Nicodemus

Most of us have heard of Nicodemus, the Pharisee who visits Jesus by night. He comes to Jesus because, as he says, he knows that no-one could do what Jesus has been doing if he had not come from God (John 3:2).

Nicodemus might be coming secretly to Jesus because he is wary of the opinion of his fellow Pharisees, but he cannot accept their scorn for Jesus. Nicodemus has seen Jesus in action and he is determined to find out for himself who Jesus truly is.

He addresses Jesus respectfully as ‘Rabbi’. He recognises the hand of God upon Jesus. He is determined to know more.

Jesus, in return, speaks to Nicodemus with real respect. This man is a scholar of the Scriptures. And so, Jesus takes him straight to those Scriptures with which he is familiar.   And, as He does, He reminds Nicodemus of what the Scriptures have to say. Then He explains them. I think that one of those passages Jesus has in mind is the passage I have quoted above, from Ezekiel 36: ‘I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws’. What Jesus has come to do has been in the Scriptures all along.

Jesus explains it to Nicodemus. We see the wind blowing. We see the trees being tossed around by a gale; mountainous waves stirred up in a storm. We are aware of the gentlest breeze touching the leaves of the tree, but we can’t actually see ‘wind’! We see its effects and we know it’s real. It’s like that with God.

We all see the miracle of new birth as a tiny baby comes into the world. Where does that new life come from? How can a tiny egg become a living being? This is a miracle of God imparting life, imparting human spirit in a physical body.

And, says Jesus, the same thing can happen spiritually. It’s a miracle. As we turn to God, seeking Him, turning to Him, turning to Him in faith and in repentance, God’s Spirit imparts new spiritual life within us. Just as the Israelites in the desert looked in faith to the serpent on the pole made by Moses, so we now can look to Jesus in faith, trusting in His way made for us to come back to God through His death on the cross (John 3:14-15).