Jesus Met Man's Greatest Need

Jesus Met Man's Greatest Need

Jesus meets with Nicodemus, an achiever religious leader and tells his in order to be saved.

1. The CREDENTIAL of Nicodemus

*verses 1-3, (his CONFESSION and the COMMAND of Jesus to him)

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.” In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”

2. The CONFUSION of Nicodemus

*verses 4-12, (his CONFUSION and the CLARIFICATION of Jesus to him)

“How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?"

3. The CURE for Nicodemus

*verses 13-15, (the CROSS and the CHALLENGE to him of Jesus)

"No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life."

4. The CHALLENGE to Nicodemus

a. To believe in the PERSON of Jesus

*verse 16, (the biggest DEMONSTRATION of God's love for man's DELIVERANCE)

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

b. To understand the PURPOSE of God

*verse 17, (not to condemn SINNERS but to convert as His SONS)

"For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."

5. The CHOICE for Nicodemus

a. Salvation for RECEIVING Jesus

*verse 18a,

"Whoever believes in him is not condemned."

b. Condemnation for rejecting Jesus

*verse 18b,

"But whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son."

6. The CLARIFICATION to Nicodemus

*verses 19-21, (God's JUDGMENT is based on man's response to JESUS)

:This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”

Conclusion: Salvation of soul is the greatest need of man. The cross painful death of Jesus on the cross should remind us the sufficiency of His sacrifice to meet our need to be saved. If we don't tell it to others, we are treating the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus absolutely nothing and irrelevant to man's greatest need.