Original URL Wednesday, December 13, 2023
Transcript
this is really part of a umlifetime study which is simply entitled
um encounters with the
master and so there are many individuals in the pages of scripture who interacted with the Lord Jesus Christ and this is just a few thoughts out of many in terms of what happened how he impacted their lives and of course drawing lessons for
ourselves I'm going to start by making a statement brothers and sisters and the statement is simply
this that did we really appreciate the fact that Jesus could read
minds I say that because we need to go to John chapter 2 2 now you will know that there are no chapter divisions so in John Chapter 2 and verse 23 you probably thought well why is he started there but let's just look
closely and you may remember when I was at bible school there are a number of tools that we need to keep in our tool box that we might better understand the scriptures and the first one is
to never read more than three verses without asking yourselves at least one
question secondly we must look for those interrogatory pronouns which what where who why when how so we can interrogate the verse not that we disbelieve but that the more questions we ask the more I think the scriptures open up to us if we have that that inquiring
mind and the third thing is we have a choice whether we can read an inch deep and a mile long or a mile
deep and an inch
long and fourthly when we're reading God's word we have the gift of imagination so we'll try and bring that into into play also so verse 23 then of John Chapter 2 now when he Jesus was in Jerusalem at the Passover in the feast day many believed in his name when they saw the Miracles which he
did but Jesus did not commit himself unto them because he knew
all
men and needed not that any should testify of man for he knew what was in
man there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus a ruler of the Jews remember no chapter divisions brothers and sisters but there are a number of things that I want us to just keep in our minds firstly in verse
24 but Jesus did not commit himself unto them because he knew all men now you will notice that the word men is in italics it is not in the original but Jesus did not commit himself unto them because he knew
all and I think that is very
significant what the verses are telling us is that Jesus knew
all and for emphasis verse 25 for he knew what was in
man
oh there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus a ruler of the
Jews and what chapter 3 goes on to tell you and to show you is that the statement made in verse 24 and verse 25 because there is no chapter division it is at pains to point out to the reader
what that Jesus knew
all that he knew what was in man
now you see what we can find out by just simply asking those simple searching questions because actually good Bible study is simply to read with
care because nothing is
wasted and what chapter 3 does therefore is to show
you that the previous statements are absolutely correct for Jesus knew all for he knew what was in man and then chapter 24 introduces us to
Nicodemus a ruler of the
Jews and it shows you that Jesus knew what was in man but more specifically knew what was in
Nicodemus there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus a ruler of the Jews he was of the
Sanhedrin what was the word Sanhedrin
means Sanhedrin
means sitting
together the Sanhedrin were Assemblies of either 23 or 71 rabbis appointed to sit as a tribunal in every city in the ancient land of Israel there were two classes of rabbinical courts called Sanhedrin the great and Sanhedrin the Lesser
it's important to note also what this man's name
means this man was the president of the Sanhedrin he was the one who really was the leader of them
all his name
Nicodemus
means victory of the people or actually we would say
Nike Deus
now you see where I'm going with
this Nike is a multi-trillion pound industry as we know and Nike means
Victory this man his name meant Nike Deus victory of the people and it's a multi-trillion industry isn't it you would say dollars but the point is here is this
man who is the president of the Sanhedrin the top the
leader so there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus a ruler of the Jews the same came to Jesus by
night and said unto him Rabbi we know that thou art a teacher come from God so the first question brother and sisters is
this who are the
we now we know that not all the religious leaders whether it was the scribes the Pharisees the Sadducees we know
forur that they did not all accept and they didn't all believe that Jesus was the Christ so what does Nicodemus mean when he says we know that thou art a teacher come from God for no man can do these Miracles that thou doest except God be with him why did Nicodemus say
that within the structure of the Sanhedrin the scribes and the Pharisees and the religious leaders were
there a
few who believed
