He was a gentleman. A gentleman and a scholar. He was also a very well respected man in the community, and one of the elders in the local synagogue. One would surely think that such a man as he was, he would certainly have an immediate pass into heaven when it was his time to die. Yet that evening as he sat and talked with the local itinerant preacher, he was told that this was not the case. He was missing the most important thing, in fact, the only thing that would bring him to God. Our Scripture passage from the third chapter of the Gospel of John will tell us what is necessary in order to get to heaven.
The gentleman we read about in John’s Gospel is Nicodemus. He was a prominent Pharisee, a group who represented the Orthodox core of Judaism at the time of Jesus. They strictly adhered to the religious law, and even more so, to their man-made religious traditions. Nicodemus was also a member of the Sanhedrin, which was the Jewish ruling council at the time. He had heard about Jesus, as most people in the Jerusalem area had, and probably even personally heard Him speak, and he wanted to know more about His message. Nicodemus came to talk to Jesus at night (vs. 2), since He was quickly gaining a bad reputation among the Pharisees, and he would not want to be seen associating with Him. Nicodemus was interested, but did not want to tarnish his good reputation. Are you afraid to openly proclaim Jesus as your Savior because of what others may think? That is a terrible mistake.
That evening, Nicodemus started his conversation with some general philosophical comments. However, Jesus did not get wrapped up in philosophical questions (vs. 3). He immediately came to the core of the matter. Nicodemus needed to be saved. If he didn’t, he could not see the kingdom of God. Jesus does not mince any words here. Nicodemus, you, me, we all need to be born again in order to get to heaven. Nicodemus was a very moral, very good man. We all know people like that, who are stalwart members of our churches and community. Yet, Jesus said that this was not good enough. He had to be born again. What does that mean? It is to believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross to provide forgiveness of our sins. It is to accept that He is the only One who can redeem us, and to confess Him as our Savior (Romans 10:9).
Verse 14 gave a veiled prediction of Jesus’s death on the cross. This is a reference to Numbers 21:5-9. Poisonous snakes had bitten the people, and Moses made a bronze snake, putting it upon a pole. Those bitten could look and be healed. In this passage we are told to look to Jesus on the cross and be saved from the sin-sickness that has ravaged all of us. Those who face the penalty of spiritual and eternal death, which is all of us, can look upon Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and receive eternal life.
In verses 15 and 16 we read the word “whoever”. This destroys the belief in predestination, that some are predestined to be saved and others predestined to be lost. “Whoever” means no one is excluded from being lost, and no one is excluded from being able to come and be saved. We all fall into the category of being a “whoever”. Anyone can come to Jesus and be saved. No one is excluded. We just need to do it.
God the Father gave His unique and beloved Son to die on behalf of sinful men (vs. 16). To “believe” as mentioned in this verse, is more than just intellectual agreement that Jesus lived, or even believing that He is the Son of God. It means to put our trust and confidence in Jesus, that He, and He alone, can save us. God didn’t save us because He owed us anything, or because of any inherent good within us. It was because of His all-surpassing love for us.
It is wonderful news that God gave His Son for us, to bring salvation. However the important factor is that we all must personally accept His gift of salvation. Up until that moment, no matter how good he was, Nicodemus was lost. One must personally believe and accept Jesus. Jesus came to save, but those who reject Him will be condemned (vs. 18).
Fortunately for Nicodemus, he did accept Jesus as the Messiah and his personal Savior. He was searching, and he came to Jesus. No matter how intelligent and well-educated we may be, we must come to Jesus with an open heart and mind. Only Jesus can teach us about God. Nicodemus eventually came to believe in Jesus (John 7:50-52), and he even risked his own life and reputation by helping to give the Savior’s body a decent burial (John 19:38-42). Nicodemus relinquished his worry about his reputation, and he became a “whoever”. What about you? Whoever believes in Jesus will not perish, but have everlasting life.
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