Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• We are going to listen into a conversation
• Nicodemus has come to Jesus at night time - John 3:1
• Three times the Bible tells us he came 'at night time'
• He was fearful of his fellow Jews - He knew there was opposition to Jesus Christ
• We are going to listen to the conversation he had with Jesus
• What brought this man to Jesus?
• Did he have secret faith?
• He did believe in Jesus but it appears he did not have true faith at this time
• Was it curiosity?

What Nicodemus wanted to know

• Different people come to Christianity for different reasons
• Maybe power and position
• Simon Magus came to Christianity because he wanted power for the wrong reasons
• Some people come to church because they want eternal life
• Consider the rich young man
• It's not just about you and wanting eternal life
• Others come with a real desire to know God and understand who Jesus Christ is
• Recognition that they are a sinner before God
• What was the motivation behind coming to Jesus?
• It seems more that Nicodemus is impressed by Jesus' miracles - at this stage (v1-2)
• Is he flattering Jesus - you are a teacher, a rabbi?
• Recognising that there is something different about Jesus
• Only God really knew his heart
• Compare John 2:23-25
• Jesus knows what was in the hearts of men
• Jesus knows what is in our hearts
• Jesus knows why you have come this evening
• In one sense it doesn't matter if you have come for the wrong reason - God can break in and change your heart
• Jesus wanted to know something about Jesus

What Nicodemus really needed to know

• It is not about what we want to know, but what we need to know
• Jesus answered a question that Nicodemus never asked (v3)
• He was stripping away this man's self-confidence, self-righteousness and self-trust
• He was a pharisee and Jesus was stripping away this veneer of religion
• The minute rules and rituals
• In reality their religion brought many into bondage and placed heavy burdens on people's shoulders
• Jesus says you must be born again
• You need a brand new start
• All of your religion is worthless
• You need spiritual birth
• It is not about what you can do, but what God must do in you
• Jesus was shattering this man's self-confidence
• No amount of religion will get you into the kingdom of heaven
• It is about what God must do in your life
• The natural mind cannot understand the things of God
• We need the Holy Spirit to help us understand
• Nicodemus only understood these things on the physical level (v4)
• Jesus had to teach about the spiritual (v5-6)
• Nicodemus ought to have understood these things, for they were taught about in the bible
• Most assuredly - from the authority of God
• 'Born of Water'
• Jesus is not speaking about the water of baptism
• "Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean ... I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you" Ezk 36:25-26
• The washing of regeneration - there is an inner cleansing, the water and the Spirit
• We can see this at work in the effects of a persons' life
• Example of Miss Butterworth
• Not everyone has a dramatic conversion like this, for some it is a quiet work
• Has God changed your life?
• There are not two types of Christian
• Every true Christian is born again
• Are you born again?
• Have you believed in Jesus?
• Has he changed your life?
• Christianity is receiving Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour

What Nicodemus should have known

• v9-16
• You are a teacher and supposed to know these things
• An example of Old Testament things that Nicodemus should have known
• Do you not understand it is about 'heart worship'
• Nicodemus was greatly ignorant
• His root problem was unbelief (v11)
• There are many people in religions today who trust in the interpretation of their leaders and traditions
• They do not listen to the true word of God
• Nicodemus did not understand the physical things, how could he understand the spiritual things? (v12)
• Man cannot get to God so God has sent Jesus into the world
• Jesus gives Nicodemus an illustration from the Old Testament [the wandering in the wilderness]
• The people were restored by simply looking at the bronze serpent
• This was an illustration pointing towards the Son of Man being lifted up on a cross
• All that would look to Jesus would find eternal life
• "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." - John 3:16
• This is the gospel in a nutshell
• There are two destinations - eternal life or perish
• We are sinners and need to look for Jesus
• Our lives are passing - the most important thing is to know God and abide in Him
• To trust in Him alone

Closing Remarks

• We honour grandparents and senior people
• Our prayer is that all would believe only in Jesus for salvation
• That all would receive the second birth