#24.2 Nicodemus Visits Jesus

#24.2 Nicodemus Visits Jesus

Please first John 3:1-21

Also referenced: A new translation by Raymond E. Brown

Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin (verse 1) who came at night. “Rabbi,” he said to Jesus, “we know you are a teacher who has come from God; for, unless God is with him, no one can perform the signs that you perform.” (verse 2) Jesus gave him this answer, “I solemnly assure you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being begotten from above.” (verse 3)

“How can a man be born again once he is old?” retorted Nicodemus. “Can he re-enter his mother’s womb and be born all over again?” (verse 4) Jesus replied, “I solemnly assure you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being begotten of water and Spirit. (verse 5) Flesh begets flesh, and Spirit begets spirit. (verse 6) Do not be surprised that I told you:  you must all be begotten from above. (verse 7) The wind blows about at will; you hear the sound it makes but do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone begotten of the Spirit.”

(verse 8)

Nicodemus replied, “How can things like this happen?” (verse 9) Jesus answered, “You hold the office of teacher of Israel, and still you don’t understand these things? (verse 10) I solemnly assure you, we are talking about what we know, and we are testifying to what we have seen; but you people do not accept our testimony. (verse 11) If you do not believe when I tell you about earthly things how are you going to believe when I tell you about heavenly things? (verse 12)

Now, no one has gone up into heaven except the one who came down from heaven – the Son of Man (who is in heaven). (verse 13) And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up. (verse 14) That everyone who believes may have eternal life in him. (verse 15) Yes, God loved the world so much that He gave the only Son, that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. (verse 16)

For God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. (verse 17) Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned for refusing to believe in the name of God’s only Son. (verse 18)

Now the judgment is this: the light has come into the world, but men have preferred darkness to light because their deeds were evil. (verse 19) For everyone who practices wickedness hates the light, and does not come near the light for fear his deeds will be exposed. (verse 20) But he who acts in truth comes into the light, so that it may be shown that his deeds are done in God.” (verse 21)

Commentary:

Nicodemus represents a group among the Jewish leaders who hesitatingly came to believe in Jesus.

Night: There was a rabbinic custom of staying up at night to study the law.

See: Greek: to experience, encounter.                  

Begotten: Greek meaning ‘to be born.’

Sound of the wind: voice of the Spirit.

The Son: John uses this in the absolute sense: THE Son. “Sign” and “miracle” … interchangeable terms in some ancient texts.

                                                                                    

Robert J. Matthews:

Jesus knew how to deal effectively with the cunning craftiness of the Pharisees, the scribes, and the Sadducees. He sometimes asked them doctrinal questions which they, as religious leaders, ought to have been able to answer, but of which they seemed to be ignorant. An example is seen in his interview with Nicodemus.

W. Cleon Skousen:

The Prophet Jacob, 600 years before Nicodemus, pronounced a very harsh judgment upon rabbinical schools, Said he, “Behold they despised the words of plainness … and sought for things that they could not understand. Wherefore, because of their blindness, which blindness came from looking beyond the mark … God hath taken away his plainness from them, and delivered unto them many things which they cannot understand.” (Jacob 4: 14)

From earliest times, the Gospel culture of the prophets of Israel had taught that the “new birth” of baptism and the gift the Holy Ghost are symbolic of the natural birth.   That is the way it was originally taught to Adam.   But Nicodemus, the typically trained Pharisee, did not recognize the phrase from the Gospel culture which Jesus had just pronounced.

C. Wilfred Griggs:

John 2:23: The Greek translation indicates Jesus had been performing numerous miracles in Jerusalem, and many were gaining testimonies of his divinity based upon these “signs” that they saw. Nicodemus was apparently aware of this and motivated to find out more.

Verse 8: The Greek word “wind” also means “Spirit.” The Spirit breathes wherever it desires and a man may not know from whence it comes or where it will lead him. So, Jesus says, is everyone who is begotten by the Spirit.

