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THE KING’S BUSINESS
as that of the new birth, though the Old Testament taught it. He had assumed to approach Jesus as representative of his class (v. 2), and yet he did not understand something so elemental and earthly as the new birth. Nicodemus had expressed won der at the teaching of Jesus, and now Jesus expresses wonder at' the spiritual dullness and blindness of Nicodemus, and at his ignorance of the Scriptures which he had assumed to teach. And yet there are many “great scholars” today, great theo logical scholars at that, who do not under stand the very truth that Jesus was seeking to teach Nicodemus here. vs. 11, 12. “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know', and testify (bear witness of) that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. I f I have (omit, have) told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of (omit, of) heavenly things.’’ Jesus' here brings out in a very forcible way the striking contrast between the ignorance of Nicodemus;; “the teacher of Israel,” and the absolute knowledge which He .possessed, and which those who were identified with Him possessed. He and his (“We") spoke with the authority of absolute knowledge. Only what they knew absolutely and experimentally did they speak, and only of things which they had actually seen, or of which they had had personal experience did they testify. At this point His teaching and that of those identified with Him differed widely from that of Nicodemus and the Scribes (cf. Matt. 7:29). The great fundamental truths of Christianity are not speculations but certainties, facts of experience, things that those who teach them “know.” Over against the certainty of that which He taught our Lord puts the attitude of Nicodemus and his associates toward that which was taught, “Ye receive not our witness.” The emphasis is upon “our witness.” The thought is that though “our witness” is absolutely sure, built upon that which we have actually seen, yet “our witness ye receive not” (this is the order of the words
can \hear it, and just so you can’t see the Spirit, but you can hear Him. The word translated “sound” in the A.V. means pri marily and usually “voice” as in the R.V. It is used in rare instances of other sounds than an articulate, intelligible voice (Rev. 9:9; 14:2), but “voice” is its usual and exact significance. The reason why it is used here evidently is because the whole passage is dominated by the thought, not merely of the figure of the wind, but of that of which the wind is a figure, the Holy Spirit; and the Holy Spirit speaks, He makes Himself known in an articulate, intelligent voice. The Spirit’s method of working is always through His spoken or written iWord (Eph. 6:17; cf. Eph. 5:18-20; Col. 3:16, 17, and note what is said in the one place to be due to being filled with the Spirit is said in the other place to be due to being filled with the Word). It is particularly in the matter here before us, the matter of the new birth, that the Holy Spirit’s method of working is through the Word (See James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23). (7) The Holy' Spirit like the Wind is irresistible. What can stand against the wind in the fullness of its mighty power ? So it is with the Spirit : a man filled with the Holy Spirit is a mighty cyclone, no man can withstand or gainsay the wisdom with which he speaks, (Luke 21:15; Acts 6:5, 10). The action of the Holy Spirit on the believer, on the one whom He regenerates (Titus 3:5), is like the action of the wind in the material world, invisible, full of mystery, inscrutable, but none the less real, perceptible, sovereign, mighty, beneficent, invigorating, life-giving. vs. 9, 10. "Nicodemus answered, and said unto Him, How can these things be? Jesus answered, and said unto him, Art thou a master (the teacher) of Isrgel, and knowest (understandest) not these things?’’ This,, is the third and last time that Nicodemus spoke during this conversation. From this moment on he is silent and ceases to be a disputer and becomes a disciple. Nico demus was “the teachgr of Israel,” and ÿet he did not know so fundamental a truth
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