The New Birth - Part 8

What Masters Miss

John 3:10 – “Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?”

Matthew 11:25 – “At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.”

Continuing our brief study of the third chapter of John, we find that Nicodemus is struggling to believe Christ’s words admonishing him to be born again.  Though he is hungry for truth, Nicodemus is struggling to grasp what Christ is declaring to him.  Here is a master of Israel; a teacher of the law; a well-studied Pharisee; and yet he struggles at the simple command, “Ye must be born again!” 

Allow me to begin by saying that there is no reason for the well educated to be left out of God’s plan.  If you are an intelligent person, then the gospel of Jesus Christ is for you.  No intellectual would be disappointed by giving his life to Christ.  There are depths in God’s word that are so deep that the wisest of Bible commentators cannot seize them all.  And at the same time, a second grader can understand enough about the word of God to be saved from his sin.  I am sure that I study far less than many of my peers.  But I do study.  I find few things as thrilling as digging in the word of God to see what it says regarding Biblical truth.  Yet, the more I study, the more I am amazed at the depth of the word of God.  I have read passages over and over, and find jewels every time I read them.  That is the way the word of God is!  I’ve thumbed through the Koran and the Book of Mormon a few times, and I have yet to find anything deep in either one.  The Bible is far superior to any other so-called “holy book!” 

Nicodemus was not only a religious man, but he was also an intelligent man.  Our Lord referred to him as “a master of Israel.”  Masters, in most cases, like to reveal what they know; Nicodemus, a master of Israel, is revealing what he does not know.  He is a master, yet he struggles at the thought of being born again.  I am amazed how those who you think would grasp the truths of God’s word are the ones who often miss it.  On the other hand, those who you think would incapable of grasping the truth are the ones who take it readily.  The book of John records a few of these instances.  Let us look at a few of them.

The Woman at the Well

In this familiar story found in the fourth chapter of John, Jesus finds himself resting upon a well of Samaria.  Behold, here comes a woman to the well in the middle of the day.  Jesus begins talking to this woman.  To make a lengthy story shorter, Christ offers this woman LIVING WATER.  Immediately, she takes the water from the well of God’s grace.  She was not a Jew.  Her knowledge of the writings of Moses was minimal.  Her knowledge of Christ and His teachings was insignificant, to say the least.  Yet, when Christ offered her the living waters of salvation, she immediately received it with joy.

John 4:28-30 – “The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.”

This woman did not need a commentary on what Christ said; she simply received the words of our Lord. 

Immediately after the woman at the well received the living waters of salvation, the disciples came to the well because they had gone into the city to buy food.  The disciples offer Jesus some of the food they had bought.  Refusing their offer, the Lord informs them, “I have meat to eat that ye know not of.”  Jesus had just spoken to a heathen woman about the wells of salvation, and she grasped it immediately.  Now, Jesus is speaking to his religious disciples; he is talking to men who have heard him teach; he is speaking to men who saw the water turn into wine.  Surely, they know what Jesus is talking about when He says, “I have meat to eat that ye know not of.”  Surely, they know that He is not talking about steak and baked potatoes.  However, when Christ declares that He has meat to eat that they don’t know about, they miss it! 

John 4:31-33 – “In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?”

What the heathen woman grasped so easily, the religious disciples missed just as easily!  Jesus had to explain to them what He meant.

John 4:34 – “Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.”

The Multitude on the Shore

In the sixth chapter of John, we find our Lord speaking to a multitude of people on the seashore.  Immediately, without explanation, they receive the words of our Lord, declaring to Him, “Evermore give us this bread!”

John 6:33, 34 – “For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.”

Wasn’t that simple?  Christ said, “I have bread;” and the multitude, who had never heard anything like that before, said, “Evermore give us this bread!”  Wouldn’t it be good if everyone received it this easily? 

In the same chapter, however, Christ speaks to His disciples about bread from heaven.  If a heathen multitude on the shore can understand, one would be convinced that Christ’s own disciples would get it.  But do they understand?

John 6:58-60 – “This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?”

The response of the religious disciples was, “This is an hard saying!”  A hard saying?  It wasn’t hard for the heathen multitude who had never heard it!  I have the hardest time getting the message of salvation across to religious lost people.  Then, I turn around and give the same message to a hardened sinner who has seldom, if ever, darkened the door of any church whatsoever.  It is often them that receive the message of salvation the easiest.

Nicodemus was a master of Israel, but could not grasp, at this point, the message of being born again.  Just because they are religious is no indication that they are receiving the truths of God’s word.