Jesus Asks Nicodemus About Being a Teacherby CBPepper
3:12John 3:12
If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
Jesus spoke these words to Nicodemus in a night interview after telling him he must be born of water and of the Spirit to see and enter the kingdom. The earthly things are the plain practical truth of the new birth with a changed heart and new life, illustrated by the wind's working, while the heavenly things are the deeper revelations of Christ come down from heaven, lifted up, and giving eternal life in His kingdom. If His testimony about what can be observed and experienced is not believed, deeper revelation will not and cannot be believed, for receiving the truth already made known is the condition for receiving greater light. The barrier is not lack of evidence but an unchanged heart lacking spiritual understanding, so humility and rebirth by the Holy Spirit's daily molding work are needed to discern the kingdom. He speaks what He knows and testifies what He has seen as One come from heaven and one with God, so His witness is true, and those who submit to it like Nicodemus did come to understand and follow openly.
Setting of the Conversation
The words were addressed to Nicodemus in a private conversation by night, he being a Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews, a master in Israel and an honored rabbi entrusted with the religious interests of the people. He was a wealthy and cultured man, and Jesus deliberately sought his acquaintance as part of reaching the rich as well as the poor, accepting their invitations, attending their feasts, and making Himself familiar with their interests and occupations in order to gain access to their hearts and reveal to them imperishable riches.
Nicodemus came with grounds to believe, for he had seen Jesus heal the sick, relieve the afflicted, and teach the people, and he had searched the prophecies pointing to Jesus as the Messiah sent by God. The saying came after Jesus had told him that a man must be born again of water and of the Spirit in order to see and enter the kingdom of God, illustrating the Spirit's work by the wind blowing where it wills. It was spoken in reply to his question how these things could be, declaring that Jesus speaks what He knows and testifies what He has seen, yet His witness was not received, so that failure to believe the earthly things told makes belief in heavenly things impossible.
Jesus spoke the rebuke with solemn dignity and earnest love against spiritual ignorance, for as a master of Israel Nicodemus should have known and understood the condition of entrance into the kingdom of heaven. At the same time the truth was shining into the chambers of his mind with a softening, subduing influence that convicted him as he stood before the Saviour and impressed his heart, leading him to receive the teaching about spiritual life.
That night talk unfolded the plan of salvation and the work needed in human hearts to inherit heaven's kingdom, including that the Son of Man would be lifted up and that those who believe in Him receive eternal life, truths Nicodemus at first kept hidden but later saw fulfilled at the cross. The testimony given to Nicodemus parallels John's witness that Jesus comes from heaven, bears witness to what He has seen and heard, and speaks God's words, so that receiving His testimony acknowledges that God is true.
Earthly and Heavenly Things
The earthly things are the plain practical truth of the new birth and reconversion, that a man must be born of water and of the Spirit with a changed new heart, new purposes and new springs of action. That birth was taught by the Spirit and illustrated by the earthly working of the wind blowing where it wills, picturing the Spirit's inward work of grace transforming the life. When asked how these things could be, the answer declares that the Speaker speaks what He knows and testifies what He has seen, yet His witness is not received. Unbelief toward that plain earthly instruction about being born again makes belief impossible when deeper heavenly truth is told. Without that new birth no one can see the kingdom of heaven, so understanding heavenly truths depends on receiving the spiritual truth already explained.
Earthly things are truths put in terms that can be observed, understood and experienced in present life. The new birth and the Spirit's work were explained through earthly examples and illustrations he could observe, yet were not accepted. The teaching was practical, preparing people for spiritual truth and for greater heavenly teaching. This was so though knowledge beyond all previous discoveries could have been disclosed. Those who do not believe testimony about what they can understand on earth cannot be expected to believe when heavenly things are spoken.
The heavenly things are the deeper revelations about Jesus Himself as the Son of man come down from heaven. They concern His heavenly kingdom and His work in heaven, which cannot be understood while the earthly illustration of the new birth and the Spirit's work in the heart is disbelieved. They include that the Son of Man would be lifted up and that those who believe in Him receive eternal life, unfolding the plan of salvation and the work needed in human hearts to inherit heaven's kingdom. Without grasping the inward change to be encountered in earthly life, no one can comprehend that heavenly work.
