Nicodemus Came to Jesus
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· 42 viewsA prominent, powerful, popular, prosperous and highly educated Pharisee named Nicodemus came to Jesus in the middle of the night. Skeptic, yet inquisitive and curious. Just like Moses, Nicodemus wants to "know God". Jesus talked to him plainly, but he can't get it. The Lord continued to explain further to Nicodemus, but still, he didn't get it! No amount of human intelligence will be ever sufficient to truly know God. One must be in the realm of the Spirit to be able to know the Lord. To be in the realm of the spirit, we must be REBORN. REceive the Holy Spirit. BOdy shall be used to honor God, and ReNew our thoughts and attitudes.
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Opening
Opening
Last Sunday we started the series for the month of November entitled “iKnow”
We began asking ourselves with questions like:
Do we truly know the God that we are worshipping?
Do we truly know the God we are worshipping?
How much do we know about Jesus apart from His name?
Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, “you Samaritans worship what you do not know”
In another time, distressed by the idolatry that he had seen,
After seeing an altar with an inscription that said, “To an unknown god”,
Paul told the people of Athens. “you are ignorant of the very thing you worship”
BREATHE!
And so in our quest for answers, we were guided by the Spirit and we delved into the narrative of Moses when he sought the glory of God (in other words, His visible earthly presence),
Moses desired to know God
Moses was treated higher than any other prophets
Though it was said in many passages in the scriptures that God talked to him “face to face”
We are clarified that this is not to be taken literally but instead, metaphorically
It just denotes his higher status over other prophets
Because in their culture during those days, it is dishonoring for a jew to look at the face of a person in higher social status, when talking to them
So, when it was said that God talked to Moses face to face, It only denotes his higher status over other prophets
God treated Moses higher than any other prophets
So we are clarified, that no one really have seen the glory of God (the face of God)
Until....
For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
BREATHE!
I visited one of the Life Group meetings this week, and I overheard them talking about the appearance of Moses and Elijah during the transfiguration of the Lord Jesus Christ
There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
In Matthew 17::3
It is believed that the appearance of Moses and Elijah in that instance, represents the Law and the prophets
This showed that everything in the old testament was pointed at Jesus
Just like a compass, the needle is always pointed at true north
Both the Old and New Testament points to Jesus
Every book, every chapter, every verse and every word in the scriptures, points to Jesus
God has revealed, and continue to reveal Himself to us, “Progressively” until Jesus came
BREATHE!
Now, why do you think Moses wanted to see the Lord’s face?
In my personal studied opinion, Moses wanted to see the Lord’s face not just for
assurance,
guidance
and significance
But, Moses wanted to KNOW GOD “more”
By the quick raising of your hands...
Who among you wants to know God?… Seriously?
BREATHE!
Let’s fast forward to the First Century
After Jesus turned water into wine as His very first sign
After He cleared the temple courts of the vendors, money changers and many other things going on around
Nicodemus Came to Jesus
Text:
Text:
After Jesus clears the temple courts
Nicodemus was a Pharisee, ruler of the Jews, teacher of Israel, a wealthy man and a member of Sanhedrin
Show Image of The Sanhedrin
Sanhedrin is the powerful Jewish Ruling Council
It is composed of 71 men headed by the high priest
the court was located within the chamber of Hewn Stone inside Herod’s Temple
This council can decide almost any fate of its people
Except for one thing, the death penalty which was decided by the Romans
That’s why they brought Jesus to Pontius Pilate, the governor (prefect) of Judea appointed by Tiberius
the court was located within the chamber of Hewn Stone inside Herod’s Temple
BREATHE!
After hearing about the signs and wonders that Jesus performed during the Passover Festival in Jerusalem
A very prominent and very powerful person named Nicodemus (conqueror of the people) came to Jesus
Why do you think Nicodemus came to Jesus?
Without a doubt, I believe, Nicodemus came to see Jesus because he also, just like Moses, wanted to “KNOW GOD”
Though, he came in the middle of the night because of his fear being associated publicly with Jesus
And this is what he told the Lord:
The New International Version Chapter 3
Rabbi,d we knowe that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signsf you are doing if God were not with him.”g
Rabbi (Great Teacher), we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with Him.
He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
Look at what Nicodemus said, it was not even a question, but rather, it was a statement
He neither accepted, nor rejected Jesus as God
He simply made a statement
He was “curious”
BREATHE!
He didn’t say it in a form of a question, most probably because of his stature
He was a person in position
Prominent
Powerful
He was powerful
Popular
He was educated
Prosperous
Educated
and he was not willing to completely humble himself to Jesus
Even to this day we have a lot of Nicodemus
My Story: I was once like Nicodemus myself
People who are conceited, does not ask questions, they over assume themselves
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.
People who thinks that they know everything, that they have everything, and that they don’t need anything
People who do not humble themselves
Even to this day we have a lot of Nicodemus
BREATHE!
My Story: I was once like Nicodemus myself
BREATHE!
This reminded me of what Jesus said in
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus is not saying that it is a sin to be rich, but what the Lord meant was, it is difficult for anyone to enter the kingdom of heaven if they are not willing to “humble” themselves
BREATHE!
Going back to the statement of Nicodemus...
John 3:3
Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.
On hearing these, Nicodemus goes.. How can someone be born when they are old?
Nicodemus had taken the words of Jesus “literally”
To understand the Word of God, we must not take everything literally
Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.
Will you write these down on your outlines… We have to carefully look at the:
Literary Context
Cultural Background
Historical Background
Literature
Genres
BREATHE!
This paved the conversation for the Lord to make it known, not just to Nicodemus, but to us all, that
We must be born of water and the Spirit
Knowing God is to be in the realm of the Spirit
Flesh gives birth to flesh, referring to the First Adam
Spirit gives birth to spirit, referring to the Last Adam
When Paul taught the believers in Corinth about resurrection, he said these
So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.
1 Corinthians 15:
BREATHE!
Jesus went on saying
The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
John uses the metaphor of the wind as power that is felt but unseen
This meant that we are transformed and renewed by God’s Spirit
Something only the Spirit of God can do
But still, after all these that Jesus have said, Nicodemus still can’t get it
A well educated teacher of the law can’t get it? Why?
Because these may only be understood through the Holy Spirit
The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.
But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means.
A person who isn’t spiritual doesn’t accept the teachings of God’s Spirit. He thinks they’re nonsense. He can’t understand them because a person must be spiritual to evaluate them.
But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Who among you wants to really really know God?…
Knowing God is not just to:
Receive Him
Edify Him
Believe in Him
Obey Him
Reconcile with Him
Nurture His Love
But, to truly know God, we must be in the Realm of the Spirit (Born of the Spirit)
BREATHE!
How can we be in the realm of the Spirit?
How can we be in the realm of the Spirit?
We must be REBORN!
REceived the Holy Spirit
Philip proclaimed the good news in Samaria
And when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the Word of God , they sent Peter & John
When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
By the way on November 26 we will witness some brethren to go through water baptism
BOdy should be used to honor God
When Paul rebuked the believers in Corinth about sexual immorality, he has these to say
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
ReNew your thoughts and attitudes
I will put my Spirit inside you and help you live by my rules and carefully obey my laws.
Philip proclaimed the good news in Samaria
And when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the Word of God , they sent Peter & John
When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
They sent Peter & John,
By the way on November 26 we will witness some brethren to go through water baptism
N
When Paul admonished the believers in Ephesus, these is what he told them
throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
I once lived a very lustful life
I did so many acts of lasciviousness
My Lustful Life Story
Prayer
Prayer