Nicodemus answered and said unto him,
How can these things be? (John 3:9)
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How can these things be? When Nicodemus heard
that he had to be born again, he became concerned
and asked Jesus, "Are you saying that a man must
enter into his mother's womb a second time and be
reborn?" Jesus explained that being born again isnot a physical experience but a spiritual one. Then
Jesus said,
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Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest
not these things? (John 3:10)
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The Israelites had been waiting eagerly for the birth
of the Christ. They had put all their hope in His
coming. But the Christ had actually come, and they
did not realize it.
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Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest
not these things?
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The teachers of Israel should have understood all
these things. The Jews had a highly developed system
of worshiping and offering sacrifices to God,
based on the five books of Moses. As they carefully
observed all these ceremonies, they cleansed
themselves of their sins once a year.
Even in the Old Testament, there are frequent references
to the Holy Spirit, but it seems that
Nicodemus had completely forgotten about these
important passages. So when this teacher of Israel
asked, "How can these things be?" Jesus said, "Art
thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these
things?" In the book of Ezekiel it says:
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Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you,
and ye shall be clean: from all your
filthiness, and from all your idols, will I
cleanse you. A new heart also will I give
you, and a new spirit will I put within you:
and I will take away the stony heart out of
your flesh, and I will give you an heart of
flesh. (Ezekiel 36:25-26)
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What did God say that He would give to man?
He said, "a new spirit will I put within you." He
announced in advance that He would put a new
spirit, the Spirit of God, within the hearts of men.
The prophets preached this message, and those who
had studied the Old Testament scriptures had heard
it and knew it. It seems that Nicodemus, however,
had completely forgotten about this new spirit.
Jesus was explaining to Nicodemus about the workings
of this spirit.
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