CSSA 1-4-05 - NICODEMUS, THE PHARISEE, COMES TO JESUS

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80. NICODEMUS, THE PHARISEE, COMES TO JESUS

"Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God"

Aim

To show how Jesus cleansed the Temple and taught Nicodemus the way of salvation

After the wedding at Cana, Jesus went to Capernaum for a little while with Mary his mother, his brothers and his disciples. From there he went to Jerusalem to keep the Passover. It was here that he first began to show the people how far they had gone astray from the true worship of God. Here too, he met a Pharisee who was willing to listen carefully to his words.

John 2:12-16; 3:1-21

JESUS CLEANSES THE TEMPLE: John 2:13-16

The temple at Jerusalem was the third temple to be built there. First, there had been Solomon's temple (1 Kings 5:5) and later, when the children of Israel returned from captivity, the second temple had been built when Zerubbabel was governor (see Ezra 5:2). Now, many years later, Herod's temple stood on the same spot overlooking the Kedron Valley. It was a magnificent building, which had taken forty six years to build, and the Jews were very proud of it. To this place Jews from all over the land came to worship God and to keep the feasts He had appointed. This time when Jesus came to keep the passover, what he saw made him very angry.

Instead of quiet, sober and thoughtful worshippers, he saw in the temple "those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting" (vl4). There would have been a terrible din of shouting and arguing above the noise of the animals, some selling, others bargaining as they offered to change the foreign money of travellers into the local money used to buy the offerings. All of them were greedy money lovers. The hearts of these people were far from their God. It made Jesus very angry indeed.

Twisting some cords into a whip, he drove the traders out of the temple, and the sheep and the oxen. Then he poured out the changers' money and overthrew their tables. He ordered the men with doves to take them and leave. They fled before him, knowing that they had broken the temple laws. His angry voice followed them: "Make not my Father's house an house of merchandise" (vl6). They were strong words, but true. When his disciples saw what was happening they remembered the words of Psa. 69:9: "The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up". These words spoke of Christ's great love for his Father which made him full of indignation that God's people should treat His house in such a disgraceful way.

So he began to cleanse his Father's House. Three years later at the end of his work, Jesus once again went into the Temple and found the same sort of behaviour (Luke 19:45-46). Israel had not learned the lesson (see Lesson 19).

NICODEMUS COMES TO JESUS BY NIGHT: John 3:1-5

Jesus stayed in Jerusalem for some time, working miracles among the people who crowded into the city. Many of them believed when they saw the miracles which he did. Jesus found he was becoming very popular with the crowds, but he did not trust them, for he knew how easily people can change.

The rulers of Israel did not mix with the ordinary people. They stood apart and watched from a distance. There was one man among them, however, a Pharisee called Nicodemus, who watched what Jesus did and thought quite carefully about what he said. Nicodemus came to Jesus by night to learn more of this man who spoke with such authority and did things which no ordinary man could do. Nicodemus no doubt thought it would not be wise for him, a ruler of the Jews, to be seen visiting Jesus after the uproar he had caused in the Temple. So he went by night. "Rabbi," (that is, "master") he said, "We know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him" (v2). Nicodemus was honest. It was clear to him that God was with Jesus.

BORN OF WATER

Jesus, however, went on to talk about something that Nicodemus just did not understand. "Except a man be born again he cannot seethe kingdom of God", Jesus said (v3). Now Nicodemus knew that a man can only be born once. What then did Jesus mean? He went on to explain that there is another way in which we can be born. "Except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God",

All people are born the first time as babies, but it is the second birth that is so important in God's eyes. When a person comes to understand the Word of God and decides to repent (that is, change the* ways) and obey God, they are baptised. By this they are showing God their desire to put behind them their old way of life of just pleasing themselves, and in its place, want to begin a new life pleasing God. It is a new life that begins at baptism. So baptism is called being "born of water". Only the Word of God can change someone and make them ready for baptism. Anyone can go under the water and come up again, but he is not baptised unless God's word has made him change his ways. The change first begins in our minds. So we must fill our minds with the Word of God.

BORN OF SPIRIT

Jesus told Nicodemus that unless "a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God (v5) He was talking of another new beginning. This time he was talking of that glorious change which will come over our bodies when we are given immortality. This will happen when Christ returns, after the resurrection. This is the great hope we have if we love the Word of God.

These new kinds of birth will only happen if the Word of God has changed us. How wonderful God's Word, the Bible, really is if it can make a new person of us, fit for the Kingdom of God.

NICODEMUS EVENTUALLY BELIEVES

Nicodemus had not thought this way before. He found it hard to understand. "How can these things be?" he asked Jesus (v9). Jesus' answer must have embarrassed him a little: "Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?" (v10). Most of the Pharisees were very proud men and hated the way Jesus criticised them. Pride can blind us and make us dishonest, but Nicodemus eventually believed whole-heartedly that Jesus was the promised Messiah. He spoke up for Jesus when the rulers of the Jews scoffed at those who believed in him (see John 7:50-52). It was Nicodemus, too, who later helped Joseph of Arimathea take the body of Christ down from the cross and place it in the sepulchre (John 19:39-42).

LESSON FOR US

Jesus went about Israel doing a lot of good, but people were sometimes upset by things he said, because he showed up their faults. Such things as greed, pride and love for money made him very angry. He drove the greedy traders out of his Father's house because he hated their disgraceful behaviour. They loved money more than God.

It is easy today to be greedy and covetous, always wanting things. Today shops are full of interesting and new things to buy. Children at school have always got new things to show or talk about, things that money can buy. Yet we have something far more wonderful, that lasts forever, and money cannot buy it (see Isa. 55:1-2). The wise writer of the Proverbs has much to say on these matters. "How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!" (Prov. 16:16). Sadly, we learn in a later lesson, that it was love of money that made Judas betray the Lord Jesus (Mark 14:10-11. See Lesson 22).

John the Baptist had criticised the Pharisees and Sadducees for their pride. They thought they had no need of repentance (Matt. 3:7-9), but God hates "the proud in heart" (Prov. 16:5). Because of their pride, the Pharisees and Sadducees refused to believe that Jesus was the Christ. How wise Nicodemus was to listen to Jesus and believe in him. "Blessed is that man that maketh Yahweh his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies" (Psa. 40:4. This is a Psalm that speaks of the suffering of Christ at the hand of wicked Jews). We must follow that example if we, too, want to enter the kingdom of God.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: John 3:14-15

There is something else that Jesus said to Nicodemus that pointed forward to his crucifixion. "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up" (v14). Do you remember the story of the plague of serpents that bit the Israelites in the wilderness and they died? God told Moses to make a serpent of brass and put it high on a pole. Anyone who looked at it in faith, that is, believing that God would heal them, was healed (see Num. 21:6-9). Jesus was going to be set on high, nailed to a stake by wicked men, but anyone who saw that and still believed in him, would be saved. "Whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life" (v15). What a wonderful hope that gave, not only to Nicodemus, but to the whole world.

QUESTIONS

Short Answers

Why did people come to the temple in Jerusalem?
When Jesus came to the Temple what did he see that made him angry?
What did Jesus say as he drove the traders out?
Who came to see Jesus by night?
What did Nicodemus think of Jesus?
What does it mean to be "born of water"!
What must a person do before he is baptised?
When will we be "born of the Spirit"?
What is it that changes us so that we can be "born of water and of the spirit"?
Did Nicodemus believe in Jesus?