Unless You Are Born Again Coloring Page
Throughout his ministry, Jesus often butted heads with the stubborn and legalistic Pharisees. His message, which stood in directly opposition to their ability and principles, centered effectually a spiritual transformation of the heart, not a fastidious adherence to the law.
To experience salvation and truly see the kingdom of God at work in one's life, Jesus taught that we must bandage aside the old, sinful life to become new creations—transformed, renewed, and reformed past the God's grace, not personal works.
Jesus would later say that nosotros must be "born again."
This idea of being "born once more" (1 of the about powerful and prevalent themes in the Christian faith) actually emerged from a chat with a Pharisee. In John 3, Nicodemus—a Pharisee and member of the Jewish ruling council—came to Jesus at dark with a seeker's eye and a question regarding the deeper meaning of salvation.
Jesus' respond would non only change his life; it would change the lives of time to come Christians and like-minded seekers forever.
Who was Nicodemus in the Bible?
Nicodemus, a name in Greek which ways, "victory of the people," was a member of the Sanhedrin, a regional body of religious leaders and Jewish scholars charged with handling matters of Jewish constabulary and faith. Every bit a member of this body, Nicodemus would take been a well-educated, privileged, and influential human being, responsible for knowing virtually any instructor or public effigy who might pb the people astray.
One night, Nicodemus came to Jesus in private to ask nigh things he had heard and seen. Some believe that he came as a spy for the Sanhedrin, looking to discover the nature of Jesus' ministry or trap him in an respond that could be used against him in the courts. While this couldprovide an caption for Nicodemus's motivations, in that location is not plenty testify in the text to back up this theory.
As a previously published Christianity.com article explains, the fact that he came to Jesus in individual, rather than challenging him publicly, as other Pharisees had frequently done, might reveal more well-nigh his heart and possible motivation.
Everything we know virtually Nicodemus comes from John's gospel. What we read in John 3 is that Nicodemus came to Jesus, starting the chat with a statement, not a question:
"Rabbi, we know that Y'all have come from God equally a instructor, for no one can practice these signs that Yous practise unless God is with him."(John 3:ii)
Nicodemus, at the very to the lowest degree, was different than most Pharisees in that he best-selling Jesus' potency and divine wisdom from the showtime. He may non accept been an outright believer or follower of Jesus (at the time), but he could non contend against what he had seen and heard.
As Matthew Henry writes in his Commentary on the Whole Bible, "his (Jesus') miracles were his credentials."
Nicodemus had witnessed the miracles of Jesus and heard his teachings. Now he sought answers and came when he knew he could speak to Jesus ane-on-ane.
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What Did Nicodemus Enquire Jesus and Why?
To Nicodemus' initial argument, Jesus responded, "truly, truly, I say to you, unless 1 is born over again, he cannot run into the kingdom of God" (John 3:ii).
This response conspicuously befuddled the inquisitive Pharisee, who rapidly asked, "how tin a man exist born when he is erstwhile? He cannot enter a second time into his female parent's womb and be born, can he?"(John three:4)
Nicodemus would enquire a very logical question to analyze a very spiritual truth.
In his mind, information technology didn't make sense how a person could be born a second fourth dimension or how 1 would return to their mother's womb to do so. In purely physical terms, he was right. It isn't possible. But the mysteries of God and the wonders of His kingdom are non always credible or understood in purely literal or physical terms.
In fact, to the earthly listen, the wonders of God oft seem like foolishness. Nicodemus would soon find that being "born again" has nothing to practise with concrete rebirth.
Matthew Henry writes, that "such is the nature of the kingdom of God (in which Nicodemus desired to be instructed) that the soul must exist re-modelled and moulded, the natural human must get a spiritual man, before he is capable of receiving and understanding them."
Even prior to Jesus, Scripture spoke of the depth and mysteries of the Creator:
- "Call to me and I will answer y'all, and will tell you groovy and hidden things that you lot have not known."(Jeremiah 33:3)
- "It is the celebrity of God to conceal things, but the celebrity of kings is to search things out."(Proverbs 25:2)
- "Can y'all find out the deep things of God? Tin you detect out the limit of the Almighty? It is higher than the sky – what can you do? Deeper than Sheol – what can you know? Its measure out is longer than the globe and broader than the sea."(Chore 11:seven-9)
God, in His infinite power and divine wisdom, is oft shrouded in mystery beyond the telescopic of human understanding. This does not mean that He cannot exist known or has intentionally hidden himself from the world. To understand the divine nature of God, however, we must seek out divine wisdom and allow ourselves to exist "transformed by the renewing of our minds." (Romans 12:2)
In his conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus said that, "unless ane is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the mankind is flesh, and what which is built-in of the Spirit is spirit."(John 3:5-6)
Nicodemus' inability to understand what Jesus meant demonstrated Jesus' bespeak perfectly.
