Nicodemus' Hope

Nicodemus’ Hope
John 3:1-21

Three Encounters with Nicodemus:

• John 3:1-21 – Afraid of being discovered, Nicodemus made a night appointment.
  
• John 7:50-52 – Nicodemus next appears as part of the Jewish council.
  
• John 19:39-40 – Our last picture of Nicodemus shows him joining Joseph of Arimathea in asking for Jesus’ body in order to provide for its burial.

Nicodemus’ Hopelessness

• Nic @ Night – Part 2
  
• A weary religious leader!
  
  • They not only had the Ten Commandments but these were expanded to 613 commandments and 365 prohibitions and many hundreds of lesser injunctions that people had to follow.
    
• Jesus had become a stumbling block to him.
  
• Jesus ministered to him right where he was…

Nicodemus’ Perspective

• The kingdom?
  
  • Ruled by God, a restoration, of God’s people
    
• Jesus revealed to this devout Pharisee that the kingdom would come to the whole world
  
  • John 3:16, not just the Jews
    
  • Nicodemus wouldn’t be a part of it unless he was personally born again (John 3:5)
    
• Jesus later taught that God’s kingdom has already begun in the hearts of believers (Luke 17:21) to be realized at His return (Revelation 21 &. 22)
• Ezekiel 36:25-27
• Numbers 21:6-9

Layers Surrounding Our Weakness

• Weary in Shame
  
• Wicked in Sin
  
• Wounded in Situations
  
• Weakness in Self

• Weary in Shame
  
  • First, we face shame in the struggle
    
  • We feel bad about the problem in our life
    
  • Attempt to hide it from others
    
  • We pretend we are fine even though we know we are not!
• F.I.N.E. = Our conditioned response: “I’m Fine” (Possible acronyms)
  

  Feelings	Freaked out
  Inside	Insecure
  Never	Neurotic
  Expressed	Emotional

• Strength In Weakness
  by Andrew Comiskey

‘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!’
John 3:4