What did the people of Jesus’ time know about the kingdom of God? It had been more than five hundred years since there was a king in Israel and in that time the Israelites had been under the domination of four different empires. If God had a kingdom on earth, it wasn’t Israel.

So when the Jewish ruler Nicodemus came to see Jesus one night, and Jesus started talking about seeing and entering the kingdom of God, what did Nicodemus think he was talking about?

Nicodemus Meets Jesus

Nicodemus probably came to Jesus at night because he didn’t want to be noticed. Jesus had just created a lot of controversy in Jerusalem by ransacking the temple marketplace and driving its merchants away. Then he began performing miracles and developing a following. The Pharisees were worried about this new Rabbi.

Whatever questions Nicodemus had for Jesus, he never got to ask them because Jesus launched into a discussion of how to enter the kingdom of God.

Nicodemus thought he was already part of the kingdom of God. Not only was he born into a Jewish family, he was a Pharisee, a Keeper of the Law. People came to teachers like Nicodemus to learn how to get into Heaven. He believed his place in God’s kingdom was assured from birth, but here was Jesus telling him there was more to it.

Jesus talked about being born of water and the Spirit. Being part of God’s kingdom was not a matter of physical birth, but of spiritual birth. People who belonged in God’s kingdom came from everywhere, not just Israel. The Holy Spirit was like the wind, he moved wherever he pleased, and gave life to whomever he chose.

Nicodemus couldn’t understand this.

Jesus Explains

Jesus decided to let Nicodemus in on the heavenly perspective on the kingdom of God. Jesus was the only person who could deliver this information because he was the only one who ever came down from heaven.

Saying this to Nicodemus would have offended him. In fact, later the Pharisees would try to kill Jesus for saying he had come down from heaven. But Jesus persisted in this conversation and Nicodemus got some astounding information.

Maybe Jesus leaned in and locked eyes with Nicodemus as he said,

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

“Whoever,” meant anyone – not just the Jews – could enter God’s kingdom and have eternal life.

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” John 3:17-18

Jesus Confronts Nicodemus With Truth

Jesus now threw down a challenge to Nicodemus: If Nicodemus believed in God’s one and only Son he would be saved; if he didn’t, he was already condemned.

A light had been switched on in front of Nicodemus; would he come to the light or hide from it? Jesus went on:

“This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light . . . But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.” John 3:19-21

These were hard words for a man who was visiting Jesus under the cover of darkness. Now that he knew about Jesus, would he come out of the darkness and accept him as God’s one and only Son?

Leaving Nicodemus with a lot to think about, Jesus and his disciples went out to the Judean countryside where he spent some time with them and they baptized people.

John the Baptist Honors Jesus

John had already acknowledged Jesus as the One who was to come after him, but when John’s disciples noticed that more people were going to Jesus than John for baptism, they were concerned. They found out that John had already made peace with the situation.

“A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him . . . He must become greater; I must become less.’” John 3:27-30

John knew that Jesus had come from above (from heaven as Jesus had just told Nicodemus). He was from God and spoke the words of God.

“The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.” John 3:35-36

Jesus in Samaria

Samaria had a bad reputation among the Jews because it was the site of King Jeroboam’s sins when he introduced idolatry to Israel in the Old Testament. God dealt with that idolatry for centuries before he finally punished the Israelites by allowing the Assyrian Empire to crush them and scatter ten of their tribes forever.

Assyria brought in foreigners from other parts of their empire to live among the remaining Israelites and a strange religion grew up in Samaria that mixed pagan practices with the worship of Jehovah. The Jews were deeply prejudiced against the Samaritans and considered them half-breeds with a corrupt religion.

Going through Samaria was the shortest way to Galilee from Judea so Jesus decided to go that way. He and his disciples walked as far as the town of Sychar before they stopped for a midday meal. While his friends went into town to buy food Jesus sat down by a well to rest.

Sychar was famous in Israel’s history. When Jacob came back from Haran to the land God promised to Abraham, he purchased some land in that part of Samaria and settled his family there. It was the only piece of property Jacob ever owned and he left it to the heirs of his beloved son Joseph.

Jacob had dug the well where Jesus sat that day, so the people of Sychar knew they had ties to the God of the Israelites, but they were confused about how to worship him. They weren’t welcome in Jerusalem, but the Jews said that was where they had to go to worship Jehovah. Samaritan prophets told their people to worship God on the mountain where they lived.

Jesus Reveals Who He Is

Jesus smashed social taboos when he talked with a Samaritan woman that day. He engaged her in a personal conversation and offered to quench the burning thirst in her soul. Before long she told him her deepest longing: She wanted a relationship with God.

Jesus told her knowing God had nothing to do with Jerusalem or a mountain in Samaria. It was all about her heart, the spiritual part of her that longed for God.

“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship him in the Spirit and in truth.” John 4:23-24

The woman wanted to believe him, but she was waiting for someone with real authority who could tell her what to do.

“‘I know that Messiah (called Christ) is coming. When he comes he will explain everything to us.’ Then Jesus declared, ‘I, the one speaking to you – I am he.’” John 4:25-26

The woman dropped everything and ran back to the town of Sychar. She called out to everyone she saw, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” John 4:29

The Samaritans Believe

Jesus’ disciples arrived back at the well just as he finished his conversation with the woman. They were surprised to find him talking with her, but they didn’t interrupt. As soon as she left they urged him to eat, but he told them he had something better than food.

“‘My food,’ said Jesus, ‘is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.’” John 4:34

Perhaps Jesus was watching the cloud of dust raised by many feet hurrying out of Sychar to meet him. He thought the town was like a field ready to be harvested for eternity. He urged his disciples to be part of the harvest and to ask the Father for more harvesters.

After two days of fruitful ministry among the Samaritans, Jesus went on to Galilee where people were eagerly waiting for him.

What would Nicodemus have thought of these born-again Samaritans? They certainly proved that the Spirit truly went wherever he pleased to give birth to whomever he chose.