In the stillness of the night, a respected Jewish leader named Nicodemus sought out Jesus, drawn by an irresistible curiosity about this extraordinary teacher. Little did he know that this clandestine encounter would challenge everything he thought he understood about connecting with God.
John 3:1-3 King James Version
1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
The Seeker’s Heart
John 3:1-2 paints a vivid picture: “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.'”
I can’t help but wonder what stirred in Nicodemus’ heart to prompt this secret meeting. Was it a gnawing doubt about his religious practices? A deep, unspoken longing for something more? Or perhaps a glimmer of hope that this Jesus might have the answers he’d been seeking all along?
Nicodemus approached Jesus with respect and a genuine desire to understand. How often do we come to God with that same openness – with our questions, our doubts, and our curiosity laid bare? Like Nicodemus, we may find ourselves drawn to Jesus, sensing that there’s something more to this faith journey than what we’ve experienced so far.
A Radical Invitation
Jesus’ response to Nicodemus was both unexpected and profound. In verse 3, we read, “Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.'”
I can almost picture the bewilderment on Nicodemus’ face. Born again? How could this be? It’s a phrase that’s become so familiar in Christian circles that we can easily miss how radical it would have sounded to Nicodemus’ ears. Jesus was inviting him – and us – into a completely new way of connecting with God. It’s not about following rules or accumulating religious knowledge. It’s about a spiritual rebirth, a transformation so complete that it’s like starting life anew.
The Wind of the Spirit
As we reflect on this passage, let’s consider what it means for us today to be “born again” or “born from above.” It’s an invitation to let go of our preconceptions and allow God’s Spirit to work in us in ways we can’t fully understand or control.
Jesus uses a beautiful metaphor to describe this spiritual rebirth: “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” (John 3:8).
I love this imagery. Just as we can’t see the wind but can witness its effects, the work of God’s Spirit in our lives is often invisible but undeniably powerful. It’s a reminder that spiritual rebirth isn’t something we can manufacture or control – it’s a mysterious and beautiful work of God in our hearts.
A Personal Reflection
I remember a time in my own life when I felt much like Nicodemus – respectful of faith, and knowledgeable about Scripture, but somehow missing a vital connection with God. I went through the motions of religious practice, but deep down, I knew something was missing.
It was during a particularly difficult season of my life that I began to understand what Jesus meant by being “born again.” As I wrestled with doubts and questions, I found myself opening up to God in a new way. I started to pray not just with words, but with my whole heart. I began to read Scripture not just for information, but for transformation.
Slowly but surely, I felt a change taking place within me. It wasn’t dramatic or sudden, but more like a gradual awakening. I began to see God’s hand at work in my life in ways I’d never noticed before. My faith became less about what I knew and more about Who I knew.
This journey of spiritual rebirth isn’t always easy or comfortable. It often challenges our assumptions and pushes us out of our comfort zones. But it’s in this process that we find a deeper, more authentic connection with God.
Read More About This Devotional
Words of Wisdom: Intimacy: A Journey into Deeper Connection
Quote of the Day: “There is nothing you can do that will make God love you less”
An Invitation to Connect
Today, I invite you to approach God with the openness and curiosity of Nicodemus. Come with your questions, your doubts, and your desire to understand. Allow yourself to be challenged and transformed by Jesus’ invitation to be born anew.
Here are some questions to ponder:
- What areas of your spiritual life feel stagnant or in need of renewal?
- How open are you to letting God’s Spirit work in unexpected ways in your life?
- What might it look like for you to be “born again” in your current circumstances?
Remember, connecting with God isn’t about having all the answers or achieving spiritual perfection. It’s about opening our hearts to the transformative power of God’s love and allowing His Spirit to renew us day by day.
May you find the courage to seek Jesus, even in the dark nights of your soul, and may you experience the joy and wonder of spiritual rebirth. As you go about your day, carry this truth with you: God is always ready to meet you, challenge you, and breathe new life into your spirit. The wind of His Spirit is blowing – are you ready to let it sweep through your life?
Scripture Reading for the Day
Genesis 3 King James Version
1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.
9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.
11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?
12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
13 And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
14 And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
20 And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.
21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
22 And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
23 Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
