If so please EMail us with your question to jonpartin@tiscali.co.uk and we will do our best to give you a satisfactory answer. EMailus.

4) The Spirit Produces New Life

Read John 3.1 - 21

Not long after the beginning of his ministry Jesus is approached by a man named Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish council (the Sanhedrin). Possibly this is why he comes ‘at night’. He does not want to jeopardise his position. He is prepared to give Jesus a hearing, but does not wish to commit himself.

He acknowledges that Jesus is a teacher ‘come from God’ (then why the secrecy?) because of the miracles he has done.

Jesus comes straight to the point. “Unless a man is born from above (Gk.anothen) he cannot experience the Rule of God.” (John 3.3). An understanding of God’s rule requires spiritual understanding. The implication appears to be that Nicodemus is seen as lacking that spiritual understanding.

Nicodemus confuses this with natural birth. How can a man enter his mother’s womb a second time?

Jesus replies that he is speaking about a birth “of water and Spirit”. The connection of water with Spirit clearly points back to John’s baptism. The need is for a work of the Spirit as symbolised by John’s baptism, the Spirit being poured out ‘from above’ like rain on the dry ground.

Like most Jews Nicodemus was looking forward tothe coming of “the Rule of God”, which they saw as a time when God’s king would rule over the world and bring a time of plenty and prosperity, especially for the Jews. Jesus stresses that coming under God’s rule requires a work of the Spirit. Human birth will only bring human understanding, a spiritual relationship with God requires spiritual birth (John 3.8).

We have deliberately translated as ‘the Rule of God’ what is more popularly translated as ‘the Kingdom of God’. This is because the word kingdom (Gk.basileia) refers rather to ‘kingly rule’. In those days a kingdom stretched only as far as the king could exercise his authority (whatever the map said). To be within his kingdom meant that you were under his control. Thus to enter the Kingdom of God is to come under the direct rule of God.

But what does Jesus means by being “born from above”? (The Greek can also be translated ‘born again’, but in these days the phrase has had its meaning adulterated, and as we shall see there is good reason for accepting the alternative translation).

It has good Old Testament precedent. In Psalm 72 the psalmist prays for the king of Israel. He prays that he will be just and wise,and clearly has in mind especially the future king for he speaks of world wide dominion and the fact that all nations would call him blessed (vv.8 and 17). This king will be “like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth”, for in his days righteousness will flourish, and peace will abound.

In Isaiah 45.8 righteousness (i.e. vindication, being ‘put in the right’) ‘rains down’ like showers, and deliverance and righteousness ‘sprout forth’ from the earth, while in Isaiah 32.15 a period of desolation is followed by ‘the Spirit’ being ‘poured upon us from above’ resulting in fruitfulness and deliverance. These references are promising final vindication as seen in material prosperity, but in Isaiah 44.1-5 and 55.10-13 the promises are extended to the spiritual realm. “I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and streams upon the dry ground. I will pour my Spirit upon your children and my blessing upon your offspring.” (Isaiah 44-1-4). The people will flourish like grass at the coming of the rainy season, like willows planted where there is abundant water. The result will be a full-hearted dedication to the Lord (v5).

This vivid picture speaks more forcefully to those who live in hot countries like Israel. There they are used to the long hot summer when everything dries up, the grass withers, the ground is barren and fruitless, the bushes die. But then the rain comes, and everything changes. The ground is covered with luxurious vegetation, the bushes spring to life and the trees grow and flourish. It is an apt picture of spiritual renewal. They are born from above!

Isaiah 55.10-13 takes it further.”As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, making it bring to birth (Heb. yalad in the hiphil,almost exclusively used of the birth of living creatures) and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth, it will not return to me empty. It will accomplish what I purpose and prosper in the thing for which I sent it”. Here we have the clear idea of new birth from above, and it is now connected with the going forth of the word of God. God speaks and the Spirit acts (compare Isaiah 34.16 where God’s word precedes the action of His Spirit).

So when Jesus speaks of being born from above he has every reason to think that Nicodemus will understand him, and to chide him for failing to do so. No doubt there is in the back of his mind John’s baptism, but his vision is filled with that baptism’s significance as a picture of the life-giving rains pouring down, transforming the earth and producing a cleansing, regenerating work of God. The new work of the Spirit, begun by John the Baptiser and continuing with Jesus, is bringing new life into the hearts of those who ‘put their trust in him’ so that they ‘might not perish but have the life of the age to come’ (John 3.15) - and Nicodemus is in danger of missing out.