Glenn R. McGettigan   

February 2014; Revised September 2014

References:

“Behold the Messiah.” Matthews

“Days of the Living Christ.” Volume 1. Skousen

“Studies in Scripture, The Gospels.” Volume 5. Griggs

                                                                               

  

#24.1 Nicodemus Visits Jesus

#24.1 Nicodemus Visits Jesus

Please first Read: John 3:1-21

President J. Rueben Clark, Jr.:

“Nicodemus, a Pharisee, visits Jesus secretly by night; Jesus preaches the first great discourse;  declares that except a man be born of the water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God; the Spirit leadeth where it will; Jesus will testify of what he knows and what he has seen; again refers to his crucifixion by citing Moses lifting up of the serpent in the wilderness, and by saying that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son to save it; men love darkness more than light; he that doeth truth cometh to light.”

Apostle Bruce R. McConkie:

Jesus has not been two months in his formal ministry. He is publicly active … the wedding feast at Cana, the miracle of wine, the attending the Passover Feast, and certainly his appearance at the temple. Jesus has divided the people. It would appear that Jesus’ act of cleansing the temple of the money changers has set the battle lines between himself and the Jewish leaders, and this is possibly what he intended to do. He has openly confronted the priestly powers of the Jewish nation; announced that God is his Farther, is openly teaching and performing miracles, and has prophesied he would be slain and in three days be resurrected. He is now a chief concern of all Palestine that is aware of him. Certainly he has the animosity of the rulers of the people. Many are now coming to see and hear him, including a ruler of the Sanhedrin, Nicodemus.

He calls Jesus “Rabbi” meaning “Master.”  “We know” … others too? “thou art a teacher come from God” … in effect a testimony,” “for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.” We are left to assume the processes of conversion continued to operate in Nicodemus.

“Verily, verily, I say unto thee” (John 3:11) … this brings hostility immediately from the Jewish leaders and from now on. Jesus is not quoting other prophets, but speaking on his own authority as the Son of God. This is a blaspheme which they cannot allow.

Nicodemus shows himself to be in spiritual darkness by asking, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” To this Jesus replies, “Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?” This had to be a stinging rebuke, but Nicodemus voices no objection, and continues in conversation with the Lord.

John chapter 3 verse 1: Nicodemus. An example of a lukewarm believer, not a true disciple. He appears to be a leader and teacher, and is probably a member of their ruling body, the Sanhedrin. He comes at night possibly to avoid being seen by his colleagues, although it might have been for other reasons. Later in Jesus’ ministry when the Sanhedrin is attempting to arrest him, Nicodemus cautions them to follow the law.

Verse 3: In our mortal fallen state we are all spiritually dead. To gain salvation in the Kingdom of God (the Celestial Kingdom) we must put off the natural man and become saints, follow the spiritual person that we are, and become new creatures of the Holy Ghost, i.e. be born of water and of the Spirit.

Verse 8: “When the Holy Ghost falls upon a worthy recipient, it has the effect of pouring out pure intelligence upon him; the still small voice speaks peace to the spirit within man; and the sanctifying, cleansing power of the Spirit begins to manifest itself.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith)

Verses 10-12: Jesus chastises Nicodemus … as a teacher in Israel he should have known of these truths regarding spiritual rebirth and the prophetic writings about them. Jesus and his disciples are teaching by testimony and by the Holy Ghost. If they are closed to the Spirit on hearing earthly things they will not believe what Jesus tells them about heavenly things.

Verse 16: The only begotten Son of God the Father in the flesh, meaning in mortality. The natural processes of procreation were involved.

Verse 17-18: Salvation through Christ. Salvation was, and is, and is to come only in and through the atoning blood of Christ.

Apostle James E. Talmage:

The wonderful deeds done by Christ around the time of the Passover moved some of the learned as well as many of the common people to believe in Jesus. Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a ruler among the Jews (probably a member of the ruling body, the Sanhedrin) was interested at least to the point of coming to inquire of Jesus. He addressed Jesus as “Rabbi” the same title he bore and showed due respect to the Lord as he conversed with him. There may have been more than one reason why he came to Jesus at night … pride of his office and station in the community, repercussions of being seen with him in view of Jesus’ recent activities; or like our Bishops and church leaders, busy with responsibilities during the day they see and have appointments like this at night;  or in the culture of that time, night time was a good time for learning and study, especially of spiritual and religious matters. We do not know but should give Nicodemus credit as being honest and sincere in his purpose.

