Nicodemus - Joy

Introduction

Last week we talked about the idea that I think the bible so clearly shows

and that is that

The Joy that truly fulfills the soul is Jesus.

I’ll say that again

The Joy that truly fulfills the soul is Jesus.

but can I tell you the saddening truth.

Not everyone truly knows that

37% of Americans will tell you that they don’t believe in Christ.

That’s almost 4 out of every 10 Americans.

and

Even more shockingly to me, 70% of Americans who say that they are Christians, don’t see Jesus as the only source of salvation.

By that statistic some of us in this very room don’t see Jesus as the only way of salvation.

As a Church, and as individual believers, we have to turn our eyes toward the cross and know that Jesus is the only hope that this world has.

Today we are going to be reading a story in the New Testament of a man named Nicodemus.

Nicodemus was a Pharisee, which meant that he was very educated in the Old Testament.

He had a remarkable, life changing conversation with Jesus one night.

Read about it with me

Body

John 3:1–21 CSB

1 There was a man from the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to him at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could perform these signs you do unless God were with him.” 3 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 “How can anyone be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked him. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born again. 8 The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” 9 “How can these things be?” asked Nicodemus. 10 “Are you a teacher of Israel and don’t know these things?” Jesus replied. 11 “Truly I tell you, we speak what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you do not accept our testimony. 12 If I have told you about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven—the Son of Man. 14 “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. 16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. 19 This is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed. 21 But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.”

Nicodemus heard from Jesus, about the hope and Joy that he brings.

This is the passage where Jesus directly tells Nicodemus the famous verse John 3:16

John 3:16 CSB

16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

My question for all of us is Do you know the truth that Jesus told Nicodemus?

That he is the salvation of the world, our only hope for a truly Joyful life and eternity.

I know first hand that knowing this truth and following Jesus isn’t easy, in fact it may be the most difficult thing you ever do because following Jesus is against our sinful nature.

It’ll make you stand out and stop doing things that your sin nature liked

But listen there is nothing like following Jesus, it changes the way you view life, your purpose, and others around you.

You start to think more and more like the savior of the world.

Nicodemus and Jesus Interactions

I want each of you to know that Nicodemus wasn’t this case of a big, bold person who came to Jesus in a crowd and was saved.

Nicodemus first came to Jesus in the middle of the night because he didn’t want his fellow pharisees to see that he was speaking with Jesus.

Later, Nicodemus is seen in scripture in John 7, where he somewhat shows faith toward Christ, Jesus was on the brink of being arrested, but Nicodemus stepped up and said that every man has a right to a fair trial. Nicodemus here wasn’t outright claiming that he had faith in Christ, but on some level you could feel that he was sympathizing with Jesus and felt that he was being treated unfairly.

The bible never explicitly says that Nicodemus put his faith in Christ, but in many respects we do see that his faith would slowly grow over time, as he is would continue to hear about the great works and salvations that were coming through Christ.

and Finally, the last time we here of Nicodemus in scripture can be seen in John 19, after Jesus death, we see that Nicodemus brings 75 pounds of Myrrh and aloes to prepare Jesus body for burial, in the culture at the time the large amount of spices that Nicodemus would have brought would show that he ultimately recognizes Jesus as king.

Nicodemus recognizes Jesus as king.

Do you recognize Jesus as king?

Do you see him as the salvation for your soul?

Is he your true source of Joy.

Some of us in this room today may never have asked themselves that question or maybe you had but right now your keeping it in the dark like Nicodemus was.

Jesus is calling out and calling each of us to go all in on him through salvation and a life that glorifies him.

God calls us into the light and out of the darkness with our faith.

What will it be for you?

Will you go all in on Jesus?