[I]. One night Jesus received visit from Nicodemus, a member of the religious leadership of His day. The subsequent discussion that took place was very revealing. The Pharisees were not ignorant of the fact that Jesus was from God. This was not an admission of suspicion but one of certainty. This begs the question, why did they not receive Him and embrace His message?
1. "And there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to Him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no man can do these miracles which you do unless God is with him."(John 3:1-2 MKJV)
[II]. God is a spirit and therefore his revelations are spiritually discerned and unless you are in tune with His spirit it is easy to miss Him completely. Nicodemus was most certainly not on the same wavelength as Jesus. He was on a spiritual wavelength while Nicodemus was stuck in the natural realm.
1. "Jesus answered and said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus said to Him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb and be born? Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless a man is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be born again. The Spirit breathes where He desires, and you hear His voice, but you do not know from where He comes, and where He goes; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said to Him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said to him, Are you the teacher of Israel and do not know these things?" (John 3:3-10 MKJV)
2. "But we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit from God, so that we might know the things that are freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:12-14 MKJV)
[III]. The Pharisee’s knew Christ was from God but would not receive His message. They did not submit to the truth because they were not seeking for it, they had their own agenda.
1. "Truly, truly, I say to you, We speak what we know and testify what we have seen. And you do not receive our witness. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how shall you believe if I tell you heavenly things? And no one has ascended up to Heaven except He who came down from Heaven, the Son of Man who is in Heaven." (John 3:11-13 MKJV)
[IV]. Let us look at the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead and that of Peter & John healing the crippled at the entrance to the temple. These were both undeniable miracles performed before many witnesses. They were irrefutable.
1. "Jesus said, Take away the stone. Martha, the sister of him who died, said to Him, Lord, by this time he stinks. For it is the fourth day. Jesus answered her, Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God? Then they took away the stone where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You hear Me always, but because of the people who stand by I said it, so that they may believe that You have sent Me. And saying these things, He cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, Here! Outside! And he who had died came out, bound hand and foot with sheets, and his face was bound with a cloth. Jesus said to them, Untie him and let him go! Then many of the Jews who came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on Him." (John 11:39-45 MKJV)
2. "And a certain man, who was lame from his mother's womb, was being carried. And they laid him daily at that temple gate which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered into the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. And fastening his eyes on him, Peter with John said, Look on us! And he paid heed to them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, Silver and gold have I none, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk! And taking him by the right hand, he lifted him up. And immediately his feet and ankle-bones received strength. And leaping up, he stood and walked and entered with them into the temple, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God. And they recognized him, that it was him who sat for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. And as the lame one who was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering. And seeing this, Peter answered the people, Men, Israelites, why do you marvel at this? Or why do you stare at us, as though we had made this man to walk by our own power or holiness? The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His son Jesus, whom you delivered up, denying Him in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to let Him go. But you denied the Holy and Just One and desired a murderer to be given to you. And you killed the Prince of Life, whom God has raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, this one whom you see and know, His name made firm. And the faith which came through Him has given him this perfect soundness before you." (Acts 3:2-16 MKJV)
[V]. Any neutral and sincere observer would believe and submit to truth, not so with the religious institution of the day. Their reaction was to attempt to suppress it to protect their power base.
1. "But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. Then the chief priests and Pharisees gathered a sanhedrin, and said, What can we do? For this man does many miracles. If we let him alone this way, all will believe on him. And the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation. And one of them, Caiaphas, being the high priest of that year, said to them, You do not know anything at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation perish. And he did not speak this of himself, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation; and not for that nation only, but also that He should gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad. Then from that day they took counsel together that they might kill Him." (John 11:46-53 MKJV)
2. "And as they spoke to the people, the priests, and the temple commander, and the Sadducees came on them, being grieved that they taught the people, even to announce through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them and put them under guard until the next day, for it was already evening. But many of those who heard the Word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand. And it happened on the next day that their rulers and elders and scribes, gathered to Jerusalem, and Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest. And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name have you done this? Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, Rulers of the people and elders of Israel, if we are examined today on a good work for an infirm man, by what this one has been healed, be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, in this name does this man stand before you whole. This is the Stone which you builders have counted worthless, and He has become the Head of the Corner. And there is salvation in no other One; for there is no other name under Heaven given among men by which we must be saved. But seeing the boldness of Peter and John, and perceiving that they were unlearned and uneducated men, they marveled. And they recognized them, that they had been with Jesus. And beholding the man who was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. And when they had commanded them to go aside out of the sanhedrin, they conferred among themselves, saying, What shall we do to these men? For that indeed a notable miracle has been done by them is plain to all those dwelling in Jerusalem. And we cannot deny it. But, so that it spread no further among the people, let us strictly threaten them, that they speak to no man in this name from now on. And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all, nor to teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, Whether it is right before God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way as to how they might punish them, because of the people. For all glorified God for that which was done." (Acts 4:1-21 MKJV)
3. "I have spoken these things to you so that you should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogue. But an hour is coming that everyone who kills you will think that he bears God service. And they will do these things to you because they have not known the Father nor Me. But I have told you these things so that when the hour shall come you may remember that I told you of them. And I did not say these things to you at the beginning because I was with you." (John 16:1-4 MKJV)
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Religion, a system of death
Intent on instructing the dead
On how to live the life, they do not have
Versed in talking the living into mimicking the dead
No wonder it causes a stink in His nostrils
Parading around the dead as the living
Celebrating the dead while trampling on the living
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What else can be expected?
From the product of dead men’s hands
A feeble attempt to do in human flesh
What only divine life can
Loyal to the death
To the "god" of their own creation
Misrepresenting the God of all creation
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The true and living God they claim to know
To Him they are unknown
Lulling the dead into a false hope of life
Putting those who espouse true life to the knife
Truer words have not been said
"Let the dead bury their dead"
Come into union with the way, truth and life
Intimate relationship with the God of the living
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(To be continued..)
Every Blessing
Breadoflife
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