Listen Carefully

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QOTW

What’s your earliest memory? How old were you?

Interesting. No one remembers what it was like to be born.

I guess that means none of us could say exactly what it would be like to be literally born again.

The man in our Bible story today was also confused when Jesus talked to him about being born again.

Being born again didn’t make sense in the way he was thinking about it. How can someone be born again?

Some ideas and aspects of life are difficult to understand.

Even some parts of our Christian faith are challenging to explain to others.

Unlike in Bible times, the issue today is not a lack of voices or ways to get answers.

The Internet is available 24/7 and full of voices ready to give you seemingly endless answers to choose from.

The issue for most people is figuring out which voice we should be listening to and if that leads to the real truth.

Since we know the best Source for truth is God, let’s turn to Him in prayer to get things started.

Group Activity: Are You Listening?

We just spent a few minutes sharing stories with one another about our first memories. Now we’ll find out how closely you listened to your friends. I’m going to ask you some questions about what you heard. Using your pen and paper, write down the answer for each one. Let’s find out who listened best to others’ memories.

Not only did we get to know some interesting details about each other, but we also started the process of learning a very important discipline in our faith: listening.

Listening is a key way to grow and learn.

Then after learning, we can choose to live out what we’ve heard and learned. It was no different for a religious leader named Nicodemus.

Today we’re going to eavesdrop on a conversation between Jesus and a man named Nicodemus.

It seems their talk took place somewhat in secrecy since Nicodemus came to Jesus at night.

As a Jewish leader, Nicodemus knew a great deal about God, and yet he still had questions for Jesus.

Their conversation led to some of the most memorable statements in the Bible about life with Jesus, His mission, and the gift of salvation He offers.

Nicodemus Meets with Jesus

John 3:1–2 NIV

Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

These verses don’t tell us a lot of details about Nicodemus. But they do reveal that he was a Jewish religious leader and a Pharisee.

Knowing that he was a religious Jew lets us know he had some things in common with Jesus, who was also a very religious Jew.

Being a Pharisee made him a member of a specific Jewish religious group. The Pharisees’ goal was to perfectly live out God’s Law as well as older Jewish traditions that were passed down to them.

Also, a big part of what they did was pointing other Jews to that standard.

Their group had lots of rules about purity and holiness, and that led some of them to think or speak poorly of those who didn’t hit their mark.

so, this lets us know that Nicodemus is a guy who is supposed to already know a lot about God. Yet, he came to Jesus to learn.

It might seem odd that a religious leader needed to be sneaky about meeting with Jesus.

But it’s likely he came to Jesus at night because other religious leaders were suspicious of Jesus and critical of Him.

Who knows how they would have reacted to one of their own meeting with this Teacher who wasn’t part of their group!

It probably would have been frowned on by the other religious leaders who were Nicodemus’s peers.

Nicodemus didn’t come across as mean and condemning as some other Jewish leaders did.

He seemed genuinely curious. Calling Jesus “Rabbi” (a title for a spiritual leader, master, or teacher) showed that Nicodemus respected Him as a teacher of the Scriptures.

Nicodemus Asks a Question

John 3:3–8 NIV

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

Jesus got right to His point and spoke to Nicodemus about being born again.

The phrase “born again” is familiar to most Christians now, but probably not for Jews in Jesus’ day.

It may have been the first time Nicodemus had heard that phrase used that way, and it caused him confusion.

Remember, Nicodemus was a religious leader who had studied God’s Word.

He knew a lot about God and His Scriptures, yet Nicodemus realized that there was still more to learn.

So, Nicodemus didn’t get angry or frustrated. Instead, he asked questions.

He showed Jesus that he was listening carefully and wanted to understand what Jesus was saying.

Nicodemus was seeking Jesus to discover truth.

In short, Jesus was saying that to be part of God’s kingdom requires a spiritual birth that only God could offer.

It could be hard for anyone to understand if they only thought of it in natural terms.

Jesus Explains God’s Plan and Mission

John 3:9–15 NIV

“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

Nicodemus asked Jesus another question.

Rather than giving up when he might not have understood what Jesus was saying, Nicodemus continued the conversation.

Jesus doesn’t mind us asking questions. As a matter of fact, asking questions is a sign of wanting to get to know Jesus better and grow in our faith.

Why God Sent His Son

John 3:16–21 NIV

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

John 3:16 is one of the most popular verses in the Bible to memorize.

Did you know it came from this conversation Jesus had with one person? Nicodemus kept listening as Jesus shared the whole reason why God had sent Him to earth. God loves us. Nicodemus now heard what it meant to be born again. Being born again comes as a result of believing in Jesus, God’s only Son.

Ending

One thing we can learn from this story is the importance of seeking Jesus to know His truth.

Jesus was open to a conversation with Nicodemus, and He was willing to help Nicodemus understand important spiritual truths.

The same is true for us. We can seek Jesus through being intentional about spending time with Him, asking Him questions, reading the Bible, and listening closely to what He is saying to us through His Holy Spirit.

Jesus wants us to understand and know truth. His truth will guide us to the life He wants for us.

Nicodemus is a great example of someone who wanted to understand Jesus better, so he met with Him and had a conversation.

There are many people who can teach us truths about Jesus. However, our faith is primarily our own personal responsibility.

The good news is that we have a very willing Teacher.

Jesus is eager to help you understand Him, His kingdom, and the world around you. All of this happens as we seek Jesus more in our daily life.

Salvation Opportunity

Before Nicodemus could hear about being born again and God’s love shown by sending His Son, he had to be brave enough to approach Jesus.

Even though his peers would have probably criticized him for meeting with Jesus, Nicodemus didn’t let that stop him. In response, Jesus shared words that became one of the most iconic verses in the Bible: John 3:16. From this verse, we learn a core reason Jesus came to earth—because God loves you. Today would be a great day to meet with Jesus and invite Him into your life.

Is anyone here that we can pray for who doesn’t have a relationship with Jesus or wants to renew their relationship with Him?

Prayer

Jesus, we want to know You better. We want to better understand You. Teach us to hear Your voice, to listen well. Show us Your ways and truths for living out our faith. We’re willing to take the risk of meeting and asking questions. We trust You will meet with us when we ask. In Your name, we pray. Amen.