Interestingly, Nicodemus’ asking how can a man be ‘born again’ (John 3:4) … the idea of a new birth was common in the teachings of the day. Every proselyte to Judaism was spoken of at the time of his conversion as one new-born!

Elder Talmage:

“The narrative of this interview between Nicodemus and the Christ constitute one of our most instructive and precious scriptures relating to the absolute necessity of unreserved compliance to the laws and ordinances of the gospel, as the means indispensable to salvation.”  (page 162)

                                                             (To be concluded)

Glenn R. McGettigan

February 2014; Revised September 2014

References:

“Our Lord of the Gospels.” Clark

“Doctrinal New Testament Commentary.” Volume 1. McConkie

“The Mortal Messiah.” Book 1. McConkie

“Jesus The Christ.” Talmage

                                                                             

           

                                                                          

#20 Scribes

#20 Scribes

Greek from Hebrew “man of letters”

As Jesus begins His ministry, among His first and strongest critics and challengers will be the Scribes ... and they are formidable. They pose a serious and uncompromising opponent. To view them with our modern definition of “scribe” is a total mistake. We must read of them in the New Testament with the understanding of the title “scribe” at that time.

Before the Babylonian captivity, in the time of the Hebrew monarchy, Scribe was the title of a court official, a secretary, a public writer who copied the law. During the Hellenistic period, when Jewish law was threatened by pagan and Greek influences, they became the defenders and teachers of the law to the common people as well as to the magistrates of the law.

Over time their professional position, influence, and power greatly increased within the Jewish nation. They were held in the highest esteem and demanded and received the highest respect from both the general public and Jewish leaders. The time came when the words of the scribes were honored above the law. It was a greater crime to offend against them than against the law.

Alfred Edersheim:

‘In trying to picture to ourselves New Testament scenes, the figure most prominent, next to those of the chief actors, is that of the Scribe. He seems ubiquitous; we meet him in Jerusalem, in Judea, and even in Galilee. Indeed, he is indispensable, not only in Babylon, which may have been the birthplace of his order, but among the dispersion also. Everywhere he appears as the mouthpiece and representative of the people; he pushes to the front, the crowd respectfully giving way, and eagerly hanging on his utterances, as those of a recognized authority. He has been solemnly ordained by the laying on of hands; and is the Rabbi, great one, Master. He puts questions; he urges objections; he expects full explanations and respectful demeanor. Indeed, his hyper-ingenuity in questioning has become a proverb. There is not measure of his dignity, nor yet limit to his importance. He is the lawyer, the well-plastered pit, filled with the water of knowledge, out of which not a drop can escape, in opposition to the weeds of untilled soil of ignorance. He is the Divine aristocrat, among the vulgar herd of rude and profane country people, who know not the Law, and are cursed. More than that, his order constitutes the ultimate authority on all questions of faith and practice; he is the Exegete of the Laws, the teacher of the Law, and along with the chief priests and elders a judge in the ecclesiastical tribunals, whether of the capital or in the provinces. Although generally appearing in company with the Pharisees, he is not necessarily one of them ... for they represent a religious party, while he has status, and holds an office. In short, he is the Talmid or learned student, the Chakham or sage, whose honour is to be great in the future world. Each Scribe outweighed all the common people, who must accordingly pay him every honour. Nay, they were honoured of God Himself, and their praises proclaimed by the angels; and in heaven also, each of them would hold the same rank and distinction as on earth. Such was the respect paid to their sayings, that they were to be absolutely believed, even if they were to declare that what was at the right hand was actually at the left, or vice versa.’

When we read of the events, activities and sayings of the Scribes against this background, it gives us a whole new perspective as to what is taking place and why.

Glenn R. McGettigan