THINK TOGETHER.
What questions do you have about Jesus?
READ TOGETHER.
John 3:1-3. 1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Maybe the title of this devotion should be The NIGHT Jesus Met Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a Pharisee. Do you know wo the Pharisees were? They were a pretty big deal back in Jesus’ day. They were smart, educated, powerful, and holy. Or at least they thought they were holy. They obeyed all the rules in the Bible and even made up extra rules that aren’t even in the Bible. The Pharisees were both the religious and political rulers of the Jewish people. They controlled the Temple in Jerusalem and they controlled the people with all their rules and regulations. Often the Pharisees were very proud, and self-righteous. That means that they thought they could be good enough to get to Heaven on their own. And Nicodemus? Well, he was one of the top Pharisees.
Yesterday, we read the story of Jesus going to the Temple in Jerusalem and getting very angry. Do you remember what Jesus did in the Temple? That’s right, he stopped the Jews from selling animals in the spot where the Gentiles were allowed to worship. And he called the Temple “my Father’s house.” Jesus has also done some pretty big miracles too, including healing people and casting out demons from people.
Most of the Pharisees are mad at Jesus (you would be too if someone wrecked your church), but Nicodemus is more curious than mad. He’s also scared. That’s why he goes to Jesus at night. He doesn’t want the other Pharisees to know that he is talking to Jesus. But it’s not WHEN or WHERE they meet that’s important, it’s WHAT Jesus says to Nicodemus that is the most important part of this story – unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Born again? That’s exactly what Nicodemus said. How can a person be born twice? But Jesus didn’t mean that we are born again physically as a little baby. He meant that we need to be born again spiritually, by faith in Jesus.
This message was really hard for Nicodemus to understand. He thought that he was going to get into the Kingdom of God by being so good. Nicodemus thought that he obeyed all of God’s laws, and so he deserved to get into Heaven. But Jesus is saying that no one is good enough to earn their way into Heaven. The only way to Heaven is to be born again by God. That is, we have to be given a brand new life from God as a gift, not as a reward for being good.
Are you born again? You probably don’t remember your first birth, but you didn’t do anything to deserve being born, did you? The same is true for being born again. We don’t deserve it. We simply trust that God will do it through our trusting that Jesus died for us on the cross.
Because of Jesus we can be born again.
With Jesus we can live like we are God’s children, because we are!
DO SOMETHING TOGETHER
Read and memorize John 3:16 together from this same passage.
PRAY TOGETHER
Jesus, I can be born again a second time because of you. A whole new life forever with God! Amen.
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