secretly perhaps a handful of them maybe Nicodemus himself had drawn the Short Straw to go and talk to Jesus notice carefully he went under the under the cover of
darkness and the three chapters that we are told of Nicodemus chapter 3 chapter 7 chapter
19 remind the
reader lest you forget it was he that came to Jesus by
night for no man can do these Miracles that thou doest except God be with him so who are these
other that would
confess that he was the teacher come from God we know that thou art a teacher come from God who is the we who who are the Royal we a handful
was it just somebody
else we
know for no man can do these Miracles that thou doest except God be with him Jesus answered and said unto him very very say unto thee except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God now did you notice that brother and sisters I don't know if you've got children or grandchildren and you know there's a a candy bar on the on the table and they the child walks in and says uh
grandpa um do you know that chocolate bar over
there H who does it belong to and and actually you know what they're leading up to say what they're really wanting to say is could I have
it and that's rather very similar to what Nicodemus does you know brother sisters because he says to Jesus
Rabbi we know that thou art a teacher come from God for no man can do these Miracles that thou doest except God be with him and it's almost as if Nicodemus is building up to ask a specific question about baptism and what happens next is in verse three Jesus actually
preempts the the answer doesn't he Jesus answered and said unto him very very said unto thee except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God now it's quite obvious that Jesus knew exactly what he was trying to say for Nicodemus wanted to get to the point about baptism about being born
again and Jesus is on the right lines because Nicodemus then says in verse four Nicodemus saith unto him how can a man be born when he is old can he enter into the mother's into his second time into the mother's womb and be born so there again in in in verse 3 and four it shows that Jesus
knew what was in
man it shows you that Jesus knew
all and it was no different
here that Nicodemus was building up to ask Jesus and Jesus preempts the answer by telling him and he's right on it because Jesus knew
all that verse six which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is Spirit Marvel not that I said unto thee ye must be born again the wind bloweth and the listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof look at verse nine Nicodemus answered and said unto him how can these things be Jesus answered and said unto him art thou a
master art thou a master of Israel actually in the original it actually says art thou the master of Israel and knowest not these things this was the precedent of the
Sanhedrin the highest of the high and notice
carefully he came to Jesus verse Two By Night under the cover of
Darkness
and then in verse
14 and as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must a son of man be lifted up and you remember back there in numbers those who were bitten by the fiery serpents not that they were flying around with flames of fire coming out of them but rather that when they were bitten by the serpent the pain of it the sting of it was like burning
fire as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness so also must the son of man be lifted up and as that serpent was lifted up upon a pole brothers and
sisters those who were dying on their feet they had to look to that thing of brass that they might be
saved as it was lifted up in the wilderness so also must the son of man be lifted up
900 years
later Hezekiah got hold of that Brazen Serpent and he ground it to powder and he called it nushan a vain
thing because they were focusing more on the creature more than the Creator you
understand and the point brothers and sisters is then is the Lord Jesus Christ saying as Moses lifted up the serpent in the
wilderness and those people had to look in faith because they were bitten by the bite of sin and they were dying on their feet and had to look to that that which was hoisted up that which was held up high that was their means of Salvation if they was to look at it in
faith now then look how the Lord Jesus Christ brothers and sisters in a beautiful way weaves into his
message the context of this man who had come to Jesus by night now now look then at verse verse 19 and this is the condemnation that light is come into the world Nicodemus and Men love Darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil now as these verses unfold were're not told when Nicodemus
leaves but he's come under the cover of
darkness and as he listens to the Lord Jesus Christ under the cover of Darkness how ironic is this brothers and sisters John chapter 8 vers2 tells us that Jesus is the he says I am the light of the world what a
paradox here was the man who had come under the cover of Darkness to see the light of the world and later on Jesus says ye are the light of the