Mere knowledge of prophecy or precise obedience to the law cannot replace discerning Christ's earthly work of giving a new heart. Understanding the kingdom of heaven depends on receiving the truth that the Spirit gives a new heart and transforms the life. Without discerning Christ's work on earth in grace and new birth, illustrated by the wind, there is no comprehending Christ's work in heaven and His teaching about the heavenly kingdom.
Unbelief Bars Deeper Belief
Refusal to believe the testimony about earthly things makes belief in heavenly things impossible, for receiving the truth already made known is the condition for receiving greater revelation. The earthly things already explained in observable terms are the new birth and the Spirit's work, and rejecting that witness leaves a person unready and unable to receive deeper heavenly teaching. The question presses a learned teacher of Israel whose asking about the new birth shows he does not grasp it, challenging him to see that he cannot receive greater heavenly teaching while rejecting plain truth made clear on earth.
The difficulty was not lack of evidence but lack of spiritual understanding in an unchanged heart. Spoken with solemn dignity and earnest love in rebuke of spiritual ignorance, the words confront one who as a master of Israel entrusted with the religious interests of the people should have known and understood the condition of entrance into the kingdom of heaven. His irritation, irony and unbelief when told the plain earthly truth that he must have a new heart with new purposes and new springs of action proved the want was in his own unchanged heart, leaving him unfit to believe deeper heavenly things. Instead of resenting plain truth he should have taken a far more humble opinion of himself, for humility and a changed heart are needed to discern what is taught about the kingdom.
Understanding the kingdom requires the Holy Spirit's work and divine light giving divine insight to perceive the character of God's kingdom, not reliance on natural human inclinations, responsibility, learning or controversy. No one can understand the full import until born again of water and of the Spirit, for the instruction is only feebly comprehended apart from that change and can only be received through sanctification of the Spirit of God molding and fashioning the heart daily. The same rebuke is spoken to rulers in Israel today, to presidents of conferences, elders of churches and those in official positions in institutions whose voices show the same spirit, for unless they are born again and receive a new heart they cannot understand heavenly things. The lesson could be received, believed and begun to be understood through submission to the Holy Spirit, as Nicodemus became a true believer when the daily work of the Spirit gave him insight.
Christ the True Witness
Christ speaks what He knows and testifies what He has seen, yet His witness was not received when Nicodemus, a master in Israel, asked how the new birth taught by the Spirit and illustrated by the wind blowing where it wills could be. That rebuke makes unbelief toward plain earthly instruction about being born again the reason belief in deeper heavenly truth about Himself as the Son of man come down from heaven becomes impossible. He can so speak because He came from heaven and is one with God, so His words convey truth and not falsehood. Anything out of harmony with His teaching is therefore false and delusive, and disbelief in the earthly truths He has explained prevents belief when He speaks of heavenly things.
He is the divine Witness sent from the Father to reveal the Father, speaking what He knows and has seen. His resurrection establishes Him as a witness to the resurrection of everyone who believes in Him. Rejecting His testimony about earthly things thus makes it impossible to believe His testimony about heavenly things.
He speaks of heavenly things with firsthand familiarity as the divine Teacher sent to instruct humanity. His words about His oneness and intimacy with the Father express knowledge of heavenly things as naturally as a child speaks of a parent.
His testimony to Nicodemus parallels John's witness that Jesus came from heaven and speaks God's words, so that rejecting what Jesus teaches about earthly things makes belief in heavenly truths impossible. Jesus comes from heaven and bears witness to what He has seen and heard and speaks God's words, so that receiving His testimony means acknowledging that God is true.
Call to Conversion Today
The question cuts straight against shallow religion and the notion that a person can become a child of God without any particular change, for when the truth of God finds a place in the heart it works a decided change with sanctifying power upon life and character, producing the fruits of righteousness and a course of action that testifies of learning of Christ and of a living connection of the soul with God through living faith laying hold on the merits of the blood of the crucified and risen Saviour, Christ our righteousness. Together with the first chapter of John and the rest of the third chapter, the saying defines true higher education, the only education of saving value, whose instruction is only feebly comprehended apart from the new birth, since no one can understand its full import until born again of water and of the Spirit through sanctification of the Spirit of God. The same rebuke is spoken to rulers in Israel today, to presidents of conferences, elders of churches, and those in official positions in institutions whose voices show the same spirit, for unless they are born again and receive a new heart, with the Holy Spirit molding and fashioning the heart daily to give divine insight to perceive the character of the kingdom of God, they cannot understand heavenly things.
