There was something attractive about Nicodemus. He belonged to that tradition or churchmanship which cared deeply about keeping God's Law and honouring God's Name.

For that reason he would have been struck by the sincerity and earnestness of John the Baptist's preaching. But – along with his fellow churchmen – he would almost certainly have taken no step to identify himself outwardly and openly with the crowds responding to that preaching by being baptized himself.

Such an outward demonstration of being unfit for God's kingdom wouldn't have crossed his mind – because he was already doing his utmost to keep all God's commandments.

And yet.. and yet.. something had got under Nicodemus' guard. Perhaps he'd seen and heard Jesus. Certainly he'd heard a lot about Jesus' miracles of healing. Jesus was clearly a man blessed of God and used by him. We know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no-one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing, if God were not with him. Here was a quality of life far out-shining Nicodemus' standards.

Nicodemus knew God's requirement: "Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy." (Lev 19:2) He also knew God looks on the heart and not just on the outward appearance.(1 Sam 16:7) He was beginning to see his inability to live a life that really pleased God. And – despite a good public reputation – he was prepared to admit it – at least by coming to Jesus, to talk to him in private and without interruption.

Of course, it may have been that Nicodemus thought that all his religious life needed was topping up with some extra ingredient. If so – Jesus' reply to his polite but somewhat patronizing greeting – must have been devastating. I tell you the truth, no-one can see the kingdom of God, unless he is born again. His present life wasn't good enough for God – he had to begin all over again. Not that starting with a clean slate would do any good. For our human nature is such that it would all come out in the same way again.

What Nicodemus needed was a new kind of beginning – one that came from God and not from Man. Nicodemus was mystified. If he felt affronted – he chose to be thick. How can a man be born when he is old? Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born! How could he be changed – wasn't he the man all his past life had made him? Did his religious life count for nothing?!

How many of us have not felt the same way? We've been brought up by Christian parents and we've tried to live a decent life. Surely our moral behaviour deserves God's approval? Maybe though – even if we're loyal church-going people – like Nicodemus – we've sensed something lacking.

That's how it was with me at the age of 18 – when I began to look for a reality greater than I knew up till then. I read the New Testament with a new interest – but I didn't understand what I had to do, until the meaning of this meeting between Jesus and Nicodemus was made plain to me. I came to know Christians – maybe you have, too – who had an assurance, a peace, or a joy I lacked.

Such Christians have a readiness to praise God – or go that extra mile in love and service to others – that we find so difficult. We've heard the words of Jesus many, many times – they have spurred us on to greater efforts to lead a Christian life-style – but it has been such hard work. We have no assurance that God hears our prayers or will receive us at last into heaven . It was exactly this condition that George Whitfield found himself when he was an undergraduate at Oxford. He made himself ill with his efforts to live religiously – fasting and praying, but all to no avail – he felt he had no life or peace.

Let me tell you a true story. On the island of Mauritius, in the Indian Ocean, there grows a plant which flourishes and produces seed year by year. But not one of these seeds has taken root or grown into a new plant for over 300 years. The reason has been discovered. The seeds used to be eaten by the dodo, that flightless bird that only lived on Mauritius.

Because the dodo couldn't fly, it was easy to catch – and it was good to eat – so man killed it off. It has been extinct for 300 years. Inside the dodo the seeds were softened and abraded – so that when they passed out of the dodo into the ground, they germinated and grew. So – because the dodo is dead – the seeds have borne no fruit since.

This plant is called Calvaria – and it tells me a parable about Calvary. Why does Jesus and his death for us have such little impact on many who've often heard about him? Why is there, in many lives, a lack of spiritual fruit – real love, joy and peace? – even if we are religious, decent people?

Because we are as dead as the dodo. Only living dodos could make that seed grow. Only those with spiritual life – those who have Jesus in them – can bring forth the fruit of God's Spirit in their lives.

That cuts to the bone of Man's pride – that even a good, religious man cannot enter – cannot even see – the kingdom of God. He isn't fit, he isn't able to do so. None of us are, whether religious or not. The kingdom of God cannot be entered by human effort or merit. You must be born again, born from above – for this is the work of God's Holy Spirit.

Nicodemus asked Jesus how this could be. And this religious teacher was directed back to an incident early in Israel's history – when they were crossing the desert from Egypt to the Promised Land.

The people had been grumbling – insulting even – against God and his appointed leader, Moses. So God sent poisonous snakes among them, and people fell ill of snakebite and died. Repentant, the people came to Moses and said, We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away.

So Moses prayed for the people, and the Lord told him to make a snake of bronze, put it on a pole and set it up where the people could see it. Those who were bitten, and looked at it, would live.

Each of us is separated from God's life by our sin – our disobedience and unbelief. We don't like to hear that – any more than we would like to hear a surgeon tell us we had a fatal cancer – unless we put ourselves in his hands. But God cares for us more than any surgeon, and his words can be trusted more than those of any human surgeon.

As God once said to his own people, "Your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you" (Isa 59:2) – so he says the same to us now. "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Rom 3:23) All we do by way of trying to put ourselves right with God by our own efforts – falls short of his perfection. No amount of religious effort or good works on our part will cure our situation.

We are already dead spiritually – and our physical death will only seal our destiny – unless we are healed! "But God has loved us so much that he sent his one and only Son into this world, so that none need perish." (John 3:16-18) Jesus knew he was to be identified with our sin, to be lifted up on the cross (John 3:14) – to bear, in the place we deserve, our sins' consequences of death and separation from God. (1 Pet 3:18)

Suppose you had been one of those bitten by a snake in the desert. You hear the good news of God's provision for your deadly illness – his forgiveness of your rebellion. You can either stay in your tent – and die! – or go outside and gaze at that bronze snake – and live!

It was as simple as that! It still is as simple as that! To abandon all pretence of healing ourselves. To turn away from our self-life – and gaze trustingly at Jesus, our Saviour, and commit ourselves to him as Lord. It is as simple as that – any child can understand what to do. Yet so profound we cannot comprehend the wonder of God's love and mercy – and the costliness of Jesus' blood shed for you and me! Too simple for so many, who want to save themselves by themselves, rather than trust nakedly in Jesus, and in what he has done for us.

But that is the way to new life, new birth, a new beginning by God's Spirit. Will you admit your need and confess it to Jesus? Will you believe his diagnosis of your state in God's sight? Will you thank him for loving you so much that he shed his blood for you? Will you invite him into your life as Saviour and Lord?

George Whitfield came to the end of his search when he read again the words of Jesus, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink." (John 7:37) He knelt down and used these words as a prayer, I thirst. I thirst for you, Lord. From that time on, George knew the peace with God that he had sought, and the reality of Christ in his life.

Now it may be there is someone here who has never asked Jesus in a personal way to come into their life as Saviour and Lord. You can do so with all the simplicity of George Whitfield – or you can use as your own, the words of a prayer I shall say in a moment.

Nicodemus and his friends were not prepared to join the crowds and make a confession of their sins and unfitness to enter God's kingdom. But, in Christ's name, I am asking you to do so – by joining me in a prayer, asking for God's forgiveness, and the new beginning he longs to give you – and then telling me, so that I may pray for you, now and in the future – so that you may be encouraged to go on in the new life God gives you.

Here is the prayer:
Lord, thank you that you love me so much. You know how much I've tried to keep your laws – but I know that I've fallen far short of what you require. Thank you for dying for me. Please forgive my sins. Please come into my life as my Saviour and my Lord – for ever. And help me to become the person you want me to be. Help me to live for you, to love you and please you. Amen.