Our next theme, “Salvation, Forgiveness, and New Life,” is off to a fantastic start with these verses from John’s gospel. We’ll be seeking a greater understanding of what these mean according to our faith. Just like Nicodemus, we seek truth, and he went right to the source, Jesus. Seeking Jesus would not have been a popular choice for someone in his position, so he had to hide in the darkness of night.
Can you imagine having an audience with Jesus himself! What questions would you ask him? As a religious leader, Nicodemus would have had some “deep” faith questions. I just love that he felt moved to approach Jesus with an openness to learn. We can glean a lot from his example.
When it comes to our salvation, that is, our rescue from sin, Jesus’ answer may seem hard to understand. For us, being saved means we can see the Kingdom of God, but we must be born again (or born from above). Imagine how preposterous this sounded to Nicodemus! It’s not the easiest thing for us to wrap our heads around either. It’s not like we can crawl back into our mother’s wombs once we’re grown. But Jesus encouraged Nicodemus to think outside the box to understand how rebirth was possible.
It can’t happen without Jesus. Did you notice Jesus started referring to himself as the Son of Man? Jesus also referenced a story that would have been familiar to Nicodemus about Moses and the serpent. In case you don’t remember that story, you can read it here in Numbers 21:4-9. Just as the bronze snake kept the people from dying, Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross keeps us from dying to sin by our salvation and forgiveness of sins. As Jesus said about himself, “everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.” Not everyone believes, but don’t you think they should?
The most memorized verse in the Bible is John 3:16. We are reminded how much God loves us. “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” Nicodemus’s head must have been spinning. These were certainly new ideas for a Jewish leader of that time. To think, God did all of this for us, too.
When we reflect on our own salvation and Jesus’ promise of eternal life, we can’t help but think of “judgment day.” People always picture possible rejection at the pearly gates or standing before a judge to account for our lives. Some people live their lives as if judgment day doesn’t matter. Either they are Christians and know Jesus has already taken our place before God or we’re lost in sin and in denial about God. This verse makes it clear that what we believe is key. “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.” What a relief to know our place is secure. That is truly a great act of forgiveness.
It’s all about the light of Jesus. Are you seeking the light or dwelling in darkness? Being familiar with both the dark and the light helps us appreciate the light even more. If Jesus is our guiding light, we need only follow Jesus, and he’ll show us the way. Jesus said in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” Are you walking in the light, ready for your new life in Christ?
Let’s pray. Father, thank you for loving me so much that you sent Jesus to redeem the world. I am so grateful for what Jesus has done for me to secure me a place in your Kingdom. Forgive me when I am tempted by the darkness that tries to surround me. Cleanse my heart and make me clean. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
