I constantly tell others about the wonderful things you do. Now that I am old and grey, do not abandon me, O God. Let me proclaim your power to this new generation, your mighty miracles to all who come after me” (Psalm 71:15-18). To those of us who are “old and grey” the clock is ticking, and the lights of our promised land are starting to appear on the horizon. But right up until our last breath we will never stop praising Jesus and telling those around us of His wonder and grace. 

Dear Father God. We have a testimony to proclaim about You and all that You have done for us through Jesus, Your Son. Please give us opportunities to relay our testimonies to this new generation, our children and grand-children, those following in our footsteps. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Words of Eternal Life

Posted on by korgrocker

“The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.” “How are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked. Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things?””
John 3:8-10 NLT

I wonder what Nicodemus was thinking during his time spent with Jesus that evening two thousand years ago. The conversation was following a path that he never expected. A cosy chat turned into a teaching session that blew Nico’s theology right out of this world. He had never considered the concept of being born again spiritually, but here was a man who he acknowledged had been sent by God to teach the Jewish people, and who was now telling him things that he was struggling to get his mind around. His anguished response “How are these things possible?” just about summed up his dilemma.

Jesus introduced Nicodemus to Kingdom truths that did not fit into his theology and he was confronted with the need to accommodate new God-ideas. Ideas that would set him at odds with his leadership colleagues, and that would change his life forever. He was probably thinking that if he believed what Jesus was saying then his ability to teach the truth was incompatible with traditional Jewish beliefs and compromised his role as a teacher. We never found out what happened after he left Jesus but perhaps he started to introduce what he learnt to his Bible classes. A subtle change in direction perhaps. But we don’t know. 

Over my years as a Christian I have found that God has gently introduced me to truths about Him and His kingdom, and how they must impact my life day by day. Verses from the Bible suddenly illuminate with His life and message. Revelations from Holy Spirit-inspired spiritual nuggets of gold that highlight the difference between the two kingdoms, the kingdom of this world, and the Kingdom of God. A crossroad on my journey to eternal life is exposed, and so often one way seems to go round in a circle and I find myself back to that point, the same crossroad, in my journey once again. 

I often think about Peter’s response to Jesus in John 6:68, “Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life””. That was the message for Nicodemus and he had a choice about what he was going to do with the words that he heard. At the crossroads we all experience, perhaps we cry out that the way God wants us to take is too hard. But God is in no hurry and, as He did with the Israelite slaves in the wilderness, patiently leads and guides us to the promised land. Moses set before the Israelites a spiritual T-junction, as we read in Deuteronomy 30:19, “I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!” We have a part to play for our future – life and blessings, or death and curses. What choice will we make today, I wonder?

Dear Father God. Please help us to make the right choices in life, no matter what it costs. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Blowing in the Wind

Posted on by korgrocker

“Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.””
John 3:5-8 NLT

Jesus was a Master at using everyday objects and events to explain spiritual truths. His explanation of new birth to Nicodemus starts off all very logical. He said, “Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life”. A natural life, and a spiritual life. Both within each person who has been created in God’s image. But then Jesus uses the analogy of the wind to explain that there is a mystery about being born of the Spirit. 

In the last week or so there has been a lot of wind in Scotland. Several storms have crossed the country, wreaking havoc in their path. Trees downed, slates and tiles blown off roofs. Travel arrangements disrupted. And everyone has been aware of the noise generated by the flow of air around buildings and trees. In fact any solid object above ground has felt the effects of the wind. Jesus explained to Nicodemus that the wind can be heard but not seen. The wind is a continuous entity with no beginning and end. No-one knows where it starts or finishes. Of course we can see or feel the impact of the wind. A piece of paper blows down the road. A tree sways backwards and forwards, perhaps creaking or rubbing against its fellows. When driving over an exposed section of road we can feel the gusts tugging at the steering wheel. Trying to walk or cycle against the wind is well nigh impossible sometimes. 

