Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a respected teacher of Israel, and a member of the Sanhedrin, the ruling council of the Jewish people. He and others seem to have realized that Jesus was either a prophet or the promised Messiah. Wanting answers to his questions, Nicodemus came to Jesus at night, away from the crowds and away from the attention that might complicate his political and religious life.
Nicodemus came expecting a religious discussion. Like many people, he wanted to know what he needed to do to please God and inherit eternal life. He appears to have been looking for a list of laws to keep or religious duties to perform. Jesus surprised him by taking the conversation in an entirely different direction.
Jesus told Nicodemus:
“Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)
Nicodemus misunderstood. He thought Jesus meant being physically born a second time. Jesus explained that He meant being “born of water and the Spirit.” People do not accomplish this new birth for themselves. It is God’s work. Through the Holy Spirit, God gives a new birth from above and creates faith that trusts His promises. Christians have traditionally understood Jesus’ words as a reference to Holy Baptism.
Jesus then taught Nicodemus the heart of the Gospel. Salvation is not something we earn. Born according to the flesh, we cannot save ourselves or make ourselves pleasing to God. Instead, God the Father loved the world and sent His Son to save it. God the Son offered His life on the cross for our salvation. God the Holy Spirit brings us to faith and gives us new life. The whole work of salvation belongs to God from beginning to end.
To explain this, Jesus reminded Nicodemus of an event from Israel’s history. When poisonous snakes afflicted the Israelites in the wilderness, God instructed Moses to raise a bronze serpent on a pole. Those who looked upon it, trusting God’s promise, lived. In the same way, Jesus would be lifted up on the cross so that everyone who looks to Him in faith would receive eternal life.
During this conversation, Jesus spoke what has become one of the most famous passages in all of Scripture:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
Martin Luther called John 3:16 “the Gospel in miniature.” In a single verse, God tells us why He sent His Son and what He has accomplished for us. Salvation comes not because we deserve it, but because God loves the world.
We hear about Nicodemus two more times in John’s Gospel. First, he speaks up when other members of the Sanhedrin wish to condemn Jesus without a hearing. Then, after the crucifixion, he joins Joseph of Arimathea in giving Jesus an honorable burial. The man who first came at night seems to be moving steadily into the light.
After the resurrection, the Bible says no more about Nicodemus. Early Christian tradition, however, remembered him as a believer in Christ and preserved accounts of his later life among the disciples. While Scripture does not verify those traditions, they fit well with the picture John paints of a man whose faith grew quietly but steadily.
The story of Nicodemus reminds us that Christianity is not about finding the right set of rules. Nicodemus already knew God’s Law. What he needed was what all of us need: a Savior. Jesus came into the world not to condemn the world, but to save it. Because salvation is God’s work, not ours, we can be confident in His promises. Through faith in Christ, we belong to God’s kingdom and will live with Him forever.
Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: What Does This Mean?
The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack
Rev. Robert E. Smith
Pastor Emeritus
Fort Wayne, Indiana
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