SCRIPTURE | John 3:1-17
Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?
“Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have internal life.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
REFLECTION
In the Gospel of John 3:1-17, we encounter the powerful conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus. This passage is not just a historical account but a timeless lesson that encourages us to embrace a new strategy for transformation.
Nicodemus approached Jesus seeking wisdom, but Jesus challenged him to move beyond the familiar. In our spiritual journey, it’s easy to fall into the trap of repeating the same old strategies, relying on routine rather than seeking true renewal.
Just as Jesus urged Nicodemus to be “born again”, we are called to undergo a spiritual rebirth, shedding the patterns that limit our growth. Stagnation occurs when we cling to the comfortable, fearing the unknown. Instead, let us open our hearts to the transformative power of the Holy Spirit.
It’s a change worth pursuing and comes with a guarantee of love and wonder beyond our wildest dreams!
WRITTEN BY | Crystal Sellers