International S. S. Lessons.
"So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading." —Neh. 8:8 LESSON XI.—SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1894.
[NOTE.—The questions which follow are merely suggestive for the student on the leading points of the lesson; it is presumed that the thorough student will think of many more as he studies the subject. References, where verses alone are given, always refer to the lesson scripture printed above. All other references are given in book, chapter, and verse. The text printed is that of the Revised Version, not because it is especially preferred, but because it is not found in every family, as is the common version.] 1. Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; 2. The same came unto him by night, and said to him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God; for no man can do these signs that thou doest, except God be with him. 3. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4. Nicodemus saith unto 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? 5. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born anew. 8. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the voice thereof, but knowest not whence it cometh, and whither it goeth; so is everyone that is born of the Spirit. 9. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? 10. Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou the teacher of Israel, and understandest not these things? 11. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and bear witness of that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. 12. If I told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you heavenly things? 13. And no man hath ascended into heaven, but he that descended out of heaven; even the Son of Man, which is in heaven. 14. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15. That whosoever believeth may in him have eternal life. 16. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Golden Text: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3: 16. NOTE.—This section includes the whole chapter, which should be studied equally with the lesson scripture, if possible. The time was the first year of the Saviour's ministry, soon after our last lesson. The place was in Jerusalem, in a guest chamber. The characters presented are Jesus, the Saviour of the world, and Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. Nicodemus belonged to the Pharisees, and was a member of the Sanhedrin, a body of seventy men whose position was respected as much as that of the Supreme Court and the United States Senate combined. His name was Greek, and means "conqueror of the people." He was a man of great influence, and an authorized religious teacher.670 1. What noted man among the Pharisees is mentioned in this lesson? Verse 1. 2. To whom did he come? Verse 2. 3. What did he say to Jesus? Id. Note 1. 4. What reply did Jesus make to him? Verse 3. Note 2. 5. What showed that Nicodemus did not understand our Lord? Verse 4. 6. How did Jesus answer him? Verse 5. Note 3. 7. What nature does the newborn being possess? Verse 6. 8. What illustration does our Lord use to enforce his meaning? Verses 7, 8. Note 4. 9. What answer did Nicodemus give to these things? Verse 9. 10. What reply did our Saviour make? Verse 10. 11. What authority did Jesus give for his teachings? Verses 11, 12. 12. Who only did he say could teach these things with authority? Verse 13. Note 5. 13. How did he foretell his own death? Verse 14. 14. In what did he say faith in him would result? Verse 15. 15. Of what is the giving of God's Son a proof? Memory verse. Note 6. 1. It is evident that Nicodemus was convicted of the divine mission of Jesus. "We know that thou art a teacher come from God," was evidently the expression of conviction. He felt that Christ's miracles were a proof of his divine mission, and that God must be with him; and he evidently came to learn more of him, although not willing that others should know of his anxiety. 2. Our Saviour here states the very foundation truth of his kingdom, which also meets man's essential need. Man is a sinner. The kingdom of God is righteous. Man, in order to inhabit that kingdom and enjoy its blessedness, must be made righteous also; and in order that he may be made righteous, he must be born again, born anew, or, as the margin of the common version reads, "born from above." This Nicodemus could not understand. His view of the temporal kingdom, like that held by the disciples and all the Jews, crowded from his mind the great spiritual truths which Christ taught. 3. Jesus here speaks of the agencies which enter into man's new birth. "Except a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." The term "water" may be here used as a symbol of God's holy word, as expressed in Eph. 5: 26, "The washing of water by the word." The power which makes the change is the power of the Spirit of God, by which the word was brought into existence. "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth." When man is redeemed, it must be by the same power, the Spirit of God speaking through the word of God. Of course, this regeneration, or re-creation, or new birth, includes all of the other elements which enter into this change spoken of elsewhere in the Scriptures, such as thorough repentance of sin, the gift of God, such faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as will lead to implicit obedience to all of his commandments, and, of course, would include baptism into the name of Christ; and man must go through this change if he would have a part in the kingdom of God. 4. "The wind bloweth where it listeth."—Better, "The Spirit moveth where it will." The word translated "wind" is pneuma. It is translated "spirit" in every other instance in the New Testament, and we see no reason why it should not be translated "Spirit" here. Jesus had just said, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." "The Spirit moveth where it will, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth; so is everyone that is born of the Spirit." Just the same as the operations of the Spirit of God and its work are not discernible by the natural man, for that which is spiritual must be spiritually discerned (1 Cor. 2: 11-15), so the natural mind of man is not able to discern or understand the change which is wrought by the Spirit of God on the human heart. 5. "No man hath ascended up to heaven."—By this our Saviour means that no man hath ascended up to heaven to learn the things which he was teaching, and then tell them to men. He himself, however, dwelt in heaven, was with the Father from the beginning, and was teaching not only what he knew, because he had witnessed it, but what was in himself as a very part of his nature. 6. Our Lord tells us that belief in him gives us everlasting life. It therefore follows that those who do not believe in him do not have everlasting life. Jesus says to the wicked, "Ye will not come to me that ye might have life." It follows, therefore, that the wicked do not have the everlasting life, which Christ alone can give. Eternal life is the gift of God. Man possesses in and of himself by nature no life principle or power which will prolong his days beyond the ordinary life of man. If he is to live beyond this world, he must have that life which Christ alone can give. That life, the everlasting life, Christ gives to all who believe in him. They possess it here by faith. It is a power within that lifts them above sin, and brings them into connection with God. If faithful to the end, they are given immortality when Christ comes. 7. It may be worthy of our attention to note the after life of Nicodemus. Evidently this conversation had an effect upon him. We learn afterward that when the Sanhedrin would condemn Christ to death, Nicodemus asks, Does our law condemn a man before it hears him? See John 7: 50, 51. And, later, when our Saviour died upon the cross, and when all of his disciples had forsaken him and fled, Nicodemus comes forward boldly to honor the body of Jesus. See John 19: 38-40. He sees fulfilled in Him just what our Lord told him on that night of his first conversation with him. "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up;" and in the darkest hour of Christ's mission he becomes a firm disciple of the lowly Nazarene.