Reading Through John Devotionals – Week 3

See all Devotionals: https://graceforohio.org/category/reading-through-john-devotionals/

Day 15

Nicodemus, a prominent figure within the Jewish Sanhedrin and a leading member of the Pharisaic religious order, came to see Jesus one night. (John 3:1) No doubt he was curious about the popular, albeit controversial rabbi he had heard so much about in the Temple and on the streets of Jerusalem.

Nicodemus’ first words to Jesus were flattering: “We all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.” (John 3:2) But the well-respected Pharisee had not come to Jesus that night seeking a personal Messiah, or even seeking the Truth. No, Nicodemus was merely curious.

At best He had come to investigate this would-be prophet from Nazareth; at worst, he intended to debunk Him. In either case, the fact that Nicodemus chose to seek Jesus out under the cover of darkness indicates that – whatever his intentions – he did not want his association with Jesus to be publicly known.

Like Nicodemus, you may only be in the curiosity stage of your faith journey.

Perhaps you’ve heard an awful lot about this Jesus, but, like Nicodemus, you’re not quite sure what to make of Him. You’re curious, yes, but also reluctant to investigate too deeply for fear such inquiries might jeopardize your relationship, social, or employment status. That’s okay. Believe it or not, that’s actually pretty normal. Jesus is a lot to take in.

Jesus is absolutely worth investigating, even if just to satisfy a lingering curiosity. Don’t be surprised, however, if what you discover about Him turns your whole world upside down – but in the best possible of ways!

Read John 3:1-2 & Matthew 7:7-8

Day 16

We may never know what Nicodemus thought he would encounter the night he sought Jesus out. What he did encounter, we know, left him thoroughly perplexed. Cutting Nicodemus off mid-flattery, before the Pharisee can ask a single question, Jesus explained that the only way to see the Kingdom of God was to be “born again.” (John 3:3)

This was not the answer Nicodemus came for. It likely wasn’t even connected with any of the questions Nicodemus planned to ask Jesus that night. Yet here, in this one all-encompassing metaphysical statement, Jesus provides the answer to the question Nicodemus should have been asking.

Nicodemus’ confusion is obvious. (John 3:4) And the more Jesus expounds upon all matters spiritual, the more profound Nicodemus’ confusion becomes. (John 3:5-8) In his exasperation, he asks Jesus, “How are these things possible?” (John 3:9)

Perhaps, like Nicodemus, you find yourself in a state of confusion as you seek to study the Scriptures. It’s okay if you feel blown away; most people are when they first read the Word. Truth – not experiential or conditional “truth” as humans conceive of it, but rather The Truth in its rawest, most unfiltered form – isn’t easily digested. Like Jesus, the Gospel is a lot to take in.

The good news about the Good News, though, is that you aren’t expected to make sense of it alone. God sent His Holy Spirit to dwell among us – and, if we’re willing, within us, too – to give us the insight and understanding we need to read the Bible. Without Him guiding us in all Truth, understanding and interpreting God’s Word can be downright daunting! That was Nicodemus’ predicament.

So how do you gain access to this Holy Spirit? That’s the easy part; you just have to ask Him. (No, I’m not kidding, it really is that simple!) Right now, wherever you are reading this, simply say these words – and mean them: “Holy Spirit, please open my eyes to the Truth.”

Now open your Bible, and see what Nicodemus couldn’t that night.

Read John 3:3-9 & Psalms 119:18

Day 17

It is very easy to misread the situation in John 3:10. When Jesus responds to Nicodemus’ confusion by asking, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things?”, His intent is not to berate Nicodemus or belittle his struggle to understand. Rather, Jesus’ question is rhetorical. It forced Nicodemus – and, indeed, all of us – to reflect on mankind’s limited capacity to understand the ways of God.

