The Secret Seeker
Red Letter Conversations # 18 • Sermon • Submitted
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Transcript
1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?
Retell
The Approach – Verses 1-2
1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
What was Nicodemus’ title, and what did it mean?
What knowledge of the Scripture did he have?
In his position, what might his comfort level have been of his own salvation and acceptance by God?
What part of the day did Nicodemus come to Jesus?
He was being challenged in everything he had ever been taught, thought and believed!
List some of the possible reasons for coming at this time.
Did he approach Jesus boldly or timidly?
What does this say about his character?
How was Nicodemus’ approach to Jesus different than other Pharisees of his day?
Did he have faith in Jesus at this point as the Messiah?
What was his reason for coming to Jesus?
What first attracted Nicodemus to Jesus?
What usually attracts people to Jesus in our day?
What title did he give to Jesus, and why?
When he said, “We know that you are…” who did he mean by “we”?
Why would he say “we know” instead of “I know”?
Would his statement about who Jesus was be shared among his peers?
How did Nicodemus know that Jesus had come from God?
The Redirect – Verse 3
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
What did Jesus say to Nicodemus in response to his approach?
What does “verily verily” mean, and why did Jesus include this?
Was Jesus answering the words of Nicodemus, or his thoughts?
What was Jesus’ purpose in redirecting the conversation to the Kingdom of God?
Did Nicodemus come desiring to know about the Kingdom of God?
Jesus said it was impossible to see the kingdom of God without what?
The Engagement – Verse 4
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
Why didn’t Jesus’ statement make sense to Nicodemus?
Was he interested in learning more about the Kingdom?
In what ways does Jesus redirect our conversations to lead us to truth?
As a Pharisee, how might it have felt to not have the answers now?
In what ways does recognizing our lack of knowledge help us in our relationship with God?
In asking Jesus for information, how was Nicodemus’ role as an authority changing?
The Plan – Verses 5-8
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
First Jesus said someone can’t “see” the kingdom of God without being born again.
What does he say is impossible next?
Jesus further explained what “born again” meant.
Why didn’t he give him the explanation first?
There are two baptisms that make up one biblical experience of being born again.
Describe what they are, and what they mean.
According to Jesus’ statement, is it possible to enter heaven without being baptized and receiving His Spirit?
Why did Jesus make a distinction between being born of the flesh, and being born of the Spirit?
Jesus said, “you shouldn’t be surprised”, or “marvel not”. What are some other things Jesus says that surprise or challenge us?
What did Jesus mean when comparing the mystery of the blowing wind to the mystery of being born again?
The Revelation – Verses 9-10
9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?
What was Nicodemus’ response to Jesus explanation about his salvation?
Why was it difficult for him to understand Jesus’ spiritual explanation?
Explain the difficulty of the carnal mind to understand spiritual things.
Share an example of when you struggled to understand a spiritual concept.
What helps to bring clarity for you?
In what ways do we “believe” in the supernatural, but struggle to accept or understand it?
Jesus called Nicodemus “Israel’s teacher”.
What did this imply about his role among the people?
What challenges might intellectuals or deep thinkers have in accepting Jesus’ truths?
Can you think of modern examples?
Was Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus profitable?
What were the results?
How patient is Jesus with people who approach him with curiosity?
Did your experience of surrendering to Jesus require his patience?
Explain.