JESUS IS A LIFE-GIVING SPIRIT (11)

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.*

*JESUS IS A LIFE-GIVING SPIRIT (11)*

*Scripture Treasure.*

John 3:4 *Nicodemus saith 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?*

*Insight and Highlight.*

Nicodemus was impressionable about Jesus, but Jesus wanted him to be more impressionable on what would make him one with Him in His Kingdom.

*Scripture Commentaries.*

A man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews came to Jesus in the night.

His visit underscored how fearful he was. He did not want other fellow Pharisees to see him with Jesus or did not want others to know his lack of understanding.

He confessed Jesus was a respected teacher; a Rabbi.

He confessed that everyone, including himself, knew Jesus came from God and that no one could do what He did if God was not with him.

How could someone see that Jesus came from God and that He could not do what He did if God was not with Him but could not know what the Kingdom stood for?

Jesus told him about two essentials of the Kingdom.

First, seeing the Kingdom.

Second, entering the Kingdom.

To see and to enter the Kingdom, you must be born of the Spirit. You must be born again.

Nicodemus could see that God was with Jesus, but he could not know how or why this was so.

Nicodemus' encounter with Jesus teaches us the following.

First, when we are close to Jesus, we will

learn something new or realize something new and realize the truth that we should have known earlier.

Second, the spiritual is beyond the knowledge of the physical.

Jesus was saying Nicodemus as a natural man could not understand the spiritual until he became born of the Spirit. It is until he becomes born again that his spirit could have understanding, John 3:6.

What Nicodemus saw that convinced him that Jesus was from God was not enough for him to see and enter the Kingdom of God.

He saw the miraculous but could not see the spiritual undertone.

This was obvious because he did not understand what being born-again was.

He asked Jesus *....How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?*, John 3:4.

He knew about the physical birth, but the knowledge of the spiritual birth was beyond him. It was unthinkable and did not make make sense to him.

To Nicodemus, everything must follow a natural order. Only babies could be born. Adults could not be born.

Jesus is not ruling out the natural process of birth that comes to everyone but stressed that a new birth process must occur again (born again) and this process will not come about by the coming of a man and woman but by the will of God.

John 1.13 says  *Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.*

Those born naturally were born of the flesh, but those born again are born of the Spirit, John 3:6.

Third, Nicodemus was a man of sight not of faith, 2 Cor 5:7.

He and the other Pharisees were just around God, enjoying God and what He could do but did not know the divine attributes of Christ. Jesus taught Him by pointing him to understand the Kingdom of God, ref Matt 6:33.

Fouth, the importance of spiritual birth and miracles.

People who have not experienced the spiritual birth will be preoccupied with the spectacular/benefit that accompanies miracles.

They do not follow shepherding. They love to be guarded against wolves, but they love to graze around. As they graze around, they graze into the wolves' snare/net. They fall into the wolves' net of deception of false teachings, miracles, etc.

Jesus was telling Nicodemus that it was not enough for us to know what miracles are but knowing why miracles are given to us and from whom miracles come.

Miracles will not take us to Heaven. They will help us to believe John 4:48, but we

have to keep on believing, John 1:12.

Only our names written in the book of life would take us to Heaven, ref Lk 10:20.

Knowing Jesus is from God is good, but being born into Him makes us complete.

Nicodemus had life but sought to seek something new, and this was the Life-Giving Spirit.

Life is given to us from birth, but life more abundantly is given to those who come to Christ!

*Remorse corner.*

Nicodemus was 'a day years old' on the night he went to Jesus at night because he learned something new and what he ought to have known.

*Call to Word action.*

There are still people like Nicodemus.

His life teaches us that there are spiritual things we treat as common knowledge. While his enquiry was good, Jesus wanted us to discover the truth about Him and to avoid treating Kingdom truth with common knowledge.

*The Christian clarion duty.*

There is no life more abundantly without being born again!

*Prayer.*

Lord, help me to remain born again to the end, in Jesus name.

Good morning all, and have a blessed day.

God bless you.