John 3:9-13 - Homiletics

The advent of a wholly new teaching.

Nicodemus asks in surprise, "How can these things be?" And Jesus, with equal surprise, asks how a teacher in Israel can be ignorant of them. Then he discloses a new scheme of truth.

I. THE NEW TEACHING "We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen." Mark:

1 . Its nature. "That we do know."

2 . Its source. "That we have seen." Man believes, for he must here walk by faith, not by sight; but Jesus sees. He has seen heaven, and knows all heavenly realities by immediate intuition.

3 . It is truth to be openly declared. "We speak … we testify." Jesus and his disciples are witnesses to the truth.

4 . Yet it was rejected by the rabbinical teachers. "And ye receive not our testimony."

II. FAITH IS NEEDED FOR THE RECEPTION OF THIS NEW TEACHING . "If I told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things?" There is an evident contrast between two classes of truths.

1 . Earthly things.

2 . Heavenly things. These are the secrets of Heaven which are to be received on the word of Christ. The knowledge of earthly things will initiate us into the knowledge of heavenly things. Evidently our Lord classes among heavenly things the revelation he makes in the following verses respecting the Person and work of Jesus Christ.

III. THE AUTHOR OF THE NEW TEACHING . "And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man who is in heaven." Jesus knows heavenly things because heaven is his native home.

1 . These words imply the Incarnation of the Son of God ; for they imply his pre-existence.

2 . They imply his possession of two natures in one Person ; for he who is the Son of man as to his human nature, is in heaven in his Divine nature.

3 . They imply that during his human life he received an immediate intuition of heavenly things.

4 . They imply that heaven is a place as well as a state.