March 17, 1999

FAMILY BIBLE SERIES
Jesus holds all the answers
to life's pop quizzes
___ John 3:1-21
___By Thomas Lea
___Southwestern Seminary
___At age 3 my grandson learned to use the word "why." If, for example, he placed his hands near a hot stove, we would warn him not to touch. He would ask, "Why?" If we warned him not to stick his hand through our wooden fence to touch the dogs in the next yard, he responded with "Why?" He has an inquiring mind. In his own way he was seeking answers for his life. Usually our explanations satisfied and helped him.
___The lesson this week reminds that Jesus provides answers to life's deepest spiritual questions. We must seek, probe and push for spiritual help. This will allow us to discover solutions for our questions from Jesus.
___ Seeking (John 3:1-3). Nicodemus was a prominent Pharisee who came to Jesus seeking information. Jesus' miracles had drawn Nicodemus to him. His bold approach to Jesus can encourage us to come to Jesus with all our concerns and questions.
___Jesus startled him with the abrupt statement that participating in God's kingdom required spiritual rebirth. To be "born again" demands a transformation so a person can enter and experience another world.
___ Probing (John 3:4-8). Nicodemus failed to understand Jesus' reply. He asked, "How can a person with habits fixed by age and culture change?"
___Jesus explained that regeneration came from a repentance symbolized by baptism. It involved a transformation which only the Holy Spirit could produce.
___Jesus added that entering the kingdom came by a direct act of God (vv. 6-8). To illustrate his teaching, he taught that we could know the reality of wind even though we did not know its origin and destination. We also can see the reality of spiritual change even though we cannot explain its process by reasoning.
___ Pushing (John 3:9-12). Nicodemus's reply, "How can these things be?" was a request for direction. Nothing in Judaism had promised what he heard Jesus explain. He wanted this experience as his own.
___Jesus felt Nicodemus was a prominent teacher who should have been able to understand the new birth. Jesus challenged him by saying Nicodemus should have been able to understand the nature analogies (v. 8) in his teaching.
___ Discovering (John 3:13-17). Nicodemus wanted to receive from Jesus an assurance of fellowship and acceptance with God. Jesus promised him that just as Moses had lifted up the serpent in the Old Testament (Num. 21:4-9), he would be lifted up on the cross. Whoever looked to Jesus in faith would receive eternal life. Eternal life involves life unending in length and deep in quality. Jesus' sacrificial death makes eternal life possible. To receive this life requires belief in him. To perish, we continue our present life without doing anything.
___Life's deepest questions revolve around how we can be right with God and experience his blessings. We must seek the ans-wers only Jesus can provide. That requires faith commitment to him.

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