The Cross: And What It Means for Lost Humanity
Nicodemus - from Curious to Convert
NOTES PREPARED BY PAUL BARKER
Focus Statement:
He came at night because he was curious, but it was the revelation of the cross that converted him.
John 3:1–15 (ESV)
1 Now 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 him, “Truly, truly, 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, “Truly, truly, 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 its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
John 19:39–42 (ESV)
39 Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. 40 So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.
Introduction
Have you ever watched a child, just learning to crawl, scoot his way to the other side of the room to pick up an object that caught his attention?
Or what about a toddler, who hasn’t quite mastered opening doors yet, determinedly twisting and turning a door knob out of curiosity because of what was on the other side?
While parents can get exhausted by this endless curiosity, they still delight in watching their children overcome obstacles as they explore and learn about the world around them.
Curiosity is beautiful because it often leads to seeking answers to questions, finding solutions to problems, and receiving the satisfaction of a longing.
But, more often than not, it can end in frustration and tears.
While curiosity is wonderful, it has limitations.
John 3 recounts an intimate dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus, a Pharisee and ruler of the Jews.
What’s interesting is that while the gospel writers almost always portrayed Pharisees as the opponents of Jesus, Nicodemus does not come in an adversarial posture.
He isn’t trying to confront or catch Jesus with cleverly worded questions.
Instead, like so many others, Nicodemus sees the signs and wonders Jesus is doing and is curious.
And so, he comes at night, away from the prying eyes of witnesses, to seek Jesus out.
Nicodemus is curious.
However, as we examine this dialogue more closely, we discover that Niocdemus’ curiosity has limitations to his following Jesus.
The Limitations of Nicodemus’ Curiosity
He was limited by his reservations.
3:1,2: Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night . . .
What is the significance of Nicodemus coming to Jesus at night?
Why did John think this detail was essential?
In one sense, this demonstrates the genuineness of his curiosity.
If Nicodemus hoped to challenge or trap Jesus, he would have come in the light of day when there would have been as many witnesses as possible.
But the fact that he comes at night demonstrates that he genuinely and earnestly seeks answers to his curiosity.
He wants to know, “Who is this man who performs such awesome signs?”
However, while coming at night demonstrates the genuineness of his curiosity, it also shows its limitations.
He comes away from prying eyes at night, most likely because he doesn’t want to be seen.
Nicodemus isn’t just a Pharisee; he is a ruler of the Jews, meaning he is part of the Sanhedrin, an elite group that advises the high priest.
Nicodemus is part of the Jewish inner circle.
He’s an important man with a significant reputation.
What would people think if they discovered this powerful and learned man seeking out Jesus?
Would they think less of him?
Would he lose his position of power and influence?
Nicodemus comes to Jesus in the cover of night, avoiding the onlookers and the crowds.
He is curious about Jesus, but not to the point that he is willing to risk his reputation or standing among the Jewish people as a teacher and leader.
Nicodemus’ curiosity causes him to seek Jesus, but his reservations limit his seeking.
He was limited by his preconceptions.
3:2: “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.”
Nicodemus, a learned man at the center of Jewish life, addresses Jesus, a traveling healer with no formal training, as Rabbi, “teacher.”
Here, we see that Nicodemus has genuine respect for Jesus.
The signs Jesus performed piqued his curiosity and led him to seek Jesus out and accept him as a “teacher from God.”
However, Nicodemus’ acceptance of Jesus reveals a respectful but partial belief in him.
As the dialogue continues, we will see that his preconceptions limit his acceptance (and understanding) of Jesus.
The Challenge to Nicodemus’ Curiosity
3:3: Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
At first glance, Jesus’ reply might seem unusual in response to Nicodemus’ statement.
Why would he answer in this way?
The answer can be found at the end of John 2, where we are told that many believed in Jesus because of the signs he performed.
Yet, Jesus did not entrust himself to them, “because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.”
Jesus knew what was in Nicodemus, too.
He saw Nicodemus’ curiosity but also understood its limits.
Rather than “entrusting himself to him,” Jesus challenged him with a statement that confronted Nicodemus’ reservations and preconceptions.
As a Pharisee, Nicodemus would have believed that being born a Jew ensured entrance into God’s kingdom.
But Jesus was telling him that to see the kingdom of God, he must be born again.
There’s a wordplay in the original language.
The word “again” can also be translated as “from above.”
When Jesus uses this word, he implies both ideas:
• You need to be born again: Being born a Jew is not enough; a second birth is necessary.
• You need to be born from above: This second birth is not something you can achieve through effort, status, or lineage—it comes from God.
Nicodemus misunderstands Jesus’ double meaning, focusing only on the physical idea of birth.
