How Can These Things Be?
John 3:16-3:18
1There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
2This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”
3Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
5Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?”
10Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? 11Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.
Notice that Jesus is speaking to Pharisee-Nicodemus-a Ruler of the Jews-
Comes to Jesus by night to avoid being seen by other
Nicodemus recognizes—Teacher from God—No can do signs you do unless God is with him-
Then Jesus says to him-Unless you born again-can’t see kingdom of God—Nicodemus is confused—born again?????
Then Jesus says to Nicodemus answers him with these words-Begin with verses 14-18
I. His ways are not our ways.
A.When Jesus spoke of a new birth, Nicodemus was thinking of physical birth.
1. Jesus was talking of a spiritual rebirth
2. Nick thought salvation came from works, Jesus told him that eternal life comes from a relationship with Christ.
3.God hates all sin.
What Is SIN
Sin is transgression of divine law: the sin of Adam. to commit a sinful act. to offend against a principle, standard
4.Sin is what separates us from Him.
5.People today feel as though the gospel is for all the "bad people" and not for them.
6.God is not like our fourth grade teacher He doesn’t grade on the curve.
7.My sin can’t be measured by what you’ve done compared to me because we are not the standard God is and He is perfect.
II. Jesus is the proof of God’s love for us.
There’s three kinds of people:
1. Those given to evil (involved in every kind of sin).
2. Another is the multitude, halting between two decisions.
A. One is, whether to give there lives to Christ or not, and the other who choose not to received Christ because
they just can’t accept the fact that God requires a holy and separated life from the world.
That is, secularism, and the pleasures of immorality. Immorality, being that which is outside God’s code of moral conduct, which He has laid down in His Word.
3. Those committed to holy living, with a passion to share God’s burden for lost souls.
I believe when we were born again God took our old nature away and gave us His.
A. God so loved the world that…
1. He gave us Him son
2. He paid our price for Salvation
3. He will give us eternal life.
4. God came to us before we even thought about coming to Him.
5. God reached out to you and me with His free gift of Salvation.
Love is one of the most basic of all human needs the word however has been so thrown around that it’s lost it’s meaning.
Love is an action word and that is just what God did for us He demonstrated His love by dying on Calvary.
God gave His only Son
would you do that?
I can’t think of anyone I would do that for and yet He did this for everyone that was ever born in this world whom would accept the sacrifice that was made.
C. God does not know a better plan of salvation than the one that is offered.
III. Jesus takes us from darkness to light.
LIGHT Making decisions in the dark can lead to some regrettable consequences. Back in the days before electricity, a tightfisted old farmer was taking his hired man to task for carrying a lighted lantern when he went to call on his best girl. "Why," he exclaimed, "when I went a-courtin' I never carried one of them things. I always went in the dark." "Yes," the hired man said wryly," and look what you got!"
• Vs. 19
19And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
A.Nicodemus came at night, but left with the knowledge that Jesus IS the light
1. We see Nick only two more times.
2.When he defended Jesus in the Sanhedrin
3. When he helped with the burial
4. Nicodemus saw the light… Do you?
The reason this plan is so perfect is that all you need to do is to accept it by faith. Everyone has the same access it’s the same for the rich and the poor the caucasion or the african, the intellectial or the dropout anyone can believe in the atoning work of Christ and put their faith in Him. Man truly is going to be without excuse.
5. God doesn’t know a better time to accept His plan of salvation than at this moment.
IV. Jesus must be lifted up
• Vs. 14-15
14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, not perish but have eternal life. 15that whoever believes in Him should
• Christians, are you making a habit of lifting Jesus up for the lost to see?
• Do your words, actions, and attitudes imitate those of Jesus?
• If not, Why not?
It is never to early but at any moment it could be to late. There are souls in hell that would give anything to have the oppurtunity that you have right now
Agree that you’re a sinner
Admit you need the Lord and believe that He died for you’re sins and then rose again.
Accept that His death is a gift from God that you can’t earn or put a price on.Grace
