Gospel of John Series - If I Speak of Heavenly Things - Part 1

                                     If I Speak of Heavenly Things - Part 1

John 3:1-14

Of the scriptures, John 3:3 is often quoted on signs at sporting and political events in the United States and the world. And if anyone asks the question, what does it mean? There would be a witness to explain how to be born again. 

Now our lesson. A biblically learned man, Nicodemus, hidden by the darkness of night sneaks out to find Jesus. Why the cloak and dagger? Is He afraid to be seen talking with Jesus in front of others or is this a personal rendezvous? Let’s look at the text, “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.

Nicodemus proclaims that Jesus has to be from God because of the wondrous signs performed in Jerusalem and other cities. Yes, Jesus affirms that the signs are from God and he too has come from God, “Very truly.” But Jesus knows the heart and minds of all men, “...many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name. But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people.” John 2:23-24 

Jesus reaches to answer Nicodemus’ heart question, the kingdom of God and heaven, “I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” Nicodemus must have felt sheepish, and surprised at the statement that Jesus spoke, for his response came out in the form of another question and mystified response, “How can someone be born when they are old?”“Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

Jesus, not surprised by his response, gives a relevant answer,  “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.”

Nicodemus must have looked bewildered and astonished with the replied answer. Jesus being the patient teacher begins to explain to Nicodemus about how to enter the kingdom of God. Nicodemus, being a biblical teacher, believed in the kingdom of God in heaven, but had no concept that the kingdom of God had come to earth “Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”. (Lk. 17:20-21)

 Nicodemus knew Jesus was from God, but didn’t connect the physical with the spiritual that Jesus was God. So Jesus spoke in terms of rebirth. Now Nicodemus understood childbirth, but not spiritual birth. Jesus understands Nicodemus’ quandary, and begins to explain the spiritual birthing process.  Physical birth came by water and pain in the flesh by woman, spiritual birth required to be born of water and the Spirit. Spiritual birth was not only of water (the pain of birth, the death of Christ on the cross) but of the Holy Spirit. The water, the regeneration of righteousness (Titus 3:1-8) that John the Baptist was teaching (Matt. 3:11) was just the beginning. Nicodemus' understanding of fleshly birth came by the act of man, and he knew the importance of reading God’s word, following the law, and keeping the feasts. This was the act of man’s righteousness in his mind. The birth of the Spirit was not by an act of man’s mind but of the heart, by an act of faith in the Son of God. It was a regenerating act of the Holy Spirit, trusting and believing in the heart that Jesus is from God. 

Application - There are many Nicodemuses in the world today. Many are trying by their good works and the inability to keep the law of Moses to enter into the kingdom of God. Some are even making clandestine trips to religious crusades, or religious services in hopes of clearing their understanding of the kingdom of God. 

Jesus laid it out for Nicodemus, and he has laid it out for all who will seek him. It is not of natural abilities (the works of man’s righteousness) one can enter into God’s kingdom, but it is an act of faith, an act of repentance and grace, and act of believing in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, who came to earth, died for the sins of mankind on the cross, and rose from the grave victorious over sin and death, and lastly ascended to heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father. 

Jesus, will take your questions, even the cynical ones, and give you an answer. The Bible says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 19:12-13).  And Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. (Matt. 7:7) And again in the Bible, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Heb. 11:6)

Now Jesus reprimands Nicodemus for being surprised and not understanding Jesus’ testimony and teachings of God’s word. Let’s look at the text, “You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ “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, so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

Jesus again begins with “Why are you surprised?” “Don’t you understand spiritual birth?” Nicodemus had studied the life of Abraham and Moses, a life of faith in God, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." (Gen. 15:6; Heb. 4:3) and “For Moses writes about the righteousness that is by the law...” (Lev. 18:5; Rom. 10:2-5).

These were the words of God that Nicodemus would have read and studied, yet he didn’t know how to apply them to the teachings of Jesus (You must be born again). 

Jesus laid it out for him.  “Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen...” Jesus has been teaching on the kingdom of God because he has been there and knows that he is testifying from first hand experience. (Jn.1:12, 14) It is these teachings, Nicodemus, like others, had not believed in nor accepted the testimony of Jesus. They believe that God has spoken through Jesus because of the signs of miracles and the authority of his words. “many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name.” Jn. 2:23

Jesus continues with the reprimand, “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.”

