John 3: 1-15
3 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
2 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.”
3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’
8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?”
10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?
11 Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.
12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews. And from other sources we know that Nicodemus was a high roller. There is word that he was one of the three riches men in all of the city of Jerusalem.
Tradition says that Nicodemus was the scientist in the city who devised the water system for the city of Jerusalem. Nicodemus was even a part of Jesus burial, Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about 100 pounds, for embalming Jesus body according to Jewish custom in John 19:39.
Nicodemus was well educated, wealthy and a ruler and yet he was very curious of what Jesus was talking about being born again.
We have started a brand new year of 2017 and it is that time once again to get our new year's resolutions worked out and ready to go. Most of us will make a lot of resolutions that we will not keep and some we will keep.
I put 3 new year's resolution that we as Christians should make in this new year.
- Pray More
- Read The Bible More
- Attend Church more
John 3:3
Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born [a]again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
We must entrust God to take our life and change our heart from being the sinners heart to being the believers heart.
We need to make a full heart, body, mind and soul commitment to God. Meaning we give him everything we got.
Luke 22: 10-12
10 And He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house which he enters.
11 Then you shall say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?” ’
12 Then he will show you a large, furnished upper room; there make ready.”
In this scriptures it talks about when Jesus and his Disciples prepare for the Passover and Jesus said to them that when they entered the city Jerusalem they would meet a man carrying a pitcher of water and to follow him into the which he enter.
One of the 5 symbols of the Holy Spirit is water. Now if we look over in Acts 1:13 it says that they went up into the upper room. We don't know however this may have been the same upper room where the Passover was held.
In Acts 2:1-4 it says "And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
We try to make new year's resolution and do our best to list them out and make them happen. We start out good and then we tend to back off of what we said we would do.
Maybe you need to make a new year's resolution to be filled with the Holy Spirit. When you are saved the Spirit of God dwells in you. However, when you get filled with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues then you have more power given from the Holy Spirit inside you to accomplish much more.
Or maybe you need to pray more and spend more time on your knees. Also reading the bible is important.