world and this is the condemnation that light is come into the into the world and Men love Darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil and and and as Nicodemus scurries away through the back streets of Jerusalem under the cover of Darkness you can almost hear Jesus saying and this is condemnation Nicodemus that light is come into the world and Men love the Darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil for everyone that doeth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved but he that doeth truth cometh to the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in
God after these things came Jesus and his disciples so we're told when Nicodemus arrives on the scene
but we're not told when he
goes but make no mistake brothers and sisters it is
evident that Nicodemus as he left the master those words would have been ringing in his ears men love Darkness rather than light lest their deeds would be
revealed and here was he who had come
under the cover of Darkness to see the light of the
world the next time we read of Nicodemus you will know is of course in John and chapter
7 but before we do
that let's pick up the story in verse 28 of John chapter
7 then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught saying this it seems is the time of the Feast of
Tabernacles verse 28 then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught
saying and at the end of The Feast verse 37 in the last day that great day of the feast Jesus stood and cried saying so in verse 28 he lifts up his voice and cries aloud in the temple a place where people are and at the last day of the feast verse 37 he stood and cried saying so I suppose verse 28 and verse 37 are rather like bookends aren't
they the beginning of the feast he raises his voice and preaches and at the end of The Feast verse 37 he raises his voice voice and preaches they're like bookends aren't they but what happens between these two
bookends verse
32 the Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him and the Pharisees and the chief priest send officers to take
him then said Jesus unto them yet a little while am I with you and then I go unto him that sent me ye shall see seek me and shall find me shall not find me and where I am thither ye cannot
come then said the Jews among themselves whei will he go that we shall not find him will he go onto
dispersed we go to the Gentiles verse 36 what manner of saying is this that he said he shall seek me and shall not find
me and where I am thither you cannot come why this phrase you shall seek me and you shall not find
me you shall seek me and you shall not find
me what does Jesus mean by that you shall seek me and shall not find
me now after the feast they send soldiers to capture Jesus verse 45 then came the officers to the chief priests they come back empty-handed and the Pharisees and they said unto them why have you not brought him the officers answered never man spake like this man this man the way he spoke what he said he was filled with wisdom oh now that's an interesting thing brothers and sisters just pigeon hole that this is a chapter that talks about Jesus being incredibly wise in what he
said and when they listen to him they come back empty-handed and they say why didn't you bring him never man spake like this
man you shall seek
me but you shall not find
me keep a mark of there please bre and sisters and go back to
Proverbs and chapter
one
and this is
where this quote
comes Proverbs Chapter
1 and we're going
in at verse
20 now you might need to keep a mark in John chapter 7 now that you've lost
it and look at the comp comparisons Proverbs chapter 1 verse 20 it's all about notice the wisdom of
God Jesus in John lifted up his voice at the beginning of the feast and at the end of The Feast Proverbs chapter 1 verse 20 wisdom crith
without it's a personification it's a
personification of wisdom
she wisdom crith without she utth her voice in the streets just like Jesus she crith in the chief place of concourse in the temple in the openings of the gates in the city she utth her words saying how long ye simple ones will ye love Simplicity and scorners Delight in their scorning verse 23 turn you at my reprove behold I will pour out my spirit unto
you John 739 we'll come back to that I will pour out my spirit unto you I will make known my words unto you because I have called and you refused think of Jesus under the scribes and Pharisees the Sanhedrin I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded here he comes but ye have set at nor all my
counsel why did you not bring him never man spake like this man and would none of my Repro John
7:32 verse 26 I also will laugh at your Calamity I will mock when your fear cometh think of
ad70 when your fear cometh as desolation and your destruction cometh as a worldwind when distress and anguish cometh upon you then shall they call upon me but I will not answer here it comes they shall seek me early but they shall not find me for they that hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord they would none of my counsel they despised all my
