Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a ruler in the Jewish community. He was a teacher of the law and confident in his knowledge of God. However, when He encounters Jesus, he realizes how much he doesn’t know. In John 3:1-21, Nicodemus is struggling to understand the kingdom of God, and Jesus explains that he must be born again to see the kingdom.
At this statement, the one who usually teaches must admit he doesn’t understand and needs to be taught. Then even after Jesus explains, Nicodemus says, “How can these things be?” He has arrived at the juncture of faith.

At this crossroads, this fork in the road, Jesus needs to teach the learned that he is still missing it. And the missing ingredient isn’t tangible. Jesus confronts the real problem for Nicodemus and so many of us. He tells him in verse 12 that “If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” In a nutshell, Jesus is saying, “with all your knowledge, you are still missing the most important piece. You have no faith.”

Many of us are like Nicodemus. We live not believing because of the natural. We look with natural eyes trying to see what can only be spiritually accessed. We fail to recognize that our flesh is inadequate and unable. But facing that very fact awakens us to the realization that we are dead and need to be born again to live. If our spirits are dead, we have no faith. We live suspiciously and remain critical and only know doubt.
Nicodemus had head knowledge, but it had not converted his heart where one believes and is convinced.

No matter what we think we know, we must continually be taught and corrected by the Lord. We need Him to instruct our hearts as we lean into His. We must spend time in His word, in prayer, and his presence, seeking the answers to all of our questions. We, like Nicodemus, must have our hearts converted and begin exercising faith. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that it is impossible to please God without faith.

Today, humble yourself and ask the Lord to show you where you need faith. Let Him teach you what you don’t know. Jeremiah 29:13 says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart.”

Jesus has the answers to all of your questions. So let your faith rise and make the way for you to lay hold of them today.

Jaime Luce