The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1905-01-26
JESUS AND
NICODEMUS
Sunday School Lesson Tor Jan. ~. 1905
Prepared by the Highway and
Byway" Preacher.


Bls.
! TIME. Some time during the feast Of the
passover. which Jesus left Galilee to at
tend. John Ana Perhaps two months afteE
events OF last lesson.
PLACE--Jerusalem Probably In the up
I per room. reached BY outside stairway. In
/ the house where Jesus was guest
! A REMINDER. Repeat John 20;u. As
We begin the study Of this lesson let us ask
| ourselves the question: How Will II help
us 70 believe that Jesus Il the Christ the
/ Son Of God2 and how will Il help us 20 con
vince others OF this all important rethf
The Lesson Outline.
| THEME.-The New Birth.
1.-The Fact OF the New Birth, Va Ia
! ID Nlcodemus' Quest, VI. /,
20 Jesus Solemn Declaration, V.
1.-The Nature OF the New Birth, W. f-lA
! % Misundcrstood by Nieodemus. '. 4
90 Explained by Jesus, vs. b-lA
(a) New Birth through the spirit v. .
10 New Birth Spiritual not fieshly, V.
(e) New Birth not unreasonable. v T.
(dl New Birth invisible. v
tel New Birth known absolutely by
| Jesus, v IL
20 New Birth an earthly experiences.
VIA
Christ. vs. Is, IA
uI-The Recipient OF New Birth. V ID
| ID Believers In Christ
(a) Escape Death.
/ 20, Obtain Eternal Life.
Comparing Scripture with Scripture
L The Fact of the New Birth. u)
| Nlcodemus' Quest. W.. /, 2'-Nicodemus
came seeking he knew not what and
Was brought face to face with one OF
the most profound truths OF Scripture
lie recognized Jesus as teacher sent
] from God, yet doubted HIS personal
message 10 him. He admitted tbs
miracles OF Jesus. yet was stranger 10
the greater miracle Of the new birth.
Whatever may have been the attitude
Of Nicodemus towards Jesus that night.
/ certain Il is that he became later secret
I believer in Him. See John 7:50-5l AMI
1899
f2) Jesus Solemn Declaration. '. s.
This passage is specially Significant In
that IL is the FIRST recorded discourse OF
/ Iesus and was delivered to Nicodemus
who was a ruler OF the Jews and
member Of the Sanhedrin. Nicodemus'
high position as a religious teacher
amone the Jews and his zeal and devo-
ion 20 Gods Law and the Jews religion.
/ did not assure him OF place In the King
/ dom OF God He must be born again
or from above marginal reading). as
must every one who enters the Kingdom
of God The fact OF the new birth as es-
sential 10 salvation needs emphasis In
this day OF liberalism and apostasy. The
new birth Is necessary because OF cor
rupt human nature. VS. and Rom. SIS
II The Nature OF the New Birth. OD
] Misunderstood by Nicodemus. v. The
natural mind cannot understand the
things OF God. Cor. 2:l4 Jesus was
amazed AZ Nicodemus' blindness Of
heart. v. 10: Mark Sis; Eph. AIS.
(2) Explained by Jesus ta) New
pirth Through the Spirit. v. Born
of water and OF the Spirit Implying a
thorough spiritual publication by the
operation Of the Holy Spirit, water be-
/ ng symbolic Of cleansing In all the
Jewish ceremonies. Comp. Titus 3:5.
Ob) New Birth Is Spiritual v. g.
Just as flesh begets flesh, so the Spirit
begets spiritual II is spiritual resurrec-
ton. Eph. 81. 5. new creation,
Cor. 5.l7: Gal. 6:l5; Eph. 2:lO.
(c) New Birth Not Unreasonable. v.
|7-f physical birth is necessary to
share in physical life then why should
I II be thought strange that there must be
Spiritual birth to experience spiritua!
/ life? The birth Of the babe marks It's
advent into the world. The birth OF 4
soul under the power OF the Spirit marks
the advent OF a soul into the Kingdom
of God. Marvel not" therefore. ''ye
must be born again"
cd New Birth Invisible and Unob-
servable. v. s-The Spirit and the indi-
yiduai soul are the only ones that know
| OF the sacred process Curious eyes may
not lift the curtain which God has drawr
over this natal spot OF the soul.
(e) New Birth Known Absolutely By
Jesus. V. Luke 2:40. g. a personal
testimony OF actual experience Is
stronger evidence than the most learned
and weighty theory or opinion.
% New Birth an Earthly Experience.
v. 12.-It marks the beginning OF spirit
ual sight. II the initial truth Of the
Christian life seems SO Incompetent
sible. how could the deeper mysteries OF
I the Kingdom OF God be received?
(g) New Birth Made Possible b.
/ Jesus Christ, vs.. 10. l4.-Here Is a sub
( lime picture. Read the story in Mum.
21:4-9 A type Of which Christ was the
| fulfllment Jesus sacrifice for sin was
TO give life. II made the New Birth pos
sible Those who are born from above
are begotten OF God. John 81.
III. The Recipient Of the New Birth.
v. 15.-Jesus declared the fact OF the
/ New Birth. He then showed its nature,
and It's necessity. and now because He
was the Lamb of God which taketh away
the sin Of the world. He makes the New
Birth dependent upon faith in Him.
The Golden Text.
For God so loved the world that He
gave his only begotten Son. that who
soever believeth In Him should not per-
ish, but have everlasting fe."-This
verse is Unreasonable, inexhaustible,
all-satlsfying. II reaches from God in
the highest" to the depths where sin
has cast the world. The vast ocean OF
Coda love rolls there, bearing on its
bosom the fair gift. His only begotten
Son Everlasting life is there to deliver
|