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From Heaven With Love
Saviour’s place of retirement in the Mount of Olives, he waited until
the city was hushed in slumber, and then sought Him.
In the presence of Christ, Nicodemus felt a strange timidity,
which he endeavored to conceal. “Rabbi, 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.” His words were designed to express
and to invite confidence; but they really expressed unbelief. He did
not acknowledge Jesus to be the Messiah, only a teacher sent from
God.
Jesus bent His eyes on the speaker, as if reading his very soul.
He saw before Him a seeker after truth. With a desire to deepen
the conviction already resting upon His listener’s mind, He came
directly to the point, saying kindly, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
Except a man be born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of
God.”
John 3:3
, margin.
Nicodemus had come to enter into a discussion, but Jesus laid
bare the foundation principles of truth. He said, You don’t need
to have your curiosity satisfied, but to have a new heart. You must
receive a new life from above before you can appreciate heavenly
things. Until this change takes place, it will result in no saving good
to discuss with Me My authority or My mission.
Nicodemus had heard the preaching of John the Baptist concern-
ing repentance. Yet the heart-searching message of the Baptist had
failed to work in him conviction of sin. He was a strict Pharisee, and
prided himself on his good works. He was widely esteemed for his
benevolence and felt secure of the favor of God. He was startled at
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the thought of a kingdom too pure for him to see in his present state.
The figure of the new birth was not wholly unfamiliar to Nicode-
mus. Converts from heathenism were often compared to children
just born. Therefore he must have perceived that the words of Christ
were not literal. But as an Israelite he felt that he needed no change.
Hence his surprise and irritation at the Saviour’s words. The pride
of the Pharisee was struggling against the honest desire of the seeker
after truth.
Surprised out of his self-possession, he answered in words full of
irony, “How can a man be born when he is old?” Like many others,
he revealed that nothing in the natural man responds to spiritual
things; spiritual things are spiritually discerned.