Bible Character - Nicodemus

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Oh, okay, here we go. Thank you everybody for joining.
Let's pray, Heavenly Father, thank you.

Speaker 2 (00:06):
For your word.

Speaker 1 (00:07):
I pray, Lord God, that your word is a lamp
to our feet, a lifetire path in Jesus' name, Holy Spirit.
I pray that the entrance of the word brings us
light and gives us understanding in Jesus' name. Amen, Praise God.
So glad to be here. Today's space is spaces is.
At the request of code name. Codename asked me to

(00:29):
do a kind of a Bible study that differentiated in
between Nicodemus and Jyrus.

Speaker 2 (00:35):
So here we go.

Speaker 1 (00:37):
So today we're in John chapter three, the Gospel of
John chapter three. Nicodemus was a Pharisee, and I'm not
going to take the time to get into the background
of pharisees, but I recommend that, if you have no familiarity,
that you look up a little bit about what it
took for a Jewish man to become a pharisee, because

(00:57):
I think that will help you understand a little bit
more about these events and what happened. So let's start
with verse one. Now, there was a certain man among
the pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler, a leader and authority
among the Jews, who came to Jesus at night and

(01:20):
said to him rabbi meaning teacher, which if you're not familiar,
that is a title of respect. We know and are
certain that you have come from God as a teacher.
For no one can do these signs, these wonder works,
these miracles, and produce the proofs that you do unless

(01:42):
God is with him. So let's take a quick look
at Bible hub and see the Gospel of John, chapter three,
verse number two in some other translations. I yes, here
it is. So I'm just gonna do a few so

(02:05):
that you can hear what Nicodemus is saying. After dark
one evening, he came to speak with Jesus Rabbi. He said,
we all know that God has sent you to teach us.
Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.
Here's another one. This man came to Jesus by night

(02:28):
and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you are
a teacher, come from God. For no one can do
these signs that you do unless God is with him.
Let me get a literal before I close out literal standard.
This one came to him by night and said to him, Rabbi,

(02:50):
we have known that you have come from God a teacher.
For no one is able to do these signs that
you do if God may not be with him. So
there is John three to two. So let's keep going.
Jesus answered him, I assure.

Speaker 2 (03:09):
You most solemnly. I tell you that.

Speaker 1 (03:11):
Unless a person is born again anew from above, he
cannot ever see, no be acquainted with, an experienced the
Kingdom of God. So let's talk about this just briefly.
So first of all, I'd like to point out in
verse two that Nicodemus says, we know, so he is
there as a representative and emissary, and there's a whole

(03:34):
bunch of other people that he was bearing this message
for that did not have the guts. It was, if
I may use the term, had the hooks bah however,
it said, and to come out to Jesus in person.
But Nicodemus, so this is the guy with some brass,

(03:56):
if you know what I mean.

Speaker 2 (03:57):
And so he comes and he just plainly states that
he's there on behalf of the group.

Speaker 1 (04:04):
And of course Jesus knew that they knew more than
they were letting on openly. But now he gets the ambassador,
if you will, the representative, and notice that he comes
at night. Well not that bold, then is he. And
it's the whole group.

Speaker 2 (04:26):
That wants to keep this on the down low.

Speaker 1 (04:28):
It's not just Nicodemus like ran out of Rome and
his schedule or something. This is the whole group that's embarrassed.
They're embarrassed by their own weakness and their own inability
to welcome Jesus gracefully. And they're embarrassed by the superiority

(04:52):
that he demonstrates in the way that he lives his life,
in the way that he ministers to what they're doing,
and they're firist by their own lack of results that
his results are making evident. Okay, Next, I want to
point out, which if you have experienced this, I think

(05:14):
you will.

Speaker 2 (05:14):
Know what I'm talking about right away, that.

Speaker 1 (05:19):
Nicodemus was giving Jesus both respect and gaslighting at the
same time, which, if you've experienced that, it's really icky
when people do that, but it happens.

Speaker 2 (05:29):
Because basically Jesus was way.

Speaker 1 (05:32):
More than a teacher, was proving that he was way
more than a teacher.

Speaker 2 (05:37):
The Pharisees and.