reproof John chapter 7 and verse
34 you shall seek me and shall not find me Jesus bre and sisters in a masterful way is lifting out of the Old Testament from The Book of Proverbs in the context of the wisdom of God and he applies it to himself and it brings it Forward I believe that their Calamity was about to come to fruition in ad70 when the Romans flattened Jerusalem you shall shall seek me early and shall not find
me their Calamity was about to
come they did not want the wisdom of God verse 45 of John 7 then came the officers and the chief priests and Pharisees and they said unto them why have you not brought him the officers answered never man spake like this man then answered them the Pharisees are you also deceived have notice this have any of the rulers of our of the Pharisees believed on him oh that's interesting what what what did the Nicodemus
say we we
know that thou art a teacher come from
God have any of the rulers of the Pharisees believed on him but this people who knoweth not the law are
cursed
Nicodemus saith unto them and in case you forget he that came to Jesus by Night being one of
them he gets a bit warm under the collar brothers and sisters he gets a bit
uneasy these people are cursed have
any of the Pharisees or the rulers believed on him here then brother sisters is the beginnings of a man who was coming out of the
shadows out of the shadows and he remember the word of the Lord Jesus Christ for men love Darkness rather than light lest their deeds should be reproved Nicodemus saith unto them he that cameth to Jesus being By Night being one of
them doth our law judge any man before it hear him oh you know what he's saying he's really saying I've heard
him does our lord judge any man before it hear him I've heard him he's not going to tell them that and know what he doeth I've heard him and I know what he's
doing they answered and said unto him art thou
also for a few moments maybe maybe he thought they would say art thou also of
him
they answered and said unto him art thou also of Galilee search and look for out of Galilee ariseth no Prophet
wrong
Jonah the
prophet from G hea
Galilee same
place which begs a question brothers and sisters now remember what we said never more than three verses without asking yourselves one question this is the probing question here's my
question now we know the scribes and Pharisees they were very intellectual when it came to the scriptures so the question is why is it then that they did not recognize Jonah as being a
prophet a Jon Jonah being a prophet From gatha Galilee why was
that well this is my
suggestion here was a
man who had preached to the
Gentiles and was
successful so when they say to Jesus in the New Testament we be in we be Abraham seed and never been in bondage to any man
really why the whole history was being in bondage
throughout the judges that 450e
period we won't even talk about the Assyrians how they transposed Assyrians to Samaria and now they've got the Samaritans on the doorstep we won't even talk about what the Babylonians did in for the 70-year Captivity we could we could go on but be that as it
may we know the
facts search and look for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet and every man went onto his own house no chapter division Jesus went onto the Mount of
Olives and when we next
read of
Nicodemus it is over of course a little further on in the Gospel of John in chapter
19 the Lord Jesus is on the
cross and verse
38 verse 37 for connection and again another scripture saith they shall look on him whom they pierced now Mark that brothers and sisters because nothing is wasted they shall look on him whom they
pierced and after this Joseph of
ARA being a disciple of Jesus but
secretly for fear of the Jews besought pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus and pilate gave him leave he came therefore and took the body of Jesus and there came also Nicodemus which at the first came to Jesus by
night
is that the
answer did they meet at the foot of the cross and as Joseph of ARA reaches up for the body of
Jesus he sees alongside of him for the first
time
Nicodemus I didn't know you
were secret disciple I didn't know you were a secret disciple
or could it possibly be brothers and sisters that they both already knew when it says we know that thou art a teacher gone from God and no man can do these Miracles except God be with him was it the two of them as the
we could it possibly be brothers and sisters that maybe Nicodemus and Joseph of arthea had sat down
together
and have decided that one of them need to go to talk to the Lord Jesus Christ under the cover of
darkness and it is
Nicodemus who picks the Short
Straw whatever it was brothers and
sisters as they both reach up to bring the body of the Lord
down Nicodemus would have remembered the words of Jesus would he not as Moses lift up the serpent in the wilderness so also must a s man be lifted
up and draw all
