Monday, November 27, 2006

MUST BE BORN OF THE SPIRIT

READ JOHN 3:1-8
1) Who was Nicodemus?
He was a member of the Sanhedrin: means "a sitting together" or "a council." It denotes supreme judicial and administrative council of the Jews. First instituted by Moses. Composed of 70 men (Num. 11:16-17)
He was also a Pharisee. (Following information taken from Nelson's Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Bible and Today's Dictionary of the Bible.)
a) Pharisee's were a strict religious sect, whose origin is uncertain.
b) They were ordinary people, not priests.
c) They kept close to God's law and were constantly updating the traditions and customs to fit new circumstances.
d) They produced the Talmud, which became the authoritative interpretation of the written Law.
e) Their error was to attempt to construct a "hedge" around the Law to keep Jews from violating it, but this became a man-made method for obtaining righteousness.
f) Their rivals were the Sadducees, another religious sect, not mentioned in the Book of John, who denied the existence of the resurrection and of angels. Both groups were at odds with each other until Jesus came, then they put aside their differences and joined forces to stop Jesus.
2) Nicodemus' problem - putting things into perspective with earthly eyes. He acknowledges that Jesus was sent from God, the signs were proof of that, but only as a mere teacher. He sees the signs, but does not see his Messiah.
3) Jesus' answer - You have to have a Spiritual rebirth. If you are not born-again by the Spirit you will not enter the Kingdom of God. (Nicodemus you can not see Me (Jesus) and why I came if you are not born-again.)
4) Nicodemus' question - How can I be reborn? Can I enter my mother's womb again? He is thinking again of earthly things and the solution, according to him, is impossible.
5) Jesus' answer - Unless you are born of water and the Spirit, you cannot enter the kingdom of God. Water is indicative to an inward cleansing, not to water baptism (which is an outward manifestation of the inward cleansing). The Spirit is in reference to the Holy Spirit. The water and the Spirit are both connected to the restoration of Israel under the New Covenant. (See Isa. 44:3-5; Ezek. 36:25-27) God is referred to in the Old Testament as the "living water." (See Jer. 2:13; 17:13) Jesus mentions in the New Testament that He is the "living water." We will be looking at this in more depth in Chapter 5 with the Woman at the well.
6)Born of the flesh = you are flesh (See John 1:13; 1 Cor. 15:50)
Born of the Spirit = you are spirit (See John 1:32-33, in like manner the Spirit comes upon us, comes and dwells, manifested upon our souls for God's productive use.)
7-8) The Wind used here is the same Greek word as Spirit and means a movement of air. We can not see the wind, but have physical evidences of its presence, like the blowing of the leaves. We do not see the Holy Spirit, but the evidence of its presence is that the Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. (Rom. 8:16)
PRAISE GOD JESUS CAME TO CLEANSE AND DWELL WITHIN HIS PEOPLE SO THAT WE CAN, "ENTER HIS GATES WITH THANKSGIVING AND HIS COURTS WITH PRAISE." (Ps. 100:4a)

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