Nicodemus answered and said unto Him, How can these things be? John 3:9
I think my father always wanted to be an engineer, although he never had the opportunity. But he did enjoy making the engineers look silly when they tried to tell him how to do his job. They would bring their ideas and theories onto the construction site where he was working, and propose solutions to problems. With his trusty slide rule, his uncanny knack of how machines worked, and his many years of experience, Dad would turn their ideas upside down and come up with his own practical solutions that saved time and expense. Those engineers would be forced to admit that, despite their education and degrees, they didn’t have all the answers. They were like Nicodemus, who considered himself an expert but was bewildered by Jesus’ teaching.
The world is overrun with experts. The trouble is, the expertise they hold today was unknown 20 years ago and will be nonsense 20 years from now. Quick to tell us how to run everything from our lives to our letter openers, these experts are seldom open minded enough to stop and ask a question like Nicodemus did. Although an expert in terms of Biblical studies and Jewish doctrine, this man had enough sense to recognize that somebody else just might have some good answers. This man was an excellent example of a good candidate for the Gospel. We should be on the lookout today for people like Nicodemus. We can never tell who the Holy Spirit will work with, but He seems to have a preference for those who are willing to suspend their own ideas long enough to listen to the truth.
We can recall the ideas we had, and the resistance we developed to the Gospel before the Holy Spirit stepped in and brought us to conviction. He brought us to the position that Nicodemus reached, of opening our minds and hearts to receive the truth of the Word of God. Those around us need to reach the same place. Many today, like Nicodemus, ask questions. But most of their questions are either idle curiosity or are mockery. For example, their question as to why God allows bad things to happen to us is often just an excuse to rail at God or to deny His existence. But sincere people are seeking. Some of the folks out there really do have an interest in learning. There are burdened and inquiring hearts. Although it doesn’t seem like it very often, there is good ground on which to broadcast the good Seed. But we will never find it if we aren’t willing to keep broadcasting.
There would be no John 3:16 or several other great texts if Jesus had not shared the Gospel with Nicodemus. What else will be missing if we don’t share the Gospel with others? -Jim MacIntosh