The Carlisle independent., 1917-02-01
LESSON FOR FEBRUARY 4
JESUS THE SAVIOR OF THE
 WORLD.
LESSON TEXT-John 3:1-1S.


 world, that he gave his only begotten son, that Whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.-John 5:16.
 This most famous interview in hiS- tory occurred probably in some room In Jerusalem where Jesus was a guest, a room reached by an outer stairway so that he could receive visitors pri- vately.
 l. The Teacher of the Jews (vv. 1, 9. Nicodemus was a member of the sanhedrin (Ch. 7:50). He belonged to the Pharisees who were much devoted to the scriptures, and in whose hand the political affairs were largely placed by the Romans. There are sev- eral reasons why Nieodemus came to Jesus by night. Prudence dictated se- crecy, but that he came at all was en- cotraging. He was more apt to find Jesus at home in the evening. He had much that he wished to learn, and needed a quiet hour, removed from the crowd. The things that Jesus had done and taught made Nicodemus
 
 siah. Nicodemus wanted to know how to be blessed or happy.
 II. A Teacher From God (vv. 3-S). A great majority of the disciples of Jesus came from the common people q Cor. l :26) yet for all classes he had the same message, "Ye must be born again" The answer of Jesus was according to the condition of the man before him, the deepest need of his soul. Literally, he said, Most as- suredly, except a man (anyone) be born again (anew or from above) he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven" To be born anew means to be born again. It matters not what your par entage may have been. If any man could do without a new birth, Nico- demus was that man. He was moral, religious and sincere. The instrument through which this birth is effective is the word of God q Peter 1 :23; James IS; John 15 :3) and the au- thor is the Holy Spirit (v 5; Titus 3:5). Water is a symbol of the word 1 (Eph. 5:26). Literally translated, this passage would read, Except one | be born of water and wind" And as wind "by universal consent refers to one factor in regeneration, the Spirit, so the water manifestly refers to the other element of regeneration, the word" The main contention is that the word is the instrument in the re- | generation. Although not expressly | lySa0 = o1r + Nicodemus was teacher of Israel (v. | 10 R. V.) and yet he did not know so l fundamental truth as the new birth, though the Old Testament taught it.
 III. The Pupils Difficulty (vv. 9-13). ] The works of the flesh as entrusted with the fruits of the Spirit are brought out in the Epistles, yet, like Nicodemus, people are asking today, 1 "How can these things be?" Jesus | challenges Nicodemus with the words. "Art thou teacher of Israel and un- derstandest not these things" What Jesus said to Nicodemus (vv. 11-13) is true of the scriptures now, especial ly of the New Testament. They tes- tify to the facts which Jesus knew and revealed, he having been in heaven, and come down from heaven | for the purpose of making them known. To be born implies that it is the starting point of new life, that we must grow as child grows to be a man until it reaches to "a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christi (Eph. :13).
 W. The Lesson Illustrated (vv. 14, 15, 1S). Jesus believed in objective 1 teaching. and he here refers to memorable event in the early history of the Jews as Illustrating his teach | ing. The journey through the wilder ness to the promised land became weary and discouraging, and the Is- raelites complained bitterly of their hardships, complaining against God and against Moses. Punishment came in the form of fiery serpents, called fiery from the burning, stinging sensa-. ton caused by their bite So intense was the venom of the bites that they became fatal in a few hours. This punishment made the people realize the awful evil of sin. They acknowl- edged their sin, and prayed for for giveness. Moses made brazen ser pent, and carried it through the camp so that all could see, and looking be- came an act of faith, implying repent ance and return to obedience and to l God. Thus our salvation is literally. | Look and live;" believe and have eternal life; doubt and perish (Mark | 16 :16; John 3:36).
 V. Gods Greatest Gift (v. 16). This Is probably the most familiar verse known to the Christian world, and i has led more souls to salvation than any other in the Bible. In 1t is re- vealed the mighty God-"For God :" a mighty motive-"God so loved" a mighty scope-"God so loved the world;' a mighty sacrifce-"God SO | loved the world that he gave his only | begotten Son." mighty escape | "SbouId not paricb .o o y,afYbtx, <r;fk