We learn from this therefore that the going forth of God’s word in the power of the Spirit is like the lifegiving rain from above, and that as we respond to His word life will spring up in our hearts, and that this response must first be revealed by putting our personal trust in Jesus.

Questions

1. Why do you think Nicodemus was puzzled?

2 Why did Jesus consider that he ought to have understood?

3. What does Jesus mean by being “born again”?

4. How can we be born again?

5) The New Birth

Reading Revise John 3. 1 - 21; Ezekiel 36. 25 - 38; 37. 1 - 14

Probably one of the most vivid passages in the Old Testament is Ezekiel 37. In that passage God takes Ezekiel to see a valley full of old, dried up bones. It has the odour of death about it and there is no life there, even when the bones mysteriously take on flesh. But then the prophet is told to call on the four winds for breath to come into the dead corpses so that they might live, and when he does so they become a great army of living, vibrant men.

So God promises that though Israel is like a valley full of corpses, “I will put my Spirit in you and you will live --- then you will know that I have spoken and brought it about.” Ezekiel 37.14. Here the work of the Spirit is seen to put vital life into the spiritually dead. (This passage is interesting in that it brings out the connection between the wind and the Spirit which we will look at later.)

A further passage in the Old Testament which illustrates the new birth by the Spirit is Ezekiel 36.25-27. Here God promises His people that “I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you will be clean”. The fact that the water is sprinkled indicates that it is seen as water purified by the ashes of sacrifice for those who have touched what is impure (Numbers 19.7-20). (There would also seem to be no other reason for stressing that it is CLEAN water.)

The result of this sprinkling is that “a new heart I will give you and a new spirit I will put within you. I will take away the heart of stone from your flesh, and will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you will keep my ordinances and carry them out”.

It would be difficult to conceive of a better picture of the new birth. So here the new birth is linked with purification through the shedding of blood, which ties in well with the fact that in speaking of the new birth in John 3, Jesus immediately links it with his coming death in v.14. “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that whoever believes in him might have eternal life”. In John when Jesus speaks of being “lifted up” it always refers to his death (8.28; 12.32-33). It was a phrase which could have a lesser meaning of being held up for acceptance, while the disciples would later recognise its deeper meaning. The title Son of Man is Jesus favourite way of referring to himself. It did not carry the same dangers of misrepresentation as “Christ” (Messiah), which could always leave him open to the charge of being a revolutionary, while at the same time it had connotations of heavenly authority and glory (Daniel 7.13-14).

So the Son of Man, who is a citizen of heaven, has come down from heaven (v13) to be “lifted up” so that those who believe in him might have eternal life, the life of the age to come, the life of the Spirit. The word eternal (literally “of the ages”) in Jewish thinking focussed more on the coming age than on the Greek conception of eternity, although that coming age would of course be everlasting.

Indeed the reason that Jesus has come is because “God loved the world so much that He gave His only son”, so that whoever believes in him might have this eternal life (v16), and thus be saved from condemnation (v.18).

This then is what the Spirit has come to do. He will open men’s eyes to see the light that has come into the world in Jesus, the light that shines on the darker places of their lives, and makes them aware of their own need. The result will be that they put their trust in him. The final effect will be that they receive eternal life, and live in such a way that it will be clear to all that their behaviour is the result of the work of God (v21).

Another aspect of the Spirit is brought out in v.8. He is likened to the wind (in Hebrew and Greek the same word (Heb. ruach Gk.pneuma) is used for both spirit and wind). Just as the wind is a powerful invisible force, coming from where no man knows and going where no man can tell, so is the Spirit. He works powerfully, cannot be controlled by men (even godly men), and works as He will. His work in the rebirth of men is an example of this powerful, mysterious working.

But there is only one through whom the Spirit works without limitation (v34). To him the gift is without limit. And he has come to bring it to others.

Questions

1. What new aspect of the new birth is brought out by the passage in Ezekiel 36, confirmed by John 3?

2. How is the Spirit’s method of activity described both in Ezekiel 37 and in John’s Gospel ? Do you find it a vivid picture?

