‘Can I Change?’
Posted on September 10, 2007
Filed Under Devotionals, Matt Clifton
by Matt Clifton
When a man or woman is confronted with the truth about Jesus Christ, there is a question that ought to ring loudly within the soul: “Can I change?†Nicodemus (John 3) seemed to be such a man. The woman at the well (John 4) seemed to be such a woman. Their positions in life were near opposites, one a religious leader, the other one of questionable morality. Both were confronted by the truth about Jesus, and both had decisions to make.
Nicodemus was a Pharisee, which was the strictest denomination of Judaism (Acts 26:5). He was not just a Pharisee, but was also a “ruler of the Jews†(John 3:1). Locked into the traditions of the Pharisees, it must have been difficult for him to come that night to question Jesus in sincerity. The Pharisees were on the lookout for religious leaders and Pharisees who listened to the teachings of Jesus, even implying that because none were “deceived†by Jesus, He must not be the Christ (John 7:47-49). But Nicodemus knew that Jesus must be a teacher from God, “because no one can do these signs You do unless God is with Him†(John 3:2). Jesus told Nicodemus he must be born again—born of water and Spirit—in order to see the kingdom.
The woman at the well was a woman of questionable moral standards, as Jesus indicates by His probing questions about her multiple marriages (John 4:16-18). While Nicodemus comes from a position of “respectability,†the woman at the well comes from the other end of the spectrum. She has these marital issues, and perhaps this issue has caused considerable problems for her socially, since she is drawing water at noon (John 4:6). Historically, the women in this area of the world drew water in the morning and evening. It was not unheard of to draw water at noon, but there would be fewer women coming to the well in the noon-day heat.
The tension we see in these two conversations with Jesus is crystal clear. Nicodemus is faced with the question, “Can I pull away from the religious traditions that I’ve held for so long?†The woman at the well is tugged by the question, “Is this the Christ? Must I change my way of life and worship, if He is?â€
Are you burdened with such questions? I want to tell you, it is possible to leave the religious traditions created by men. It is also possible to leave the world and worship God in Spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24)! If you need assistance in learning how to do this, please feel free to Contact Us.
RELATED POSTS:
Change: Good or Bad?
Must the church change in order to grow?
Repenting of sin
BNc marks official launch
Musical instruments in worship on the decline?
Comments
Leave a Reply
Polls
Loading ...-
