2. “…even so MUST the Son of Man be lifted up”, 3.14
In vs. 9 we have recorded the question of the ages…”How can these things be?” That’s the question that revealed Nicodemus for how he really was, just as it reveals the hearts of all men…ignorant in our sins. Now Nick would never have admitted that he was ignorant! He was an educated man, and Jesus knew it; he was a highly moral man, and Jesus knew that too. But Nicodemus needed more than education and morality in order to understand the high things of God. God had spoken to him plainly and in the simplest of terms, using the most ordinary of life events as His illustration, but the natural man (as opposed to the spiritual man) has no capacity to understand spiritual things, so of course, Jesus was (and still is!) mis-understood.
This fact is illustrated again and again throughout the Gospel of John. For example, in the last chapter, when Jesus spoke of raising the temple of His body, the Jews thought He was referring to the temple in Jerusalem. In chapt. 4 He spoke to the Samaritan woman of “living water”, and she thought He was talking of Jacob’s well. Later in the same chapter He told His disciples that He had meat to eat that they knew-not-of, and they thought He was talking of burgers and fries or some such thing. In ch. 6 He spoke of Himself as the True Bread come down from heaven, that men should eat and live forever, and the Jews thought… “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?” And in ch. 8, He told the Jews… “Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free”, and they responded… “We are Abraham’s seed, and are in bondage to no man, so how can you say, we will be made free?”
And so it goes, throughout the entire Gospel, hence Jesus’ own commentary on the heart of man. Of course, He spoke to them in types and in parables that only the spiritual man can understand. Nicodemus may have been a teacher of Israel, but he was ignorant of the ABC’s of the Gospel. He was charged with shedding light in a dark world, when he was just as blind to the truth as any! And so he asked… “How can these things be?” At least he was honest, wasn’t he? We all should be willing to admit that we need teaching, and then, take advantage of the opportunities to learn...the worship services, the Sunday School hour, the mid-week prayer meeting or the home bible study. We can even read Job’s position on the matter in Job 34.32…”What I see not, teach Thou me”!
You know, sometimes even the simplest points tend to miss our attention, and these are the kinds of interesting things we should be on the look-out for. For instance, in the first part of John 3 we see illustrated just how wise Jesus is in His use of the King’s English (the KJV, and probably in the original Greek and Hebrew and Aramaic, as well!). Take notice that Nicodemus first approached Jesus with the statement… "...we know that You are a Teacher come from God…”, and in vs. 10 Jesus asks…"Aren’t you a teacher, and yet you don't know these things?” and in vs. 11…"We speak of the things that we know, and yet you receive not Our witness”. Also in vs. 2 Nicodemus says…"except God…”, and Jesus, in vs. 3, puts it back on him…“except a man…”. In vs. 4 Nicodemus asks in all honesty, but in all ignorance…"How can a man…”, and again Jesus turned it around in vs. 5…"except a man…”. Also in vs. 4, Nicodemus asked…"Can he enter a second time…”, and Jesus answered matter-of-factly in vs. 5…"he cannot enter…”; in vs. 9 Nick asked again…"How can these things be?”, and Jesus asked in response in vs. 12…"how shall ye believe…?”
Jesus dealt with Nicodemus right where he was at, right on his own terms, on his own level, just as He does with each one of us. How often have we wondered how to approach a certain person with a witness of the gospel? Well, here’s an example, given to us by the very Lord Himself, and we can turn His own phrases in order to meet the need of the moment, and when we do, we find that we can often relate in a new and more perfect way, the high things of God!
This is a very interesting passage, but you know, just as most of scripture does, it also speaks a sad truth. Look at vs. 1 again. Nicodemus was a ruler of the Jews, but just like him...because we don’t take the time to carefully examine and to apply the high things of God to our lives...we fail to receive God’s own testimony concerning them. Receive and believe…believe and receive…is a very clear principle from the Gospel of John. As we receive and believe God’s word, He gives us understanding; conversely, having no understanding of the high things of God infers that we have never received and believed. That’s the very basis of what we see in this dialogue between Nicodemus and the Lord.
I know that many Believers wonder about these things…”Why is my progress so slow in the God-life?” “Why aren’t more people being saved?” “What is my role in the things of the faith?” Well, Jesus gives us some light in these verses. He unapologetically tells us in vs. 12, that..."If I have told you of earthly things and you believe not, how shall you believe if I tell you of heavenly things?" We hardly obey God's will for us in the ordinary events of life; how do we dare expect Him to bless our churches, or our work, or our families? We drift back and forth spiritually, neglecting the word and the will of God, and we still wonder where the blessing is! Or when our understanding of the high things of God, will come! It isn't that God doesn't want to reveal them to us, but rather, like Nicodemus, we are in no condition to receive them!
Now this part is just for the church…could it be possible that it’s because we have become so casual about earthly things, that we don’t see better results in spiritual things?!
We really do need to bow before our Lord in humble confession and repentance of our failure. Maybe then...just maybe, we would really see the Lord beginning to use His people, because they have demonstrated that they are worthy vessels, fit for His use! So our first imperative must be a stronger desire to obey what it is we already know. That was the point of Nick’s beginning, and the point of beginning for us all! Whether it be the strong meat of the word, or the milk of the word, or even the very need to be born again, the first steps and every step after that, must keep time with the steps of Jesus!
That’s precisely why He was “lifted up”, you know…that is, lifted up upon His cross, just as…"Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness” (vs. 14), as described in Numbers chapt. 21. And the windows of heaven are opened! To receive and believe; to…"not perish, but have everlasting life”!
Now there is truth that will set you free!!
Next time, the third point…”that the world through Him must be saved”!
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