3. What effect should the new birth have on people’s daily lives? Do other people see that it has had an effect in your life?.

6)The Water of Life

Reading John 4. 1 - 42

The story of the Samaritan woman in John 4 illustrates well that the Spirit works where He wills, and the picture of life-giving water is again used, this time referring to a spring bubbling up to give eternal life. The heavenly rain has fallen and men may now drink of it abundantly.

Nothing would have seemed less likely to a Jew than the spiritual transformation of a loose woman who, on top of that, was a despised Samaritan. Yet here at the beginning of Jesus ministry he shows that there are no barriers of race or past morals to prevent anyone from coming to God, once the heart is set in the right direction.

The scene takes place at a well, fed by a spring, famous as having been originally established by Jacob many centuries before. A Samaritan woman comes to draw water, thirsty in soul despite her pleasure loving life. When she sees a Jew sitting there she ignores him. She knows that the Jews despise the Samaritans with a hatred combining religious and racial prejudice. They are not considered true Jews. This was because they were seen as descended from the races introduced to Palestine by the Assyrian conquerors long before, after the Israelites were carried off to Babylon (2 Kings 17.24), and, while believing in the one God, they had established different religious practises and beliefs, and had their own version of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament).

To her great surprise he does not ignore her. He turns and speaks to her. She is so surprised that she forgets her prejudice for the moment and replies, overcome with curiosity. Who is this Jew who will lower his pride to ask for water at the hands of a Samaritan, and a woman at that? His reply is significant.

“If you knew the gift of God ---” (4.10). In the light of 3.16 this must mean himself as God’s gift to men, and stresses immediately that he is given to all men, Jew and non-Jew alike. “You would have asked of him, and he would have given you living water”. He is saying that if only she knew who he was, and how extensive and all embracing was God’s gift in giving him, she would only have to ask and she would receive the water of eternal life springing up within her.

This picture of living water as a source of spiritual blessing is a familiar one in the prophets (Jeremiah 2.13; 17.13; Zechariah 14.8 cf. Isaiah 44.3-4). So is the thought of a well or fountain giving life and deliverance (Psalm 36.9; Isaiah 12.3; Zechariah 13.1). Indeed the one who meditates on God’s word day and night will be like a tree planted by rivers of water, producing abundant fruit (Psalm 1.2-3).

Thus the same eternal life offered to Nicodemus, the highly respected Jewish councillor, is also available to the despised, lowly Samaritan woman.

Even more interesting is the thought that Jesus is saying that he can give the Spirit (4.10, 14), the one who works where He wills, an indirect claim to deity (see Isaiah 40.13).

The gift of living water can only be given if she turns from sin, so Jesus now begins to probe her past life (vv.16-18). Her immediate reaction is to argue about doctrine (v.20), always a good method of avoiding unpleasant truths. On the other hand the question has a point to it. She had always been taught that it was at Mount Gerizim that God had revealed himself, and the place towards which she ought to turn, in contrast to the Jews who saw Jerusalem as the central place of worship and mediation with God. (In the Samaritan Bible Genesis 22 and Deuteronomy 27.4 had been altered to refer to Mount Gerizim). If she sought this living water would she have to become a Jew and worship at Jerualem?

Jesus does not reply that both religions are as good. He acknowledges that the Jews had been the vehicle of God’s revelation to man. But he points out that the essence of the matter is not found in holy places, but in the inner heart.

God does not have a physical form limiting Him to one place, He is Spirit. (Solomon had recognised this principle long before (1 Kings 8.27).) Therefore those who would worship Him must worship Him “in Spirit and in truth”, looking to Him as Father (vv.23-24). What Jesus has come to bring is far too large to be limited to holy places and religious ceremonies, it is something that must transform the heart and bring a new relationship with God wherever men are.

This lead the woman to speculate about the possible coming of the Messiah, the Christ. The Samaritans knew the same expectation but called him “The Deliverer”. She uses the Jewish terms in deference to Jesus. This one they longed for will come as the revealer of truth (v.25).

Jesus has no hesitation in quietly letting her know that he is the Christ (v.26) There is no danger of a misunderstanding of the term in Samaria. They held completely different ideas from the Jews.

