“There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 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. 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 saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, 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.“ (KJV John 3:1-7)
Nicodemus approaches Jesus as a lifelong religious man, who is convinced that Jesus is sent from God. He confesses with his lips his acceptance of Jesus. Yet Jesus does not simply rejoice over his acceptance and confession but reveals that there is more in the path for Nicodemus to fulfill in order to see the kingdom of God.
Jesus begins teaching Nicodemus of being born again. What does Nicodemus think of the idea that he has more to fulfill just to see the kingdom of God? Here he is, a lifelong Jew, devoted to his religion among God’s chosen people and yet the approach Jesus is taking, indicates that for all of his lifelong religious devotion among God’s people, Nicodemus has yet to fulfill what is required to see the kingdom of God. Even in this moment, after confessing his conviction of Jesus, he still has further to go.
For a person whose life has been full of religious devotion, this can be hard to believe. Is seeing the kingdom of heaven really so difficult that a life full of service and religious devotion would not be enough to produce even seeing God’s kingdom? What about the confession he just made of his belief that Jesus is of God? Why isn’t all of this enough? Why is Jesus pointing him to something more? Why would his devotion among God’s people and his confession to Jesus not be enough to secure for him entering, or at least seeing the kingdom of God?
It may be startling for someone whose whole life has all ready been full of religious devotion to be told that they have yet to fulfill what is required to see and enter into the kingdom of God. There are few who would believe it.
What is missing from a life of such devotion and the confession in this moment? What is lacking from all that he has experienced before and what he is doing now? All of this may merely be a preparation for that which is to come. Nicodemus has yet to be born of God.
If I feel I have lived a good life including devotion to God and serving people, how would I respond to someone challenging me on whether I could see the kingdom of God? Would I reject the challenge by feeling secure of my status and standing or feel that I had all ready been through enough to see God’s kingdom? Would I be humble enough to consider that what I had all ready seen and experienced may be only an inkling or a mere peep in comparison to all that God can show someone? Is there really so much more to see than what I have all ready seen? Have I truly been born of God?