To Thine Own Self Be True
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John Damon
settled in Chicago and married a divorcee with four daughters lbecame a salesman.
The family relocated to Cincinnati and then to Miami to evade detection, Westover said.
However, the marriage soon faltered, and Arnold cut off all ties with his stepdaughters after his divorce.
He met his second wife in Los Angeles, a foreign exchange student, with whom he had a son and daughter.
The family moved to New Zealand in 1992 before settling in Australia in 1997. Arnold earned a respectable living and spared no expense for his children’s education, his son remarked.
That changed in August 2022 when Westover got a message that James' DNA matched a nephew. It was Leslie Arnold's son.
"I couldn’t believe it. [The son] said his dad was an orphan from Chicago," Westover recalled. They exchanged several messages before they met over Zoom and Westover came clean. He told Arnold's son he was a U.S. marshal looking for his father, who was a fugitive.
"I said, ‘Well, he actually was an orphan. Your dad wasn’t lying about that. He was an orphan because he killed his parents,’" Westover told him. "It was pretty tough at that point. He was just blown away."
Leslie Arnold, then 16, killed his parents after a dispute over the use of the family car, then buried their bodies in the backyard of their Omaha home. He attended school for more than a week as though nothing had happened.
However, suspicions soon mounted, and he confessed to the grisly double murder before being sentenced to life in prison.
Less than a decade later, he broke out of the Nebraska State Penitentiary. With baffled law enforcement officials on his trail, he surreptitiously carved out a new life as John Damon.
1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
Nicodemus- upper class, conservative, interested in jesus.
A Pharisee- strictest religious sect. A member of the sanhedrin, aware of the doctrinal winds of his day.
Interested in Jesus Miracles. Interview Jesus- he was open minded, wanting a revelation from God if Jesus was legitimate.
2 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.”
by night. Nicodemus is courteous and not hostile.
3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Jesus is both cryptic and abrupt.
You must be born anew- spiritual birth. “born from above” means a transformation, and adaptation to new conditions. To belong to the heavenly kingdom, you must be born into it.
4 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?”
While physical rebirth is impossible, is spiritual change any more reasonable or feasible? That’s what most of us think too.
5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Jesus crashes Pharisaism- entrance into the kingdom can’t be achieved by legalism or conforming to a set of rules. It is not assigned to a particular race of culture… it is not hereditary or in our dna.
It is an act of God. No one knows the oriigin or destination of the wind, but we acknowledge its reality. The life in the spirit is inexplicable as well, by ordinary reasoning. Its outcome is unpredictable, its reality is undeniable.
9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?”
Nicodemus is not incredulous… he is asking for directions.... How can he experience this. it is a plea for directions. Judaism didn’t offer anything like this, nevertheless Nicodemus would have known that Jesus’ words parallelled those of Ezekiel in Ezekiel 36.25-28
25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. 28 You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.
Yet, Judaism would have been the foundation for Nicodemus’ life....people who converted to Judaism were issued new cloting, then received into the commonwealth of the people of God… but Israelites were sons of Abraham and children of God from birth… because of the covenant.
Jesus is telling Nicodemus his descent from Abraham was not adequate ground for salvation. He needed to repent and begin a new life inthe Spirit if he expected to enter the kingdom of God. Remember , Nicodemus is a Pharisee Jew. See John 8.37-44
37 I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. 38 I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.” 39 They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, 40 but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. 41 You are doing the works your father did.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.” 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. 43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?
Nicodemus’ language suggests that he was a very importang person in theological circles. Jesus’ implies he should already have known the anser to his question, because being a student of the scriptures he whould have learned this already and was responsible for it himself.
11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony.
12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.
the “earthly things” were the wind, the physical things Jesus used for illustrations. If Nicodemus couldn’t grasp the meaning of spiritual truth as conveyed by concrete analogy, how would he do so if it were couched in an abstract statement?
Jesus is the only one who’s been to heaven…revelation, not discovery is the basisi for faith.
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
Nicodemus would certainly have known this story. The story has a lot to tell us....
The Israelites were guilty of disobedience and grumbling andbeing unthankful.
They were under the condemnation of God and being punished for their sin.
The object elevated before them was the emblem of judgment.
They were unable to rescue themselves.
The poison of the serpents was deadly and there was no antidote for it.
They were urged to look at the serpent in order to receive life.
Let’s look again at John 3.14-15
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
jesus insisted he would be lifted up- a word used for crucifixion.
Jesus is telling Nicodemus to receive Jesus as God’s provision for the cure of sin, and to place confidence- complete confidence in him for the future..... this confidence or belief would ensure his partaking in the life of the age to come.
We are almost called to follow the natural progression of looking at John 3.16, which we all know.
But we will not. I would like to actually take you back to look at why jesus said everything we just looked at… And in order to do that, I’m going to take you to 3 verses before this.
23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. 24 But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people
Jesus was doing many miracles. Because of this, many believed he must have the favor of God. Jesus saw this as superficial faith and was not satisfied with it… though it was genuine as far as it went. He did not trust himself to those who had professed belief only on the basis of his miracles.
25 and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.
Jesus understood people. He could read people more than a doctor diagnosing symptoms. He knew not only the people, but the overriding and overarching symptoms in thier lives.
Doctor’s visit-
Jesus understood people, the symptoms in their lives… that’s why this verse precedes all of Chapter 3 & 4…where he will meet Nicodemus the Pharisee, the Samaritan woman, and the royal official at Cana- who he knew everything about. before he asked a question.
To Know Who Jesus Is You Must First Admit Who You Are
To Know Who Jesus Is You Must First Admit Who You Are
Remember Peter, later in the book of John when Jesus is having a meal and he begins to wash his disciples feet? Peter says, “No Lord, You will never wash my feet.” And Jesus says, if i don’t wash your feet you have no part with me.” Peter says, not my feet only, but my head and my hands also.
At this point in time, Peter had travelled with Jesus for 3 years… and he had missed the most crucial point up to that moment..... and it was not who Jesus was- it was who Peter himself was.
That point is true for most of us. We spend a lot of time determining who Jesus is before we realize who we really are.
Nicodemus is the posterchild for the person who comes to church every week and believes that being a good person “like that’ is all it takes.
Nicodemus would have known the truth of Isaiah 53.6, but he never got it. Isaiah 53.6
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
This verse tells every thing about Nicodemus (Israel or humanity), but they didn’t focus on it. They focused on everything the Messiah would do for them. They placed a spotlight on who the Messiah was, and failed to even place a nightlight on who they were.... look at Isaiah 53.1-5
1 Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.
They focused on this, instead of on that single 6th verse- in Isaiah 53.6
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Listen, church, it is no different today and if anything it is far worse. Because not only do we not admit who we are- we have begun to tell God that we are someone other than who he created us to be.
Star Trek Convention.
Furries.
We Can’t be something other than who God made us to be. Well, we can, but it utterly denies the truth of not only who God made us to be, but who we are.
Emma.
Salt Team.
You see, Isaiah 53.6 is rieght. We are like sheep who’ve gone astray- we have, all of us, turned to our own ways… and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Paul the apostle affirmed Isaiah 53.6 when he penned Romans 3.10
10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;
and Romans 3.23
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Let’s read Romans 3.10-18 to get to get a full understanding of who we are.
10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands; no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”
13 “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.”
14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 in their paths are ruin and misery,
17 and the way of peace they have not known.”
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
To Know Who Jesus Is You Must First Admit Who You Are
To Know Who Jesus Is You Must First Admit Who You Are