River of Life Church
  • Home
  • How Can I Serve
  • Map
  • Pastor Mark Radeke
  • Giving
  • Upcoming Events
  • Contact
  • ReMarkablog
  • Beliefs
  • Event Photos
  • Daily Bible Reading
  • Online Messages
  • Service Volunteer Sign-up

Information or Transformation?

11/26/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
Do you ever read the Bible just for information instead of transformation? That is how one man encountered Jesus in the Bible.

Nicodemus came to Jesus in the evening. He was a religious man with a spiritual position. He was a Pharisee and a member of the ruling council, the Sanhedrin.  The Pharisees were divided whether Jesus was a good man sent from God or a religious rebel.

Nicodemus must have been on the side that believed Jesus came from God. He came to Jesus at night and began his conversation saying that Jesus must have come from God because of the miracles He was doing. Jesus replies that a person must be born-again to enter the kingdom of heaven.

The conversation and questions lead to one of the most familiar passages in the Bible:
John 3:16  “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.”

Nicodemus wanted information from Jesus to try to understand Him more and received truth that would transform his life. The next time Nicodemus appears in the Bible, his colleagues, the Pharisees, had determined that Jesus was deceiving people and was really a false messiah. Nicodemus asks whether it is right to condemn a person without a hearing.

The third and final time we read about Nicodemus, he is helping take Jesus off the cross, cleaning his lifeless body and placing it in a tomb.

Read the full story of Nicodemus in John 3:1-21, 7:50-51, 19:38-42.

In what ways are you like Nicodemus and in what ways are you different?


0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Mark Radeke

    Husband of one, father of five, pastor and friend of many.

    Archives

    December 2022
    March 2021
    April 2020
    January 2019
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    December 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012

    Categories

    All
    10 Commandments.
    Bible
    Business
    Christian Living
    Church
    Dreams
    Easter
    Evil
    Famous People
    Finishing Well
    Forgiveness
    Freedom
    Global Poverty
    God
    Grace
    Heaven
    Holidays
    Holy Spirit
    Hope
    Kingdom Of God
    Love
    Marriage
    Money
    New Ventures
    Outreach
    Parables
    Parenting
    Peace
    Poverty
    Prayer
    Prophecy
    Retreat Highlights
    Salvation
    Senior Citizens
    Spiritual Gifts
    Trinity
    Trust
    Valentine's Day Stats
    Water Baptism
    Wisdom
    Worship

    RSS Feed