Nicodemus (Part 1) - How Can I Be Born Twice? Is That Not Impossible? Part 1 Series

NICODEMUS - HOW CAN I BE BORN TWICE? IS THAT NOT IMPOSSIBLE?

THE CHARACTERS OF JOHN’S GOSPEL - NICODEMUS PART 1

MESSAGE – NICODEMUS PART 1

John 3 v 1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, John 3 v 2 this man came to Him by night, and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” John 3 v 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3 v 4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” John 3 v 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. John 3 v 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. John 3 v 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ John 3 v 8 The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going - so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” John 3 v 9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?”

[A]. WHO IS NICODEMUS?

John is the only writer to record Nicodemus, and he does it in 3 places in the gospel. The first instance is an inquiry; the second, a defence, and the third, action. Just now we will look at the first mention, and do the others shortly. John introduces Nicodemus as “a man of the Pharisees”. This is significant as the Pharisees were cold legalists, men who were intolerant, self-righteous, exploding with their own importance, and the self-declared enemies of the Lord right through His ministry. They are mentioned 88 times in the Gospels, hardly ever in a good way. The word “Pharisee” comes from the Hebrew root "separate" or "detach." From whom did the Pharisees separate? They separated from those, especially priests or clerics, who interpreted the Law differently from them; and separated from the common people of the land; and from Gentiles or Jews who embraced the Hellenistic or Greek culture; and from certain political groups. The Pharisees were determined to avoid, and keep themselves separate from all these groups of people to prevent any type of impurity forbidden by the Levitical law coming their way, or, more specifically, their own strict interpretation of it. There was much that was sound in their creed (that is, their belief system), yet their system of religion was a form and nothing more. Jesus attacked hypocrites, and the Pharisees were right in the firing line. He called them, “brood of vipers”, “hypocrites” (many times), “blind”, “serpents.”

In my experience I have found that two extremes flourish well in a church, and they both are lamentable. One church may veer towards one extreme and another, to the other extreme. The first lot are lax, careless about their lives and don’t want to be “too religious” or “too scriptural”. The latter group starts getting legalistic and comes up with rules and procedures and restrictions for others. I agree with some of the Christian scholars who have written on the disarray of the churches. The task before us is huge but challenging. There are some great men of insight in the Christian ministry.

Matthew 23 is a full on dressing down of the Pharisees by the Lord and He did not mince words - Matthew 23:24-31 You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you too outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, ‘If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ Consequently you bear witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.