The Born-Again Believer
Notes
Transcript
This week we are going to look at the story of Nicodemus a Pharisee and Rabbi, or teacher, of the Jews as he comes to Jesus seeking to know more about Who Jesus is. I find it interesting in this story that Nicodemus, this great teacher, within moments of coming to Jesus shows his own lack of understanding of spiritual things. As religious as he was he lacked true faith. Later we find Nicodemus being one of the two men who helped prepare Jesus body for burial so it appears that he does at some point find true faith. But one must wonder how could such a learned man, a man so astute in the scriptures, not have seen the truth right before his eyes?As we look into this story I hope you will see that it is not just Nicodemus but all of us who are blind to the truth until God opens our eyes that we may see it for the first time and truly understand. It is only then that we are able to make a decision to accept Christ as our Lord and Savior. Look with me at John 3:1-15
Unregenerate people are blind
Unregenerate people are blind
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 -pharisee and a ruler of the Jews a Rabbi in his own right Jesus calls him a teacher of Israel this is a man who has all the answers or does he?
Notice he approaches Jesus confidently stating we know you come from God and God is with you
Jesus responds you know nothing you are blind
cannot see kingdom of God - Messianic kingdom/new heaven and earth broad lens spiritual truths of God
Nicodemus has only question here on and not even the right ones
His thinking is physical in nature not spiritual
Jesus even says how is you a teacher of Israel does not understand these things?
Why does Nicodemus not understand? - he is blind to the truth
Holy Spirit causes new-birth
Holy Spirit causes new-birth
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.”
Water and Spirit - born of water is natural birth-flesh and the Spirit is the spiritual regeneration
Notice The Spirit gives birth to spirit - our spiritual lives are given to us by the Holy Spirit - Ephesians 2:1
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
There are all sorts of ideas about how exactly he does that but notice even Jesus says we will understand the spiritual birth no more than we can explain the wind. We may think we understand wind but it is wild and untameable. Think of hurricanes forest fires tornadoes
I don't need to know exactly how God performs my salvation I simply need to rejoice in the miracle of it and offer others the opportunity to experience it themselves.
The Cost and the Decision
The Cost and the Decision
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.
Jesus ends his conversation with Nicodemus by saying that the son of man must be lifted up as was the serpent in the wilderness.
This story refers back to Numbers 21:4-9
From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.” Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.
Remember the reason the plague of snakes broke out upon the Israelites in the wilderness was because they rebelled against God claiming he had brought them out into the desert to die, and even rejected the manna, the bread from heaven. Thus as punishment God sent poisonous snakes to kill them, but when the repented of their sin He had moses put a bronze snake upon a pole and anyone that looked upon it was healed.
This comparison reveals Jesus knew he would be crucified and publicly humiliated
as the snake was lifted up on a pole for all to see so Jesus would be lifted up on the cross for all to see
but more importantly he reveals that his death would bring healing to those broken by their sin.
In both cases people find healing in the wilderness it was healing from the snakes poison and on the cross it was healing from Sin’s poison.
Yet notice in both cases a choice of faith must be made
The Israelites had to choose to look at the serpent and believe that it would heal them, and to be forgiven of our sins we too must put our faith In Jesus that his death on the cross on our behalf is able to pay the price for our sin and only then can we find salvation.
The Israelites could have tried medicinal techniques, maybe some tried to suck out the poison others maybe cut open the wound hoping to cause it to bleed out. They may have even tried apply salves to it to heal it, but all were ineffective unless they looked upon the bronze serpent and in the same way you can try to deal with sin on your own and regardless of what methods you use it will fail. The only cure for sin is the sacrifice of Jesus upon the cross.
Invitation
Invitation
Will you trust in him today and ask him to cleanse you of your sin? Will you accept Jesus as Lord and master of your life? Or will you continue to try to be good enough to do and say all the right things, to be master of your own life and in doing so walk brazenly into the gates of hell claiming your rights as master of your life? I beg you do not let your pride stop you, humble yourself before the God of the universe and ask his forgiveness and accept the gift of salvation he has offered, there is no other way but the death of Jesus to be saved. Do not miss this opportunity it will be the best decision you ever made.
For those of you who have already made this decision I ask you who are you sharing the gospel of salvation with those around you? You have the opportunity to be a part of saving others from the depths of hell, it may be that you are the only Christian some people will ever meet and that God wants you to be the instrument he uses to save them from Hell, but just as you had to be willing to accept Jesus death on the cross, you now have to accept his right to command you to do that which makes you uncomfortable or inadequate. Remember Jesus told us in Matthew 28:18-20
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
He has the authority and he commands us to go spread the gospel, but notice also he will be with us every step of the way. The question is will you be obedient?