Speaker 1 (05:38):
Other spiritual leaders in Israel knew that he was more
than a teacher, and Jesus knew that they knew that
he was more than a teacher. So everybody's pretending and
he's expecting Jesus to go along with the game too
by just settling for the title of teacher rabbi. And
so that's an example of how Jesus expence that sort

(06:01):
of respect plus gaslighting or gaslighting cloaked in respect is
maybe a better way to say it. It's really yucky
when it happens. Okay, Next thing, Yes, and so obviously
ignoring the fulfillments of Jesus's role as Messiah that have

(06:22):
transpired so far, which is so disrespectful both to Jesus,
the Messiah who came and was fulfilling what he was
commanded to do by God and the people waiting with
such hopes for the one they're supposed to hope and
trust in. Really messed up. Okay, keeping on going here.

(06:47):
Next thing, Jesus tries to have a spiritual conversation about
why he really came, which pertains to like new identity,
new nature for humans, new nature within a new identity
within for humans, starting of course, with the Jews. Salvation

(07:07):
is first to the Jews, then to those who are
not previously incovenant with God. So Jesus tries to have
a spiritual conversation with Nicotineus. Jesus doesn't even judge him,
doesn't even call him out on his gaslighting, doesn't disrespect him,
doesn't send him away. Jesus treats him way better than
anything of what he deserves coming to him at night,

(07:31):
and literally tries to have an actual spiritual conversation with
him about why he Jesus is really there about bringing
people humans, starting with the Jews again. Salvation is first
to the Jews, then to those who are not previously
incovenant with God, a new identity and a new nature

(07:54):
on the insides. That's why he's talking about unless a
person is born again, he cannot ever see the Kingdom
of God. Because he's trying to initiate this conversation about
being born again and Nicodemus, I'm sorry, I'm not like
trying to yell. I'm just like, wow, this is amazing.
So Nicodemus hadn't prepared himself to be exposed to the

(08:18):
spiritual process. He was expert in the things that made
him a pharisee.

Speaker 2 (08:25):
He was an expert in the things that caused the
group to choose him to go to Jesus by night.

Speaker 1 (08:31):
But he wasn't prepared to be exposed to the spiritual process.
So instead of an epiphany resulting from what Jesus said,
he doubted what Jesus was saying with his questions. I
could even wonder if he was mocking what Jesus said
with his questions.

Speaker 2 (08:49):
I have a question mark if he was actually mocking.
So let's go into his questions. Verse four.

Speaker 1 (08:55):
Nicodemus said to him, how can a man be born
when he is old? He enter his mother's womb again
and be born? Yep, not not an epiphany moment for him. There, Okay,
here we go.

Speaker 2 (09:14):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (09:14):
I wanted to mention that questions are powerful with immense potential.
They're like a quantum tool which reveals the capacity at
either end to connect or join. And Jesus, listen to this,
you guys. Jesus kindly explained the problem so that Nicodemus

(09:36):
could better comprehend the cure, both the current and future
problem and cure.

Speaker 2 (09:42):
Listen to it.

Speaker 1 (09:42):
Listen to how Jesus responds to Nicodemus. Instead of having
Nicodemus having an epiphany moment, Nicodemus having these questions.

Speaker 2 (09:51):
That were rather.

Speaker 1 (09:54):
Well, they just showed where Nicodemus was at, that he
hadn't prepared himself to have a spiritual conversation.

Speaker 2 (10:02):
He hadn't prepared.

Speaker 1 (10:03):
Himself to have the light of God dawn to bring
him out of the natural and into the spiritual. Verse five,
Jesus answered, I assure you most solemnly.

Speaker 2 (10:13):
I tell you, unless.

Speaker 1 (10:15):
A man is born of water and the spirit, he
cannot enter the Kingdom of God. So Jesus is recognizing
that he's still in the natural, and so he's addressing
natural birth when he talks about.

Speaker 2 (10:27):
Being born of water.

Speaker 1 (10:29):
Hopefully pretty much everybody listening knows about a woman's water
breaking before she gives birth. That's being born of water,
that physical birth, and then being born of the spirit.
So the redemption through Jesus Christ is available to humans,

(10:50):
biological humans. We are the ones that the redemption price
has been paid for, not the fallen.

Speaker 2 (10:56):
Angels, and.

Speaker 1 (10:59):
So they can't Those fallen angels can't enter the Kingdom
of God. We are born of water and we have
to be born of the Holy Spirit as well. And
Jesus talk verse six, what is born of the flesh
is flesh, and what is born of the spirit is spirit.

