Image via WikipediaOUTSIDE ROMAN CENTURION HOME As Jesus leaves the home, a funeral possession starts to pass by. When Jesus sees the mother crying, his heart goes out to her and he says: JESUS Don’t cry. Jesus goes up to the coffin and touch it, and those carrying it stand still. He says:
JESUS (CONT’D) Young man, I say to you, get up! The dead man sits up and begins to move around. The people in the funeral possession and standing around start praising God:
PEOPLE A great prophet has appeared among us. God has come to help his people. Nicodemus is overcome, and walks away.
CUT TO: INT NICODEMUS HOME-KITCHEN TABLE Nicodemus and his wife are sitting at a table talking.
NICODEMUS I have been following this man Jesus, and he is becoming a great religious leader. The people are coming to him and praising him.
NICODEMUS (CONT’D) The rich and the poor are coming to him to perform miracles. I’ve even seen Roman leaders, government officials, religious leader. Many are friends of mine.
NICODEMUS (CONT’D) And I keep being pushed into the background. This man may very well be the Messiah. If he is, I need to become a disciple.
NICODEMUS (CONT’D) Otherwise, if he takes over the government, I could lose my job in the Sanhedren. And if he is not the Messiah, I could report to the Sanhedren.
NICODEMUS (CONT’D) But, the one thing that bothers me, is that he keeps helping people, and he does not use it to achieve authority or money. How can he become the Messiah, if he does not take over the government.
NICODEMUS (CONT’D) I know what I will do. I will go to him and pretend to become a disciple, but stay in the background. Then I can be there when he becomes the Messiah; and if he doesn’t I still won’t be tied to him.
NICODEMUS (CONT’D) If I go to him and ask a religious question. I can show him, that I am interested, and still be doing my current job. Yes, that is what I will do. Nicodemus gets up and walks out.
CUT TO: INT DARK ROOM 2 MEN AT TABLE LIT ONLY Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night and talks to him:
NICODEMUS Rabbi, 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.
JESUS I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.
NICODEMUS 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!
JESUS I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.
NICODEMUS How can this be?
JESUS You are Israel’s teacher, and do you not understand these things? I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven - the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
JESUS (CONT’D) For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but 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. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done in obedience to God.
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