July 26 Daily Devotional

John 3

At the time of Jesus there was a religious sect called the Pharisees. Their teaching upheld the strict observance of the Mosaic law. They tried to do all kinds of good works to become righteous before God and to go to heaven. They boasted: we are the chosen people, the children of Abraham; and they despised all those that did not accept their views.

There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. He was a member of the Sanhedrin, the spiritual court at Jerusalem. Nicodemus came to Jesus by night: no doubt he did not want the other members of the high court to know that he was interested in Jesus and his teaching. He said to Jesus, “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. And 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.”

Nicodemus said to Jesus, “How can a man be born when he is old?” Jesus answered and said, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”

“Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

The instruction given Nicodemus was not in vain. He became a disciple of Jesus and accepted the righteousness which he offered.