Thursday, August 21, 2014

John 3:1-15

¹ Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. ² He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”³ Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”⁴ “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”⁵ Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. ⁶ Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. ⁷You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’⁸ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”⁹ “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.¹⁰ “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things?

 ¹¹Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. ¹²I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? ¹³ No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.¹⁴ Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, ¹⁵ that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

Reflection

This is the first time we see the Pharisee Nicodemus. Nicodemus comes to Jesus in the night to question Jesus about being “born again.” He is the complete opposite of the sinners and tax collectors we saw Jesus meeting with in our other Scriptures. But from this one interaction with Jesus Nicodemus is completely changed. The two other times we see Nicodemus in the gospel is when he stands up for Jesus amongst the other Pharisees and when he is present at Jesus’ burial. Just one encounter with Jesus Christ changed Nicodemus’ life forever. If we live lives that reflect the love of Jesus Christ we can change lives like

Nicodemus’. This is because the people that we are inintentional relationships with will see the love of Jesus Christ in us. How do you think you can show the love of Jesus in your life?