The Book of John - 18

Introduction - We move on to chapter number 3 in the book of John.

This chapter is certainly one of the most profound in all of the Word of God.

Verse number 16 has been called by many the most beautiful verse in all of the Bible.

We closed chapter 2, with the Lord Jesus Christ not committing Himself to the men that believed on Him, for the Bible says, “Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.”

In this chapter we will be introduced once again to another witness.

His name is Nicodemus.

II. The Witness of the Word 1:19-4:54

A. John the Baptist v1:19-36

B. Andrew v1:37-40

C. Peter v1:41-42

D. Philip v1:43-44

E. Nathanael v1:45-51

F. Nicodemus 3

I like how John Philips breaks down this entire chapter and so I would like to use his main points:

The World’s Greatest Tragedy. V1-10

The World’s Greatest Truth. V11-15

The World’s Greatest Text. V16

The World’s Greatest Test. V17-21

Let’s read the introduction found in verses 1 and 2.

“There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.”

The Bible tells us that this man was of the Pharisees.

There were primarily two different religious groups spoken about among the Jews at this time in the Word of God.

They were:

The Pharisees - The term Pharisee comes from a Hebrew word which means separated ones. “They were the developers of the oral tradition, the teachers of the two-fold law: written and oral. They saw the way to God as being through obedience to the law. They were the progressives of the day, willing to adopt new ideas and adapt the law to new situations.” Charles W. Draper with Harrop Clayton, “Jewish Parties in the New Testament,” ed. Chad Brand et al., Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003), 917.

The Sadducees - The Sadducees were aristocrats. They were the party of the wealthy and of the high priestly families. They were in charge of the temple, its services, and concessions. They claimed to be descendants of Zadok, high priest of Solomon. Charles W. Draper with Harrop Clayton, “Jewish Parties in the New Testament,” ed. Chad Brand et al., Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003), 917.

We see from this first verse that Nicodemus was a member of the high religious court of the land, the Sanhedrin.

In John 7:48-50 we see how Nicodemus is named as one of them, “48 Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him? 49 But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed. 50 Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,)”

The label “Sanhedrin” is based on the Greek word συνέδριον (synedrion), which is a general word for “council” and can be used for local governing assemblies as well as for the high council in Jerusalem.

This high council was made up of both Pharisees and Sadducees.

And so you can imagine this important figure, a man who held great power and authority was coming to speak with the Lord.

Nicodemus was a religious man. In verse 10 the Lord tells us that Nicodemus is a διδάσκαλος didaskalos - which means teacher/instructor and even gives the idea of a doctor of the law.

He would have been very familiar with the Scriptures and certainly would have understood the implications of what took place in temple.

As we look further at this account, we will discover that the Holy Spirit puts this man in contrast with the women at the well in the very next chapter John 4.

Notice again how Nicodemus addresses the Lord.

John 3:2 “The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.”

We see in this opening statement that Nicodemus came to the Lord by night and addressed Him in a formal manner but not fully committing Himself to the Lord.

We see that He makes His initial inquiry impersonal by using the pronoun “we.”

He doesn’t state, I know that thou art a teacher… but rather “we know that though art a teacher…”

I am in agreeance with our Pastor, that I do not believe Nicodemus is sneaking about under the cover of darkness to see the Lord but perhaps as one expositor states that he comes by night “From necessity, his duties forbidding during the day. (3) From choice as well as convenience. He wanted a private interview, such as Christ’s busy life could not afford during the day.”

As we saw previously, these miracles certainly validated that the Lord was “come from God..”, but a more sure belief in who He is was needed.

Immediately the Lord makes this evident by the conversation that follows. The Lord would show that He is more than just a teacher…

You see Nicodemus addresses the Lord as simply a Teacher sent by God rather than the Anointed One and Savior.

I want you to realize this morning that all that we are as Christians and all that we believe concerning His Word centers around this important question, What think ye of Christ?

Nicodemus as every man that enters this World need a Savior. Nicodemus as the Lord tells Him as every man that enters this World needs to be born again, “not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:13)

Nicodemus, many have said, is the best that man, culture, education and religion could produce.

He was a Pharisee of Pharisees.

Illustration:

There is an old story about two butlers of a certain king who wearied their monarch with their arguments as to whether or not a person had to be born a gentlemen, or whether he could become a gentlemen by training, discipline, and ingrained habit. The king finally dismissed them from the court and ordered them to go out into the world and seek conclusive evidence for their claims. A year to the date they would each present their proofs and he would settle the argument once and for all.

The year passed. The butler who said that one can become a gentlemen had traveled far. He was in a distant land and still had not found proof. But one day, sitting gloomingly in a wayside inn, he sat up with astonishment. He had ordered a cup of hot cocoa, and to his amazement he saw it was being brought to him by the innkeepers cat. But this was no ordinary cat. This cat had been trained to stand on its hind legs. It had been dressed in a tiny uniform and had been trained to balance a tray in its forepaws. The butler watched spellbound as the creature, contrary to nature, walked slowly toward him balancing the tray with his cup of cocoa.

‘He saw the implications at once. If a cat could be trained to do a thing like that, why could not a man’s be drilled into becoming a gentlemen? It proved his point. He paid a vast sum and secured he astonishing feline and headed home.

News of the cat leaked out and the butler’s rival was plunged into despair. He, too, had traveled far but was returning home empty-handed. He was sure he had lost. But then, just a day or two before the scheduled appearance in court, he saw something in a shop window that brought a smile to his lips. He made a purchase but kept it well hidden from view.

On the day of the trial the first butler presented the cat to the king as proof that a person could be so trained that he could overcome all natural handicaps and become the most accomplished of civilized persons, a gentlemen. As the king sat on his throne, the remarkable cat, attired in his minerature court dress, walked carefully on his hind legs, made its way slowly down a red carpet carrying a tray of hot chocolate to the king. The court broke out into applause. Everyone looked with admiration at the cat and with pity at the other butler, the one who said a person must be born a gentlemen.

But the man was ready. With a bow to the king he opened the box in which he had his proof. The second butler released a half a dozen white mice and instantly the cat forgot its training and education, and discipline and ingrained habit. It’s natural instinct surfaced and, in a flash, off the cat went after the scampering mice. The discussion was settled once for all.…”

I do want us to note positively the cautiousness of Nicodemus.

“There are some who are carried about with every wind of doctrine. Nothing astonishes us more than the ease with which men take up a new religion except the ease with which they lay it down. Not so with Nicodemus. He knew that Judaism was of God, and that Judaism prophesied a Messiah with which Christ did not seem to correspond. Yet Christ’s miracles appeared to authenticate His mission. But before accepting Him he would inquire further.”

I am very well convinced that many people believe things of which they have no scriptural support for. In other words, what they believe things simply because they have been told them.

Again this reminds us that all that we believe must be biblical.

There is no other standard by which we measure truth.