John 3:1-21
Nicodemus Questions Jesus
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. 7 You 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? 11 Very 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. 12 I 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.”
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.
The Pharisee Nicodemus had a barrage of questions for Jesus...And he was a curious one...Nicodemus knew that Jesus is special and has great wisdom and knew much about God...So Nicodemus wanted to know more of what Jesus knew and knows...And Nicodemus did not seem like a Pharisee who opposed Jesus...Nicodemus recognizes that Jesus was a Teacher from God...He seems to come to Jesus in a faith, that is more backed by the signs and miracles that He has done...He wants to learn more about this Teacher and Man…So he ask his questions...But as Nicodemus asks his questions, it seems that his lacking knowledge and his questions get so deep about God and the Kingdom of God, he became more confused...And Nicodemus was a smart man...He was one of the teachers of the law, that knew the Old Testament Scripture very well...So he knew much about the Bible...And I might have thought other Pharisees would have came to Jesus or with Nicodemus and would have had questions for Him and His seemingly closeness to God and His knowledge of God and God’s Kingdom.
Sometimes our questions can be deep...And even a good simple-type question that you think you would and should understand, cannot be understood by the one who ask the question...Nicodemus has found this out...He particularly found it out when the subject of being born again is discussed with Jesus...
Nicodemus who knew Scripture very well, still did not know many things in the Old Testament, or at least what he was asking Jesus...The point is none of us completely know and completely understand the Bible or Jesus...We all have questions, like what is eternity like?...What is heaven like?...Why is Jesus the only was to You?...Or what does Jesus mean when He says He and the Father are One?...
Having questions is not necessarily doubt...I think Nicodemus learned much about Jesus with his questions...Jesus answered these questions like He very much knows God...It is possible if we heard the answer or answers from Jesus or God to some of our questions about them, we would not understand them, much like Nicodemus...Let us learn from the different questions asked to Jesus by others that were ask in the four gospels...