Is Jesus in your room? Part 5

That Whoever believes?

“that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”

John 3:15

As followers of Christ today, the statement that God has revealed Himself fully through Jesus Christ in the Holy Scriptures is not shocking to us. However, this would have been a truly mind-boggling revelation for someone like Nicodemus during the time of Christ. As the two men met in a dark room, our Lord presented Nicodemus with a complete paradigm shift – an upside down version of everything he had ever believed about himself and the people of Israel. As he heard the word “WHOEVER,” Nicodemus most likely asked himself what was happening, as his entire world was being turned upside down.

There was a journalist in New York during the time of President Nixon’s election who wrote, “I cannot believe that he won! I do not know a single person who voted for him!” This is interesting because different people can react so differently to the same news, depending on which side of the room they are on and who they are with. For some, hearing the news of Nixon’s election came as no surprise because everyone they knew had voted for him. Our views and perceptions are inevitably shaped by the people we surround ourselves with, the people we stand in the room with.

“Whoever?” Yes, whoever believes in Jesus Christ will be saved. This includes Nicodemus, the gentiles, and even those who have committed the most heinous crimes. Salvation is a free gift that is offered to all who believe and repent.

During the time of Christ, this news would have been like nails in a bowl of jellyfish for someone like Nicodemus. But for the gentiles who lived without hope, this was the greatest news of all time. The idea that salvation was available to anyone who believed and repented would have been a revolutionary concept. “Whoever?!” It was a simple word that carried a profound message – that no one was excluded from the offer of salvation, regardless of their past or present circumstances.

In Him, with love

mike