(11:20):
So we have to become spiritually alive by being born again.
And I won't even get into how we're spiritually dead.
If you don't know about that, you can. I would
recommend generally, if you're new to the Bible, start with
the Gospel of John. Right after that is the Book
of Acts. Right after that is the Book of Romans,

(11:40):
and that should put you in good shape. Okay, let
me keep on going here. What is born of the
flesh is flesh, and what is born of the spirit
is spirit. So Jesus is getting into what the problem
is and what the solution is, both now and future,
because here he keeps going, marvel not at my telling

(12:01):
you you must all be born anew.

Speaker 2 (12:05):
Listen to this verse eight.

Speaker 1 (12:07):
The wind blows where it wills, and though you hear
it sound, yet you neither know where it comes from
nor where it is going. So it is with everyone
who is born of the spirit.

Speaker 2 (12:21):
So, in other.

Speaker 1 (12:23):
Words, increasingly, as developments for humanity and the planet Earth unfold,
this solution is needed of people born of the spirit,

(12:46):
that they're like the wind that blows where it wills,
and though you hear it sound, yet you neither know
where it is comes from or where it is going.
That's obviously, Hopefully, that's obvious. It's increasingly important for human
beings to be under the Lord's authority and following his

(13:08):
leading and acting on our faith. And then verse nine,
So what happens is, yeah, let's read verse nine. Nicodemus
answered by asking how can all this be possible? And

(13:29):
I think that Nicodemus must have begun to understand, but
his question doesn't show that much to me on the surface.
He may have been stumbling at or not understanding. The
Messiah must be a sacrifice before the full manifestation of
his heroism could be evident to humans starting.

Speaker 2 (13:48):
With the Jews.

Speaker 1 (13:51):
So Jesus is explaining to him, these are the problems,
this is the solution. And Nicodemus his response is how
can all this be possible? So it didn't exactly say
what are you even talking about? So he was getting
it somewhat, but he asked, how can all this be possible?

(14:14):
So I found that to be a very interesting question.
Going to and Jesus basically rebukes him for not being
farther along, and he breaks down the basics of the
Messiah for Nicodemus, this is what he says. Jesus replied,
are you the teacher of Israel? And yet do not
know nor understand these things? I assure you most solemnly.

Speaker 2 (14:38):
I tell you we speak only of what we know, We.

Speaker 1 (14:44):
Have actually seen what we are testifying to. And still
you do not receive our testimony. If I told you
of the things that happen right here on earth, and
yet none of you believes.

Speaker 2 (14:57):
Me, how can you believe if I tell you of
heavenly things?

Speaker 1 (15:06):
Thang, if you'll pardon my language.

Speaker 2 (15:10):
And yet no one has ever gone up to heaven.

Speaker 1 (15:12):
But there is one who has come down from heaven,
the Son of Man himself, who is in heaven.

Speaker 2 (15:19):
And just as Moses lifted.

Speaker 1 (15:21):
Up the serpent in the desert on a pole, remember
that brazen serpent. That symbol that we have or used
to have, at least in healthcare in the United States
of America.

Speaker 2 (15:34):
Was when Jesus, the symbol of Jesus.

Speaker 1 (15:37):
Becoming sin on the cross, that brazen serpent on the pole,
that Moses lifted up in the desert, so that the Israelites.
You know, salvation is first to the Jews, then to
those who are not previously in covenant with God, the Gentiles.
Moses was able to lift up that symbol of Jesus

(16:00):
becoming sin on the cross for the Israelites to gaze steadfastly,
look intently upon. And everyone that did that was healed
and am lived.

Speaker 2 (16:17):
Okay, so.

Speaker 1 (16:21):
It says here verse fourteen, so must the Son of
Man be lifted up in order that everyone who believes
in him may not perish, but have eternal life and
live forever. And then, of course, beautiful John three point sixteen,
for God so loved the world that he gave his
only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish,

(16:44):
but have everlasting life. For God did not send the
Son into the world in order to judge the world,
but that the world might find salvation be made safe
and sound through him.

Speaker 2 (16:59):
Oh so good.

Speaker 1 (17:00):
I could just keep going and going, but I won't.
So that's the story of Nicodemus, who came at night
and tried to play some But Jesus was so kind
to him and so respectful and so gracious, and so
let's see, I'm trying to decide if I should do

(17:23):
Jyrus as a different one.

Speaker 2 (17:26):
I think I will. I think I'll.

Speaker 1 (17:27):
Restart for Jyrus and come back. And I hope you
guys are able to enjoy this compare and contrast. Thank
you very much to code Name. Talk to you guys
again soon.