JJesus came… even for the religious? Sound like a strange question, doesn't it? And
this video, we are going to take a look at what John chapter 3 verses 1 through
21 says about this question. First by conversationally reading the passage and
then by discussing four of the nuances that I have found that have helped me
find the answer answer. Buckle up cause here we go. My name is
Charles Yerkes and this is the Simple Not Shallow Video Channel. And the whole
purpose of this channel is to bring you digestible, compelling, and conversational
insights from the Bible so that you too can develop a vital relationship with
God by learning how to love simply, wisely, and well. For that is where
excitement and meaning in life dwell. So, did Jesus come even for the religious?
Let's begin by reading John 3 from the World English Bible. Now there
was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. The same
came to him by night, and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher
come from God, for no one can do the signs that you do, unless God is with him."
Jesus answered and said, "Most certainly, I tell you, unless one is born anew, he
can't see the Kingdom of God." Nicodemus 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?" Jesus answered, "Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and
spirit, he cannot enter into God's Kingdom. That which is born of the
flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Don't marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born anew.'
The wind blows where it wants to, and you hear its sound, but you don't know where
it comes from or where it is going. So is everyone who was born of the Spirit."
Nicodemus answered him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered him and said,
"Are you a teacher of Israel, and you don't understand these things? Most
certainly I tell you, we speak of that which we know, and we testify of that
which we have seen, and you don't receive our witness. If I told you of earthly
things and you don't believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly
things? No one has ascended into heaven but he who has descended out of heaven,
the Son of man, who is in heaven. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the
wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in
him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He
gave His one and only Son, that whoever would believe in Him should not perish,
but have eternal life. For God didn't send his Son into the world to judge the
world, but that the world should be saved through him. He who believes in him is
not judged. He who doesn't believe has been judged already, because he has not
believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. This is the judgment, that
the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the
light; for their works were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light,
and doesn't come to the light, lest his works would be exposed. But he who does truth
comes to the light, that his works may be revealed, that they have been done in God."
And that was John chapter 3 verses 1 through 21.
Now, the first nuance I heard is one we have heard before, one that, well seems to
be a theme in this book; and that is that Jesus treats everyone personally and as
the individuals that they are. Here, Jesus treated a well-educated religious leader
as a well-educated religious leader. He does not treat him the way he did Simon
or Nathanael or anyone else we have met so far. Here, Nicodemus, a theologian of
his day, was being addressed by Jesus as a theologian. In other words, Jesus once
again spoke to an individual as that individual needed to be spoken to and
with the words that that particular individual needed to hear. Nicodemus
needed an intellectual response; Simon and Nathanael did not. That Jesus treated
him respectfully and individually seems evident by what Nicodemus did later. See,
in Chapter 7 verse 50, he stands up for Jesus by insisting on a fair hearing, one
complying with Jewish law. And in chapter 19 verse 39 and 40, he even helps bury
Jesus's body. At the very least, at the very least, this seems to indicate that
Nicodemus respected Jesus. And such respect is always earned. And here, in
John chapter 3, we see the personal treatment that began to earn this
respect. Nuance number 2, now this is the fact that Nicodemus was a very religious
person. Not only was he religious, he was a ruler of the Jews. A religious leader; a
leader who was a Pharisee. In other words, you get no more religious than this man
was. And Jesus is telling this very religious person that he too needed to
be born anew. Which, in the context of John chapter 1 verses 12 through 13,
means to be born of the will of God, to be
come a child of God. I think we just answered our question. But why stop here,
let's trottle up just a little bit and take a look at the last two nuances.
Number three, what I see in these verses is a very educated and very
knowledgeable man. One who was all about doing what God wanted done, he was truly
wanting to serve God as best he could. Yet, it seems that he is also one who has
focused so intently on his knowledge that he has lost focus on God himself.
His knowledge clouded his vision. I have sometimes heard this said as, "well
he was educated way beyond his means." What he knew was blocking him from
seeing what was right before his eyes. Notice what Jesus said, "You are a teacher
and you don't understand this?" Or, phrased another way, "How are you a teacher of God,
about God and yet you know nothing about the need of being born from above? How
have you missed that?" So, it would seem that the very religious very religious
can miss the mark. And a religious person missing out on the one whom the religion
is founded upon; that is one of the greatest tragedies I know. Well, it is the
ultimate in self-delusion. And it is nuance number four that reveals the
depth of this tragedy. This nuance begins in verse 12 where Jesus says that
if the religious cannot understand this basic truth of faith, that each and every
person needs to be cleansed and purified, that is born from above, that is born
anew of the will of God, then how will they ever understand who Jesus is and
why he came? Verses 14 through 21 seem to address this and
explain five things that they truly will not comprehend if they cannot grasp this
basic tenet of faith. First, that the Messiah must be lifted up. Second, that
this is in order to save the world. Third, that this was not to condemn the world.
Fourth, that is because the world was already condemned and needs no further
condemnation. And fifth, exactly what the judgment, the condemnation was: which is
that the light has come and people have rejected the light. Remember John one?
In verse four of John one, we are told what this light is; it is the
life of men. The condemnation is that men have rejected life. Jesus is the
light, Jesus is the life of men. And the people rejected the life as they rejected
Jesus. Once again, God honors people's choices. Yet all of this will not truly
be grasped by the religious person, if that person does not understand the
principle of being born anew. Now yes, most religious folks at this point are
going to say, "Of course I know that!" Yet, before we say that too adamantly, we
should consider that Nicodemus would have said the very same thing. He would
have said that of course he knew how to relate to and serve God. And yet, Jesus
showed him that he truly did not. That is a point well worth considering.
So, yes. Jesus did come even for the religious. Well what do you think? Have
you gotten to know a little bit more about Jesus through this conversation? I
would love to hear what you think, so please tell me in the comment section
below. Also,
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new video is posted. Thank you. Well, until next time; love simply love wisely and
love well. For that is where excitement and meaning dwell.
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