Frederick Buechner writes on Nicodemus:
Jesus told Nicodemus that unless you got born again, you might as well give it up. That was all very well, Nicodemus said, but how were you to pull a thing like that off? How especially were you supposed to do it if you were pushing 65? How do you get born again when it is a challenge just to get out of bed each morning?
Just then, in the midst of them talking, a gust of wind happened to whistle by, making the dying embers of the campfire burst into flame, and Jesus said that being born again was like that. It wasn’t something you did. The wind did it. The Spirit did it. It was not something you do. It happens.
“How can this be?” Nicodemus said; and that’s when Jesus let him have it. Maybe Nicodemus had six honorary doctorates and half a column in Who’s Who, Jesus said, but if he couldn’t grasp something like this, he’d better go back to kindergarten.
“I’m telling you like it is,” Jesus said, “I’m telling you what I’ve seen. I’m telling you that there are people on Medicare walking around with the love-light in their eyes. I’m telling you that there are ex-cons teaching Sunday school. I’m telling you that there are undertakers scared silly we’ll put them all out of business.
I’m telling you that God has such a thing for this loused up planet that he’s sent me down here so if you don’t believe your own eyes, then maybe you’ll believe mine; maybe you’ll believe me, maybe you won’t come sneaking around scared half to death in the dark anymore but will come to, come clean, come to life.
What impressed Nicodemus even more than the speech was the quickening of his own breathing and the pounding of his heart. He hadn’t felt like this since his first since his first child was born.
In verse 2, Nicodemus went to visit Jesus in the dark. He was ashamed others might look down on him because of his spiritual seeking.
- When have you been embarrassed or ashamed by your faith or by seeking more faith?
- Do you worry about what others think of your spirituality?
- If this is an issue for you, take a few moments and pray to God for strength in being open and honest with others about your faith.
- What is working well about becoming “new”?
- What isn’t working so well?
- What adjustments are you going to make?
Verse 16 is the most well known verse in the Bible. For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. The Greek word for world is cosmos. It means everything, including you.
How does being loved by God make a difference in your life? Pray for the ability to accept God's love and to let this love transform you into the person God wants you to become.
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