Jesus and Nicodemus

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Nicodemus (nik uh DEE mus) was a ruler of the Jews of

the group called the Pharisees (FAIR uh seez). He
had seen the miracles that Jesus had performed and
had heard him teach. He believed that Jesus was
truly a teacher sent from God. He wanted to go and
talk to him, but he waited until it was nighttime to
go.
The Bible doesn't say why he went at night, but we do
 know that the Jewish leaders were angry with Jesus
and were looking for a way to destroy him. Maybe
Nicodemus was afraid to go to him in public during
the day.
He told Jesus that surely God was with him, or he would
not have been able to do all the wonderful things
that Jesus had been doing. Then Jesus began to
teach him. He told Nicodemus that if a person
wanted to see the kingdom of God, he must be born
again.
Born again! Nicodemus could just visualize himself
becoming a baby again. How could this be? It
seemed like an impossible thing for a grown man to
be born again!
But Jesus was not talking about a physical birth. He was
speaking of a spiritual birth. He said that one must
be born of water and the Spirit. Just as you can't see
the wind that blows, you cannot see the new birth.
The person may look the same, but he or she is a
changed person inside.
You will remember that when the snakes were killing
the children of Israel in the wilderness, God told
Moses to make a serpent or snake of brass and lift it
up on a pole. Everyone who looked at that snake on
the pole was healed by God. Jesus said that He also
must be lifted up, and that whoever believes in Him
should not perish, but have eternal life.
Then Jesus told Nicodemus the beautiful words , "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." Jesus came to
save the people of the world, not to condemn them.
We read more about Nicodemus after the death of Jesus.
Joseph of Arimathea
(air uh muh THEA uh) was a rich man and a
member of the Jewish council. He was a good and
just man and a disciple of Christ. He had been
waiting for the kingdom of God and he believed that
Jesus was the One who had been promised.
He took courage, but came secretly and asked Pilate for
the body of Jesus so that he could bury him. The
man who came with him was Nicodemus.
The Jewish custom was to rub spices on the body of the
person who had died in preparation for burial. They
brought about 100 pounds of spices; a mixture of
myrrh and aloes, and prepared the body. They
wrapped Jesus' body in strips of linen.
Near the place where Jesus was crucified there was a
garden, and Joseph had a new tomb there, one that
had never been used. The burial place had been cut
out of a large rock. They placed the body there,
rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb and
left. But Mary Magdalene and the other Mary sat
down opposite the tomb.

What does this story

mean to me?
Nicodemus was eager to learn. When he didn't
understand, he kept asking questions until he did
reach some kind of understanding.

Don't be afraid to ask questions. If you don't

understand something in class, ask a question. Your
question might be the very one a classmate would
like to ask, but he or she may be afraid to speak up.
Sometimes questions help the teacher to know how
she can make the lesson clearer to her students.

Don't be afraid to ask your parents questions. They

will give you much wiser answers than your friends
will give you. Your parents have your best interest at
heart, and they will answer you in a helpful way.

Memory Verse

For God so loved the world that He gave His only

begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him
should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3:16 (KJV)

 REVIEW
(Rest the mouse lightly over the ??? to see the answers in the alternate
tags.)

1.Who was Nicodemus?

2. When did Nicodemus go to see Jesus?

3. What did Jesus say a person must do to see the

kingdom of God?
4. What two things are involved in the new birth?

5. How did God show his love for the world?

6. Who were the two men who prepared the body of

Jesus for burial?

7. What did they use to prepare his body?

8. In whose tomb was Jesus buried?

You can read about Jesus and Nicodemus in the

Bible in John 3:1-21