Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-07-23
CHRIST AND NlCODEMUS.
LESSON ", THIRD QUARTER, INTER
NATIONAL SERIES, JULY oe.

Compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly b,
permission of II. s. Hoffman, publisher, Phil
adelphia.l
!. There was man of the Parisees
named Nicodcmus, ruler Of the Jews"
lie belonged 10 the most religious sect
among the Jews, and we may hope tina.
he was an exception to the description
given by the Saviour in Math. xiii, 8, 28
2. 1.-THE same came TO Jesus by night
and said unto Him, Rabbi, we know that
thou art teacher come from God, for nc
man can do these miracles that thou doest
except God be with him."
See him now in the presence of Jesus
probably sincere, upright, religious man
but man without Life Il John V, 12)
But he is interested, and he is thoughtful
and inquiring. lie has seen some of the
wonders wrought by Jesus, and he is per.
suaded that Jesus is no ordinary man.
.. Jesus answered, and said unto him,
verify, verify, say unto thee except a
man be born again, he cannot see the king
dom of God"
Regardless of Nicodemus flattering
words lie sees the need of his heart, and
at once tells him the only way by which it
can be met; he must be born from above
(margin), or anew Or. W. Not religious
creation III Cor V, ~.
A. "Nicodemus saith unto Him, How can
man be born when he Is old? Can he en-
ter the second time into his mothers womb
and be bornY
This reply proves that Nicodemus is only
natural man; he does not understand
spiritual things, they are foolishness unto
him Il Cor, ii, lD. He has not yet learned
the A, b, G of true religion. There are
multitudes now of religious people, mem
bers of churches like him.
g. Jesus answered, Verify, verify, say
unto thee, except n man be born of water
and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the
Kingdom of God"
1t is probable that Ncodemus, like Jo-
Reph of Arimathea, Was orc Of those who
waited for the kingdom of God, or, in
other words, like Anna, Cooked for re-
demption in Israel" duke xiii, 81 ii, 38),
and because he was n good religious jew
thought that of course he must be u child
OF the Kingdom, but see Math. viii, II. 10
Jesus now repeats what lie had said before
but enlarges by explaining that the new
birth Is by water and the Spirit
q. THAT which is born Of the flesh is
flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit
Is Spirit"
II n person could be born again in a nat
ural way dozen times he would be no
nearer the kingdom, for ever since Adam
sinned all, without exception, are born in
sin, and are by nature children of wrath.
z. "Marvel not that / said unto thee We
must be born again"
When God says "must" there can be no
other way. He has therefcGs forever set
tied it that every soul not born from above
is excluded from the kingdom.
8. 1.-THE wind bloweth where it listeth,
and thou nearest the sound thereof, but
canst not tell whence it cometh and
whittier it gocth; so is every one that is born
of the Spirit"
HE bringeth the Winl out of His treas
uries" "IIe causcth His wind to blow"
"The stormy wind fulfllls Ills word" ops.
cxXxv, Z; cxlvii, IS; cxlyiii, s. The wind is
His messenger, doing Ills work as pleaseth
Him, and is visible only by its effects So
the Spirit of God works in the soul
8. "Nicodemus answered and said unto
Him, How can these things be?"
He is still u natural man trying to see
spiritual things; n blind man wondering
what the light is like; an earthly man puz-
zled over heavenly things an intellectual,
religious man lacking the one thing need
full; but thank God he is inquiring
TO- "Jesus answered and said unto him,
Art thou master dhe teacher-R. W of
Israel, and knowcst not these thingsY"
As n teacher of Israel he should have
known that God regarded the heart moro
than the outward appearance
IL. "Nerily, verify, / say unto thee, We
speak that we do know, and testify that
we have seem and ye receive not our wit
ness"
In another place He so speaks of His one
ness with the Father, and of the Fathers
speaking the words and doing the works
through Him (John xiv, lO), that conclude
that the 1--WE" here refers to the Father
and Himself.
10 "If | have told you earthly things,
and We believe not, how shall We believe if
l tell you heavenly things"
The very first requisite to believing
heavenly things is to receive Jesus as the
Son of God and our personal Saviour
49, "And no man hath assembled up to
heaven but he that came down from
heaven, even the Son of Man which is in
heaven"
In chapter i, 49, John spoke of Him as
ain the bosom of the Father" and here He
speaks of Himself as "tho Son of Man which
is in heaven" Although now seated at the
Fathers right hand in heaven, yet wher-
ever two or three meet in His name He is
in the midst
a. "And rs Moses lifted up the serpent
in the wilderness, even 50 must the Son of
Man be lifted up"
Here is another "must,n and if this
must" had never become an accomplished
fact the new birth had been an impossi-
bility.
Is. ''That whosoever bolieveth in Him,
should not perish, but have eternal life"
Israel murmurcd ut Gods way and Gods
bread (Num. xxi 1, -, He then sent ser
penis that bit them, and much people died.
Moses prayed, and at Gods command
erected a bra2en serpent upon pole, and
all who looked upon it lived. The serpent
lifted up on the pole would suggest that
which had bitten them rs dead and harm
less.
49, "For God so loved the world that lie
gave His only begotten Son. that whose
ever believeth in Him should not perish,
but have everlasting life"
Let every one write out this verse, in
serting their own name instead of the
words "the world" and whatsoever"
gratefully receive the glorious fact, and
thus by the Word and Spirit be born
again.
II. "For God sent not His Son into the
world to condemn the world, but that the
world through Him might be saved"
Reader, are You savedS Are you glad that
You shall never perish? Are YOU thankful