Nicodemus, Jesus, & Icebergs

Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him." 

Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again." "How can someone be born when they are old?" 

Nicodemus asked. "Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother's womb to be born!" 

Jesus answered, "Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are 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." 

"How can this be?" Nicodemus asked. 

"You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things? Very truly I tell you, 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 wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him." 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 they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. 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, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 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 3:1-21 NIV)

I like Nicodemus. If I were living in the days of Jesus, I would have wanted to be a Pharisee like Nicodemus. He wasn't belligerent or mean-spirited. He didn't drive Jesus away or shut down the conversation. He didn't try to stone him to death. He just asked questions...and listened.

Jesus had quite a bit to share about this concept of being "born again." Hey gave everyone a simple statement and let them respond. When Nicodemus asked for more information, Jesus revealed more. Finally, when he asked another question, Jesus gave us the most information about being born again...and shared the famous quote we all love from John 3:16. I wonder if Jesus would have ever shared that quote ha Nicodemus been a different kind of Pharisee.

As I was learning how to be a teacher, I was shown many times through the process that teaching should be like sharing an iceberg. There's much information there beneath the surface, but you share with people the tip of the iceberg. The rest of the iceberg is there to answer questions as they show interest and ask.

I learned the flip-side of that same coin at the same time. A good teacher, like Nicodemus, should always be a good learner as well. We should listen to what the speaker is saying and even ask questions, not to pick at them or prove them wrong, but to learn more from their iceberg. You never know what you might find out at the third level deep. ;)