In this sermon, we looked at the encounter between Jesus and Nicodemus in John 3:1-15. Jesus told Nicodemus, an expert in the Jewish scriptures, that he must be born again in order to enter the Kingdom of God. Despite his vast knowledge of the Bible, Nicodemus was unable to make sense of what Jesus was saying about being born again. To help Nicodemus understand, Jesus compared Himself to the serpent that was lifted up in the desert in Numbers 21. By making this comparison, Jesus revealed Himself to Nicodemus as the source of new birth that comes by faith. Like the serpent in Numbers 21, Jesus was pointing to the cross where God would provide a way for His people to be relieved from His judgement. On the cross, Jesus took up the symbol of the curse of sin and death and transformed it into a symbol of healing that “whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”
