“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believe in him, should not perish but ever lasting life” (John 3:16). We’ve all heard the verse as it’s one of the most popular verses in all of scripture. What sometimes we fail to remember is the incredible conversation that Jesus was having with a Pharisee named Nicodemus. With being a Pharisee, Nicodemus knew the scriptures well, better than most in day; yet still wasn’t sure what it meant to be born again! For myself as a Christian leader, it warms my spirit to know that the divinity and deity of Christ was magnified to a level where Nicodemus had no choice but to utter the words “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.” (v.2). These simple words show us the power of God magnified even with those that had skepticism like Nicodemus. I believe he came during the night hours because he as a leader in the Jewish community,  didn’t want to be seen or associated with this man who he didn’t know much about besides being sent from God.

Nicodemus’s curiosity grew when Jesus’s answered “you must be born again” in response to how one should inherit the kingdom of God. This idea of being “born again” of course doesn’t have to do with being physically born again from your mothers womb but instead be spiritually born again through a changed spirit. Jesus then explains his purpose of coming with of course the famous “John 3:16” passage followed by the verse that I mentioned in my sermon yesterday of “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:17). This passage is important because in a world where Christians are deemed as “intolerant” or “hypocritical by constant condemning”, we can be assured that those things are the opposite purposes and reasons for Jesus’ coming to earth. John later closes the passage with testifying the truth of these things of Christ’s name being uplifted.