Unbelief comes through infidelity and disbelief in the Word of God worked in the heart by satanic agencies, leaving a person joined to evil and so deceived that truth cannot be discerned from the falsehoods of the enemy, whereas true faith is holy, works by love, purifies the soul, and stands in harmony with the Bible. God's workers therefore must not be led into controversy over false theories but keep to the affirmative, presenting new light that brings men into contact with all light, because reasoning about points of difference with an unchanged heart produces no saving result but strengthens resistance. Nicodemus received the lesson, believed, and began to understand the kingdom of heaven as he submitted to the Holy Spirit, though at first he kept the truths hidden and grasped the lesson only later as events unfolded. The truths taught that night included the plan of salvation and the work needed in human hearts to inherit heaven's kingdom, that the Son of Man would be lifted up and that those who believe in Him receive eternal life, and their meaning became clear at the cross. That faith begun that night remained vital and later led him to support Christ's followers openly in their time of peril.
Like Nicodemus, people may trust outwardly correct moral character and think life is upright without need to humble themselves before God, but Christ's light reveals hidden impurity, selfish motives, and opposition to God, showing that human righteousness cannot cleanse sin. The way into life is the same for all: to renounce self-righteousness and depend wholly on Christ, receiving His righteousness and strength, cleansing and renewal, only through His blood and divine grace. Possessing God's word leaves no excuse for claiming inexperience or lack of understanding, for the terms of salvation are set out clearly enough to guide a soul, yet knowledge requires humility and diligent searching of Scripture. While failure to believe earthly truths makes belief in heavenly truths harder, during this probation people can understand God's Word and those who receive it are responsible for sharing it with others.
Israel's leaders rejected His instruction when He sought to turn minds from earthly things to teach heavenly things, and their refusal kept them from the knowledge of Christ that could restore God's moral image in them. The chapter is urged upon careful reading by those not yet born again, emphasizing that human beings are like infants compared with God and cannot attain proper standing as God's sons and daughters without Christ as Mediator between God and humanity.
Jesus spoke these words to Nicodemus in a night interview after telling him he must be born of water and of the Spirit to see and enter the kingdom. The earthly things are the plain practical truth of the new birth with a changed heart and new life, illustrated by the wind's working, while the heavenly things are the deeper revelations of Christ come down from heaven, lifted up, and giving eternal life in His kingdom. If His testimony about what can be observed and experienced is not believed, deeper revelation will not and cannot be believed, for receiving the truth already made known is the condition for receiving greater light. The barrier is not lack of evidence but an unchanged heart lacking spiritual understanding, so humility and rebirth by the Holy Spirit's daily molding work are needed to discern the kingdom. He speaks what He knows and testifies what He has seen as One come from heaven and one with God, so His witness is true, and those who submit to it like Nicodemus did come to understand and follow openly.
Setting of the Conversation
The words were addressed to Nicodemus in a private conversation by night, he being a Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews, a master in Israel and an honored rabbi entrusted with the religious interests of the people. He was a wealthy and cultured man, and Jesus deliberately sought his acquaintance as part of reaching the rich as well as the poor, accepting their invitations, attending their feasts, and making Himself familiar with their interests and occupations in order to gain access to their hearts and reveal to them imperishable riches.
Nicodemus came with grounds to believe, for he had seen Jesus heal the sick, relieve the afflicted, and teach the people, and he had searched the prophecies pointing to Jesus as the Messiah sent by God. The saying came after Jesus had told him that a man must be born again of water and of the Spirit in order to see and enter the kingdom of God, illustrating the Spirit's work by the wind blowing where it wills. It was spoken in reply to his question how these things could be, declaring that Jesus speaks what He knows and testifies what He has seen, yet His witness was not received, so that failure to believe the earthly things told makes belief in heavenly things impossible.
Jesus spoke the rebuke with solemn dignity and earnest love against spiritual ignorance, for as a master of Israel Nicodemus should have known and understood the condition of entrance into the kingdom of heaven. At the same time the truth was shining into the chambers of his mind with a softening, subduing influence that convicted him as he stood before the Saviour and impressed his heart, leading him to receive the teaching about spiritual life.