Jesus’ discourse with Nicodemus – His message throughout the entire Gospel – is meant to promote introspection. In hearing Jesus’ words, Nicodemus was forced to look inward and acknowledge just how very much he didn’t understand. (John 3:11-2) Even the disciples – as close as they were to Him – did not always understand the prophecies Jesus spoke in their midst. (John 3:14-17) If Nicodemus gleaned anything at all that night, it was perhaps the knowledge of just how insufficient each of us is to the task Jesus came to accomplish.

What Jesus says in John 3:19-21, about stepping into the light, isn’t meant as a jab at Nicodemus’ nighttime visit – at least not exclusively. Jesus’ words are meant for us. They are a call to introspection: to take stock of what’s really in our hearts – and what’s not. Such inward reflection can be difficult for us, scary even. To see ourselves through God’s lens, exposing our innermost selves to the Light of Truth, acknowledging our spiritual insufficiency and moral decay – it can be downright painful. But, painful or not, such introspection is integral to our sanctification.

If you are feeling discouraged at this stage of your faith journey – or if you’re hesitant to look too deeply within yourself for fear of what you may find – don’t be. Even at our weakest, ugliest, nastiest, and most foolish, God already knows what dwells deep down inside each of us – and He loves us anyway!

Read John 3:10-21, Lametations 3:40, & 1 John 1:9

Day 18

Sometime after this late-night encounter, we find Nicodemus in the company of his fellow Pharisees and members of the Sanhedrin. Israel’s religious leaders, fearing the threat Jesus posed to their spiritual and political supremacy, send Temple guards to have Him arrested. When the guards return without Jesus, the religious leaders – the Pharisees in particular – are furious! “Why didn’t you bring him in?” they demand. “Have you been led astray, too? Is there a single one of us rulers or Pharisees who believes in him? This foolish crowd follows him, but they are ignorant of the law. God’s curse is on them!” (John 7:45-49)

It is at this moment that Nicodemus, likely still digesting all that Jesus told him, asks: “Is it legal to convict a man before he is given a hearing?” (John 7:51) The question is accusatory – and rightly so. Nicodemus’ fellow Pharisees are not amused. In fact, they browbeat him for not towing the party line. (John 7:52)

At this point in John’s Gospel, it is difficult to say whether or not Nicodemus had already accepted Jesus as the Messiah. One verbal scuffle with his fellow Pharisees isn’t evidence enough to suggest Nicodemus was ready to “take up his cross and follow” Jesus. (Matthew 16:24) But then, why speak out at all?!

It is because Nicodemus was awakening to The Truth: a new reality to which God began opening his eyes the night he sought out Jesus. This awakening enabled Nicodemus to see clearly – perhaps for the first time – the selfish motives of the men he thought he knew, the self-aggrandizing social order which gave them their authority, and the mockery of justice playing out before him. Suddenly aware of the spiritual stakes, what choice did Nicodemus have but to speak out!

If you have arrived at this stage in your faith journey – if you are finally “awake,” the way Nicodemus was in that moment – don’t shrink from it; don’t try to shut your eyes again. Embrace it! Awakening to The Truth is one of the most invigorating and edifying steps in our walk with Jesus. It is the stage of spiritual development where we feel most apt – albeit least prepared – to take risks for Christ, much like Nicodemus did that day. Such risks can be perilous, yes, perhaps even terrifying – but they are necessary – and they are good.

Once God opens our eyes to The Truth – like He did for Nicodemus; like He will do for you, too – there is no going back to spiritual sleep.

Read John 7:50-52, Isaiah 35:5 & Romans 13:11

Day 19

When last we see Nicodemus, it is at the foot of Jesus’ cross. Israel’s religious leaders, in consort with the governing Roman authorities, had at last succeeded in silencing their would-be Messiah – for three days at any rate – inflicting upon Him the most excruciating and humiliating death sentence imaginable. No doubt Nicodemus was present as Jesus hung there dying, languishing under the bitter taunts of those assembled to witness His crucifixion.

It is in Christ’s final moments that Nicodemus most assuredly reached the apex of his faith journey: the sense of resolute abandon that comes when believers finally accept Jesus in their hearts and are set free – truly free! In John 19:38-42, we witness Nicodemus break with his fellow Pharisees and the other Jewish leaders in attendance, together with Joseph of Arimathea (a wealthy, secret disciple of our Lord) removing Jesus’ battered and broken body from the Roman cross and preparing it for burial.

