John 3, Part 1
See Jesus’ Character and Wisdom in discussion with Nicodemus
The purpose of these devotional blogs is to grow deeper in our understanding of WHAT MAKES JESUS TICK.
New to this Inspititational Blog? Visit the Intro to understand what "God's Heart Beat" is about. https://his-heart-beats.blogspot.com/2019/11/what-makes-jesus-tick-in-spirational.html
New to this Inspititational Blog? Visit the Intro to understand what "God's Heart Beat" is about. https://his-heart-beats.blogspot.com/2019/11/what-makes-jesus-tick-in-spirational.html
Sometimes we forget the depth of meaning, or flippantly use the term, “Born Again.” Eternity hinges on your acceptance or rejection of this experience. It would cost Jesus His earthly life to make it possible for people to be able to become Born Again and start eternal life.
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After dark one evening, he came
to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to
teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.”
A common result of the many miracles is that the love of Jesus is
revealed and people recognize His relationship with the Father. Nicodemus was a
learned Hebrew scholar and his reaction to what he saw Jesus do makes me want
to shout God’s praise. A life was touched; a heart was drawn toward the savior.
Jesus also seized this opportunity to teach some simply profound spiritual
truths.
John 3:3 Jesus
replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the
Kingdom of God.”
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| https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/ news/israel-news /1343871/ rabbi-david-stav-slams-shas- leader-aryeh-deri.html |
Using the words of John 3:3 in response to this Pharisee’s statement must
have blown his mind, which was the Lord’s intent. Jesus wanted to take the
learned Rabbi’s heart past the purely intellectual knowing about God, beyond
religiously studying the written and oral law, to the spiritual, supernatural,
indeed experiential, knowing God. Look at Nicodemus’s reaction in verse four
and the contrast between where he was at compared to where the Lord wants to
take him.
John 3:4 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?”
Can’t you hear Nicodemus holler, “WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU TALKING
ABOUT???” Jesus just blew everything this man had devoted his life to right out
of the water. Obviously Nicodemus’s heart was hungry for more of God because he
didn’t flat out reject what he heard and walk away. Jesus sees people’s hearts
and gives us wisdom as to how and when to communicate His message. When you try
to have a conversation like the one in this chapter with someone who is
obstinate, all they will do is argue; their hearts are closed. The most you can
expect to accomplish is to plant a seed, so we should not go much beyond that.
Here Jesus is able to go way beyond that because Nicodemus’ heart was open.
Notice again the urgency of what Jesus wants all mankind to understand in
verse 5. HE drives home the reality that the choice between heaven and hell is
directly connected to our acceptance of what HE is about to explain.
John 3: 5 Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being
born of water and the Spirit.
The night I got saved (12/17/1971) I
had a supernatural revelation from God and experienced this verse. Since that
night there has never been a doubt in my mind that Jesus is God and the Bible is absolute truth. It was a spiritual
experience that totally transformed my life.
God’s Word is not empty powerless
words of opinion. Jesus, the Incarnate Word, is Absolute Truth.
John 14:6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth,
and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
Jesus is speaking with an authority that is only understood by a heart
that is either searching for (as Nicodemus was) or has found the Gospel, found absolute
truth. Everyone in the world is in ether this category or is not, and the
Lord’s primary concern is always to reach the lost souls. Nicodemus’ search
compelled him to go to Jesus that night; he had to find out who Jesus really
is. The Lord’s response was, and ours must always be, to point the searching to
the Savior and the availability of the Born Again experience. Jesus sets the
example for His disciples to follow in order to share the Gospel – declare that
people must be born again, this time of the Spirit of God.
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| https://jesus.christ.org/blog/2019/11/ 13/what-is-born-of-the-spirit-and-baptism-with-fire/ |
John 3:6 Humans
can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual
life.
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So don’t be surprised when I say,
‘You must be born again.’
8 The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you
can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so
you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”
Jesus so simply explains, in a way a young child could understand, that
there is a difference between the natural, intellectually comprehensible
birthing process, versus being born of the Spirit. HE is trying to get
Nicodemus to receive the faith to believe. Heb. 11:1 explains, “Now faith is
the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
John 3:9 “How
are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked.
