The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-02-10
INTERNATIONAL S. S. LESSON.
tlseraa4y II, 1aoo. JOAN %, &c.
Jesus and Nicodemus.

Jesus and Nicodemus'
Tho visit Of Nlcodemus to jesus
ought to be viewed In the light OF
events then tranSplring. This ruler Of
the Jews haA been severely criticised
Tor the cIandestlne character OF his
visit. He has been characterized as con-
additionally timld twestcott), as hay
ing sOftness Of constitution (olshRusenl
and even as dssBlcable time-server
fBlchhorhI. But 1t should be retnem-
bered that the Overwhelming breach be-
tween the onicials of the Hebrew church
and the reforming rabbi had already
begun. AS a class. they were his pro-
nouneed enemies. Nieodemus rose SUI
berior to the intense prejudice Of his
clique, at least to the extent Of visit-
tbE the OFFENDING Tsaeher. and inqult-
ing Int his doctrine. The wonder is
not that he came by night but that he
came at all. Considering the per, sity
OF the human heart-especlaliy the
heart Of ruler of the JeWs-the action
OF this master in Israel is admirable.
Jesus had slgnallzed the
opening Of his rnlnlstry by u series Of
miracles wrought in Jerusalem and at
the feast-time. Most conspicuous hour
and place! Incidents was one of many
upon whom these signs. had had their
designed erect. He refers at once in
his first polite. address to the miracles
as suficlent seals to the supernatural
origin Of Jesus mission. Jesus
knew what was In" his visitor. his ex-
act status. Here was u man superior
to his class. but not wholly free from
their prejudIces; one profoundly inter-
ested In the Kingdom OF God, but not
vet abprehehdIHg Its spiritual charac-
ter. The tenon Of Jesus uttered word
hts exactly into the mortise Of Nicode-
mus's thought. 80. The metaphor
OF new birth was familiar to the He
brew mind. They considered all prose-
lytes TO their faith Ms having been born
again. What honplussed Nicodemus was
10 be told that he could only come into
the Kingdom Of God az the prosstytv
came into the Hebrew church. He con-
sldefed himself charter member ot
that kingdom. Now, to And that 1t was
not a question OF a higher or u lower
seat at the table. but OF any seat at all
that was what dumbfounded him,
''Ee, Abraham's son, and in addition q
Pharlsee and ruler, and yet to be shut
out with heather 'dSEs--lt was lncom-
'prehsnslblel" Confusion led
this. master in Israel to the sillIest pos
slbie rejolAder. He seeks to parry the
thrust and gain time BY taking literally
what he knew to be figure Of speech.
His questions fairly die upon his lips.
=. Here 10 a lovely example
d the Eentieness Of Jesus. He does moi
break the bending reed. He ampllhes
his first expression. "born again. into
"born q water and the Spirit" And
suFth6E "pepravity can only beget de-
praVIty, but the Spirit can beget the
spiritual So the great need Of human
ity liz to be 'spIrit-born.' This only is
the way Into the Kingdom OF God" {.
This splrit-blrth is incOmprehenslble.
But this is no lnsuperable objection to
III: for there are good many earthly
things" that cannot be understood. The
invisible imponderable breath of ma
ture-Nho knows It exclusively? But
who doubts ltE existence. so long as II
gives Its audible token? Who would