John Chapter 3
We meet a man named Nicodemus who was a follower of the Law of Moses. He was a Pharisee. A very religious man. A leader of the Jewish faith. He came at "night" to get a closer view and ask some questions of Jesus.
What were the things that he knew to be TRUE about Jesus?
WHY did he know this?
Was the religious zeal of Nicodemus enough to give him eternal life?
Would his beliefs and right living get him into heaven?
What does Jesus tell him?
According to JESUS, what MUST everyone DO in order to see the kingdom of God?
Nicodemus can't quite get it. He is thinking another 'natural' birth. Can a man go back into his mother's womb and be born a second time?Jesus explains: You are born of flesh, but you must also be born of the Spirit!
He compares being born again to the wind...you can't see it or analyze it....but you know the effects of it! Just as JESUS turned the WATER into WINE, which was symbolic of taking the OLD and making a NEW Creation, changing the complete NATURE of the water to the nature of the Wine.......When a person is BORN AGAIN of the SPIRIT OF GOD...there is a change of that person's nature. The Bible says they became a "NEW CREATURE IN CHRIST...the old things pass away and behold, all things are new....
Jesus continues in His conversation with Nicodemus and gives him an example from the Old Testament writings of Moses to help him UNDERSTAND Who He is!Remember when Philip said in John, Chapter 1:45, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth."...? Jesus knows that Nicodemus will know the writings of Moses and now He will show him how those writings POINTED to Jesus Himself.
The account of Moses lifting up the serpent in the wilderness is found in Numbers 21:5-9. Let's take time to look at it! If it was important enough for Jesus to point it out to Nicodemus, it is important for us to understand it also!
In Numbers 21:5What are the people doing?
Who are they speaking against?
What are they complaining about?
Therefore, the LORD sent something to get their attention! What did he send?
As a result, what was happening to many of the Israelites?
Did they recognize this was FROM God?
How do you know?
What did they confess to Moses?
What did they ask Moses to do for them?
When Moses INTERCEDED for the people, WHAT did the LORD instruct him to do?
What would the people HAVE to do in order to be HEALED of the Serpent's bite?
So Moses lifted that bronze serpent UP and when the people LOOKED at it....they were healed of the sting of death!
Why do you think this would be a picture of Christ being lifted up on the cross?
How do the events compare?
Consider this:
The poisonous snakes were a 'type' of the deadly, destructive power of that old serpent, the devil, who tempted Adam and Eve to sin. When they yeilded to his suggestion, Adam and Eve not only SINNED, but also experienced spiritual death (separation from God).
Just as brass in the Bible is symbolic of judgment, the brass serpent was symbolic of God's JUDGMENT ON SIN. This symbolic judgment was made REAL when Christ, the sinless Son of God, came to earth and took our judgment on the cross of calvary.
The bitten Israelites could LIVE 'only' as they TRUSTED in God's provision of the UPLIFTED snake. In other words they had to confess by seeing the very thing they had been bitten by. We must confess that we are SINNERS, that OUR SIN is the reason we are DYING and are SEPARATED by God, .....and then we SIMPLY look to the PROVISION GOD has made that we might be FORGIVEN and have ETERNAL LIFE!
Have you trusted God's provision for your sin yet?
If not, will you do so right now?
Jesus went on to tell Nicodemus very plainly in John 3:16 "For God so LOVED the world, that He GAVE His only begotten SON, that WHOEVER believes in Him should not PERISH, but have ETERNAL LIFE."
According to John 3:l7 - Did God send Jesus into the world to JUDGE the world?
Why did God send Jesus into the world?
What is the condition of the person of BELIEVES IN JESUS?
What about the person who DOES NOT BELIEVE after they hear the glorious Gospel?
Why does the Bible say they refuse to come to the LIGHT? (vs.19-21)
God's light (JESUS) does expose the EVIL in our hearts...when we want to be forgiven, we want the evil exposed, we want it OUT..we want to let go of our life of habitual sin and unbelief and COME TO THE LIGHT of the Gospel....But when MEN LOVE THE EVIL DEEDS and LOVE THE DARKNESS, they will not come.....and when they choose darkness over LIGHT - they bring judgment to themselves.
AFTER THESE THINGS......
Jesus and His disciples came into the land of JUDEA, and there He was spending time with them and baptizing. And John the Baptist also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there; and they were coming and were being baptized.FOR JOHN HAD NOT YET BEEN THROWN INTO PRISON (The other Gospel accounts give the details of John's imprisonment and then when he is beheaded.........)
What DISCUSSION were the disciples of John having with a JEW?
What was it over? (vs.25)
Was it Nicodemus again?
Some of the Jews are trying to figure out why their religious rituals are not the way into heaven, but trying to see exactly how they are to be PURIFIED before God.
Are you trusting religion or rituals?
What do you need to do, my friend?
Many went to John for baptism and John was just happy to be the BRIDEGROOM'S FRIEND (the friend and co-worker of Jesus) - it made his joy full! (vs.29)
John said of Jesus...."For He whom God has sent SPEAKS THE WORDS OF GOD; for HE GIVES THE SPIRIT WITHOUT MEASURE. The Father loves the Son, and has GIVEN ALL THINGS into His hand." (vs.34,35)
What do the believers in the Son of God have?
What happens to those who do not OBEY the Son?
AS THIS LESSON COMES TO A CONCLUSION,
Please know that no matter what you have done or not done, God does not want HIS WRATH to abide on you.He has sent the CURE for your POISIONOUS BITE OF SIN. He sent His Son to die in your place, to become YOUR SIN...
Look to the provision that God has made for You - Believe in the SIGNS that Jesus performed - they pointed to WHO HE IS - GOD HIMSELF, made SIN for YOU!He is The Christ, The Son of God. If you believe this, you are not condemned, you are not judged, God's wrath does not abide on you - YOU ALREADY HAVE ETERNAL LIFE!
What Is Your Summary and Prayer Today?
| 
No comments:
Post a Comment