Searching For The Everlasting Life

John 3:1-17 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 and said to him, "Most assuredly, 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, "Most assuredly, 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 the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit." 9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?" 10 Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? 11 Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. NKJV

Introduction: Jesus meets with a man by the name of Nicodemus. He is identified as a Pharisee of the Jews. The Pharisee’s believe in the inspiration of the Old Testament, they believe in the coming of the Messiah, they believe in miracles and in the resurrection. He is a ruler of the Jews (Jn 3:1).

We observe Nicodemus was a man of the Pharisees. When he was in their midst, his actions and words were characteristic of the Pharisee’s. However, we get a picture of a different person when is not meeting with the other Pharisees. Many live today in public lives and portray a different persona privately when they are alone. He let down his guard. He is searching to fill the emptiness in his life that only can be filled by Jesus. John 3:2 scripture records that Nicodemus approaches Jesus under the cover of darkness. The world today is filled with the darkness of sin and there in the lives of men and women there is an emptiness that can only be filled by a divine encounter with the Savior of the World. That emptiness can’t be filled with the things of the world. When Adam and Eve were in the garden and disobeyed God’s Word, they exposed themselves to the ravages of sin that are found only in the world. When God sought them out, they were hiding because they realized they no longer we emersed in the Glory of God’s Creation but now they are hiding in the darkness of their sinful actions and attempting to cover their sin (Gen 3:7-10).

Nicodemus like many others in the world then and now believed that his own righteousness would produce an eternal reward. Worldly attempts to achieve eternal life will fail. It is only through the redemption of Jesus on the cross that pave the way to our eternal life with our Creator.

Nicodemus was hiding behind a mask of religion, yet he realized there was a missing element in his life. In the same way people today are hiding behind facade of living in the world today when they are searching for something to fill the emptiness in their lives. They need Jesus but wait let me clarify that statement we all need Jesus. There is only one thing that keeps a person from having eternal life. That one thing is you. You decided that you want to spend eternity with God our creator and His Son who is the redeemer of the world. It’s your choice not God’s.