DAY 51 of #100daysofJesus - Nicodemus and Being Born Again

 DAY 51 of #100daysofJesus

Nicodemus, a Pharisee and religious "ruler of the Jews," visited Jesus "by night" to learn more of Him.

Though he seemed to believe Jesus was "a teacher come from God," Nicodemus seemed unable to fully understand and accept Jesus' teachings. One such teaching was that all mankind must be "born again."

Jesus declared, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

After the puzzled Pharisee asks, "How can a man be born when he is old?," Jesus adds some clarity and says:

"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."

For Christians, this requirement for salvation is a topic of great importance. Jesus taught that we each must be "born of water and of the Spirit."

So, what does this mean?

Being born of water refers to baptism. If you've ever seen a baptism (by immersion), you'll recognize the symbolism of rebirth: the person being baptized is lowered into the water, completely submerged as if buried or dead, and then lifted back up out of the water as if resurrected or reborn.

Being born of the Spirit is less obvious. Let's recall how John the Baptist taught his followers, "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me [Jesus] is mightier than I... he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire."

We think of baptism as a two-part process:

First, the baptism of water (by immersion) as was performed by John.

Second, the bestowal of the Gift of the Holy Ghost, which John mentioned Jesus would come to bestow.

Through baptism, we make sacred covenants with God, our path of discipleship begins, and we become eligible for the companionship of the Holy Ghost, a member of the Godhead, who helps to guide, direct, sanctify, warn, and assist us in our daily lives.

In sharing this teaching with Nicodemus, Jesus was inviting Him to begin the path of discipleship. It does not appear that Nicodemus gave up his status and followed Jesus publicly, but there are indications that He believed Jesus' words.

At one point John records that Nicodemus tried defending Jesus to the Pharisees, and we also read that he brought spices to Jesus' burial.

Like Nicodemus it may feel like we must give up a lot to begin (or continue) on the path of Christian discipleship. Lifestyle changes, mindset shifts, and cultural adjustments can discourage us. But luckily the reward of peace and happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come far outweighs any perceived sacrifice.

(John 3:1-13, John 7:50, John 19:39, Mosiah 2:41)