The Life of Christ (12)

1. The Life of Christ (12) Being Born Again Scriptures John 3:1-21 (Titus 3:5; Ephesians 5:26) Vocabulary Sanhedrin – the group of Pharisees and Sadducees that were the governing body of Judaism at that time. The Life of Christ (12)

2. The Life of Christ (12) Being Born Again The Story of Nicodemus With Jesus John 3:1-21 • The term “a ruler of the Jews” means Nicodemus was a member of the Sanhedrin, the group of Pharisees and Sadducees that were the highest governing body of Judaism at that time. V 1 • Being a Pharisee meant that he was a member of the more legalistic of the two Jewish groups and believed in salvation by good works. V 1 • He came to Jesus at night because he was afraid of what his colleagues would say if they saw him with Jesus. V 2 • The use of the word “we” by Nicodemus in verse 2means that he believes that Jesus came from God because of all of the signs (attesting miracles). • However, Nicodemus had it backward; Jesus was not simply a teacher from God, He was God who had come to teach. • Jesus immediately gives Nicodemus the doctrine he needs regarding salvation: this involves the necessity of the new birth. V 3 The Life of Christ (12)

3. The Life of Christ (12) Being Born Again The Story of Nicodemus With Jesus John 3:1-21 • Nicodemus takes what Jesus says in a purely literal sense and questions how he can be physically born again. V 4 • In verses 5-8, Jesus emphasizes the spiritual nature of salvation, further confusing Nicodemus. • As someone who was totally convinced that he had to work his way to heaven, Nicodemus had no concept of the doctrine of salvation by faith. • In verse 5 Jesus tells him of the role of water (a symbol for the Word of God) and the Spirit (the Holy Spirit) in the salvation experience. • In scripture, water represents the Word of God (especially focusing on the gospel, the good news), which provides cleansing and purification from sin. Eph. 5:26 • The Holy Spirit regenerates (restores) the human spirit (the new man) at the point of salvation. Tit. 3:5 The Life of Christ (12)

4. The Old Man--Unbeliever BODY Sin Nature Old Man IMAGE OF GOD SOUL

5. The New Man--Believer Holy Spirit BODY Sin Nature Galatians 5:17 John 14:26 (Helper) New Man IMAGE OF GOD SPIRIT SOUL Titus 3:5

6. The Life of Christ (12) Being Born Again The Story of Nicodemus With Jesus John 3:1-21 • In verse 8 Jesus says the Holy Spirit is like the wind: • You don’t know where the wind comes from or where it goes; you can see the effects of the wind, but you cannot see the wind. • Likewise, one does not know where the Holy Spirit will find positive volition and provide spiritual regeneration. • In verse 9 we see Nicodemus’ frustration and confusion over Jesus’ words; if what Jesus says is true then everything he believes is wrong. • He now understands that Jesus is speaking of a spiritual birth that he and his peers have not experienced and do not understand. • Inverse 10 Jesus asks a (rhetorical question-to make a point) about how someone could be a teacher of Israel and not have any understanding of these concepts (ideas); this was a real insult. The Life of Christ (12)

7. The Life of Christ (12) Being Born Again The Story of Nicodemus With Jesus John 3:1-21 • Because of their legalistic (adding to the WOG) approach, the Pharisees could read the Old Testament scriptures over and over again and not have any true understanding of what they really meant. • The Pharisees believed that salvation came from practicing the ritual prescribed in the Mosaic Law and by keeping the moral commandments and the traditions of men. • In verse 11 Jesus says that He speaks the truth, but you (plural in the Greek) Pharisees do not believe. • In verse 12 Jesus says that if they do not believe the doctrines about earthly things (like the new birth and the wind), then how can they believe the doctrines about spiritual things (doctrines related to the new life in Christ and the coming Church Age), • In verses 13-15 Jesus claims that He is the Son of God who came from heaven (His deity only), that He will be crucified (His humanity), and that belief in Him is the only way to salvation. The Life of Christ (12)

8. The Life of Christ (12) Being Born Again The Story of Nicodemus With Jesus John 3:1-21 • In verse 14-15, Jesus teaches the analogy (comparison) regarding Moses lifting up the serpent in the wilderness. Numbers 21:5-9 Only those who believed what Moses told them and looked on the bronze serpent lived. Christ teaches that it was an illustration of His death on the cross and of the necessity of personal faith for salvation. • John 3:14–15 (NASB95) • 14“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; • 15so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. • Numbers 21:5–9 (NASB95) • 5The people spoke against God and Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food.” • 6The Lord sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. • 7So the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, because we have spoken against the Lord and you; intercede with the Lord, that He may remove the serpents from us.” And Moses interceded for the people. • 8Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live.” • 9And Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard; and it came about, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived. The Life of Christ (12)

9. 2 Kings 18:4 The Life of Christ (12)

10. The Life of Christ (12) Being Born Again The Story of Nicodemus With Jesus John 3:1-21 • There are no quotation marks in biblical Greek, so the switch from present to past tense starting in verse 16 is commonly recognized as the end of Jesus’ words and the start of John’s reflections (thoughts). • John 3:16 is the most commonly quoted salvation verse in the Bible. • John 3:16 (NASB95) • 16“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. • “God” refers to God the Father. The Life of Christ (12)

11. The Life of Christ (12) Being Born Again The Story of Nicodemus With Jesus John 3:16 • He (God) was motivated to provide salvation based on the Divine attribute of love. • His love was manifested (shown) by giving; this is one of the chief attributes of love. • The term “only” would be better translated as “uniquely” because it means “the only one of its kind.” • “Whoever” means that salvation is available to everyone. • Belief in the person and work of Christ is all that is required to obtain eternal life. The Life of Christ (12)

12. The Life of Christ (12) Being Born Again The Story of Nicodemus With Jesus John 3:1-21 • Verse 17 tells us that at the First Advent (appearance of Jesus), God did not send His Son to judge the world, but only to provide salvation; He will judge the world at the Second Advent. • Verse 18 tells us that he who believes will not be judged, but he who does not believe now has been judged already because all the descendants of Adam are born in a state of condemnation (judgment). Rom. 5:16,18 • Romans 5:16,18 (NASB95) • 16The gift is not like that which came through the one (Adam) who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment (Sin Nature) arose from one transgression (Adam’s sin) resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification (made right with God). • 18So then as through one transgression (Adam’s sin) there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one (Jesus’) act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. The Life of Christ (12)

13. The Life of Christ (12) Being Born Again The Story of Nicodemus With Jesus John 3:1-21 • John closes this section with the statement that although the light of truth came into the world, men love the darkness rather than the light. • Verses 20 and 21 contrast the unbeliever with the believer by means of their orientation to the light/truth. • John 3:20–21 (NASB95) • 20“For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. • 21“But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested (shown) as having been wrought (formed) in God.” The Life of Christ (12)

14. The Life of Christ (12) Being Born Again The Story of Nicodemus With Jesus John 3:1-21 • We suspect from scripture that Nicodemus became a believer in Jesus because • In John 7:50-51 he is found defending Jesus before the chief priests and Pharisees. • John 7:50–51 (NASB95) • 50Nicodemus (he who came to Him before, being one of them) said to them, • 51“Our Law does not judge a man unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?” • In John 19:39 Nicodemus brings “a mixture of myrrh and aloes” to help prepare the body of Christ for burial. This involved the risk or ridicule or excommunication from the Temple. Jn. 9:22 • John 19:39 (NASB95) • 39Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight. The Life of Christ (12)