Our Personal Response to the G.O.S.P.E.L.

John 3:1–18 ESV

Now 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 him, “Truly, truly, 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, “Truly, truly, 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 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.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 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. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

John 3:1–18 ESV

Now 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 him, “Truly, truly, 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, “Truly, truly, 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 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.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 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. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

Who is Nicodemus? –

· Who is Nicodemus? –

He was a Pharisee apart of the Sanhedrin

Who is Nicodemus?

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He was a Pharisee apart of the Sanhedrin

o He was a Pharisee apart of the Sanhedrin

A Pharaisee

As a Pharisee, he would have memorized the entire Old Testament

The Sanhedrin was a 71-member ruling class of Israel

The Teacher of Isreal

Jesus’ Response

Jesus called him, “THE Teacher of Israel” ()

His Approach at Night (; )

John 1:5 ESV

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Jesus’ Response to Nicodemus’ Approach –

Jesus addresses Nicodemus’ inability to see

Nicodemus and the other Pharisees failed to understand that Jesus was the coming Messiah of the Old Testament

Jesus is the true light

John 1:9–11 ESV

The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.

You must be born again ()

Nicodemus’ Reaction –

His response was not one of arrogance and mockery, but of Hopelessness

Jesus’ Response to Nicodemus’ Hopelessness –

Water and Spirit:

Ezekiel 36:24–28 ESV

I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. 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. 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. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.

§ The water is NOT a physical birth or baptism, but Jesus is speaking about purification

The water is NOT a physical birth or baptism, but Jesus is speaking about purification

o To be born again it means to be born of water (purification) and Spirit (eternal life)

To be born again it means to be born of water (purification) and Spirit (eternal life)

Final discourse –

Nicodemus: How?!?

Nicodemus: How?!?

§ Nicodemus realizes the futility of his works ()

Nicodemus realizes the futility of his works ()

Ephesians 2:8–9 ESV

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Jesus

Further explains the Gospel to Nicodemus ( and )

§ Explains the Gospel to Nicodemus ( and )

John 3:16–21 ESV

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

Whoever (πᾶς): All means All

Perish: the is a negative consequence ()

Jesus, the one who came to save talked move about hell than anyone else. He preached more about the details of Hell than glory of heaven.

Jesus came to solely to bring the world out of darkness and into His marvelous light.

IT IS YOUR PERSONAL CHOICE!

IT IS YOUR PERSONAL CHOICE!

Whenever the Gospel is presented every has no choice but to respond. We either accept it or reject it. There is no middle ground.