A life that points to Christ
Nicodemus
From Nicodemus we learn that even the respected and religious must be born again, that honest questions can be the beginning of faith, and that quiet believers sometimes find courage in the end. His life teaches humble seeking, and it points to the new birth and the lifting up of the Son of God.
“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”John 3:3
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”John 3:16
“And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.”John 19:39
“Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?”John 7:51
Their story, honestly
Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews, a respected teacher, who came to Jesus by night, perhaps out of caution. He acknowledged Jesus as a teacher come from God, and Jesus told him a startling thing: except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus was baffled, and Jesus explained the new birth by the Spirit, and spoke the great words, for God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son. Later Nicodemus cautiously defended Jesus before the other rulers, and after the crucifixion, when it was dangerous, he came openly with Joseph of Arimathea, bringing spices to bury Jesus' body.
What their life teaches us
First, Nicodemus teaches that religious credentials are not enough; a learned, moral, respected leader still needed to be born again, reminding us that no one is good enough to skip the new birth. Second, he teaches that honest questions are welcome; he came confused and asked how these things could be, and Jesus taught him rather than turned him away. Third, his story teaches that faith can grow slowly toward courage; the man who first came by night finally helped bury Jesus in the light of day. Nicodemus shows that God patiently works with cautious seekers until their faith comes into the open.
How their life points to Christ
It was to Nicodemus that Jesus spoke the most beloved verse in the Bible, for God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. And Jesus told him the Son of man must be lifted up, as Moses lifted the serpent in the wilderness, pointing to the cross. Nicodemus needed what we all need, the new birth that only the Spirit gives, made possible by the Son lifted up. The cautious night-seeker who ended up honoring Jesus in death points us to the love of God and the new life He gives in Christ.
Questions people ask
What does being born again mean?
Jesus told Nicodemus that entering God's kingdom requires a new birth by the Spirit, an inner transformation that God works, not merely moral effort or religious knowledge. It teaches that we cannot reform our way into God's kingdom; we need new life that only God can give through His Spirit.
Why does it matter that Nicodemus was a religious leader?
Because it shows that even the most respected, learned, and moral person still needs the new birth. Nicodemus had every religious credential, yet Jesus told him he must be born again. It teaches that no one is good enough to bypass God's grace and the transformation only He can give.