Cannot!
by Don Hooton
When Nicodemus came to Jesus, the chat was pretty brief. Nicodemus: “You must be from God because of the signs!” Jesus: “Seriously, you cannot…” Tilting the religious world upside down, Jesus said that some cannot. In our world, where possibilities are said to be behind every impossibility, we sometimes imagine wrongly that Jesus did not mean "cannot" here (see Matthew 7:13-14).
Most cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3) because they are blinded by their own eyes. They want to see what they want to be instead of yielding to the King who rules. Jewish leaders had this problem, and modern leaders do, too. But to Nicodemus, Jesus is clear—you cannot see.
Most cannot enter the kingdom of God (John 3:5) because they are bound to the rule that enslaved them to their sin: self. Jewish leaders were in love with their traditions (Mark 6:8) or wealth (Luke 16:14). His persistent rebuke to them. Modern leaders listen. How do you expect to enter His Kingdom if you do not yield to the King?
In fact, Jesus says, “unless.” No exception. Under any other circumstance, there is no way to see or enter the kingdom. While people tinker with their machinations of Christianity, it is Christ’s way to be clear here.
Except what? Nicodemus and all of us must be born again of water and the Spirit. Just as the Ephesians were cleansed “with the washing of water by the word” (Ephesians 5:26) and Titus was taught “through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 2:5), all Christians overcame the cannot with this “can.”
How? Peter: “Repent and be baptized, each of you [to] be saved from this corrupt generation!” (Acts 2:38-40). Ananias: “Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name” (Acts 22:16). And Paul: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household… And they spoke the word of the Lord to him [and] took them the same hour of the night and he and all his family were baptized” (Acts 16:33-34).
It is impossible if you will not listen to the King. But if you do, you can be saved when you believe, repent and are baptized. Why wait… if you really want to see and enter the kingdom?