Hello everyone Welcome back to food for thought from the gospel of John And I'd like to start off right away by reading John chapter 3 verses 1 through 8 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus ruler of the Jews the same came to Jesus by night and said unto him rabbi we know that thou art a teacher come from God and For no man can do those miracles that you do, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, verily, verily, truly, truly, I say unto you, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus said 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? Jesus answered, verily, verily, truly, truly, I say unto you, except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, you must be born again. The wind blows where it listeth. That means the wind blows where it wants to. And you hear the sound thereof, but you cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone that is born of the spirit. Now we've been reading these verses in the past two times. This will be the third time we've read them. But it's important for us to have this fresh in our minds if we're going to understand the next five verses, verses 9 through 13. These are verses that are, I think, often glossed over. But Nicodemus' response And Jesus' concerns that he expresses are very important, and they'll be better understood if we remember freshly what this conversation was all about. Well, Nicodemus represents people who are religious. Now, that can mean a lot of things, of course, but in general, we're talking about people who are knowledgeable, that they know some Bible, They're involved they're committed and they're stuck in their ways Now in Nicodemus case he had a lot of knowledge But he seems to be conflicted He wants to like Jesus He feels an attraction to his ministry But he is not making a public commitment to Jesus Yeah that would rock the boat So Nicodemus is probing. As if he were saying, is there a way to add a little Jesus to what I've already got? Certainly he could help the other Pharisees and the rest of the people of Israel. If I could incorporate Jesus with what we are doing, he could fix things up. Now, what Nicodemus got back from Jesus was what I call a broadside. A broadside, a bright light that offers no shadows in which to hide. Jesus told Nicodemus that it is the new birth or nothing. The flesh is in a terrible position. We cannot stagger into God's favor by trying to improve the flesh. There must be a death to self. There must be a second birth, a spiritual heavenly happening that makes us a new creation inside our hearts and minds. This new birth is not self-induced. It is not a product of religious rights and rules. It is a work of God's spirit. And when God's spirit reveals this to you, you will then seek God and ask him for this grace. Scripture will take on new meaning when the author of Scripture comes into your mind and heart. Now, verses 9 and 10, we enter into the mystery of Christ and the confusion of Nicodemus. I read verse 9. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, how can these things be? Now, this is the last recorded statement that Nicodemus ever makes to Jesus. He said something else. It's not recorded in Scripture Just like in verse 4 Nicodemus is asking questions The entire conversation Nicodemus did not understand what Jesus was saying. It was new and strange to him Now we come to verse 10 Jesus answered and said unto him are thou a master of Israel and knowest not these things and I read that in the King James as it is, but there's actually a definite article here. Jesus said, are you not the master, the teacher of Israel? And you don't know these things. See that? The master, the teacher, he is revered as the authority amongst the teachers in Israel. And Jesus is concerned here because he should have had some familiarity with what Jesus was talking about. Now, to make that clear, I'm going to have to take some examples from Scripture. So we're going to root around a little bit. If you look at the notes, you're going to see more than what I'm going to be able to share in this short video. Isaiah chapter 44 Isaiah chapter 44 in verse 3 Now this is a promise to Israel this is like a prophecy And it's going to explain some references to water and the spirit Please remember they're in verse 5 of John 3 and accept a man be born of water and the spirit of the word Of is only used once in the Greek and less may be born of water and of the spirit and we see this as one action described by two elements water, and spirit. And in the Old Testament, where Nicodemus is supposed to be the master teacher, we're going to look at references that describe water and the spirit as spiritual cleansing and renewal. back to Isaiah 44 verse three. For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground. I will pour my spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thine offspring. Okay, there's something going on water is mentioned the Spirit of God is mentioned and It's going to do some some wonderful cleansing and blessing and prospering to Israel We run over to Joel chapter 2 verses 28 and 29 and it shall come to pass that And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy your old men shall dream dreams and your young shall see visions and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days while I pour out my spirit This of course is mentioned by Peter in the book of Acts chapter 2. But I move on to Zechariah chapter 13 verse 1. In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness. Okay, references to water and the Spirit. Meaning a special work of God in which he is working in within people blessing and changing them water and the spirit, okay, let's move on to Some promises particularly to Israel of a new birth. I go to Jeremiah chapter 31 Jeremiah chapter 31 and 31 to 34 Okay, behold the days come sayeth the Lord that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt which my covenant they break although I was a Husband unto them says the Lord But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord. I will pour, I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts. And I will be their God and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor and every man his brother, saying, know the Lord. For they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. Okay, I'm going also over to the book of Ezekiel. And you probably know I'm not reading all the verses that are on the subject. I've only picked a few Here's Ezekiel chapter 11 starting with verse 19 to 20 and I will give them one heart and I will put a new spirit within you and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and will give them an heart of flesh that they may walk in my statutes and keep my Ordinances and do them and they shall be my people and I will be Now, what I shared so far talks all about Israel, House of Judah, and so forth. And it seems like it's all limited just to Israel, just to Jews. There's a subject we can't handle here, and it's a large subject, a subject which made many Jewish people stumble in the days of Christ and the apostles, particularly the apostles, as this covenant that we're talking about opened up to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews. I'm just going to mention Ephesians 2, 11 through 22, and chapter 3 of Ephesians, verses 1 through 12, We'll talk about how Gentiles are to be brought in and included in the New Covenant. It's a subject that will raise many other questions, and we can't deal with those right now. But nonetheless, these promises talked about