When applied to the Holy Spirit and His work, the analogy of wind fits very well. We cannot see the Holy Spirit but we can see the impact He makes on the people in whom He is working. Lives changed. Prophecies forthcoming. Even miracles and God-induced events. And our spiritual birth comes about by the Holy Spirit working in our lives. In John 16:8 we read, “And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment“. That’s the wind of the Spirit blowing through the world. Sometimes He brings a storm and revival breaks out. At other times He gently blows through receptive hearts bringing change and a touch from God. But like the wind, we can’t see it directly. But we see the effects. So do we pilgrims look a bit wind-blown today? If not, then we only have to ask the Holy Spirit to come.

Father God. We pray for the wind of Your Spirit to blow away every cobweb in our hearts and lives, leaving us pure and presentable to You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Reproduction

Posted on by korgrocker

“Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?” Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life”.
John 3:3-6 NLT

Nicodemus just didn’t get what Jesus was saying. The concept of spiritual birth was beyond his comprehension. So he made the contemptuous and sarcastic statement about repeating his physical birth in all its natural ways. But Jesus responded with two interesting facts about God’s Kingdom – the entrance qualifications are that someone has to be born both physically and spiritually. If either requirement is missing then membership of the Kingdom of God is not possible. Jesus said that a person has to be born by the natural process created by God – “Now Adam had sexual relations with his wife, Eve, and she became pregnant. When she gave birth to Cain, she said, “With the Lord’s help, I have produced a man!”“ (Genesis 4:1). But then Jesus said there was another birth through the Holy Spirit that gives birth to a spiritual person. This process happens as described by Paul in Ephesians 2:8-9, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it“. Paul also told the Corinthian church in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!“

We humans are both spiritual and natural beings. To be a citizen of the Kingdom of God, we have to fulfil both the entrance qualifications, and this is only possible while we are alive. A person who hasn’t yet been born can’t apply to be a member of God’s Kingdom and neither can someone who has died. We have a relatively short opportunity to be obedient to God’s call in our natural lives. Once they have passed it is too late to apply. The Apostle Peter succinctly set out the application process in Acts 2:38-39, verses that are heavily underlined in my Bible. “Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away—all who have been called by the Lord our God”. 

We pilgrims heard the “call”. We received the “gift of the Holy Spirit” when we were saved, when we made that momentous decision to follow Jesus for the rest of our lives. And through that Gift we were born again, spiritually,  into God’s Kingdom. A simple process on the face of it, but so profound. And so important because, unlike our natural citizenship to our countries into which we were born or adopted, the Kingdom of God is an everlasting Kingdom that will never end. And so when our natural bodies die we live on spiritually. John 3:36, “And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment“. 

The people in this world have a stark choice, and doing nothing, deferring a decision, is not an option. We can choose to be born spiritually in God’s Kingdom or we can turn our backs on the most important choice we will ever make in this life. We need to propagate that message at every opportunity. It’s very serious!

Dear Father God. You created us in Your image, and we have a “hole” within us that only You can fill. Thank You that You care for us. Amen.

Kingdom of God

Posted on by korgrocker

“After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.” Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.””
John 3:2-3 NLT

In a recent post (“Child of God“) we considered the apparently contentious concept of being “born again”. John mentioned it in John 1:13, “They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God“. But here we have a late night conversation between a Pharisee called Nicodemus and Jesus. Nicodemus starts off with a complement, but Jesus cuts through the fluffiness with a response that blows Nicodemus away. Jesus said that there was only one way to “see the Kingdom of God” and that was by being born again. 

The concept of the Kingdom of God was something very familiar to the Jewish nation. They were waiting for the arrival of the Messiah who they expected would establish a Jewish kingdom on earth with God as their King. They had read the prophecies in the Old Testament. We too can read them, for example, Daniel 2:44, “During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed or conquered. It will crush all these kingdoms into nothingness, and it will stand forever“. Such prophecy fuelled the expectation of the Jews but here they were under the yoke of a cruel occupying nation, the Romans. Their expectation of a physical Kingdom of God seemed a long way off, and we know that Jesus came to bring a different Kingdom, a spiritual Kingdom, membership of which entailed the process of being “born again”. We know that the state of Israel was finally established in 1948, a physical kingdom at last, but one day it will be the centre of the spiritual Kingdom of God. 

