аЯрЁБс>ўџ .0ўџџџ-џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅС@ №ПwjbjbТТ (ЈdЈdwџџџџџџlТТТТТТТ &ЖFFFFFFFFZ\\\\\\,S sШˆТFFFFFˆъТТFFFъъъFFТFТFZъж"ј"ТТТТFZъdъNТТN: љTBРŒ^NN N;ъ;NъУхJesus and Nicodemus: The Necessity of the New Birth Jn. 2:23-3:8 Introduction: In our last study we saw that Jesus began his public ministry by driving out of the Temple in Jerusalem those who were making merchandise of the people of God. This all happened during the feast of Passover. As we pick up the story, Jesus, still in Jerusalem for the feast, has excited the interest of a number of people because of the signs which He did. Just exactly what those signs were we are not told. They were no doubt similar in nature to the other signs recorded for us in the Gospels. I would imagine that the majority of them had to do with healing those who were diseased. At any rate, we are told that ‘many believed in His name when they saw the signs… But Jesus did not believe in them, because He knew all men… He knew what was in man.’ Now, there was a man of the Pharisees… It’s clear from the context that the man now introduced is in contrast to those just mentioned. Jesus wasn’t able to commit Himself to them, because He new the insincerity of their devotion. Their interest was external it had more to do with what Jesus could do for them, than with who He was. But here’s a man on the other hand, who is absolutely sincere and honest in his interest in Jesus. Jesus in turn is going to commit Himself to him. ‘Christ will always give Himself to honesty. If a man in his approach to the Lord, will state his difficulties, Christ is ever ready to receive him, and to commit Himself to that man. In proportion as such a one remains honest, there will come to him increasingly, revelations, illuminations, and deliverances’. Campbell Morgan I. Nicodemus - The Best of Men. a. Sincere b. Loved God. c. Loved neighbour. d. Kept commandments. e. Just. (Does our law condemn a man before it hears him?) f. Courageous. (Helped bury the body of Jesus.) II. Jesus answered… a. Unless one is born again he cannot see or enter the kingdom of God! 1. Without the new birth the kingdom of God is imperceptible, incomprehensible. Paul the apostle said, “the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness to him, neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned”. b. What does it mean to be born again? 1. A Spiritual Birth - Man created as an inferior Trinity. Spirit, Soul, and Body. Sin brought spiritual death, resulting in man being reduced to a two dimensional being. Human life has become similar to animal life, but not identical to it. Man still possesses a spirit, and although that part of man is dead in trespasses and sins, there are still traces of man’s spiritual aspect. Man is a moral being. Man is a worshipper! All men worship something - even the atheist worship. They have their celebrities, their hero’s, their ideologies. 2. Being born again is to have that dead spiritual part of man brought to life by the infusion of the Holy Spirit of God. This is the great miracle that Jesus Christ is still performing thousands of times daily! 3. “The change which our Lord here declares needful to salvation is evidently no slight or superficial one. It is not merely reformation, or amendment, or moral change, or outward alteration of life. It is a thorough change of heart, will, and character. It is a resurrection. It is a new creation. It is a passing from death to life. It is the implanting in our dead hearts of a new principle from above. It is the calling into existence of a new creature, with a new nature, new habits of life, new tastes, new desires, new appetites, new judgements, new opinions, new hopes and new fears. All this, and nothing less than this is implied, when our Lord declares that we all need a ‘new birth’.” J.C. Ryle III. The means of the new birth. a. Water- 1. Baptism 2. Natural Birth 3. The Word 3a. Water is used metaphorically of the Word- Jn. 15:3, Eph. 5:26 3b. Born again used in connection with the Word- 1Pet. 1:23 IV. The miracle and the mystery. a. The Wind and the Spirit- There is much about the wind that is mysterious. We can’t handle it with our hands or see it with our eyes. We only hear, see and feel its effects as it comes into contact with other things. It is just the same with the operations of the Holy Spirit in the new birth of man. Marvellous and incomprehensible as His work might be, it is work that can always be seen and known. There will always be visible “fruits of the Spirit” in everyone that is born of the Spirit. What are they? John tells us in his 1st. Epistle. Everyone who is born of God- believes that Jesus is the Christ, does not practice sin, does righteousness, loves the brethren, overcomes the world. Close: You must be born again! The words spoken to Nicodemus are applicable to all people for all time. The fact that they were spoken to a man like him proves that. If Nicodemus needed something more to get to into the kingdom of heaven, what does that tell the rest of us? Are you born again? Personal Testimony- 45BCPC H % ^ o  ? z } › œ ЄЬЦ}†‡ˆД[`ž‚˜šЄ9:@EIZNavwћјѕёѕёѕэщёѕёуёѕёѕэщнѕёѕёѕлзлѕёѕуѕлщ5H*5 56CJ 56CJ6CJ6CJ5CJCJCJ 5CJ *5BC % & n o  š Ј М в  > ? 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