a new birth, a changing of the heart, described in actions of water that cleanses or refreshes, gives life, and the Spirit, the Spirit of God that would come upon them, be poured into them, And they would have this unique relationship in which every one of them would know the Lord who had partaken of that covenant. In the Old Covenant, many people partook of it, but they weren't really the Lord's people. They outwardly conformed to some degree. Often they rebelled. But there's always been a remnant that truly do know the Lord. But something's opening up in which it's going to be everyone who partakes of this new covenant is gonna be a true follower of the Lord, a true child of God. God is truly gonna be their spiritual father. Okay, now this just brings us to the point that the Old Testament scriptures were designed to reveal God's salvation. That should be the primary subject of every master teacher in Israel. Every rabbi should be looking for God's salvation to men. But here's where Israel failed as a nation, as a religious institution. They failed to use the scriptures God's way. They failed to see God's form of righteousness. And they went about to create their own righteousness. They created a system of works and sacrifices and so forth, using things God had ordained, but using them differently than God meant, putting meaning into things and significance that was not there. And so they blinded themselves to the very scriptures which reveal righteousness by God through faith and through the Messiah or the Lord Jesus Christ. Okay, you know, Paul told Timothy, that all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable. Now, when Paul wrote that to Timothy, the New Testament was not all formed and put together yet. So here's Paul telling him the scriptures that are profitable for all things. He's talking about Genesis to Malachi. Yes, other letters have been written at this point, but they haven't brought it all together in one formulated New Testament. But Paul also told Timothy, and now I'm referring to 1 Timothy chapter one. 1 Timothy chapter one, I'm sorry, I meant chapter three. 1 Timothy chapter three, verse 15. And then from a child that was known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. Okay, Timothy was brought up by a Jewish mother and a Jewish grandmother. The father was a Gentile. Paul knew Timothy had been brought up on the scriptures, and Paul's saying they're designed to reveal salvation to you, to make you wise in the salvation. You see, it's not just learning a couple verses and a couple techniques. It's learning the basic principle of being saved by grace through faith, being saved by mercy, not by works of righteousness, which we have done. Now, I confess I made a mistake. The part here in 2 Timothy 3 goes on to say, all scripture is given by inspiration of God. I had a reference in 1 Timothy 1 that I wanted to share, but I'm running out of time. But anyways, from a child you've known these scriptures. These holy scriptures which are able to make you wise unto salvation. When Timothy was a child, there was no New Testament. And so it had to be Genesis through Malachi. And the only way you and I can wisely and safely go back into the Old Testament and use those scriptures correctly is if we take the truth according to Jesus and according to the apostles and apply that and let them guide us. And they will quote the Old Testament often. Okay, so Paul spoke with compassion about the Jewish people. Now, he had been one of the people who was hating the gospel, persecuting Christians. He was wonderfully saved. And he looked back with an aching heart at others of his former comrades who were in this awful condition. He says in Romans chapter 10, verse one, brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they, being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. Okay, so they took what God had laid out, which was supposed to be pictures, foretellings of a salvation that's not by works, but by mercy, by the atoning sacrifice of someone who was innocent, later to be revealed by the Messiah himself. That's why Paul goes on to say in Romans 10, 4, For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes. Now when we say end, we don't mean terminate. We mean consummation, fulfillment, the great climax of the purpose. The law is our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. The law is rich in scriptures that speak of God's planned work to do through his chosen one, his holy one, the Messiah, the Christ. And Israel was so busy justifying themselves, feeling better than others like the Gentiles. They missed it all. I go to a sad statement in John chapter five, as Jesus is reasoning with the Jews. They're actually arguing with him, but he's reasoning with them. And I go to John chapter five, verse 36 to 40. I have a greater witness than that of John, referring to John the Baptist. For the works which the Father has given me to finish are the same works that I do bear witness of me that the Father has sent me. And the Father himself which has sent me has borne witness of me. You have neither heard his voice at any time nor seen his shape. And you have not his word abiding in you. Doesn't that make you think of Nicodemus right now? full of scripture, but the word is not actually abiding in him. For whom he has sent, whom God has sent, you believe not. Now comes the tough verse. Search the scriptures, for in them you think that you have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me. And you will not come to me that you might have life. Now, I became a Christian, and I was baptized, and I joined a church. They sent me a lovely little card, and it had lots of Bible verses in it, but the very front page had a large-letter title, Search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life. And the point is that if you look at the scriptures, you will get verified that yes, you truly are saved. You truly are a born again Christian. And while that's true, that's actually using the verse a little bit out of context. Here's how Jesus meant it. Okay, you guys who know so much scripture, Go back and search those scriptures. You think you have eternal life, but these are scriptures that teach of me. And you will come to me that you can have life. There's a great conflict there. People that handle the law of God and they don't know him. And that's what we're looking at with Nicodemus so far. There may be questions as to whether Nicodemus ever became a follower of Jesus or not. I can't deal with that in this short video. I hope it's short. But let's look at what this means to us. If you're a religious person, if you're an active church person, if you have a very strong religious feeling inside of you, We gotta be careful that we're not like Nicodemus. So busy with our own agenda, or so busy with the agendas of others, that scripture is hidden right under our nose. We fail to see God's true character and intentions. We fail to see Jesus, who is more than a teacher and a healer. He is the essential, indispensable savior. He is God's perfect man and man's perfect God. By all means, please search the scriptures and make sure you know you have eternal life by knowing the true Christ whom the Father has sent. Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless these words and let them be applied to us. Give us faith where we need it and also make us equipped to help others. who may not truly know who Jesus really is and may not really be following him. We ask that you bless these words in Jesus' name, amen. Thank you very much.