Born of flesh, the human mind cannot grasp the mysteries of the kingdom of God or understand the fullness of God. This level of understanding can only come from a spiritual transformation and re-forging of a mind that is made new or "born once again" through Christ.
This is why the Pharisees often struggled to understand or accept the message and ministry of Jesus. They were likewise entrenched in their ways and reliant on their political ability and influence to accept any kind of spiritual transformation or philosophical give up.
They were the religious elite and thrived on the public'south perception of them being the ultimate intellectual authorization in spiritual matters. But earthly influence and political status are irrelevant in the kingdom of God.
"To be born once again is to be born of the Spirit" (Matthew Henry). This was something the Pharisees simply could not fathom.
What Does Nicodemus Demonstrate about Faith?
Nicodemus, still, came curious and eager to learn more about Jesus' teachings. His heart had been stirred and mind challenged, and as is true to Scripture, those who seek the Lord and answers to the mysteries of his kingdom will non exist disappointed (Jeremiah 29:thirteen, Deuteronomy 4:29, Luke xi:9).
While Jesus may accept gently admonished Nicodemus, a teacher of the constabulary, for his initial ignorance, asking, "are yous the teacher of State of israel and exercise not understand these things?"(John 3:9), he nonetheless guided him to agreement with a reference to Onetime Testament narrative that pointed to his eventual sacrifice.
"As Moses lifted upwardly the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Human be lifted up, and so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life."(John 3:fourteen-15)
The conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus clearly planted the seed for Nicodemus' own spiritual transformation.
Some take noted that Nicodemus came to Jesus discretely and by night. It is possible that he didn't want others to know of this meeting, least of all the Pharisees, and that he may have tried to go along his emerging organized religion hidden from the earth out of fright of public scrutiny. That would soon alter.
Nicodemus later would publicly defend Jesus when the Pharisees questioned whether or not to seize Jesus (John 7:51). And even after Jesus' death, Nicodemus was seen, along with Joseph of Arimathea, bringing myrrh and spices to the tomb of Jesus afterward he had been crucified (John 19:39).
As Matthew Henry writes, "though now he came by night, later on he owned Christ publicly."
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Why Does the Bible Address Being Born Again?
Jesus spoke of being "born again" to explain what must happen in the heart, mind, and soul of the believer who is transformed by the grace and forgiveness of God. Birth is the beginning of all life, and to exist born of the Spirit, i must first at the human foot of the cantankerous.
John the Baptist heralded Jesus every bit the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29), and as Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new brute; the quondam things passed away; behold, new things have come up." (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Our old, sinful life died with Christ. New life is born of His resurrection. Equally Matthew Henry writes, to be born once again, "nosotros must have a new nature, new principles, new angel, new aims."
Reborn in Christ, everything must adapt to His image and will. In Him, we are given fresh optics, fresh motivations, a fresh heart, and a fresh commencement.
Nicodemus discovered something about the mysteries of God and meaning of salvation in his conversation with Jesus. Not long after Jesus talked of being built-in again, he delivered one of the virtually famous passages of Scripture, 1 which encapsulated the entirety of the Gospel.
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him, shall not perish, only have eternal life."(John 3:16)
The spiritual rebirth and new life offered through the grace of Jesus Christ is more than just a quick ready to an earthly sickness. It is a spiritual cure that allows usa to feel and savor a spiritual eternity with Christ. The Pharisees had sadly fallen into the trap of legalism, and in doing so, missed the heart of God in Christ.
Thankfully, Nicodemus' seeking heart overcame his earthly training and the narrow-mindedness of his spiritual colleagues.
As information technology says in Jeremiah, "y ou will seek me and find me when yous seek me with all your heart"(Jeremiah 29:13); and Nicodemus did indeed find Him. It seems that the all-time fashion to empathise what it ways to be "built-in again" is to experience it for oneself, and that is certainly proven in the life and transformation of Nicodemus.
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Source: https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/what-does-nicodemus-know-about-being-born-again.html
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