“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NLT)

Not all Jewish religious leaders opposed Jesus. Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the ruling Sanhedrin. He was educated and influential in Jewish society. And he was impressed by Jesus—so impressed that he wanted to meet with Him personally.

He came to Jesus at night. Maybe he chose that time because that’s when the crowds went home, and he could have some one-on-one time with Him. Or maybe he chose it because he didn’t want other religious leaders to see what he was doing.

Nicodemus recognized that Jesus had been sent by God; no one could do what Jesus did without God’s power. But he thought of Jesus as a teacher—a rabbi—one of many in Israel. Jesus helped him see that He wasn’t bringing new learning; He was bringing new life.

Jewish people believed that their birth assured them a place in God’s kingdom. Because they were God’s chosen people, their Jewish identity guaranteed their entrance into Heaven. Some rabbis even taught that Abraham stood watch at the gates of Hell to make sure that none of his descendants entered by mistake.

Jesus explained that it isn’t the first birth that assures people a place in God’s kingdom; it’s the second birth. To receive eternal life and enter Heaven, we must be born again.

Nicodemus assumed that He was talking about some kind of moral awakening. That would have been confusing to him because the Pharisees considered themselves extremely moral people. They worked hard to be above reproach. As far as Nicodemus was concerned, he had already experienced the new birth.

Jesus helped him see that a second birth—and eternal life—would be possible only if Jesus were “lifted up.” First, on the cross, to take God’s punishment for the sins of the world. And second, when He ascended to Heaven after His resurrection, when He destroyed the power of death forever.

John 3:16 gives us the story of salvation in a single verse. It starts with God’s love, something we’ve done nothing to earn. It’s a gift. All we have to do is receive it. It required an unimaginable sacrifice. God gave the most precious thing He had to give: His Son. He sent Jesus to suffer and die in our place.

Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, everyone who believes in Him will not perish. Believing means more than just agreeing with what the Bible says about Him. It means placing our full trust in Him, embracing the truth that only He can save us.

Everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life. Eternal life refers not just to quantity, the length of time we will exist (which is forever); it also refers to quality. The life we will experience after we die will be deeply fulfilling and joyous. There will be no sickness, suffering, or weakness. We will live as God created us to live.

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