Nicodemus.

John 3:1-211There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 5Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. 9Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? 10Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? 11Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. 12If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? 13And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. 14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. (John 3:1‑21).
THE sun had sunk behind the hills
Ere Nicodemus came
Where Jesus was, for he had heard
Much of His blessed name:
And now, beneath the shades of night,
When all was sunk to rest,
He hastens for awhile to be
The God-sent Teacher’s guest.
“I know Thou art from God,” he said,
“None but Thyself can do
The wondrous works, which, daily done
By Thee, we wond’ring view.”
But Jesus answered, and His words
Were simple, few, and plain,
As one who knew the worth of souls—
“Ye must be born again!”
And then in words, with marv’lous skill,
The love of God He told;
How He must be uplifted, as
The serpent was of old.
That all who on Him should believe,
Eternal life should have,
For He was come into the world
The guilty world to save.
And so the hours of night passed on,
Nor were they spent in vain,
For Nicodemus heard the word,
And he was born again;
And while the Saviour sojourned here
He never from Him turned,
And ne’er forgot the saving truth
That night with Christ he learned.
But now, uplifted on the Cross
The Lord of life has been,
Has answered all the claims of God—
Has borne the sinners’ sin:
The best, most precious proof of love
That heaven itself could give;
The serpent’s antitype; and all
Who look unto Him—live!
A. M.