So we fast forward to 21st Century Planet Earth. What does this “Kingdom of God” mean to us pilgrims? Although we would love to see God rule and reign over His creation in a physical way, it is the spiritual Kingdom that we have the opportunity to be a part of. This is a Kingdom where God rules and reigns over the people who are within it – including us pilgrims. So the implication is that all those who have rejected God, (the default position of mankind), will not be able to be a part of this God-Kingdom. But we who have read to the end of the Book know that Jesus came the first time to establish the spiritual Kingdom, and will come a second time to establish the physical Kingdom. 

As we follow the discourse between Nicodemus and Jesus, we find some time-honoured truths that are life changing. Truths that have divided the church. But right at the heart of the issue of citizenship of the Kingdom of God is being “born again”. God cannot have anyone in His Kingdom who does not want that spiritual relationship with Him. So we reach out to our Heavenly Father today, assured of our salvation, basking in His love and grace. There is no better place to be.

Heavenly Father. We worship You this day and every day. Amen.

Nicodemus

Posted on by korgrocker

“There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.””
John 3:1-2 NLT

A Jewish leader, a Pharisee called Nicodemus, emerges in the account in John, and we can read an important conversation between him and Jesus. Nicodemus emerges again in various places in John’s Gospel, but through it all he seemed to be a man who probably became a disciple of Jesus, albeit secretly.

The Pharisees were legalists who believed that their salvation could be attained by following the Law, every jot and tittle of it, and including all the additional rules and regulations the Jewish rabbis had developed over the years since Moses gave them the tablets of stone. So why would Nicodemus want to talk to this itinerant preacher called Jesus? After all His ministry was a threat to the cosy club the Pharisees had built for themselves. But Nicodemus had observed the teaching and miracles of Jesus and something stirred within him.  Could this man really be the Messiah the Jews had been waiting for? Perhaps he thought he would go and find out secretly, one to one with Jesus.

He probably did well to find Jesus available for the conversation, and he started respectfully by acknowledging Jesus was a rabbi, and that God had sent Him to teach the people. The miracles, he said, were the evidence needed to endorse Jesus’ ministry. But what was he hoping to gain from the conversation? Perhaps he was hoping that his position of being a leader in the Jewish faith would be endorsed and that he would find special favour. Or perhaps he just wanted to know more about Jesus and His background and faith so that he could gain some insight into Jesus’ future ministry and who He really was.

There are many today who would like to know more about Jesus. People have vague ideas about who Jesus was, perhaps gained from nativity scenes or memories of childhood Sunday school lessons. Perhaps they have puzzled over the liturgies in Christian marriage and funeral ceremonies. As an aside, I can remember at my daughter’s wedding one of the guests, a niece of my wife’s, asked why the minister kept mentioning Jesus in the service. Some people have preconceived ideas about Jesus perhaps fuelled by negative press reports about an errant priest or off the wall sect. But whatever the occasion, the devil has come along and has snatched away any curious thoughts about Jesus. 

What a tragedy that the Son of God Himself should be marginalised and forgotten about. Or reduced to a swear word in a conversation. But we pilgrims know differently. We have heard the Voice of God and have responded on our knees in repentance. We have worshipped the God-Man Jesus, acknowledging who He is and all that he has done for us. Like Nicodemus, there was probably a day when curiosity blossomed into our faith in Jesus. We don’t know what really happened in Nicodemus’ life later on but we know what will happen in ours. That’s all that matters. And from that faith, we tell others, introducing them to Jesus.

Dear Lord Jesus. Once again we thank You for coming to this errant world, riven by evil and sin. But You were, and are, the answer. We worship You today. Amen.