That night talk unfolded the plan of salvation and the work needed in human hearts to inherit heaven's kingdom, including that the Son of Man would be lifted up and that those who believe in Him receive eternal life, truths Nicodemus at first kept hidden but later saw fulfilled at the cross. The testimony given to Nicodemus parallels John's witness that Jesus comes from heaven, bears witness to what He has seen and heard, and speaks God's words, so that receiving His testimony acknowledges that God is true.
Earthly and Heavenly Things
The earthly things are the plain practical truth of the new birth and reconversion, that a man must be born of water and of the Spirit with a changed new heart, new purposes and new springs of action. That birth was taught by the Spirit and illustrated by the earthly working of the wind blowing where it wills, picturing the Spirit's inward work of grace transforming the life. When asked how these things could be, the answer declares that the Speaker speaks what He knows and testifies what He has seen, yet His witness is not received. Unbelief toward that plain earthly instruction about being born again makes belief impossible when deeper heavenly truth is told. Without that new birth no one can see the kingdom of heaven, so understanding heavenly truths depends on receiving the spiritual truth already explained.
Earthly things are truths put in terms that can be observed, understood and experienced in present life. The new birth and the Spirit's work were explained through earthly examples and illustrations he could observe, yet were not accepted. The teaching was practical, preparing people for spiritual truth and for greater heavenly teaching. This was so though knowledge beyond all previous discoveries could have been disclosed. Those who do not believe testimony about what they can understand on earth cannot be expected to believe when heavenly things are spoken.
The heavenly things are the deeper revelations about Jesus Himself as the Son of man come down from heaven. They concern His heavenly kingdom and His work in heaven, which cannot be understood while the earthly illustration of the new birth and the Spirit's work in the heart is disbelieved. They include that the Son of Man would be lifted up and that those who believe in Him receive eternal life, unfolding the plan of salvation and the work needed in human hearts to inherit heaven's kingdom. Without grasping the inward change to be encountered in earthly life, no one can comprehend that heavenly work.
Mere knowledge of prophecy or precise obedience to the law cannot replace discerning Christ's earthly work of giving a new heart. Understanding the kingdom of heaven depends on receiving the truth that the Spirit gives a new heart and transforms the life. Without discerning Christ's work on earth in grace and new birth, illustrated by the wind, there is no comprehending Christ's work in heaven and His teaching about the heavenly kingdom.
Unbelief Bars Deeper Belief
Refusal to believe the testimony about earthly things makes belief in heavenly things impossible, for receiving the truth already made known is the condition for receiving greater revelation. The earthly things already explained in observable terms are the new birth and the Spirit's work, and rejecting that witness leaves a person unready and unable to receive deeper heavenly teaching. The question presses a learned teacher of Israel whose asking about the new birth shows he does not grasp it, challenging him to see that he cannot receive greater heavenly teaching while rejecting plain truth made clear on earth.
The difficulty was not lack of evidence but lack of spiritual understanding in an unchanged heart. Spoken with solemn dignity and earnest love in rebuke of spiritual ignorance, the words confront one who as a master of Israel entrusted with the religious interests of the people should have known and understood the condition of entrance into the kingdom of heaven. His irritation, irony and unbelief when told the plain earthly truth that he must have a new heart with new purposes and new springs of action proved the want was in his own unchanged heart, leaving him unfit to believe deeper heavenly things. Instead of resenting plain truth he should have taken a far more humble opinion of himself, for humility and a changed heart are needed to discern what is taught about the kingdom.
Understanding the kingdom requires the Holy Spirit's work and divine light giving divine insight to perceive the character of God's kingdom, not reliance on natural human inclinations, responsibility, learning or controversy. No one can understand the full import until born again of water and of the Spirit, for the instruction is only feebly comprehended apart from that change and can only be received through sanctification of the Spirit of God molding and fashioning the heart daily. The same rebuke is spoken to rulers in Israel today, to presidents of conferences, elders of churches and those in official positions in institutions whose voices show the same spirit, for unless they are born again and receive a new heart they cannot understand heavenly things. The lesson could be received, believed and begun to be understood through submission to the Holy Spirit, as Nicodemus became a true believer when the daily work of the Spirit gave him insight.