So Jesus has come as God’s gift to men, offering living water to revive men’s hearts so that their spiritual thirst can be satisfied. The result will be that they worship God in Spirit and truth, and receive eternal life (v.14 cf 36). .

Questions.

1. What does Jesus show himself to be in this passage?

2. How does he counter the woman’s objections?

3. What do we learn that we also can receive for ourselves?

7) Except You Eat

Reading John.6. 1 - 71

Almost every chapter in John’s Gospel has in mind at the back of it the work of the Spirit. This is also true of chapter 6 (see v.63). It should make us very careful before we suggest that before Pentecost in Acts 2 there was no work of the Spirit, although John does point out that the final giving of the Spirit for the purposes of a world wide ministry is still yet to come (John7.39). That is when the rivers of living water will flow out from the disciples to the world. John, of course, sees that giving of the Spirit as fulfilled in John 20.22.

John 6 is possibly one of the most misrepresented passages in the New Testament. It is usually interpreted as being somehow an exposition of the Lord’s Supper before the event. This is, however, to misunderstand its main intent (although the Lord’s Supper does wonderfully illustrate the truths proclaimed).

There are few sadder pictures than this in chapter 6 where the people, having been miraculously fed by the power of God (6.5-14), miss the fact that spiritual bread is available which is more important. They are so concerned for more bread to be offered to them (v.26) that Jesus has to warn them not to yearn so much for physical bread, but for the “bread” which “endures to eternal life” which “the Son of Man will give you”(v.37)

Their minds momentarily diverted they ask “what shall we do to in order to carry out God’s works?”. Like so many they saw religion in terms of what they must do. In some ways this was a good thing, for the doing is, of course, important, as John the Baptiser had stressed. But this was a crucial moment in history. There was one among them who was like no other who had come before, and they were too taken up with getting more “bread” to recognise it. It was necessary first to concentrate on him and thus receive ‘the life of the coming age’. That is what Jesus now points out. “This is God’s work,” says Jesus, “that you put your full trust in the one He has sent”(v.29)..

They at last catch on to the fact that Jesus is claiming to be more than just another wandering preacher and is calling for obedience to himself. They recognise what a stupendous claim it is. Prove it, they basically say, by feeding us miraculously at this difficult time, just as Moses fed the people of Israel on their journey to the Promised Land (vv.30-31). Their minds are still on physical bread as a reward for obedience.

Jesus replies by informing them that God has given them “true bread from heaven”, that is, He has sent Jesus down from heaven to give life to the world (v.33). “I am the life-giving bread,” he stressed, “the one who comes to me will never hunger and the one who commits himself to me in faith will never thirst.” Spiritual life and satisfaction are more important than extra food.

But he recognises that they are not willing to respond to this message (v.36). Happily there are those who will respond. “All whom the Father gives to me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will not reject for any reason whatsoever” (v.37). This is because they have been given to him by the Father, and it is the Father’s will that he should not lose a single one of those given to him, but that they should come in confident trust to him and receive eternal life so that he would raise them up at the last day (v.39-40). Thus would they eat of the bread of life.

So the Spirit is at work (v.63) gathering in the one’s whom the Father has marked out, and Jesus is charged with their final safety. Here the whole Godhead is at work in saving men, guaranteeing their final deliverance, and the test of whether men are of the chosen is revealed by their response to Jesus.

It is vital at thisstage to recognise that there is an important change in the narrative. Up to this point it has been ‘the people’ who have been questioning him. Now the scene moves on. We are no longer by the sea but in the synagogue (cf.6.25 with 6.59). “ The people” have faded into the background and he is dealing with “the Jews”. This is John’s term for a hard core of those who followed Jesus about who were so fanatically tied up with their religion that they were filled with antagonism and blinded to the truth about Jesus. We could possibly call them ‘the Judaisers’. (see 5.10,18). They probably consisted mainly of some of the more strict Pharisees (not all Pharisees opposed Jesus and were at loggerheads with him) and their followers.

They were clearly not among those who would be drawn by the Father, for they were too bigotted to listen and Jesus was saddened by it. Instead they muttered among themselves. Here he was claiming to have come down from heaven when they all knew that he was just a local boy, whose parents were well known to them.Who did he think he was? (6.42).