He scoffs at the notion of entering his mother’s womb a second time, asking, “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 then clarifies his point by stating, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”
Here again, he challenges Nicodemus’ assumptions, indicating that entering God’s kingdom is not about physical birth or status but about something only God can do.
In Nicodemus’ worldview, he believed he already had everything he needed to enter the kingdom of God — his birth, status, and religious life were all in order.
But Jesus was saying that something deeper was required.
Confused and unable to reconcile this with his understanding, Nicodemus asks, “How can these things be?”
Jesus concludes their conversation with a striking statement: “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”
Nicodemus would have been familiar with the story Jesus referenced from Numbers 21:4–9.
In this account, God’s people were near the end of their forty-year journey in the wilderness when they began complaining once again.
Unlike previous occasions, when God responded graciously, this time, he sent poisonous serpents among them.
In desperation, the people cried out for deliverance.
Instead of simply removing the snakes, God instructed Moses to make a bronze serpent.
Anyone bitten by the snakes would be saved by looking at this image of the serpent, trusting in God’s provision for their healing.
Jesus uses this story to foreshadow his own crucifixion.
Just as the Israelites were saved by looking at the bronze serpent in faith, so too will people be saved by looking to Jesus in faith, who will be “lifted up” on the cross.
Cross Encounter
The next time we see Nicodemus is in John 7:50.
The Pharisees and chief priests want to arrest Jesus, but Nicodemus defends him, saying, “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?”
Maybe he is still curious and seeking answers, or perhaps he is a secret convert.
But we see that he’s still limited by his reservations—he’s willing to defend Jesus but not publicly accept him.
But when we see him in John 19, the story is different.
19:38,39: After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight.
Nicodemus is no longer hiding.
Apparently, he’s no longer limited in his seeking by his reservations or limited in his understanding by his preconceptions.
Rather, he is willing to risk everything by participating in the burial of the one who has just been crucified.
So, what happened?
What has changed for Nicodemus?
The Bible doesn’t provide us with the details of Nicodemus’ journey from curious to convert, but something must have happened when he saw Jesus hanging on the cross.
Maybe he remembered Jesus’ words: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”
Perhaps the words, so shrouded in mystery since that night when he came to Jesus, now became clear to him.
Just as the Israelites had the venom of poisonous snakes coursing through their veins, Jesus is revealing that Nicodemus—and everyone else—have something far more deadly running through them: the poison of sin.
It wasn’t enough for Nicodemus to be born a Jew.
It wasn’t enough for him to be a Pharisee, a teacher of Israel, or a member of the Jewish elite.
None of these things could save him.
None of these things could open his eyes to the kingdom.
None of these things could grant him eternal life.
The poison of sin could not be cured by anything Nicodemus possessed or achieved; only God’s provision could do that.
All that was left for him to do was to look to the despised image of the cross and be healed.
Application
The cross reveals the true extent of the problem of sin.
When we look at the cross and see the extreme measures God did to save us, we can no longer downplay the seriousness of sin.
Yet, at the same time, the cross also reveals the greatness of God’s provision.
It shows us that God “did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all.”
Through the cross, we see both the gravity of our sin and the magnitude of God’s love and sacrifice to redeem us.
Questions to Consider in Your Application:
In what ways are you limited in your seeking by your reservations?
What do you seek to lose if you follow Jesus?
In what ways are you limited in your acceptance of Jesus by your understanding?
What preconceptions are keeping you from following Jesus?
How does a revelation of the cross answer these reservations and preconceptions?
Close
Nicodemus thought he had what he needed to enter the kingdom because he didn’t realize the seriousness of the problem—only a revelation of the cross could show him that.
Curiosity can cause you to seek, but your seeking will be limited by your reservations.
Curiosity can cause you to accept, but your acceptance will be limited by your understanding.
But a revelation of the cross reveals to us the seriousness of the problem of sin and the greatness of God’s provision to deal with this problem.
It is a revelation of the cross that turns the curious into a convert.
Four Questions
1. How is God glorified in the text?
In this text, Jesus tells Nicodemus that the way into the kingdom of God is to be born from above.
We can’t gain entrance into the kingdom through our status or effort.
But our gracious and generous God has provided a way for us to know him through Jesus; for that, he deserves our praise and worship.
2. How is our heart transformed in the text?
As we look at the provision of God, our hearts respond in praise and worship.
We may be drawn to Jesus because of our curiosity, but it’s a revelation of the cross that transforms our hearts.
3. How is the mission accelerated in the text?
It is a revelation of the cross that turns the curious into a convert.
As we share the gospel with others, we should pray for them to have a revelation of the cross that will transform their hearts.
4. What is the gospel application of the text?
The cross reveals to us the seriousness of sin and the greatness of God’s provision to deal with it.
We are reminded that new birth doesn’t come through our status or effort but through trusting God’s provision to save us.