Nicodemus listened and understood the physical concept of birthing by a woman, an earthly thing, and Jesus asked, “How can I talk to you about heavenly things?” It takes believing, trusting, and faith in the teaching and testimony one who God has sent. Jesus then unloads a heavenly concept that would hit Nicodemus in the mind and heart, “No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.” This teaching alone would shake Nicodemus to the core, Jesus now told him that He was from heaven, from God, and He is the Son of Man! 

Application - Many are still surprised at the Word of God as it is revealed to them by the Holy Spirit today. Like Nicodemus, we need to have our heart and eyes opened for the god of this age has blinded mankind to eternal life in Christ Jesus, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Cor. 4:4) The Bible speaks so that all who seek him would believe, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Nicodemus came seeking an answer, Jesus came seeking the lost. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. Lk. (19:10)

 It may be today that Jesus’ words will resonate in your heart and you will understand and believe in the One who God has sent. “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” Jn. 17:3

Last, Jesus uses a story that Nicodemus would have known since childhood, “Moses and the bronze serpent.” “Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. So the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, because we have spoken against the Lord and against you; intercede with the Lord, that He will remove the serpents from us.” And Moses interceded for the people. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and put it on a flagpole; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, and looks at it, will live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent and put it on the flag pole; and it came about, that if a serpent bit someone, and he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.” (Num. 21:6-9) Let’s look at the text, “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

Nicodemus’ heart and mind must have been racing by now, Jesus had just told him, “I am the Son of Man” and now he is the object of the symbolic meaning of the story of Moses’ bronze serpent. Jesus was saying, “If I will be lifted up like the bronze serpent. All who are under the curse of sin (all mankind) have a way to be healed (saved) from the serpent’s deadly bites. If he looked and trusted upon the bronze serpent (Jesus, the Son of Man on the cross) he would live (eternal life).” The explosion of recognizing the truth of Jesus’ words, and that the only way to the Kingdom of God was through the Son of Man. This was the heavenly teaching God was bringing to Nicodemus and all who had ears to hear (a heart ready to receive the testimony of the Son of Man) the words of eternal life.

Application - Can you imagine a story that you heard as a child, and all of a sudden the realization that this symbolic application is true for you. This is the gospel, the story of Jesus told at Christmas or Easter. It seemed just that a story, then all of a sudden God opens your heart and mind to it’s reality, the kingdom of God is here, that Jesus really is the Son of God, that I can have eternal life by believing in him, that it is by grace that I’m are saved, that if I confess my sins to Jesus, he is faithful and just to forgive my sins and cleanse me from all my sins (unrighteousness) and purify me. This is what the story of the bronze serpent did for Nicodemus. 

Later, in the gospel story, Nicodemus speaks to the Pharisees to convince them to not seize Jesus but to listen to him (Jn. 7:50-51), Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea buried Jesus’ body in a proper Jewish burial (Jn. 19:39) out of love and belief in him. 

God has a plan, and it is His Son, Jesus Christ. God the Father spoke these words, “The Lord is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.” (2 Chr. 15:3) Today be like Nicodemus and seek out Jesus.

   I’m again including the ABC’s of salvation (JD Farag). Please, Jesus, God the Son, came to this world to save all who would believe and trust in him. He is Life and that eternal, He is the Light that overcomes the darkness of this lawless world. If you haven’t asked him to be your Lord and Savior, today could be that day.

 First, A - Admit that you are a sinner. This is where that godly sorrow leads to genuine repentance for sinning against a righteous God and there is a change of heart, we change our mind and God changes our hearts and regenerates us from the inside out. Romans 3:10 - As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one." Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (We are all born sinners which is why we must be born spiritually in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven). Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The bad news is that the wages of sin is death, in other words our sin means that we have been given a death sentence, we have the death penalty hanging over our heads, that's the bad news. But here's the good news: The good news is that the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 2:8-9 - For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Second,

 B - Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and that God raised Jesus from the dead. This is trusting with all of your heart that Jesus Christ is who he said he was. Romans 10:9-10 - That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. Third, 

C - Call upon the name of the Lord. Every single person who ever lived since Adam will bend their knee and confess with their mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, the Lord of lords and the King of kings. Romans 14:11 - For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God." Don't wait until later — do this now. Romans 10:13 - For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." "O God, I am a sinner. I'm sorry for my sin. I want to turn from my sin. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son; I believe that He died on the cross for my sin and that He was buried and You raised Him to life. I have decided to place my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior, trusting only in His shed blood as sufficient to save my soul and to take me to heaven. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen."

Please share this with someone this week, the Lord knows that we and they need it.

If you would like other lessons, please go to http://pmdinhisservice.blogspot.com 

Until next week, In His Service Mike Davis

 

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