A New Beginning-2

A NEW BEGINNING-II—John 3:1-21

Attention:

Little Jimmy was so happy to see his grandmother that he ran up and gave her a big hug.

"I'm so happy to see you, grandma.

Now daddy will have to do that trick he's been promising to do!"

His grandmother was curious. "What trick is that, sweetie?"

The little guy smiled at her, "I heard daddy tell mommy that he would climb the walls if you came to visit us again!"

Like Tony’s Daddy, Some of us are in desperate need of a New Beginning...We need a NEW Year!

Jesus’ encounter with Nicodemus yielded the essentials of being born again.

Being born again is essential to God’s plan.

What is essential to a new beginning?

The Concessions essential to a new beginning.

‘Concession’—Something surrendered or given up

3 Concessions essential to a new beginning are a Fulfilled...

1. POSITION(:1-2)

2. BIRTH(:3-7)

3. DIRECTION(:8)

4—A concession essential to a new beginning is...

Fulfilled ACCEPTANCE(:9-13) Knowledge

Explanation: (:9-13) Accept Jesus & His testimony

:9—“Nicodemus answered & said to Him, “How can these things be?”

Nic responds with another question seeking Jesus’ explanation. He asks in the context of his own experience as he has not undergone spiritual re-creation/re-birth. Therefore Nic wants to know how such things can be true.

Nicodemus couldn’t understand how the Spirit operated apart from the externals of the Law. He thought Law was necessary for obtaining heaven instead of holding one in restraint apart from the Spirit.

Gal. 3:19, 24-25—“What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; & it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator.”.....“Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.”

—Yes, the law was from God(thru angels) but it was meant as a means to an end—of allowing the Spirit’s control.

:10—“Jesus answered & said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, & do not know these things?”

Note the definite article used by Jesus to set apart Nic as “the teacher of Israel” here, as opposed to “a ruler”(:1).

In :1, Nic is one of a group responsible to God for decision-making. But here, Nic is made solely responsible to God for his own teaching & to the detriment of others.

Blood is on his hands! Though he probably never lifted a finger against a soul.

Js. 3:1—“My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.”

“Teacher”(See :2)—didaskalov—1) A teacher; 2) In the NT one who teaches concerning the things of God, & the duties of man. Strong—An instructor (genitive case or specially):-- doctor, master, teacher.

“Know”—ginwskw—1) To learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel—1a) To become known; 2) To know, understand, perceive, have knowledge of—2a) To understand, 2b) To know; 3) Jewish idiom for sexual intercourse between a man & a woman; 4) To become acquainted with, to know. Ginwskw is a knowledge grounded on personal experience. Strong—To "know" (absolutely) in a great variety of applications & with many implications (as follow, with others not thus clearly expressed):-- Allow, be aware (of), feel, (have) know(-ledge), perceived, be resolved, can speak, be sure, understand.

:11—“Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know & testify what We have seen, & you do not receive Our witness.”

Again, with authority, Nic is not only informed of his lack of spiritual insight(:10) but juxtaposes Jesus’ insight here.

Jesus uses the second person plural(“We”) to declare to Nic that they speak what they actually “know.” But to whom does the “we” refer?

It could refer to the Trinity in the same fashion as Nic claimed he was representing the Pharisees(:2).

Those with personal experience with Jesus vs. a secondary experience as the Pharisees.

‘Jesus probably associates here with Himself ("We") those who have personal experience of grace & so are qualified as witnesses.’ However, Jesus may also be including ‘the convictions of a’ future ‘age.’—RWP

‘He is not a dreamer, guesser, or speculator. He is bearing witness from personal knowledge, strange as this may seem to Nicodemus.’—RWP

“Know”(See :8—“Tell”)—oida(variant of eidw—See :3)—1) To see—1a) To perceive with the eyes, 1b) To perceive by any of the senses, 1c) To perceive, notice, discern, discover, 1d) To see—1d1) i.e. To turn the eyes, the mind, the attention to anything, 1d2) To pay attention, observe, 1d3) To see about something—1d31) i.e. to ascertain what must be done about it, 1d4) To inspect, examine, 1d5) To look at, behold, 1e) To experience any state or condition, 1f) To see i.e. have an interview with, to visit; 2) To know—2a) To know of anything, 2b) To know, i.e. get knowledge of, understand, perceive—2b1) Of any fact, 2b2) the force & meaning of something which has definite meaning, 2b3) To know how, to be skilled in, 2c) To have regard for one, cherish, pay attention to (1Th 5:12). To see with the mind's eye, signifies a clear & purely mental perception.