The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-07-22
SABBATH SCHOOL,
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
JULY 20.
Lesson Text: .Christ and Nicode.
mus" John ill., I-17- Golden
Text: John ill.,, 16-
Commentary.

1: 'There. was a man Of the Pharisees
named Nicodemus a ruler Of the Jews" At
ter the miracle. al Cana Jesus tarried in Co
pernaum few days. and then went up to
Jerusalem to the Passover rchapter H., l2,
13; ; and there wrought miracles which caused
many in some sense to believe in Him: but
Jesus did notreadily believe in then, or CON-
NIT Himself unto to them, for He knew all
men, and knew what was in man tchapter
H., 23-25f. "Now there was a man. (R. W,
and Jesus knew him and what was in him
His name according to Young1 signifies Tin
uocent blood.m 1t is found three times in
our lesson, and elsewhere only in chapters
vii, 50; xix. 80. He belonged to the most
religious sect among the Jews, and we may
hopet that he was an exception to the descrip-
ton given by the Saviour in Math. xiii, 5,
%, He was highly esteemed among men, for
he was member Of their great council.
2. THE same came to Jesus by night. and
said unto, Him, Rabbi we know that Thou
art teacher come from God, for no man can
do these miracles that Thou doest except
God be with him." See him now in the pres
cnce Of Jesus, probably sincere. upright,
religious man. but a man without life Il
John ", ~. As to his body, he may be
physically perfect; and as to his soul or in
tellectua! part, be may be comparatively
u.
1hich knows and enjoys and commuuas with
God, he is dead. But he is interested, and
be is thoughtful and inquiring. He has seen
some Of the wonders wrought by Jesus, and
he is persuaded that Jesus is no ordinary
man. In fact he believes that God is with
Him and hAs sent Him, AMI he wants to
know Him better.
3. "Jesus answered and said unto him,
Verify, verify, say unto thee, except man
be born again, bo cannot see the kingdom Of
God" Here is the second double verify,
which we find twenty-five times in this Cos
pei, and only here. It is in chapter l., 81, and
three times in our lesson (versas 8, 5, 1D. 1t
is literally Amen, amen," or Truly, truly"
and gives the greatest possible emphasis to
the words spoken. 81 say unto youh is equal
to the Old Testament expression "Thus saith
the Lord" for it is the same person who
then spoke through the prophets that now
speaks face to face with Nicodemus (see Rev.
xii, G16). Regardless Of Nicodemus's fat
terlng words He sees tho need of his heart
and at once tells him the only way bv which
it can be met; he must he born from above
(narginl, or anew (R. W.
4. 'Nicodemus saith unto Him, How can a
man be born when ho is old? Can he enter
the second time into his mothers womb and
be born" This reply proves that Nicode-
mus is only natural mf n; he does not un-
derstand spiritual things they are folishness
unto him Il Cor. H., 14). he has not yet
learned the A, B, c Of true religion.
8. Jesus answered, Verify, verify, say
unto thee, Except man be born Of water
Kingdom OF God" Jesus now repeats what
He had said before, but enlarges by explain
ing that ths new birth is By water and the
Spirit.
6. THAT which is born of the fash is flesh,
and that which is born Of the Spirit Is
Spirit" If person could be born again in
o natural way dozen times he would be no
near the kingdom, for ever since Adam
sinned all, without exception, are born IN
sin, and are by nature children Of wrath
rom v, 12; Eph. H., 81.
z. Marvel not that said unto thee, Va
must be born again" When God says
must" there can be no other way. He has
therefore forever settled it that every soul
not born from above is excluded from tho
kingdom.
8. "The wind bloweta where it listeth,
and thou nearest tho sound thereof, but
canst not tell whencs it cometh and wnither
it goeth; so is evcry one that is born OF thu
Spirit" The wind is His messenger, doing
His work as pleaseth Him, and is visible only
by its effects. So the Spirit Of God worxs in
the soul, sometimes by the word preached,
sometimes by the word read, somstimes
through human instrument, sometimes
apart from any human instrumentality; but
the effects become in dua time visible to oil.
9. "Nicodemus answered and said unto
Him. How can these things baF He is still
natural man trying to sac spiritual things; a
blind man wondering What tho light is like;
en- earthly man puzzled over heavenly
things; an intellectual, religious man lack
ing the one thing needful; but thank God be
is inquiring, and he has come to Jesus.
though he has not yet received Him.
10. "Jesus answered and said unto him, Al :
thou master (the teacher-R. W OF Israel,
and knoweth not these things?' As a teacher
of Israel he should have known that God r.
garied the heart moro than the outward a2-
pearancs; that circumcision referred to tho
inner life more than to .hs body; that new
moons and Sabbaths an! sacrifices wera
nothing without true fa:th - God and trus
heart worship Of Him.
II. Verify, v,rily, say unto the,, We
speak that we do know, and testify that wa
have seen; and ye receive not our witness"
in another place He so speaks o. His onsness
with the Father, and Of the Fathers speak
ing the words and doing the works through
Him John xiv, i0, that | conclude that tho
"we'' here refers to the Father and Himself.
12. III have told you earthly things, AMI
ye believe not, how snail ye believe if tell
you heavenly things" Nicodemus was puz.
zled over what he said about the wind, which
was matter in connection with the earth.
The new birth also was matter In connection
with the earth, for it must take place here
on the earth in our mortal bodies or not at
all. But the open heaven, and the ascending
and descending angels Of which he had
spoken to believing Nathaniel, these were
heavenly things Of which He could not speak
to reasoning NicodemIis.
13. "And no man hath ascended up to
heaven but He that came down from heaven,
even the Son of Man which is in heaven"
In chapter l., IS, John spoke Of Him as 'in
the bosom Of the Father" and here He
speaks of Himself as 1.-The Son Of Man which
is in heaven" Although now seated at the
Fathers right hand in heaven, yet wherever
two or three meet in His name He is in the
midst, and He says to His obedient disciples,
"Lo, l am with you alway" tMatt xviii,
90; xviii, 20.
IA. "And as Moses lifted up the serpent
in the wilderness, even so much the Son Of
Man be lifted up" Here is the other
must" to which We referred in verse 7,
and if this must" had never become an ac-
complished fact the new birth had been an
impossibility.
Is. That whososver believeth in Him
should not perish, but have eternal life"
Israel murmured at Gods way and Gods
bread (Num. xxi, 4, 81. He then sent SER
pents to bite them, and much people Gied.
We are all bitten by the serpent; the sting
of death is sin, all have sinned, death has
passed upon all, but Jesus lifted up shows us
the serpent harmless, for He received the
sting for all in His own body. He was
made sin for US who knew no sin" "His
own self bare our sins in His own body on
the tree"
16. ''For God 80 loved the world that He
-o no HE nrlu hanntkan SON that WhnSOaYar