What is significant about this scene is the sheer publicity of it all: Nicodemus, the elite Pharisee – the same Nicodemus who once came to Jesus at night for fear of guilt by association – committing an act of utter compassion and reverence for the crushed Messiah, unabashedly and in broad daylight! The fragranced ointments he brings to prepare Jesus’ body for burial are costly – a fact which would not have gone unnoticed by the Pharisees. Moreover, in making physical contact with Jesus’ body, especially so close to the Sabbath, Nicodemus would have rendered himself ceremonially unclean – a contemplatable act for any Jew, let alone a highly esteemed member of the Sanhedrin!

As far as Israel’s religious leaders were concerned, these were wanton acts of defiance! But from Nicodemus’ point of view, these were acts of true love. Did they mock Nicodemus for this? Did they jeer at him, threaten him, perhaps shun him thereafter? Almost certainly, yes. None of that mattered to Nicodemus though. Not anymore. Not now that he was a true believer. Not now that he was in Christ.

Have you reached this final stage of your faith journey? Like Nicodemus, have you abandoned everything you thought you knew, everything you once thought mattered, and embraced the destiny God has for you? If not, don’t lose hope. Everyone’s faith story is different. Some journeys simply take longer than others. All paths leading to Jesus will inevitably converge at the cross.

You just have to keep going.

Read John 19:38-42, Proverbs 3:5-6, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 5:8

Day 15-19 Sourced from “We are all Nicodemus.” View the plan on YouVersion here: https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/4384-we-are-all-nicodemus

Day 20

The word love is thrown around a lot these days. We love a certain food, we love a TV show, or we love summer weather. However, that kind of love pales in comparison to the One who defines love for us—God Himself. We can only love because He first loved us.

It’s the very beginning of that simple gospel verse – John 3:16. “For God so loved the world…” We know that God sent His son to save us, but the reason is His love for us. We cannot be rescued without God’s love.

Even though we have messed up, made mistakes, sinned, chosen ourselves over what God has for us, and even turned our back on God at times, He has never stopped loving us. If you feel you’ve gone too far or done too much that God will give up on you, know that it is not possible. You can never and will never do anything that can take away God’s love for you. Isn’t that incredible?

It shows God’s character and heart of love that He could send His own son to rescue a world that is broken. We can mess up a million times and He will still choose to love us. His love is unlike the love we have for that TV show or food. His love is not based on circumstances. God’s love for us is unconditional, eternal, and unlike any form of human love we have ever known or will ever know. It is the deepest, most fulfilling kind of love.

Today when you read John 3:16 again, replace the words ‘the world’ with your own name. “For God so loved _______.” Let that change how you see the heart of God and his love for you.

Read the following:

Day 21

In the Old Testament, it was known that if you were coming to be in the presence of God, you had to make a sacrifice of some type to make up for the sins in your life. When we sin against God, our sin separates us from His presence. Often our shame makes us feel like we can’t come into His presence. However, God changed this when He sent His son Jesus to walk the earth. Instead of giving us the punishment we deserved, God gave us the gift of grace and eternal life through Jesus.

Jesus came to live a perfect life, to die on the cross as a sacrifice on our behalf, and to be raised back to life to show that we could also be raised to new life. When Jesus became the sacrifice for us, it changed the game. No longer do we have to make a sacrifice in order to be in God’s presence; Jesus made it so that God’s presence was available to everyone freely. This is the greatest gift we could have been given.

Because God loved the world so much, even in all of our brokenness, He sent His son to rescue us. God knew that we could not rescue ourselves, so He made a way for us through Jesus. God loved us so much that He promised He would never leave us or forsake us. He promised us the best thing – His very presence. Because of Jesus, we get the gift of the Holy Spirit – God’s presence to live inside of us and walk with us when we trust in Him.