Everybody Needs Jesus! Series

Everybody Needs Jesus!

The Gospel of John

John 3:1-8

Sermon by Rick Crandall

Grayson Baptist Church - May 18, 2016

(Revised July 6, 2019)

*About 15 years ago our daughter Katie was still in high school, and as we pulled into Wal-Mart, I saw the Jews for Jesus bus. You may know that they are a great group of Christian Jews who witness to other Jews all over the world. That day they had performed at the Senior Citizens Center in West Monroe, and they stopped at Wal-Mart on their way to Shreveport.

*I used to get their newsletter, so I pulled over to try to meet them. Katie was mortified when we went over to the bus, and I knocked on the door. But we had a tremendous visit with a beautiful young lady from Israel. Her name was Rivka Epstein.

*I asked Rivka how she got saved. She told me it was through the prayers and witness of other Jewish Christians. Rivka said she finally realized that Jesus is the Messiah of the Jews, and she trusted in the Lord. Then she told me, "If you are praying for someone, don't give up! That man prayed for me for two years before I got saved."

*Rivka then told us about her plan to go back to Israel and start a Christian ministry with her fiancé. That was back during one of the times when bombs were going off in Israel almost every week. So I asked Rivka if she was nervous about going back and she said, "The safest place that we can ever be is right smack in the center of God's will."

*I have never forgotten Rivka's bold confidence in the Lord. But why did she want to go back to Israel? It's because almost all of the Jews in Israel are lost, and Rivka knew that the Jewish people need the Lord Jesus Christ!

*Everybody needs Jesus! And tonight's Scripture helps us see why.

1. FIRST: WE ALL NEED JESUS BECAUSE WE ARE LOST WITHOUT HIM.

*In vs. 1-2, God's Word says:

1. 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.''

*By God's grace, Nicodemus had heard about Jesus. He had heard about the amazing miracles Jesus worked. He might have even seen Jesus work miracles. Nicodemus knew that there was something extra special about Jesus. But he still had questions and concerns, so he took them to Jesus. And that's what we should do!

*In vs. 2, Nicodemus said, "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 took a giant step there, because He was willing to listen to Jesus.

*And everybody desperately needs to listen to Jesus Christ. I say that because people are hopelessly lost without Jesus. Romans 3:23 tells us that all of us "have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." All of us are sinners, and without Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we will face God's eternal punishment for our sins.

*Think about it this way: If there was ever a person who didn't need Jesus, it would be Nicodemus, or someone like him. This man was on top of his world, but he still needed Jesus. And Nicodemus reminds us everybody needs Jesus!

[1] RICH PEOPLE NEED JESUS.

*Nicodemus must have been a wealthy man. John 19:39 tells us that after Jesus died, Nicodemus provided a hundred-pound mixture of myrrh and aloes for the Lord's burial. That much myrrh and aloe was exceedingly expensive. Just to compare: A hundred pounds of expensive perfume at the mall would cost you about $200,000!

*Only a rich man could have bought those spices for the Lord's burial. And money can buy a lot of wonderful things, but money can't buy the most important things like love, friendship and peace. Most of all, money certainly cannot buy salvation.

[2] RICH PEOPLE NEED JESUS, SO DO HIGH RANKING PEOPLE.

*Nicodemus was a high ruler in his land. He was one of the seventy members of the Sanhedrin or Supreme Court of the Jews. Nicodemus was part of the religious elite, but your position can't save you. Being the President, or a famous actor or a top athlete cannot save you.

[3] HIGH RANKING PEOPLE NEED JESUS, SO DO RESPECTABLE PEOPLE.

*The name Nicodemus means "victory of the people," so it's easy to see that he could have been well-liked and popular in the city. Nicodemus was well known and respected. He was recognized as a leader. But he still needed Jesus Christ!