Monday, May 20, 2013

May 21, 2013

"Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council.  He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again."“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You  must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things?  Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.  I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."  John 3:16
 
Nic came to Jesus as a seeker. We know that for sure.
 
How did he leave? Was he still a seeker or did he find what he came for?
 
The Apostle John provides some hopeful and helpful insights.
 
“The officers then went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, "Why did you not bring him?" The officers answered, "No man ever spoke like this man!" The Pharisees answered them, "Are you led astray, you also?  Have any of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in him?  But this crowd, who do not know the law, are accursed." Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them" Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” They replied, "Are you from Galilee too? Search and you will see that no prophet is to rise from Galilee."   John 7:45-52            
 
“After this Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him leave. So he came and took away his body. Nicodemus also, who had at first come to him by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds' weight. They took the body of Jesus, and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb where no one had ever been laid. So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, as the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there. John 19:38-42

By these accounts we must assume that Nicodemus was "born again" as Jesus had prescribed.
 
We also know according to Jewish tradition, that Nicodemus died as a martyr for Christ. Non believers don't die for their cause. Therefore, we must conclude that Nicodemus believed in Jesus. He had found the joy of salvation that is better than life.
 
Have you found a faith worth dying for?
 
Have you been born again?
 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

May 20, 2013

"Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council.  He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit  gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’  The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?  No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.  Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him. ”For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."  John 3:1-16
 
For many Summer officially begins with the Memorial Day week-end that is fast approaching. It is good and entirely proper we should set aside a holiday to honor our war dead. Freedom is still worth dying for and we must continue to remember that!
 
At FredWes we have been remembering what is great about salvation. Two weeks ago we talked about the mission of sharing our salvation. Yesterday we learned a method for sharing our salvation and this Sunday we plan to focus on the message of salvation. The message of salvation is the central theme of the entire Word of God and could easily consume an entire career of preaching. But since our focus has been directed toward John 3 this month, we will draw from there.

In His encounter with Nic, Jesus gives us insights into the Good News of salvation by emphasizing the bad news. Let's examine that this morning!

Look at the three hard truths Jesus either states or implies:

1) You are spiritually dead

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again"


2) You are self-righteous

“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things?

  
3) You are snake-bitten

"Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him. ”

These three statements have one big problem in common - SIN! Nic, as good and respectable as he was, had a sin problem.

He had a sin problem because he was spiritually dead. He needed to be born again. LIke you and me, Nic was born spiritually dead because of simfulness.

He had a sin problem because he was trusting in Jewish religious laws for his righteousness. While he had done a very good job of observing these laws, there is no law that can cause a spiritually dead person to come to life.

And, he had a sin problem because he had inherited the sinful nature of Adam and Eve, who were deceived by the Serpent. Like each of us, Nic was snake-bitten and filled with the fatal venom called "sin".

Nic came to Jesus looking for answers and he got them. Maybe he didn't get the answers he was looking for but he got the bad news that he needed. He was dead in his sins, separated from a life-giving God, and headed to an eternal torment in hell.

Why should this matter to you?

Salvation is Good News!

What is true of Nic is true of you! You need to face the bad news about your sinfulness and understand the dreadful consequences of that sinfulness. Only when confronted with the bad news did Nic take an interest in the Good News! Neither will you.