S U N D A Y S C H O O L continued N¡codemus Hears a Great Truth vv. T-3 It is only in John’s Gospel that we find anything about Nicodemus. Tradition says he was one of the richest men in Jeru salem. Much discussion has resulted oVer the question why he came to Jesus by night. This is a relatively unimportant matter. The important thing is that he came. He came with the proper attitude and a disposition to learn. As he came he heard one of the most important truths in all the Bible—a man must be bom again if he is to see the kingdom of God. Literally, he must be bom “ from above” (Greek, a n o th eri). The thought is that ere a man can belong to the kingdom of God, he must have a heavenly life, a divine nature. Nicodemus Faces a Great Mystery vv. 4-13 “How can a man be bom when he is old?” asked Nicodemus (v. 4). He plain ly was thinking in terms of the natural man. The birth from above was a spir itual experience, not a physical. It cannot be explained as the natural birth can. It is as mysterious as the blowing of the wind (v. 8). God alone can control the wind, so God alone can provide the birth from above. It is supernatural. It can be received only through the operation of the Spirit working through the Word of God (v. 5). Water in the latter verse re fers not to baptism but to the Word of God. (See Eph. 5:26, James 1:18 and 1 Pet. 1:23.) Nicodemus Learns o f the Love of God vv. 14-16 Jesus used a familiar illustration (v. 14) to help enforce the message of divine love as set forth in verses 15 and 16. As sick Israelites in the wilderness were healed of their illness by looking to the brazen serpent elevated on a pole, so sick human beings bitten by the virus of sin can re ceive a perfect salvation by a look of faith to the Crucified One. It is all possible because “ God so loved the world.” No wonder that John 3:16 had been called the Golden Text of the Bible. Herein we have the whole Gospel in miniature. Memory Verse: ’’For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, t ha t whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). One night a wealthy ruler of the Jews, Nicodemus, came to ask the Lord Jesus Christ what he must do to be saved. Per haps he came at night so that none of the people who refused to believe that Jesus was the Son of God would see him. The Saviour said to Nicodemus: “ Except a man be bom again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Because Nicodemus was a religious Jew, the Lord Jesus used an Old Testament story to show him how God had provided a Saviour. The story of Moses lifting up the serpent in the wil derness (read Num. 21:5-9), told what God was going to do for the world through His Son. Just as a look at the serpent Helps for the Children Nicodemus Talks With Jesus John 3:1-21
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