“Seeker to Disciple” (Nicodemus)

Week 3
Main Point and Overview:

A lot of people in our culture today have an interest in spiritual things. This is incredibly evident in social media posts and video clips. People are looking for a “higher power” that will both satisfy and guide their lives. Unfortunately, many people look in all of the wrong places, or they look for the “right God” in the wrong ways. What if this describes your best friend, parent, teammate, classmate, or neighbor across the street? What if he or she is on the verge of giving his or her life to Jesus Christ…as long as he or she understands and accepts the Gospel? The story of Nicodemus is the prototypical “seeker story” in God’s Word. A man who had a religious background couldn’t help but notice the life-change that some Nazarene carpenter was bringing over the stale, overly sophisticated, and spiritually bankrupt religious leaders of his day. He observed the miracles and the messages of Jesus. He saw one person after another coming to Jesus and having his or her life completely changed! He was interested in this “new form of teaching,” yet he was skeptical of it. He was also “image-driven” which caused him to approach Jesus in a veil of darkness to avoid being criticized or even “disqualified.” As Jesus grew in popularity with the crowds, he shrunk in popularity with jealous and self-motivated religious leaders. When Nicodemus finally met Jesus, he recognized that something “special” was going on, and he attributed it to the power of God. Of course, Jesus is God, but Nicodemus was yet to affirm or accept that reality. Through a series of questions and answers, Jesus lovingly proclaimed to this Pharisee that salvation can only be found him. Nicodemus struggled to comprehend something so mystical and miraculous – the power of the coming Holy Spirit. Ultimately, Nicodemus was faced with the question of “fan vs. follower.” We have later evidence in the Gospel of John that Nicodemus became a follower of Jesus to the point where his timidity was replaced with boldness! That my friends is the power of the Gospel! It can change anyone’s life! Nicodemus saw the Gospel at work, and he couldn’t help but recognize its power changing him! Has the Gospel changed you?