The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1908-02-01
International
Sunday School
Lesson
First Quarter.. .LessUn v. February s,Ieos
Johu 10, 1-2I
yesue khe Savior AZ the WorId

| &8MH N&ks A~At
jesus the Savior o. the Worid
The visit Of Nlcodsmus TO Jesus ought 10
be viewed Ia the Hight o. events then tran
| spiFing. Thia ruler % the, Jews has been
serevely criticised for the clandestlne char
| acter Of hfa cali He ha> been character
ised as constitutionaily tlmid (weseots).
as having softnesB Of constitution (olshau-
senl. and even as a despicable tims-server
(ElchoFn). But It. should be remembered
offieisjs Of the Hebrew Church ana the re.
forming rabbi had already begun. AS .
class they were his pronounced enemies.
Nicodemus rose superior 10 the intense pre-
JUDGE OF his clique, at least 20 the extent
OF Visiting the offending Teacher and in
curing into Hts doctorins. The wounder
Is not that he came By night, but that be
came At all. Considering the perversity Of
the human heart--especially the heart Of q
ruler OF the Jewe--the action Of this master
in Israel ts admirable.
Jesus had signaIissd the opening Of His
ministry BY series OF miracles wrought In
Jerusalem ana IT the foaststime. Most
conspicious hour and place! Nicodemus was
one Of many upon whom these signs had
had their designed effect. He refers ~
once In his first polite address 70 the mir
aeIes as sufficient seals to the super
natural origin OF Jesus mission.
Jesus understood "wbat was In" His wish
ter. He knew his exact status. Here was
. man superior 70 his elass but not wholly
free from its pre- udices; one profoundly
Interested IN the kingdom Of God. but not
vet apprehendIng IFS ptrItuhl character.
The tenor Of Jesus uttered word fits sx-
aetIy into the mortiss Of Nleodemus
thought.
The metaphor Of q new birth was samil-
lar 70 the Hebrew mind. They considered
all prosslytes TO their faith es having been
born again. What nonpnssed Nlcodsmus
was to be told that he could only come In.
TO the Kingdom Of God As the proseiyte
came into the Hebrew Church. He con-
sidersd himself . character member Of
that kingdom. Now, to find that u was
not . question OF 9 higher OF q lower seat
At the table. but OF any seat az hil~-that
was what dumfounded him. He. Abra-
hams son. and In addition Pharisee and
ruler ana yet to Ds shSs out With heather
Confusion led this master in Israel to the
suIiest possible rejoinder. He seeks to
parry ithe thrust and gain time BY taking
literally what he knew % be nsnre Of
speeeh. HIS questions fairly die upon his
lips.
Here Is = lovely example Of the gentle
ness OF Jesus. He does not break the
bending reed. He annpllfies His first ex-
preston, Born again" into 20 Of water
and the Spirit" And further; "peprav-
ity can only beeet deparavtty. but the
spirit can begst the spiritual. So the
great need OF humanity Is to be Spirit
bern.' This only Is the way into the king
Tnis epirit.birth 10 ineomprshiasibls But
thIB is ne insuperAble objection TO Il; for
there are good many -'earthiy thtnSs
that can not be understood. The invisible.
inpOndeerable breath OF nature-who
knows Il exhanstively! But who doubts
its existence, 90 long IS II gives its audible
token? Who would refuse to avail him
self OF IL for either his lungs or bis sails
because he can not know all about tit
As Rudolf sitter well says: ~ hard
figure ha0 humblsa 10 the position Of learn
or, q master In Israel" IN his very ques-
tion a. TO the manner. Nieodemns admits
eha fact AZ a navy birth into the kinEdom
Of hsaven-
we'll may LnfheF call this the Bible 10
natnAture" GBIbeI In kleinenG. ard sitter
describe II a. the most sublime and sinpls
expression Of the eternal mystery OF re-
demption which the Scriptures contain"
Tho Teachers Lantern
Nicodemuses abound today. They are
deferentiai and even complimentary TO
JeAas But they find In Him only teach )
ing Messiah. His Word and example are
tAs ladder to heaven. not HIS Gross They