Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man. (John 2:23-25)
Jesus, being the Christ, the Word of God in the flesh, Lord God, the Son of God, was able to do all kinds of things that no man was able to do. Many of the people believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did, but believing in His name didn't mean the same thing as believing in Him. He knew all men, and He knew what was in man. But, There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:1-8)
Nicodemus is a Pharisee, meaning a member of an ancient Jewish sect that emphasized strict interpretation and observance of the Mosaic law in both its oral and written form. Jesus often refers to the Pharisees as hypocrites and self-righteous, "They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.” (Matthew 15:14) How are they so off in their interpretation of the Word of God? Paul states it best, because he also was a Pharisee before his conversion to Chrstianity: For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. (Philippians 3:3-6) They were so concerned with making sure they and the people obeyed the letter of the law, they never accepted the "spirit" of the law, the Holy Spirit of God into their lives.
Jesus is explaining to Nicodemus, as Paul again states so clearly, But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. (Romans 7:6) But Nicodemus still doesn't get it. Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:9-16)
The reference to Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness should have helped this strict interpretor and observor of Mosaic law understand more clearly what Christ was explaining to him. Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.” So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived. (Numbers 21:4-9) The point of this was to teach the people, “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” (I Corinthians 15:55) Either we're going to die and receive eternal damnation, or we're going to die and receive eternal life. Either way, we're all going to die, but for those of us who "looks at it", the Son of Man [who must] be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
Jesus further explains to Nicodemus, For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” (John 3:17-21) Just like Nicodemus, many of us came to Jesus by night. I pray that after our encounter with Jesus, we who ...were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. (Ephesians 5:8-11) Choose eternal life, become light - believe in Christ Jesus today!
No comments:
Post a Comment