March to the Cross

Wednesday, March 17

Jesus: King of Eternal Life

Focus: Nicodemus, a Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin, approaches Jesus at night with life-changing questions.

Today’s verses:

Ezekiel 36:26-27 Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.

John 3:5-6 Jesus answered (Nicodemus), “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”

John 3:16 (Jesus said to Nicodemus),“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

The teachings of Jesus flipped Nicodemus' world upside down. All his life he believed and behaved in a certain way in order to obtain righteousness, but the words and ways of Jesus left him wondering if he were missing something. So in the middle of the night, this Pharisee sought the God-Man out. Isn't it amazing that the most well-known scripture in all of the Bible, John 3:16, was spoken to one man in the dark? Nicodemus was hungry for the truth, and Jesus spoke it. All the knowledge that he acquired in his lifetime could not save him, only faith in the Messiah could. That night the revelation of being "born again" in the Spirit changed Nicodemus' heart from stone to flesh and brought him the gift of eternal life. Oh what a marvelous night for this teacher of the Law!

If you were the "righteous rule following" Nicodemus talking with Jesus one-on-One, how would the things that he was claiming disturb your way of thinking? How would you have responded to the offer of being "born again" and "eternal life"?

For further reading: John 3

Dear Lord,

Make us like Nicodemus, who even in fear of his fellow-man, sought you out. How beautiful to think that you were patiently waiting for him. You also do the same for each of us! In our one-on-One conversations, please give us a heart to ask you hard questions, a mind to understand your answers, and a faith to believe in all that you tell us in your word. Oh what a marvelous day for us--we know and claim John 3:16 together! You are the King of Eternal Life and we praise you for the price you paid to share your glorious inheritance with us. Amen.