Christ the True Witness
Christ speaks what He knows and testifies what He has seen, yet His witness was not received when Nicodemus, a master in Israel, asked how the new birth taught by the Spirit and illustrated by the wind blowing where it wills could be. That rebuke makes unbelief toward plain earthly instruction about being born again the reason belief in deeper heavenly truth about Himself as the Son of man come down from heaven becomes impossible. He can so speak because He came from heaven and is one with God, so His words convey truth and not falsehood. Anything out of harmony with His teaching is therefore false and delusive, and disbelief in the earthly truths He has explained prevents belief when He speaks of heavenly things.
He is the divine Witness sent from the Father to reveal the Father, speaking what He knows and has seen. His resurrection establishes Him as a witness to the resurrection of everyone who believes in Him. Rejecting His testimony about earthly things thus makes it impossible to believe His testimony about heavenly things.
He speaks of heavenly things with firsthand familiarity as the divine Teacher sent to instruct humanity. His words about His oneness and intimacy with the Father express knowledge of heavenly things as naturally as a child speaks of a parent.
His testimony to Nicodemus parallels John's witness that Jesus came from heaven and speaks God's words, so that rejecting what Jesus teaches about earthly things makes belief in heavenly truths impossible. Jesus comes from heaven and bears witness to what He has seen and heard and speaks God's words, so that receiving His testimony means acknowledging that God is true.
Call to Conversion Today
The question cuts straight against shallow religion and the notion that a person can become a child of God without any particular change, for when the truth of God finds a place in the heart it works a decided change with sanctifying power upon life and character, producing the fruits of righteousness and a course of action that testifies of learning of Christ and of a living connection of the soul with God through living faith laying hold on the merits of the blood of the crucified and risen Saviour, Christ our righteousness. Together with the first chapter of John and the rest of the third chapter, the saying defines true higher education, the only education of saving value, whose instruction is only feebly comprehended apart from the new birth, since no one can understand its full import until born again of water and of the Spirit through sanctification of the Spirit of God. The same rebuke is spoken to rulers in Israel today, to presidents of conferences, elders of churches, and those in official positions in institutions whose voices show the same spirit, for unless they are born again and receive a new heart, with the Holy Spirit molding and fashioning the heart daily to give divine insight to perceive the character of the kingdom of God, they cannot understand heavenly things.
Unbelief comes through infidelity and disbelief in the Word of God worked in the heart by satanic agencies, leaving a person joined to evil and so deceived that truth cannot be discerned from the falsehoods of the enemy, whereas true faith is holy, works by love, purifies the soul, and stands in harmony with the Bible. God's workers therefore must not be led into controversy over false theories but keep to the affirmative, presenting new light that brings men into contact with all light, because reasoning about points of difference with an unchanged heart produces no saving result but strengthens resistance. Nicodemus received the lesson, believed, and began to understand the kingdom of heaven as he submitted to the Holy Spirit, though at first he kept the truths hidden and grasped the lesson only later as events unfolded. The truths taught that night included the plan of salvation and the work needed in human hearts to inherit heaven's kingdom, that the Son of Man would be lifted up and that those who believe in Him receive eternal life, and their meaning became clear at the cross. That faith begun that night remained vital and later led him to support Christ's followers openly in their time of peril.
Like Nicodemus, people may trust outwardly correct moral character and think life is upright without need to humble themselves before God, but Christ's light reveals hidden impurity, selfish motives, and opposition to God, showing that human righteousness cannot cleanse sin. The way into life is the same for all: to renounce self-righteousness and depend wholly on Christ, receiving His righteousness and strength, cleansing and renewal, only through His blood and divine grace. Possessing God's word leaves no excuse for claiming inexperience or lack of understanding, for the terms of salvation are set out clearly enough to guide a soul, yet knowledge requires humility and diligent searching of Scripture. While failure to believe earthly truths makes belief in heavenly truths harder, during this probation people can understand God's Word and those who receive it are responsible for sharing it with others.
Israel's leaders rejected His instruction when He sought to turn minds from earthly things to teach heavenly things, and their refusal kept them from the knowledge of Christ that could restore God's moral image in them. The chapter is urged upon careful reading by those not yet born again, emphasizing that human beings are like infants compared with God and cannot attain proper standing as God's sons and daughters without Christ as Mediator between God and humanity.