Nicodemus Understood Religion, Not Spirituality
The
“Red-Letter Words” of Jesus
Day
Twenty-Nine
Nicodemus answered
and said to Him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?
Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have
seen, and you do not receive Our witness. If I have told you earthly things and
you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” John 3: 9-12 (NKJV)
I’m encouraged by Nicodemus’ question. It seems to me he wanted to push through the confusion he experienced to some type of understanding of what it meant to be born again. He became the humble student instead of the well-renown teacher.
I like what Charles John Ellicott has to say: The answer to the previous question has spoken of a spiritual birth and a spiritual life and a spiritual kingdom, but all this is in a region of which the Rabbinic schools knew nothing. They were the authorized exponents of Law and Prophets; they knew the precise number of words, and the shape of letters; the form of a phylactery, and the width of a fringe; the tithing of garden herbs, and the manner of washing the hands; but spirit, life, a man’s soul born again!—“how can these things be?”
Nicodemus understood religion all too well. Spirituality, not so much.
Jesus “called him out” since Nicodemus was more than a common teacher…he taught in the Sanhedrin…the governing, religious authority. Nicodemus’ words carried weight and power. It became imperative for him to teach the truth; but, first, he had to understand the truth.
The interpretation of the “We” and “Our” in the above scriptures vary with each Bible scholar I studied. Some say they were plural references to Jesus; others say they referenced the presence of some of the disciples with him; and still, others say they referenced Jesus’ and John the Baptist’s teachings. The one thing they all agree on is Nicodemus didn't accept Jesus' teachings right away. They believe he eventually did, although he remained in darkness that night.
"In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it." John 1:4,5 (NKJV)
Nicodemus lived in darkness and only through rebirth could he understand the truth of Jesus’ words. Being born again brought him into the light and helped him comprehend “heavenly things.”
That's true for all of us. It wasn’t until I gave my heart to Jesus that I could say, “Ah, now I get it.” It took the Holy Spirit to illuminate my understanding to spiritual truths.
http://www.biblehub.com/commentaries/ellicott/john/3.htm
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