The Plan of Salvation
Notes
Transcript
Intro:
Intro:
AG: Seek Wisdom
There’s a story about a proud young man who came to Socrates asking for knowledge. He walked up to the muscular philosopher and said, “O great Socrates, I come to you for knowledge.”
Socrates recognized a pompous numbskull when he saw one. He led the young man through the streets, to the sea, and chest deep into water. Then he asked, “What do you want?”
“Knowledge, O wise Socrates,” said the young man with a smile.
Socrates put his strong hands on the man’s shoulders and pushed him under. Thirty seconds later Socrates let him up. “What do you want?” he asked again.
“Wisdom,” the young man sputtered, “O great and wise Socrates.”
Socrates crunched him under again. Thirty seconds passed, thirty-five. Forty. Socrates let him up. The man was gasping. “What do you want, young man?”
Between heavy, heaving breaths the fellow wheezed, “Knowledge, O wise and wonderful…”
Socrates jammed him under again Forty seconds passed. Fifty. “What do you want?”
“Air!” the young man screeched. “I need air!”
“When you want knowledge as you have just wanted air, then you will have knowledge.”
M. Littleton, Moody Monthly, June 1989, p. 29.
TS: Today we look at what may be the most well known chapter in the Bible. At least 1 verse is, 16. This is the story of Nicodemus meeting with Jesus at night.
RS:
The Curious Seeker
The Curious Seeker
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.”
Nicodemus ‘ Credentials:
Pharisee- the word means “separated ones”
They didn’t remove them selves from contact with others, but set themselves a part like the puritans did
They were highly zealous for ritual and religious purity according to the Mosaic law as well as their own traditions that they added to the OT Scripture
They were generally from the middle class and mostly consisted of laity (business men) rather than priests or Levites.
They represented the orthodox core of Judaism and very strongly influenced the common people of Israel
This is the same group that Jesus condemned for concentration on external religion rather than inward transformation.
Ruler of the Jews
“a member of the Jewish ruling council.” That means he was a member of the Sanhedrin, a group of seventy men, both lay and clerical, who had jurisdiction over every Jew on earth.
R. Kent Hughes
Think of it as the Jewish Supreme court
They were the final arbiter of all things religious and all that the Roman government allowed them to do.
Capital punishment was out of their reach, but they had great latitude up to that point
Nicodemus came by night
He might not have wanted his coming to imply the approval of the entire Sanhedrin, nor did he want to risk incurring the disfavor of his fellow members.
John F. MacArthur
Nicodemus was on the road to salvation
He acknowledges that jesus is from God because of His miracles
He saw divine power on display
in miracles
in teaching
He seeks out Jesus to find more details
We aren’t sure his original intention before this, but we see him engage in sincere conversation with Jesus
AP: There are many seekers in the world
Many books and seminars are out there about being “seekers sensitive”
Seekers are those interested or curious about church.
A whole model has grown around them
The seeker sensitive model refers to a modern approach to public worship and evangelism whereby a church service is structured in a way that is sensitive to seekers
The good in the idea, is to not put stumbling blocks and barricades in the way of the curious
Simplify
Remove “churchy” language and customs
The downside is that many have removed the gospel and the preaching of the word to not offend
The thought is that they will somehow “catch” the faith by osmosis
There are those in the world who are being drawn by Jesus
And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.”
As the gospel goes out through both word and deed, people are convicted and drawn by the Holy Spirit
There will be those who ask you about the faith!
They will see and hear you and will ask as they are convicted.
Jesus defines....
The Universal Need
The Universal Need
You Must be Born again
Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
All humans must be born again
literally, born from above
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
This leads to his (and maybe our) confusion today
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?”
Thinking in just the physical, it is impossible as a grown man to become an infant and be born a second time.
Jesus wasn’t demanding the impossible!
The Explanation
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.”
Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?”
Water- physical birth
the context makes this easy to understand
some have lifted this verse out of context and tried to use it to justify salvation by baptism as a step
Nicodemus asked how can I enter into the womb and be born a 2nd time
He was completely focused on the physical
When a woman is in labor, a sign of the imminent arrival of the baby is when the waters break.
we are all born of water
Spirit- spiritual birth
This is the key Jesus is trying to get Nicodemus to see.
We need a 2nd birth, a spiritual birth
“born of the Spirit”
born from above!
Key point that makes this plain:
That which is born of flesh is flesh
That which is born of the Spirit is spirit
Wind illustration:
you don’t see the wind, but you do see its effect
The same can be said about the Holy Spirit
Knowing the need for a birth from above, Nicodemus asks How… then Jesus provides the answer
They Key
They Key
Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?
Though he was a known teacher in Israel, this external focus did nothing to save
For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
They had drifted into a performance religion
Jesus is moving to the inner focus
Belief-
This word is used 7 times
The new birth can only be appropriated through faith
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?
The people had rejected Jesus’ teachings and reacted poorly to His cleansing of the Temple.
They wouldn’t listen to Him about Earthly behavior.
Thus they weren’t even ready for heavenly instructions
Jesus explains further
No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.
This is the great difference between all false religions and the truth
They emphasize ascending to heaven through their efforts
All pagan religions and christian movements who have drifted from the gospel have this in common
They have a list of works to do in an effort to appease God
They have hopes to one day earn a place in heaven (or whatever afterlife they teach
Truth:
Only heaven come down to Earth can open the way of salvation
Jesus, God in the flesh alone could open the way
The only way to God is through the Son by faith.
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.
Lifted up
This is a veiled prediction of the cross
The serpent in Wilderness
The bronze serpent itself helped no one.
It was the Word that healed the Israelites, the Word spoken by God (Num. 21:8): “Whoever looks at this bronze serpent shall suffer no harm from the bite or sting of any fiery serpent.” It was the Word “Whoever looks at the serpent” that was effective.
Martin Luther
Jesus, the Son of Man, had to be sacrificed on the cross
Every OT sacrifice pointed to what He would do on the Cross
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
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.
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.”
God Loved
All of us
God loves the sinful “world” of humanity
God Gave
His son to be the sacrifice
The son gave His life
God Gives
eternal life
1st of 10 referenced to Eternal Life in the gospel
eternal life will only be realized in the resurrection
To those who believe
ALL of this was to bring about conversion not condemnation.
Yet:
there is Condemnation for those who reject
They love darkness over the light
People are too focused on here and now and miss the greatest news of all
They love darkness over the light
They focus on physical sensual things in this life
They miss the more important aspect of eternal life
This life is a preparation for eternity
Those condemned spend eternity in Hell
However,
All is given to those who believe
lit. believe into the name
More than intellectual assent
It is a trust in and commitment to Jesus
Trust and commitment like a person commits to and trusts in a parachute
There is no 2nd chance!
Real belief produced a new birth by the grace of God and thus, we are born again!
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
You must be born again, born from above
The Son has be lifted up, believe in Him
Don’t cling to darkness, come to the light
That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.
He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.
He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.