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John 3: 1-21
The Teaching of Nicodemus from Jesus -
Nicodemus was one of the Pharisees in Israel. Pharisees were the religious rulers of that time. Nicodemus had a much different view of Jesus and did not come to criticism as easily as the other Pharisees did. In this chapter of the book of John, we see Nicodemus having a conversation with Jesus. The Lord's words to him are profound for us today and it is one of the essential teachings of Christianity. This study starts off with a conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus;
"Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council.
He came to Jesus at night and said, "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." John 3:1,2
Unlike the other Pharisees of the time, Nicodemus recognized that importance of Jesus. He realized, God was 'with Him'. Jesus continued His conversation with Nicodemus and said;
"In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." John 3:3
This response from our Lord is the essential teaching for of us today. We all must be 'born again'. However, this response was confusing to Nicodemus so he asked Jesus;
"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his
mother's womb to be born!" John 3:4
Nicodemus had no idea what Jesus was referring to. He did not understand this requirement of Salvation. As it was with all of the Pharisees, they had their own interpretation of scripture. They would wrongly teach others in an attempt to build themselves up as Spiritual leaders. This was the main point of contention between Jesus and the Pharisees. However as Nicodemus had an honest yearning for the truth, Jesus did not dismiss him bit continued His teachings;
"Jesus answered, "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." John 3:5-8
Nicodemus still did not understand and asked; "How can this be?" Nicodemus asked." John 3:9. This was a major issue with all of the Pharisees. They did not understand the essence of the biblical teachings they professed to know. Their emphasis was on exalting themselves.
Being 'Born again' is when we come, by the grace of God to faith in Jesus and who He truly is. The flesh of man in his fallen state is incapable of doing this on its own. We need to be reborn. That happens only when we are baptized by the Holy Spirit. It is this spiritual baptism that allows the Holy Spirit to work in us and through us, giving us a new life in the understanding of God.
The religious leaders of the time did not understand a lot of things Jesus taught. Jesus rebuked them in this inability to understand. In the verses below where it says; "we speak of what we know", this also refers to the Pharisees as they spoke of only what they knew;
"You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "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." John: 3:10-15
The remaining verses in this chapter of John give us the hope of everlasting life through the belief in Jesus Christ. These verses speak of how light and darkness, being two opposites are incompatible with each other. This light of Jesus, the word of God, the truth is denied by us in our fallen state. We MUST become 'anew' (in verse 3 above, the Greek work for again means 'anew') in order to rid ourselves of our old fleshly life and become one of God's children;
"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 through God." John 3:16-21
Truly, words to LIVE by from our Lord, God and Savior.
The Teaching of Nicodemus from Jesus -
Nicodemus was one of the Pharisees in Israel. Pharisees were the religious rulers of that time. Nicodemus had a much different view of Jesus and did not come to criticism as easily as the other Pharisees did. In this chapter of the book of John, we see Nicodemus having a conversation with Jesus. The Lord's words to him are profound for us today and it is one of the essential teachings of Christianity. This study starts off with a conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus;
"Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council.
He came to Jesus at night and said, "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." John 3:1,2
Unlike the other Pharisees of the time, Nicodemus recognized that importance of Jesus. He realized, God was 'with Him'. Jesus continued His conversation with Nicodemus and said;
"In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." John 3:3
This response from our Lord is the essential teaching for of us today. We all must be 'born again'. However, this response was confusing to Nicodemus so he asked Jesus;
"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his
mother's womb to be born!" John 3:4
Nicodemus had no idea what Jesus was referring to. He did not understand this requirement of Salvation. As it was with all of the Pharisees, they had their own interpretation of scripture. They would wrongly teach others in an attempt to build themselves up as Spiritual leaders. This was the main point of contention between Jesus and the Pharisees. However as Nicodemus had an honest yearning for the truth, Jesus did not dismiss him bit continued His teachings;
"Jesus answered, "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." John 3:5-8
Nicodemus still did not understand and asked; "How can this be?" Nicodemus asked." John 3:9. This was a major issue with all of the Pharisees. They did not understand the essence of the biblical teachings they professed to know. Their emphasis was on exalting themselves.
Being 'Born again' is when we come, by the grace of God to faith in Jesus and who He truly is. The flesh of man in his fallen state is incapable of doing this on its own. We need to be reborn. That happens only when we are baptized by the Holy Spirit. It is this spiritual baptism that allows the Holy Spirit to work in us and through us, giving us a new life in the understanding of God.
The religious leaders of the time did not understand a lot of things Jesus taught. Jesus rebuked them in this inability to understand. In the verses below where it says; "we speak of what we know", this also refers to the Pharisees as they spoke of only what they knew;
"You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "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." John: 3:10-15
The remaining verses in this chapter of John give us the hope of everlasting life through the belief in Jesus Christ. These verses speak of how light and darkness, being two opposites are incompatible with each other. This light of Jesus, the word of God, the truth is denied by us in our fallen state. We MUST become 'anew' (in verse 3 above, the Greek work for again means 'anew') in order to rid ourselves of our old fleshly life and become one of God's children;
"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 through God." John 3:16-21
Truly, words to LIVE by from our Lord, God and Savior.