men it would make more
sense the crucifixion the Brazen
Serpent and as they and now now look closely at the previous
verse when it says verse 37 and again another scripture sayth they shall look on him whom they
pierced that's what they had to do in the wilderness look in faith to the serpent the thing of brass that they too after they would gaze in
faith they would not die but
live so let's Zoom away from that scene brothers and
sisters and let's stand with the scribes and Pharisees and religious leaders of the day in the
Sanhedrin you can see them at a distance can't you with their binoculars you never guess who we can
see I don't believe it it's Nicodemus take a look and you can just see them can't you brother sisters looking through their binoculars looking and seeing he was a man now who was coming out of the
Shadows maybe we could have called our talk a different subject theme the man who came out of the Shadows he didn't care now who saw
him this man who was a secret
disciple or maybe they possibly met at the foot of the
cross for the first time
and that's where we would all
meet we must meet
there at the foot of the
cross where everything is thrown into sharp relief and we see clear clearer and we come out of the Shadows for men love Darkness rather than
light for the Lord knew what was in
man for he knew all
I'd like us to come back please brother and sisters to the Gospel of John if I may and chapter
8 and I want us to think for a few
moments about an incident which is I think quite masterful how the Lord Jesus Christ deals with this
situation a situation that was highly charged volatile
full of anger full of
Shame John chapter 8 verse
one Jesus went onto the Mount of Olives and early in the morning he came again into the temple and all the people came unto him and he sat down and taught them and the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in
adultery and when they had set her in the
midst now what happens brother and sisters we must take good note on
this the Lord Jesus Christ deals with this situation in a masterful
way and the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery and when they had set her in the midst they say unto him Master this woman was taken in adultery in the very act don't you
know never read more than three verses without asking yourself at least one question here is my
question where was the
man where was the
man this horrible situation brother and
sisters taken this woman in
adultery in the very act it says verse
four you can imagine the scene can't you her clothes if she had much on at
all was all over the
place her nakedness her shame was there for all to
see
the horror of it
all now Moses in the law commanded us that such should be stoned but what sayest
thou and here brothers and sisters is the Lord Jesus Christ in a masterful way how he deals with this
situation this they said tempting him that they might have to accuse him but Jesus stooped down with his finger wrote on the ground as though he heard them not Proverbs and not a fool according unto his folly he defuses a situation by stooping
down and here then brother sisters is a supreme example of the Lord Jesus Christ lest lest his the the son of God's eyes should
wonder he Stoops
down perhaps allowing the woman for a few
seconds to cover herself to straighten
herself in the midst of these horrid
men lest his eyes should gaze too
long but he would not sin with his eyes with his
mind he Stoops
down secondly he diffuses the
situation He makes himself
small and he wrote on the ground as though he heard them not what was he WR what was he
writing never read more than three verses without asking yourself at least one question what what was what was he
writing so when they continued asking him he lifted up himself and said unto them he that is without sin among you let him first cast a stone at
her and again he stooped down and wrote on the ground he diffuses the situation brother and
sisters
non-threatening he Stoops down and wrote on the ground what did he write what was he
writing and they which heard it being convicted by their own conscience went out one by one notice carefully beginning at the eldest even unto the last the eldest to the youngest why that
order well some say the older we
get the more sin we
commit and the more we become
conscious of our
weaknesses When We're Young we're full of
idealistic thoughts and we can take on the
world but as we grow older we realize just how much we need the
master but notice carefully from the eldest to the
youngest and again he stooped down and wrote on the ground what did he write and they which heard it being convicted by their own conscience went out one by one beginning at the
eldest when Jesus was left alone and the woman standing in the midst when Jesus had lifted up himself so three lifted up stoop down up down up down when Jesus had lifted up himself he said woman where are where are your
accusers no man hath condemned thee she said no no man Lord Jesus said to neither do I condemn thee go and sin no
