John 3:1-21
Jesus Teaches Nicodemus
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.
Nicodemus was a member of the Jewish ruling council and wanted to meet Jesus...He came to Jesus one night and believes that He was sent by God...Nicodemus says no one could be walking around teaching about God as He did, and perform the miracles He was performing, if He were not given this power by God...And Nicodemus had questions for Jesus and wanted to hear how He would answer them...
Nicodemus said Rabbi in his dialogue with Jesus: We know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with Him...Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God."...Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old?...Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"....Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God...That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit...Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'...
Nicodemus, like many of us, see most things from an earthly view and our flesh hinders our views of eternal life and the Spiritual...It is the only view most of us know...But Jesus sees the Spiritual View and knows that God is Spirit, and we must worship Him in Spirit and Truth...God is Spiritual and we need to see this as Jesus continues speaking in His Great Wisdom about the Spiritual...The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes...So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit...Nicodemus said to Him, "How can these things be?"...Jesus answered him, "Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?...Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony...If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?...
Spirituality is a part of us that makes us feel or that are touched by God and is the part of us that relates to God...Spirituality is that part of us or that part in us of being concerned with the human spirit and soul...While we only touch on it ever so lightly, Jesus knows and speaks of our Spirituality, and Spirituality in Great Depth...I, too, like Nicodemus wonder how can this be...
The Spirituality of God, is very much linked to love and the verse that God is LOVE ties to God is Spirit...We can see his as Nicodemus and Jesus continue their conversation and Scripture says God so LOVES the world, that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life...For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved...God would demonstrate His LOVE through His Only Begotten Son, and through Him, all mankind is offered salvation...Salvation is found in no other name...Salvation is found only in Jesus...