WATCHWORD:
1 There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. 2 After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.” 3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” 4 “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?” 5 Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. John 3:1-6
Meditation:
Undercover Christian?
Ever soft-peddle your faith? You know, your asked to say grace and you revert back to a familiar children’s prayer, like “Johnny Appleseed” or perhaps “God is great and God is good and we thank him for our food”, rather than letting your faith take the lead and you pray your heart? After all, who would know?
Or how about this: When is your Spiritual Birthday? We all have one, you know. That day, some know as the time they were ‘born again’, the day we know, with conviction, that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior. Would anyone know? Who are you showing your are in your world?
The story of Nicodemus is an interesting one. Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin was the governing body, made up of Pharisees and Sadducees, who were notorious for not getting along, for disagreeing on specifics of the Holy Writ, such as the Resurrection.
In addition to being a Pharisee, Nicodemus was a rabbi, a teacher of the law. Many rabbis continued teaching long into the night, which may explain why he approached Jesus at night, or he simply did not want to be seen.
Some Biblical scholars think that Nicodemus was representing a number of Pharisees who were secret supporters of Jesus, who were fearful of being so identified. Nicodemus, on the other hand, was unafraid of defending Jesus, to a degree, at various times.
From what we know of this Pharisee, from his night-time encounter with Jesus, to his role with Joseph of Arimathea in claiming the body of Jesus on Calvary, we see a picture of a man in the process of being born again. The scriptures do not continue the story Nicodemus, but it would not be hard to imagine his reaction to the Resurrection. I would think that would seal the deal for him, and he would experience his Spiritual Birth.
How about you? Can you narrow down the year, month, day of your Spiritual Birth? When you are a ‘preacher’s kid’, like me, it gets a little fuzzy. But, one thing I know, Christ became key in my life as an adult, probably age 40 or so. It was about that age when I was led to the Lord and experienced the classic born again “high” that signified Christ truly entering my mind and heart.To be sure, the evidence of a born-again life is played out over the lifetime. It’s not a momentary high, it’s not a short-lived conviction, it’s a life changed.
Think about the disciples. They were following a teacher because they liked what he was saying. They continued to follow him, and, on the way, witnessed miracles and changed lives. Among the Twelve there was a gradual realization that He was a Man of God, but it took an encounter with Jesus, days after his death and resurrection, for most of them to turn the corner.
For some our Spiritual Birth is a process, varying between questioning and denying, belief and wonder. Sometimes it comes in a sudden revelation that can’t be denied. Then, there is the Spiritual Birth where there is an almost imperceptible change as we see the faith of those we respect and love, and realize “I want that, I believe that, and I embrace that.”
And Jesus says, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.”
Honor your birth, your born again birth, your Spiritual birth. So be it.
Stan
Morning Prayers:
Context: There is only one attitude that will avert the coming judgment of God: repentance, deep humiliation before God, an understanding and acknowledgment of guilt, a willingness to recognize that we have lost our right to exist as a nation, and a cry to God that he will heal us and change us and forgive us and heal this land. When that occurs, God himself assumes responsibility to recover the nation. Despite all the damage which has been done, he will restore the years that the locusts have eaten. But if a nation ignores God, it goes down into the dust of history, as hundreds of kingdoms and nations before us have perished – Ray Stedman
Lord, I ask you to heal us as a nation. Heal our land, and turn us from evil. Amen.