more but what was he
writing I wonder if Jeremiah 17 helps let's go there very quickly Jeremiah chapter
17 verse
9 the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it absolutely right it is look how they treated that
woman
verse
13 12 for connection a glorious High Throne from the beginning is the place of our Sanctuary oh Lord the hope of Israel all that forsake thee shall be
ashamed and they that depart from me shall be written in the Earth because they have forsaken the Lord the Fountain of Living Waters what was he writing
well he knew what was in man he knew
all was it brothers and sisters that along with their names in the dust he wrote things that only they themselves knew about
themselves bre sisters I'm sure you will agree with me that if we knew
everything about
everyone if you knew everything about
me I don't think you probably want me to speak at your Barber class again well maybe it's probably feing might be mutual I don't know but these are the things brothers and sisters that the Lord Jesus Christ he knew
all and just
maybe as they looked and saw what he was writing
possibly they walked away
way from the eldest to the
youngest now look at verse 14 and think of the woman Heal Me Oh Lord and I shall be healed save me and I shall be saved for thou art my
praise well brother and sisters just a couple more minutes you've flown me in all the way from Birmingham to with you just two more minutes and brother Jim it's free of charge no Bible school fees to
pay last two references if I
may this phrase then from the eldest to the youngest come back please to Genesis chapter
43 now we we we probably know this one in Genesis chapter 43 remember when Joseph's brothers turn up gen genis
43 and we're going
in uh with with with with the the Sons The Brothers come and they all sit down to have a
meal verse 31 of Genesis
43 and he washed his face Joseph and went out and refrained himself and said set on bread and they set on for him by himself
and for them by themselves and for the Egyptians which did eat with him by themselves because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews for that is an Abomination unto Egyptians remember we know the
story they had no idea it was
Joseph and they sat before him the firstborn according to his Birthright and the youngest according to his
Youth and the men must marveled one at another hang on a minute we've come all this way from Canaan we've got the head of
Egypt and we sit down in a to have a meal and he sets places for us in chronological order Ruben Simeon Levi Judah Dan nathali Gad Asha Isa zebulin
Joseph he's over there and Benjamin you know I don't know if you ever seen that film um uh The Sound of Music you remember when the the children come down the stairs and they they're in regimented
order
now they're thinking I what are the chances of that
happening I'll tell you it's a factorial of
3,991 2016, 800 to1
no you don't believe me I'll tell you again it's a factorial of 3,991 2016, 800 to
one that's the chances of that happening in that right order Ruben Simeon Levi Judah Dan as isin Joseph
Benjamin now if you think I'm stretching the point he does it the second time because the first time he saying I know all about you my
brothers then the silver cup goes missing remember and then the soldiers chase after them to get the silver cut back Genesis uh chapter 44 and verse
22 Genesis 44 and verse uh verse 10 1112 remember then they the soldiers catch up with them and said look someone's taking the cup verse 11 then they speedily took down every man his sack to the ground and opened every man his sack notice carefully there under strict instructions by Joseph do it in this order and he searched and began at the
eldest and left at the youngest why because I know everything about
you now remember they've been chased and they sto their carts or whatever they
had and they go to search the sack of Ruby now I don't think for a moment they stood in line do you in chronological order just like Ruben Simeon levo and Judah they weren't regimented as that Ruby standing over there so to go to him then they go to Simeon over there Levi Judah Dan naala Gad aser Isa
zebulun Benjamin he's the last one
verse 12 and he searched and began at the eldest and left at the youngest and the cup was found in Benjamin
sck 3 million
96,00 to one factorial and he does it
twice now brother Steve you're you're a numbers man we get the
point and the point is this brothers and sister
SS Jesus is saying in the context of them going from
the eldest to the
youngest I know
everything
Joseph twice from the eldest to the
youngest the Lord Jesus Christ brother and sisters knows all and sees
all may it be that
our encounter with the
master because he knows and sees us all he knows what is in mind but in that great day when we have our encounter with the master upon the day of judgment he will find some good thing in us pray God we will be there through his Mercy to enter into his ever ever lasting Kingdom
amen