There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a Jewish leader. He came to Jesus at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could do these miraculous signs that you do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered, “I assure you, unless someone is born anew, it’s not possible to see God’s kingdom.” Nicodemus asked, “How is it possible for an adult to be born? It’s impossible to enter the mother’s womb for a second time and be born, isn’t it?” Jesus answered, “I assure you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, it’s not possible to enter God’s kingdom. Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. Don’t be surprised that I said to you, ‘You must be born anew.’ God’s Spirit blows wherever it wishes. You hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. It’s the same with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus said, “How are these things possible?” “Jesus answered, “You are a teacher of Israel and you don’t know these things? I assure you that we speak about what we know and testify about what we have seen, but you don’t receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has gone up to heaven except the one who came down from heaven, the Human One. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so must the Human One be lifted up so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him won’t perish but will have eternal life. God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him. (John 3:1-17, CEB)
Nicodemus gets a bad rap. We see him as a religious leader coming to trick Jesus here, but is that what is happening?
Nicodemus came to Jesus at night because he did not want to be seen by others. Darkness is where we go when we want to hide things from those around us. And Nicodemus asks Jesus how it is possible for a person to be born again after being an adult, after Jesus tells him that everyone must be born from above.
Jesus then says unless a person is born of water and of the Spirit, they can not enter the kingdom of heaven. And this has been taken to mean one must be baptized to enter the kingdom. If that is the case, what about the disciples? We have no written record of them being baptized. Or the thief on the cross who was told by Jesus he would be with him in paradise. So not baptism. Here is the thing. Every person is born of water. Lots of water is present at birth. So you are born of water, and then you must be born of Spirit. Which happens when the Spirit says it happens. So our ceremonies are ways of showing what God has done.
And here is the thing about Nic. Nic comes under darkness here, but later in John, Nic is speaking publicly in favor of Jesus, and at the end, he is seen taking Jesus’ body off the cross and helping prepare him for burial. Nic progresses from wondering to following.
Does your wondering lead to following?
aSacredRebel 