NICODEMUS PROFILE: YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN!

As a Pharisee ( John 3: 1) during Jesus time, and there were 6000 of them according to history, we see Nicodemus, in his questions to Jesus, that he was highly religious and devout ( John 3: 4,9) as were most of the Pharisees.

Nicodemus, was focused in interpreting and applying the Torah for everyday life. Also , as a Pharisee, he sought separation from impure Jews and pagans. You can check this in all your historical books! Still, he sought Jesus, which most of his colleague Pharisees thought He was doing His miracles, signs and wonders by the power of Beelzebub! (Matthew 12: 24). In other words, they considered Him a false prophet. And they considered Him an impure Jew (Matthew 15:2) as they were asking Him why He let His disciples transgress the traditions of the elders since they did not wash their hands when they ate bread. Those Pharisees also called to His attention for eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners( Luke 5:30).

But he sought Jesus at night time, for he feared his colleagues ( John 3: 2). He told Jesus that there were some of them who knew He was a teacher come from God. He truly was seeking and he might even be considered somewhat bold because no other Pharisee was seen questioning Him like him. He had many questions about being born again and the kingdom of heaven, and Jesus told him all it took was to believe in Him. Jesus told him : ‘You must be born again in order to enter the kingdom of God.’ ( John 3: 5,7). He did not quite understand what He meant, so he asked Him how could this be? He then went on to tell him that whoever believed in Him would not perish but have eternal life. ( John 3:16).It was not a matter of going back a second time to his mother’s womb: all that was required was to be born of water and the Spirit! ( John 3: 4,5). This was Father God’s great love, by giving the world a second chance to live eternally, if they only believed in His Son Jesus, who would die at the cross, shedding His blood, for the forgiveness of sins! (Hebrews 9: 22).

As a Pharisee, he had little political power within Judaism, but he worked by persuasion amongst the people. So it was very important all that Jesus said to him. Jesus did question Nicodemus about his knowledge and wisdom as a teacher of Israel, when he asked Him how could all those things be , about being born again( John 3: 10). Because the Pharisees worked by persuasion, he feared those who considered Jesus a false prophet. He was amongst the chief priests and Pharisees who wanted to take Him and who were scorning the Roman officers as to whether any of the rulers or Pharisees believed in Him! He took a bold stand here in favor of Jesus, by countering their words as to whether their law judged a man before it heard him and knew what he was doing! ( John 7: 50-52).

Nicodemus was together with Joseph of Arimethea, a council member who was also a secret disciple for fear of the Jews, embalming the body of Jesus after His death at the cross, as was the custom of Jews to bury. He brought about 100 pounds of myrrh and aloes ( John 19: 39).He became a secret disciple. He was one of the people who heard about Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, and saw Him ascend into heaven! He became his God! He was no longer in the garden tomb where Nicodemus and Joseph, together, laid His body!

YOU MUST BE BORN-AGAIN
“Jesus answered him,
‘Truly, truly, I say to you,
Unless one is born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God.’
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?’
Jesus answered,
‘Truly, truly, I say to you,
Unless one is born of water and the Spirit,
He cannot enter the kingdom of God.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh,
And that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Do not marvel that I said to you,
‘You must be born again.’ “ John 2: 3-7.

PENGELAMPATAN NENGAH JESUS KRISTUS!

Lebuh sejarah Kristian majak mansang, nama ‘Jesus’ dikelala enggau nama ‘Yahweh nya Pengelepas’. Ari nosis Sempekat Lama pasal Tuhan, Penebus, Pengelepas, Allah Taala, reti tu dipindahka ngagai Jesus enggau baka ni orang Kristian arapka Iya. 1 Tentu, udah nya, kitai meda diatu Jesus nyadi Pengelepas enggau Penebus ari dosa enggau pemetang roh, ti nuang darah ba kayu regang ngambika ulih mayar dosa kitai, enti kitai arap! Lalu Iya aja jalai nuju Allah Taala! Lalu Iya nyadi Juruselamat kitai!

Kitai diatu begunaka peneleba ti ada baru ngambika bisi kaul enggau Iya! Dalam John 3:3,16 bisi nyebut: “ ‘Jesus nyaut iya, ‘Enggau bendar Aku madah ngagai nuan, enti orang enda ada baru, iya enda ulih meda Perintah Allah Taala’….’Laban Allah Taala balat rinduka dunya, nya alai Iya meri Anak Tunggal Iya, ngambika semua orang ke arapka Iya enda mati dalam John1 e: 25-26 bisi nyebut: “ Jesus lalu bejaku ngagai iya, ‘Aku tu pengangkat enggau pengidup. Barang sapa arapka Aku, taja pen iya mati, deka idup, lalu barang sapa idup lalu arapka Aku, enda mati. Kati nuan arapka utai tu?’ “

Nyadi kitai patut arap sereta nesal ati ari dosa kitai ngambika diatu bisi kaul enggau Allah Taala ti semina datai nengah peneleba ada baru enggau Jesus Juruselamat enggau Tuhan kitai! “Pemungkal pengidup orang Kristian begunaka pengangkun diri empu ti bedosa sereta penetap ati deka ninggalka chara pengidup ti berundingka diri empu aja.”2.

NOTA

1Sinclair, David enggau J.I. Packer, eds., Kamus Teologi Baru, (Downers Grove: Percetakan Antara Universiti, 1988), 610.
2Millard J. Erickson, Teologi Kristian, (Grand Rapids: Akademik Baker, 2006), 959.

SEBUAH SAMPI TU NGAMBIKA NYADI ADA BARU:
“Jesus aku pechaya Nuan mati ba kayu regang, .
nuangka darah Nuan kena ngampun dosa aku ;
Lalu angkat idup baru ba hari ti ketiga!
Aku nemu aku tu orang ke bedosa. Minta ampun dosa aku;
Minta nuan datai ngagai ati aku!
Datai lalu nyadi Juruselamat enggau Tuhan pengidup aku!
Terima Kasih Jesus”