Jesus meets Nicodemus, one of the leaders of the Sanhedrin in the middle of the night, after Nicodemus seeks Jesus out to talk to Him about His intentions in ministry. However, Jesus takes the conversation in a direction Nicodemus never saw coming. Rather than engaging in a discussion about HIs intended ministry, Jesus speaks directly to Nicodemus about what it takes to enter into the Kingdom of God. Instead of discussing life on earth, Jesus moves the conversation to the eternal saying. "I say to you (not to others, but you in particular), except a person is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. In this short encounter Jesus reveals HIs ministry. It was not to refute other teachers and students. It was to direct everyone's attention to their eternal destination, something rarely considered in religious circles at that time. Nicodemus' reaction says it all when he asked in return, "How can a person be person be born when they are already old? Can they enter their mother's womb a second time and be born [anew]? The question of what does it mean to be born again caught Nicodemus off guard and has mystified people ever since.
The question, how is a person born again, leads us to the most oft quoted verse in the Bible - John 3.16. Jesus message to Nicodemus was are you considering this finite life on earth or eternity? If your concern is eternity, you need to be born eternally by believing on HIm whom God has sent. Jesus, the Messiah. |
