Everything except the One that really
matters
There are three kinds of persons in hell: a) the immoral person b)
the religious person and c) the moral person. Is it really possible
for a man to be prayerful, religious, moral, a man imbued with
commendable virtues and yet, at the end of it all, his soul is
still bound for hell? The answer is a resounding YES!!!! Let me
introduce to you a man that fits our description. A man who by any
human standards stand head and shoulders above most people in
morality.
Meet Nicodemus:
There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the
Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we
know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these
signs that You do unless God is with him. [John 3:1-2]
Here in our text we have Nicodemus religious resume.
We have his religious affiliation: - He was a Pharisee.
His position amongst the Jews: - a ruler of the Jews.
His attitude towards the Lord Jesus: - He revered Him. He called
Him: Rabbi
-He acknowledged and believed that
He [Jesus]came from God.
I. His religious affiliation: Nicodemus was a Pharisee [verse 1].
That tells us a lot about Nicodemus. The Pharisees were the most
strict and the most meticulous of all the sects in Israel during
that time. And when I say strict I mean strict to the core
.or
should I say
..bones. Strict to the bones. They were very rigid and
very exacting in following the Law of Moses and other traditions of
their ancestors. They would fast twice a week, eight times a month
and approximately 101 times a year. Everything they possessed they
would tithed [they would determine the 10% of it and give it to the
temple priests]. Yes, everything even the most seemingly
insignificant commodities such as seeds, they would tithed.
They were men who prayed daily. They were men who memorized their
Bibles. Jews have a tradition of wearing phylacteries on their body
parts. Phylacteries are those straps they put on their wrists and
foreheads containing Bible verses. I told ya
.these guys were
really religious and moral to the bone.
II. His position amongst the Jews: He was a ruler of the Jews [verse 1].
The Jews were under the dominion of the Roman empire. The empire
was conceding enough to allow the Jews to run their own affairs
according to their laws [which was a good political and military
strategy by the way to keep their subject countries tame]. The Jews
had their own Supreme Court and Senate [composed of 70 men] called
the Sandhedrin. Only men of high moral character were to constitute
the Sanhedrin. When our text says that Nicodemus was a ruler of
the Jews [note: it does not say THE ruler of the Jews
..it only
says : a ruler of the Jews] it does not mean that he was the sole
leader of the Jews. [Why, of course there were 70 of them].
Nicodemus was a member of the ruling body of the Jews during that
time. What does that tell us about our man? It means that this guy
was one of the morally elite in Israel during that time. You dont
get a seat in the Sanhedrin if you are not one of the best in
Israel morally.
PLUS
Nicodemus was one of the primary teachers in Israel during that
time. He was a Bible teacher.
Joh 3:10 Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you THE teacher of
Israel, and do not know these things?
The Lord Jesus use of the definite article suggests that he
[Nicodemus] was no ordinary Jew. He was Israels primary Bible
teacher. He was not just any teacher
.he was THE teacher of
Israel.
III. His attitude towards the Lord Jesus :
He deeply respected the Lord Jesus and
acknowledge Him as coming from God[verse 2]
He called the Lord Jesus Rabbi. Jews do not just call any teacher
by that designation if they do not have deep respect for that
particular person as a teacher of the things of God. Added to that,
he acknowledged that the Lord Jesus was one sent by God [verse
2].
Lets check Nicodemuss religious pulse:
Prayerful? Check
religious? Check [fasts 101 times a year. Gives tithes meticulously
and faithfully
Outstanding moral character? Check
revered the Lord? Check
Reads the Bible daily? Check
WAW!!!! WHAT A GUY!!!!
Question: if Nicodemus were to die that very hour
would he go to
heaven? NO!!!!!
IV. The Lords assessment of Nicodemus:
He must be born again in order to enter
the kingdom of heaven.
Joh 3:7 "Do not marvel that I said to you [Nicodemus], 'You must be
born again.' "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born
again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." [John 3:3].
And in order to be born again, He must trust in Christ Jesus alone
for salvation nothing and no one else:
Joh 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten
Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have
everlasting life.
Nicodemus had everything except the One that really matters. How
about you dear reader? Have you experienced the new birth? Have you
everything except the One that really matters? Have you even
matched Nicodemus' morality? You see its not what you do, its
what God has done for you in Calvary that gets you to heaven. That
sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ was enough for all time for all
sins-past, present and future.
What you need to do is to put your trust in that sacrifice of the
Lord Jesus Christ alone.
