Being Honest With Jesus

Being Honest With God

Matthew 7:7-8

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 7

7 “aAsk, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

8 “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

Nicodemus And the Rich Young Ruler

Both men approached Jesus about Eternal Life

In , Nicodemus asked Jesus the question “How can a man be born when he is old? “

In , The Rich Young Ruler ask Jesus “What shall I do to inherit eternal life.”

Jesus brings out the fact that both men are educated in Jewish law, but both are still lacking in the knowledge of the truth

In , Jesus asks Nicodemus, “Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things?

In , Jesus tells the Rich Young Ruler “You know the commandments” and in He tells him “One thing you still lack.”

Both Men Failed to Understand Who Jesus Really Was

In , Nicodemus said “ Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher.”

translates to instructor, or master

this is the same way Peter recognized Jesus before the great catch when he was called as a disciple :see 5 Simon answered and said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.”

New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

In , the Rich Young Ruler referred to Jesus as “Good Teacher.”

Ultimately, both men understood that Jesus was affiliated with God

The Heart Of Nicodemus

Nicodemus was a Pharisee

He approached Jesus at night

this was not an indication of fear of being seen

this was an indication of his sincere desire to have a quiet, uninterrupted moment with Jesus.

Jesus took time in explaining salvation on three different panels to Nicodemus.

The first thing Jesus talks to Nicodemus about was being born of the Spirit

we receive our second birth when we receive the Holy Spirit through accepting Christ as our Lord and Saviour.

The second thing Jesus mentioned was the wind

In both Greek and Hebrew the word wind can be translated to Spirit

Just as the wind is uncontrolled and unpredictable so is the Spirit of God

Jesus talked to him about the serpent on the pole

The Israelites who who rebelled against God were bitten by fiery serpents and Moses interceded and received the cure, a serpent on a pole, as Jesus was lifted up as a cure for our rebellion, our sickness, our sin

The reason Jesus took time for explanation was due to the fact that He could see the heart of Nicodemus and knew that Nicodemus was searching for truth and not a conflict. Remember that Jesus spoke in parables to obscure the truth from those not seeking truth, but Nicodemus was seeking truth

The Heart of the Rich Young Ruler

He failed to understand who Christ was

referred to Him as teacher

His subsequent actions proved he had no idea who h was talking

he politely argued law

he bragged on his own character

and ultimately walked away in disobedience

He had a superficial view of his own sin

when Jesus held the law as a mirror, the young man failed to recognize his own sin

Jesus never pointed out “thou shall not covet” but instead give him a task to prove that he did. A person who does not covet will have no problem removing those things that stand between them and God

Lastly, his view of salvation was wrong.

He thought salvation come to those who “did something” as evidenced in his words in

But when he was given something to do he could not, proving he wanted salvation, but on his own terms

Their view of sin

Their view of salvation