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Jesus’ Conversation with Nicodemus, Part VI, John 3:11-16
In this important John 3 passage Nicodemus came to Jesus by night to engage Jesus in conversation.
But Jesus quickly controlled the discourse for Nicodemus had to be made ready to converse with deity.
And in this time of preparation Jesus questioned Nicodemus as to his knowledge by asking, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?
In a way it was statement to Nicodemus for him to ponder as to why he did not know.
Why do many scientists ever learn and still do not know?
Why do men invent theories about what they see that banishes obvious conclusions about the source of what they see? Why do men take glory to themselves for simply discovering the things that God has made contrary to the admonition of Hebrews 3 which tells us he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. So the natural man, the man corrupted by sin cannot know the things of God for sin has blinded him from truth.
And therefore Nicodemus cannot know and is not able to speak spiritually.
So Jesus continues to teach in Verse 3:11, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
Jesus Christ proclaims: Verily, verily, of a truth, of a truth, Amen, Amen.
Nicodemus, What I say is of great importance. Listen up.
Open up your ears. Perk up. Don't sleep for we speak that we do know.
Nicodemus began his interview with Jesus with the phrase, "We know."
The Lord had just pointed out to the learned teacher that he couldn't know.
Perhaps Nicodemus should have said, "We think."
Without truth revealed we don't really know anything. So many today say, We know! So many say they absolutely know when they postulate a world without God.
But because we know God we can absolutely say they do not know .
And when we have the Spirit to teach us God’s Word then we can say "We know."
The Lord uses Nicodemus' phrase and says "We speak that we do know.
Jesus knew, but Nicodemus only could surmise or postulate.
Jesus did not surmise or propose a hypotheses or put out a trial balloon to see if someone accepted his philosophy.
But he was emphatic.
Matthew writes: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
So with authority he says: We know. We have seen.
What Jesus said was not based on reasoning but on experience, he and the prophets that went before him are witnesses because they were there, he had hard facts, facts from the one who is the Truth.
Note also the order of things.
Jesus says that Nicodemus does not know the things of God because he has not received God's witness concerning them.
He does not know because he has not received
First receiving, then knowledge.
Hebrews 11:3, says "Through faith we understand."
We do not understand by native intelligence, by education, by heritage or by any man centered thing.
It is through faith we understand.
You believe, then you are given understanding. God honors our faith by giving us an understanding of divine things.
Faith first, then understanding.
Verse 3:12, If I have told you earthly things and ye believe not, how shall ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things?
Here we see a principle of growth in knowledge.
God will not reveal to us a higher truth until we have thoroughly understood and obeyed the simpler ones first.
The things of God can be seen in two spheres.
There are earthly things, things with their sphere on earth.
Regeneration happens on earth, it is an earthly thing.
Its origin is heavenly but it is done on earth.
The revelation of Jesus Christ as the Son of God is a heavenly thing.
The Millennial kingdom is an earthly thing, the mystery of the kingdom of God is a heavenly thing
This principle is revealed also in nature.
First the blade, then the ear, and last the full corn in the ear.
Jesus expects us to understand earthly things.
They are the elementary things that should be comprehended easily.
Heavenly things are invisible and beyond our grasp until divinely revealed to us.
Heavenly things are matters which the Son of man, by his coming down from heaven, had to reveal as new and distinctive.
Jesus is saying that the new birth is an earthly thing, because Nicodemus asked, How can these things be and Jesus refers to earthly things he just told him.
Nicodemus didn't understand this.
Jesus told him about the wind as an illustration of the Spirit's operations in bringing forth the new birth.
These were things that Nicodemus should have known and when told by Jesus should have simply been a reminder of knowledge already known.
Nicodemus! Haven't you studied Ezek. 36:25-27 in your Old Testament classes?
Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgements and do them.
Why is our progress so slow in the things of God?
What is it that retards our growth in the knowledge of the truth?
The answer is in this statement of Jesus.
The earthly things are things pertaining to this life here on earth, here in this earthly realm.
They are the commands of God which pertain to our daily walk down here.
If we do not believe the earthly things and submit ourselves to them then God will not reveal the higher mysteries, the heavenly things.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.
God expects us to know the rudiments, the earthly things.
God expects our ways to be pleasing in his sight.
If our vessel is clean on this earth he will reveal heavenly things to us.
Is it not important then to teach our children the principles of God's word and to teach obedience to God's word?
Does not this verse of Jesus Christ teach that obedience to the beginning principles are an all important preamble to learning heavenly things?
Hebrews 5:14, amplifies this, But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Verse 3:13, And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
Here the Lord tells Nicodemus that only the Son of man, himself is qualified to reveal heavenly things.
Only one who was a resident and a witness of heaven is capable of telling him of heavenly things and describing heavenly things.
He is the only one with a fullness of heavenly knowledge.
Did he not know about the Father's house with many mansions?
Did he not say that I will come again, and receive you unto myself: that where I am, there ye may be also.
The heavenly things that Jesus Christ was to have spoken about were known by the one and only one who had ascended up to heaven and was now talking to Nicodemus.
The word "ascended" in this verse indicates the power to go up that is inherent in the one going up.
Jesus Christ was the only man who had this power.
His ascension after the resurrection opened the way for us who believe on him.
Note also the phrase "even the Son of man which is in heaven."
He was in heaven, even while speaking to Nicodemus.
Another evidence of his Omnipresence. |