November 6 – John 3:1-21
Not to Condemn, But to Save
Jesus was developing a following and creating quite an uproar. Nicodemus knew Jesus was a teacher and that He came from God because of the miraculous signs He was performing. He met Jesus secretly at night to avoid criticism from other Jewish leaders. As they interacted, Nicodemus questioned what Jesus meant by being “born again” and the work of the Holy Spirit. He didn’t understand what Jesus was talking about when He explained why He came and what He was doing. This was all strange to Nicodemus, and He asked, “How can these things be?” Jesus acts puzzled, and asks, “Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?” At this point, Nicodemus wasn’t connecting Jesus with the prophecies he surely knew, despite his being a Pharisee and a leader of Jews.
Jesus did not condemn Nicodemus but gently led him to a greater understanding of God’s redemptive plan. He talked about Moses fashioning a snake and lifting it up in the wilderness so the people could look up at it and live. Jesus said He must be lifted up in the same way, so anyone who believes in Him will have eternal life. He stated that “For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.” This is good news! It is the best news a person can ever hear, because all who have been born are already condemned. We have inherited the nature of sin from our fathers. No matter how well we have been raised, we are still offspring of sinful parents. If we are parents, our children have been raised by sinful parents as well. For as much as we know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers. 1 Peter 1:18
Without Christ we are helpless to ever save ourselves. Our parents cannot believe for us, and we do not inherit eternal life from them. We must recognize that we are sinners, which offends a Holy God and we deserve the sentence of death. We must believe the good news that Jesus died in our place. This transaction is personal. Again, Jesus came to save us, not to condemn us (Romans 8:1). He came to begin the process of reversing the curse and to give us new life. The best news is that He overcame death and was raised to life again. Because He lives, we too shall live!
I believe Nicodemus began to understand and believe, and we will see him some day in God’s Kingdom. He came with about 75 pounds of myrrh and aloes to prepare Jesus for burial after His death (John 19:38-42). Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea no longer hid in the shadows. They took Jesus’ body, wrapped it in linen and the spices, and placed Him in a new tomb, which shows that Nicodemus had been changed.
Dear Jesus, help me not to thwart Your mission by condemning others, just as You do not. Help me instead, to follow Your example of being completely obedient to the Father, and point others to the good news that You do not condemn them but want to save them.