Jesus tries vainly to give them a chance. He reiterates what he has said to the people (6.44-50). Those whom God teaches will come to him and partake of the bread of life which has come down from heaven, and this will mean that they will not die the final death but live for ever. And now he introduces a new theme. This will be brought about because he will give his flesh for the life of the world (v.51)

You will remember from 5.18 that these were the same men who were plotting to kill him. This explains the change in Jesus tone and the change in his illustration. From now on he will not talk only of the bread of life but will use the Old Testament simile of ‘eating flesh’ as killing someone (Psalms 14.4; 53.4; Isaiah 49.26;Micah 3.3). It will still give life for finally that life will be made available through his death (vv.53-54). Drinking blood is also a hebraism for killing someone (Isaiah 49.26; Zechariah 9.15 in the hebrew; 2 Samuel 23.17).

We could paraphrase it like this - ‘you have been plotting to kill me. Well, let me tell you this. It is necessary for me to die so that this offer of life might be provided. Paradoxically unless you do put me to death the life will not be available. But as a result of the death you are plotting for me, men will be able to partake of the benefit of my death and find life through it.’ This is not a message he has been preaching to the crowds, but now he has been forced into going public. His death is necessary for men to benefit from his life. If life is to be made available it was necessary for them to “eat his flesh and drink his blood” (ie kill him). And the result would be that they could then, if they believed, partake of the benefits of his death by receiving life. (Of course the Lord’s Supper wonderfully illustrates this, but he is not talking about that at this moment.)

Many innocent listeners would be puzzled, but the plotters would be fully aware of the import of his words. Yet still he is offering them life. He will not give up on them. Perhaps one day when they have killed him, they will remember his words, and having eaten his fleah and drunk his blood in one way, may also do it in another way by putting their trust in the crucified and risen Christ. If they do they will receive eternal life and be raised at the last day (v.54).

Now some of the wider group of disciples begin to question (not the twelve as vv.67-70 make clear). They had been happy with the idea of the bread of life, but not with this talk of coming death (v.60).

Jesus answers them by pointing indirectly to his resurrection. He will “ascend up where he was before” (v.62).

This brings him to the the essence of the matter. “It is the Spirit who makes alive” (v.63). The flesh is of no benefit. So they need not worry about death, either his or theirs. His words are spirit and are life. That is why he has come. To fulfil the Father’s purpose (v.65), through the Spirit at work through his ministry and in men’s hearts, so that they may enjoy the promised ‘life of the age to come’ and know that they will be raised up at the last day..

As Peter so succintly puts it. Where else can we go? (v.68). ,p> Questions.

1. What do you think Jesus means when he refers to himself as the bread of life? How can men eat of that bread?

2. Outline three benefits of partaking of the bread of life.

3. How does Jesus message change when he is challenged by his enemies? What new message did this bring out? Do you know of any other passage of Scripture where it is brought out that his followers found talk of his coming death difficult?

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THE PENTATEUCH

GENESIS ---EXODUS--- LEVITICUS 1.1-7.38 --- 8.1-11.47 --- 12.1-16.34--- 17.1-27.34--- NUMBERS 1-10--- 11-19--- 20-36--- DEUTERONOMY 1.1-4.44 --- 4.45-11.32 --- 12.1-29.1--- 29.2-34.12 --- THE BOOK OF JOSHUA --- THE BOOK OF JUDGES --- PSALMS 1-17--- ECCLESIASTES --- ISAIAH 1-5 --- 6-12 --- 13-23 --- 24-27 --- 28-35 --- 36-39 --- 40-48 --- 49-55--- 56-66--- EZEKIEL --- DANIEL 1-7 ---DANIEL 8-12 ---

NAHUM--- HABAKKUK---ZEPHANIAH ---ZECHARIAH --- THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW ---THE GOSPEL OF MARK--- THE GOSPEL OF LUKE --- THE GOSPEL OF JOHN --- THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES --- 1 CORINTHIANS 1-7 --- 8-16 --- 2 CORINTHIANS 1-7 --- 8-13 -- -GALATIANS --- EPHESIANS --- COLOSSIANS --- 1 THESSALONIANS --- 2 THESSALONIANS --- 1 TIMOTHY --- 2 TIMOTHY --- TITUS --- HEBREWS 1-6 --- 7-10 --- 11-13 --- JAMES --- JOHN'S LETTERS --- REVELATION

--- THE GOSPELS

---

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