Seeking Jesus First Jan. 23, 2026
Are You the Teacher of Israel?
Today’s Reading: John 3:1–21
(Read the full passage before reflecting below.)
“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?’” (John 3:10, NKJV)
Nicodemus has reached the limit of his understanding. After hearing Jesus speak of new birth, water, and Spirit, he can only ask, “How can these things be?” It is an honest question—but it reveals a gap between knowledge and revelation. Jesus’ response is firm, but not cruel: “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?”
Jesus is not mocking Nicodemus. He is awakening him.
Nicodemus is not just a teacher—he is the teacher of Israel, a recognized authority in Scripture, tradition, and theology. He has studied the Law and the Prophets his entire life. Yet when the fulfillment of those Scriptures stands before him, he cannot see it. This moment exposes a sobering truth: it is possible to know the Scriptures deeply and still miss what God is doing.
Jesus presses the issue further. “We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.” The problem is not lack of information, but lack of reception. Truth has been spoken, but it has not yet been received. This echoes what John has already told us—that receiving Christ is what grants the right to become children of God. Knowledge alone does not unite us to the kingdom; faith does.
Jesus then draws a distinction between earthly things and heavenly things. New birth, though spiritual, has visible effects—changed lives, renewed hearts, transformed desires. If Nicodemus struggles to grasp even this, how will he understand the deeper realities of heaven? Revelation must precede comprehension.
Then Jesus reveals something profound about authority. “No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.” Jesus is not speaking as a fellow interpreter of Scripture. He speaks as the One who has come from God. His authority does not rest in education, position, or recognition—it rests in origin. He knows heavenly things because He comes from heaven.
This moment reframes everything. Nicodemus came to Jesus as one teacher speaking to another. Jesus reveals that He is far more than a teacher. He is the Son of Man—the One who bridges heaven and earth. What Nicodemus needs is not further instruction, but revelation that leads to faith.
This devotion invites careful reflection. Do we ever rely on familiarity with Scripture, Christian language, or theological understanding while resisting what God is actually saying to us now? Jesus’ question to Nicodemus gently confronts us as well. Truth is not only meant to be studied—it is meant to be received.
Jesus does not dismiss Nicodemus for what he lacks. He invites him forward. The same invitation is extended to us. Spiritual authority is not found in knowing about God, but in responding to Him. The kingdom of God is entered not by mastery of doctrine, but by humility of heart.
Today, let Jesus’ question echo gently: “Do you not know these things?” Not as condemnation, but as an invitation to move from knowledge to faith, from understanding to trust, and from instruction to transformation.