The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1899-01-20
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson IN International series for
January -. IsoD-Christ and
Ntcode NUS ohm 3.I-I8
ARRANGED from Peloubet'. Select Note.

that whosoeNer bclievet n In III I'M should no,
perish but have everlasting itfe.-John sic
THE SECTION includes the whole chap
ter.
.TiME.-Aprll A. d. q. about the time Of
the Passover, which was April 9-lG A few
weeks after the Cana wedding
OF the mouse where Jesus was the guest
EXPOSITION.
L. The lnquirer.-N .. l. There
was man Of the pharisees - The best
and most religious sect Of the Jews
holding the most correct opinions
Matt. $3.50 and looking for the Mes
siah, and, therefore. the best of them.
like Nicodcmus and Paul were the best
soil for planting the Gospel truths
"A ruler of the jews" A member OF
the Sanhedrim.
?. Game to Jesus by night" lie
went by night because common pru-
dence would lead Him so TO do. 1t was
not wise 10 commit Himself till He
( knew more about the new teacher.
Others might have interfered with His
Investigations. Thou art a Teacher
come from Cod" And therefore with
a message from God which would be
eyes to the blind and light TO the
path.
III. The Teacher Presents the Funda
mental Truth of the Kingdom of God
VS.. as. 3. Jesus answered" the in
quirer's needs. the questions of his
soul. Except man (anyone) be born
again or anew, as in X. w.. margin,
from above. Whosoever is born again
is born anew and born from above
"He cannot see the kingdom Of Cod"
The declaration is explicit that a new
spiritual life is necessary, not only 10
enter into, but even TO form any correct
conception of the kingdom OF God.
4. "Nicodemus saith unto Him." etc
Why was Nicodemus astonished at the
teaching OF Jesus? Such orienta, IAN
guage was familiar to him; but "a he
had been educated so fully in the be-
lief that the birth into Israel was birth
into the Kingdom of God" president
Dwight that il was strange 20 hear this
doctrine applied to every person, jew
as well as Gentle, to himself teacher.
as well as 10 Others or (2) he may have
seen the real difficulty of such radical
change in the full-grown man as Jesus
called for.
Z. Marvel not:" because of the rea-
son given in V. 8. Natural life is as full
of mysteries as spiritual life. "Ye must
be-" The emphasis is on We, even
the Jews. even the best and most
learned of the Jews. Unjust be-" There
is no escape from this law.
s. The wind bloweth:" The term
for wind in Hebrew and Aramaic, as
well as in Greek, was also the term for
spirit, the immaterial in man being
represented in a metaphor by the in
visible but hfe-giving breath. so is
everyone that is born Of the Spirit"
The Spirits methods we cannot know,
but the facts of the new life are as plain
and certain as that the strong wind
bends the forest trees
III. The Authority Behind the Teach
er.-Vs. 9-13. Q. How can these things
be?" The mysteries in religion are like
the mysteries in nature. In both cases
he facts are easily comprehended, and
plain enough even for a child TO use. In
both cases the methods of operation
are mystery.
10. Art thou a master (rather, the
teacher, as in Il. W of Israeli" the
teacher of the Israelites, known and
distinguished by thy learning?-G. w.
Clark. And knowest not these
things?" Which are so important that
every teacher should know them. which |
are taught in the Scriptures you study |
(Ezek. ll:io; 1891; sc /: 26), and are TAX
ing place on the earth before your eyes. |
IL. IF | have told you earthly |
things" Things whose proper place
and manifestation are on the earth,
such as the new birth of which lie had /
spoken in VS.. 3-s. How shall We be-
lieve, il | tell you of Heavenly |
things?" If you canno. trust my word
in matters you can verify, how can you
trust my testimony as TO things you
cannot verify by your own experience?
". The Means by Which the New
Life Can Be Obtained.-Vs. IA. Is. IA.
AS Moses lifted up the serpent in the
Jesus now uses an illus
tration which makes clear some of the
Heavenly things lie came TO reveal
Even so must the Son of man be lifted
ups" On the cross. The reference here
is to the crucifixion. but beyond that.
TO the glorification of Christ. The cross
still holds up Jesus before the world.
the best known and most exalted person
in all history. 1t was not real serpent,
but brazen symbol that was lifted up.
IL could bite no one. So Christ was
made sin for u.s. lie had not sinned,
but by His death sin was slain.
Is. That whosover beieveth in
Him:" Accepts Him as Teacher, Guide.
and as Lord. Believing is the act Of re-
ceiying the new life from God should
not perish" From the effects of sin,
which naturally end in destruction of
the soul. But have eternal life"
vi. The Source and the Motve-the
Infinite Love of God.-N. 16. God so
oved:" Note that il was not Christ
that made God love us. but Christ was
sent because God first loved us. The
sinful world in its sin. "Gave" freely
the greatest gift possible for Him 10
rive. And the "only bcgotten Son"
rave Himself fraelv that I1e N, fphf Sava