Nicodemus’ response shows he just didn’t get it. This is predictable
because what Jesus was saying is not intellectually comprehended, and that’s
how Nicodemus was still functioning. On the surface of the following verses, it
comes off as though Jesus was intentionally putting Nicodemus on the defensive.
However Jesus was leading Nicodemus on to get him beyond the intellectual
understanding reflected in verse 9 above.
10 Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish
teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things?
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I assure you, we tell you what we
know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony.
12 But if you don’t believe me when I tell you
about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly
things?
The stage is set; now Jesus can get very personal and plant that seed
deeply in ground that has been well tilled and fertilized. HE is about to bring
this conversation to glorious climax. Jesus explains the heart of God and who
HE so that the Father’s plan of salvation can come to fruition.
John 3:13 No one has ever gone to heaven and returned.
But the Son of Man has come down from heaven.
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And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so
the Son of Man must be lifted up,
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so that everyone who believes in HIM will have eternal life.
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“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so
that everyone who believes in HIM will not perish but have eternal life.
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God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the
world through HIM.
Now that should make you want to jump up and shout “Hallelujah!”. But
wait, that’s not all. He pours out God’s love for this man with a set of
logical steps that the brilliant intellectual Pharisee, because of everything
previously discussed, should be able to grasp. Furthermore, Pharisees acted as
judges in ecclesiastical matters but he now needs to come to the light, Jesus
the Light of the world. Now it’s time to water that seed.
John 3:18 “There is no judgment against anyone who
believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged
for not believing in God’s one and only Son.
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And the judgment is based on this
fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than
the light, for their actions were evil.
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All who do evil hate the light
and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed.
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But those who do what is right
come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.”
PRAYER:
Jesus, help us to always
walk in the light as You are in the light. Help us to have a heart that
discerns the conditions of other peoples’ heart. Give us wisdom to lovingly and
skillfully point people to you. You’ve told us to go and make disciples, so
lead us in every step of that process.
1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the
light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood
of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
John
the Baptist Paints Another Portrait of Jesus, the Bridegroom
Jesus and the disciples left Jerusalem and went to minister in the
countryside. Now John the Baptist addresses his disciples about Jesus. When
John’s disciples expressed that numbers following John were decreasing and
those following Jesus increasing John humbly responds and shows who Jesus is in
a new light.
John 3:28 You yourselves know how plainly I told you, ‘I am not the Messiah. I am only here to prepare the way for him.’
The Baptist knew who he was and his relationship to Jesus. He takes no
offense at what is happening but just continues doing what God gave him to do.
What a refreshing attitude, no grief, no jealousy, no worry. All church leaders
should maintain such humility. Beyond that we should rejoice because the
Kingdom of God is expanding. These next verses bring that point home,
John 3:29 It is
the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the bridegroom’s friend is simply
glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I am filled with joy at his success.
30 He must become greater and greater, and I
must become less and less.
Verse 29 is also one of the earliest times that Jesus is referred to as
the Bridegroom. His church will be His bride. I guess we could say that John
the Baptist will be the Best Man at the wedding.
John then goes on to list several things about Jesus. Keep these in mind
as we go through this book and we will see mind blowing aspects of his
greatness, His love and concern for the people He will eventually painfully
give his earthly life for.
John 3:31 “He
has come from above and is greater than anyone else. We are of the earth, and
we speak of earthly things, but he has come from heaven and is greater than
anyone else.
33 Anyone who accepts his testimony can
affirm that God is true.
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For He is sent by God. He speaks God’s words, for God
gives him the Spirit without limit.
35 The Father loves his Son and has put
everything into his hands.
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And anyone who believes in
God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never
experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.”
PRAYER:
Jesus help us to always
walk humbly in the light of your greatness and love. You have given us your
Spirit that guides us into all truth. Lord may we understand your words with
the enlightenment of Holy Spirit and ever walk in your ways. Teach us what
makes you tick as you empower us to be like you. So great is the love of God.
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