Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin, who in his first encounter with Jesus, came to Him in secret during the night. He was a Jew and a highly respected teacher of the Old Testament and feared criticism from the other members of the Sanhedrin. Nicodemus is mentioned three times, all in the book of John. John's passages concerning Nicodemus reveal that those who reject Christ as their Savior are missing the joy and peace of knowing their sins are totally forgiven when they die and will be in the comfort of our Heavenly Father. Imagine though, being Nicodemus and having our Lord tell you that all your accomplishments, wealth, and notoriety are not good enough to get you into Heaven. Unlike his counter parts, Nicodemus must have been under conviction after listening to Jesus' teachings. He must not have been able to just simply walk away, but rather had some strong desire deep within him to listen to Jesus' Divine Authority in which He speaks and heals. So the question is, was Nicodemus saved?
John 3:7-8 "Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the spirit." When Jesus says to "marvel not", He means do not dwell on how this new birth transfigures. He explains to Nicodemus that the wind blows where it wishes and we hear it but cannot tell where it came from. The same is true when receiving the Holy Spirit.
3 implications to Jewish culture concerning "new birth".
1.) It undercuts their dependence on being sons of Abraham.
2.) It reveals there must be a work of God, since the Jews considered children(new births) to be God's blessing.
3.) It teaches the necessity of a new beginning.
The three passages concerning Nicodemus, John seems to focus on his spiritual progression. Nicodemus' first encounter with Jesus, he is confused on being "born again" that our Savior speaks of. Jesus was probably not impressed with the depth of his faith in Him. At this point, Nicodemus accepted Jesus as a great teacher and wasn't quite ready to believe in Jesus' Divine Authority. Nicodemus had to hear the Word being taught to him and later as we will see, the convictions seem to be steadily growing. Jesus explained to him that being "born again" was not a physical birth, but rather a spiritual birth.
John 7:32-51 In these passages we find Nicodemus in his official title as a member of the Sanhedrin. The Pharisees had sent some of the temple guards to arrest Jesus, but "no man laid hands on him". At this point, we still do not know if Nicodemus believes in Jesus' Divinity or not. He says to the other members, "Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?" So, is it out of conviction that Nicodemus convinces the others that they should not condemn Jesus until after they had heard from Him?
John 19:38-39 In this passage we find the last time Nicodemus is mentioned in the book of John. Joseph of Arimathea, who was a secrete disciple of Jesus and who was also a member of the council, asks for Jesus' body for the preparing of His burial. There are some debate as to whether Nicodemus was a true believer at this point. Nicodemus, like Joseph of Arimathea, could have kept his discipleship secrete. In any case, Nicodemus was with Joseph preparing the burial of Christ. Its also worth noting that Nicodemus brought 75 pounds of spices, which is rather significant if he thought Jesus was just a great teacher.
Looking back at the passages of Nicodemus, it would seem that he went through some sort of change in himself. After listening to Jesus teach, he could have went through some strong convictions in his heart. The bible doesn't give us a clear indication of Nicodemus' faith. Many church leaders believe that by the time of Jesus' burial, Nicodemus was a born again Christian. Believers in Nicodemus' faith point to how he responds to Jesus' teachings. With respect. He doesn't try to corner Jesus, trying to make Him out to be a fraud, in which many unbelievers always tried to do. Also, we can't exclude Nicodemus defending Jesus at one point while others were condemning Him. The scene at the burial could be portrayed as two brothers in Christ mourning over the loss(temporarily) of their Savior. Do the passages about Nicodemus describe a person with a genuine saving faith or do they describe someone not having enough faith to bring them in need of a true Savior?
John 3:7-8 "Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the spirit." When Jesus says to "marvel not", He means do not dwell on how this new birth transfigures. He explains to Nicodemus that the wind blows where it wishes and we hear it but cannot tell where it came from. The same is true when receiving the Holy Spirit.
3 implications to Jewish culture concerning "new birth".
1.) It undercuts their dependence on being sons of Abraham.
2.) It reveals there must be a work of God, since the Jews considered children(new births) to be God's blessing.
3.) It teaches the necessity of a new beginning.
The three passages concerning Nicodemus, John seems to focus on his spiritual progression. Nicodemus' first encounter with Jesus, he is confused on being "born again" that our Savior speaks of. Jesus was probably not impressed with the depth of his faith in Him. At this point, Nicodemus accepted Jesus as a great teacher and wasn't quite ready to believe in Jesus' Divine Authority. Nicodemus had to hear the Word being taught to him and later as we will see, the convictions seem to be steadily growing. Jesus explained to him that being "born again" was not a physical birth, but rather a spiritual birth.
John 7:32-51 In these passages we find Nicodemus in his official title as a member of the Sanhedrin. The Pharisees had sent some of the temple guards to arrest Jesus, but "no man laid hands on him". At this point, we still do not know if Nicodemus believes in Jesus' Divinity or not. He says to the other members, "Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?" So, is it out of conviction that Nicodemus convinces the others that they should not condemn Jesus until after they had heard from Him?
John 19:38-39 In this passage we find the last time Nicodemus is mentioned in the book of John. Joseph of Arimathea, who was a secrete disciple of Jesus and who was also a member of the council, asks for Jesus' body for the preparing of His burial. There are some debate as to whether Nicodemus was a true believer at this point. Nicodemus, like Joseph of Arimathea, could have kept his discipleship secrete. In any case, Nicodemus was with Joseph preparing the burial of Christ. Its also worth noting that Nicodemus brought 75 pounds of spices, which is rather significant if he thought Jesus was just a great teacher.
Looking back at the passages of Nicodemus, it would seem that he went through some sort of change in himself. After listening to Jesus teach, he could have went through some strong convictions in his heart. The bible doesn't give us a clear indication of Nicodemus' faith. Many church leaders believe that by the time of Jesus' burial, Nicodemus was a born again Christian. Believers in Nicodemus' faith point to how he responds to Jesus' teachings. With respect. He doesn't try to corner Jesus, trying to make Him out to be a fraud, in which many unbelievers always tried to do. Also, we can't exclude Nicodemus defending Jesus at one point while others were condemning Him. The scene at the burial could be portrayed as two brothers in Christ mourning over the loss(temporarily) of their Savior. Do the passages about Nicodemus describe a person with a genuine saving faith or do they describe someone not having enough faith to bring them in need of a true Savior?
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