The true new birth
Jesus, in his goodness, took care of all people; all classes of people and of all conditions.
What is written about Him in the Bible only shows us a tiny part of what He did, but it still shows us that He loved everyone. He knew that all men needed to be saved, and so he took care of them in his own way. And if I say in his own way, it’s because that’s how he acted from the very beginning. The Scriptures as a whole are there to teach us these things.
It is obvious that, according to the social or family category of men, or even depending on their birth, their name, their rank, or whatever, men, although all equal before God, have an “external” life that is different from one another.
But it is not the outward that matters; what matters is what is inward, and that is precisely what Jesus came to deal with.
Jesus, as the “unique sacrifice“, could have given his Life as a ransom and then gone back to the Father. The payment, the redemption, would have been made anyway.
But no, Jesus, by all his marvelous deeds that ended up nailing him to a cross like a criminal, wanted to show by this “where exactly was the evil“, the root of evil.
So Jesus took care of saving a wide variety of people, especially those most in danger. He said this by evoking the hundredth sheep that the shepherd put before the other 99, because it was the most in danger.
Among these sheep in great danger, there were also, therefore, all those who were teaching people, but falsely. Most of these people, indeed, were totally unaware that they were in error, and that is why Jesus particularly took care of them.
So if you like, today we will look at a man whom Jesus dealt with in a very special way. He used a method that was really well suited to a doctor of the law/a lawyer.
This man was called Nicodemus.
Nicodemus, it is, -in a generalised way- “the new birth“. It is like Noah is the ark; Jonah is the big fish; Moses is the law of the ten commandments; Samson is necessarily Delilah, and so on.
All these themes have been so overused that even salt could lose its flavor, as Jesus declared, in whom we normally believe.
So if the actions of Jesus -in whom you believe-, please you and rejoice your heart, I suggest that we examine a little more closely the Scriptures about Nicodemus, “the doctor/teacher of the law“.
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God gave…
We are in the Gospel of John, chapter 3.
3 ; 1-2 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”
3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh -is flesh-, and that which is born of the Spirit -is spirit-.
7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’
8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes.
So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?”
10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?
11 Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.
(Here Jesus does not speak only about Himself).
12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. 1
14-15 And as Moses “lifted up the serpent in the wilderness“, -even so- must the “Son of Man“ be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
16 For God “so loved the world“ that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the “only begotten Son of God“.
19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. (So they knew it)
20 For everyone practicing evil “hates the light“ and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
21 But he who does the truth “comes to the light“, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” (in this case). 2
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Do you realise what is being said here?
Firstly, Jesus says,
– That He had already come into the “world,” even though he was born in Bethlehem but living in Nazareth, and preaching mainly to the Jews.
– And secondly He said that all those who did not come to Him did evil.
– He says that this is the reason why they did not come to Him.
And Jesus adds that “if they do evil, it is because they know that their deeds are evil“.
He further says that whoever regularly does evil but does not come to the light, necessarily refuses to come to Jesus, the Light of the world, for fear that his evil deeds will be exposed.
It is therefore a vicious circle; and to get out of it we must come to Jesus the Saviour as we are.
Yet this is precisely what Nicodemus did, he alone among the Pharisees.
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What should we think of all this? Let’s look at it in a little more detail :
Nicodemus, a doctor of the law, comes therefore at night to see Jesus. And, in your opinion, who did he come to see ?
He comes to see “a Light that shines in the night“.
A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; (For) he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. (Indeed, someone who walks surrounded by darkness does not know exactly where he is going. He is no more equipped than a blind man. He can handle the things that are right in front of his eyes; but as for knowing where he is going it is almost impossible. And I am inclined to think that when Jesus speaks like this, he does so in a general way for all men.
While you have the light (in your midst), believe in “the light” (which He Himself represents), that you may become (you too) “sons of light“.
(Here the Link is formally established by Jesus between believing and being. (Become).“
I am very surprised when I hear such words, because in principle we don’t need to believe in a light, since it is there to enlighten us, this light. But go figure with such words…
He was telling them this way that it was not enough to believe in Him alone, but rather to believe in the Light that He represented, so that they too could become, and thanks to it, “sons of light“!
I often say that faith is a spiritual link that exists between us and God. See for yourselves if this is true in its general sense.
No one can invoke God if he does not believe in Him, otherwise he would not even invoke Him. However, the reality is that many, unfortunately, do not really know the One they are yet calling on. So very often they ask the wrong way, or amiss.
And now Nicodemus was doing exactly what Jesus was advocating: he was coming to the Light, believing in Him. For if he can say “come from God” and then he, Nicodemus, comes to Jesus, he must have believed in Him somewhere, otherwise he would not even have taken a step towards Him.
I also note that, even though Nicodemus had come by night, Jesus did not make any remarks to him about it. He did not call him a coward, for example. No. He was simply saying that those who come to the Light in this state of mind of faith will also become children of light. And the Light was Him, Jesus…
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Even though he was not aware of acting wrongly in his life, there must nevertheless have been something wrong with Nicodemus, since Jesus was proposing to those who came to listen to him to “become sons of light”…??? But when we are in the process of “becoming“, it is precisely because the thing is not yet.
And He Nicodemus was coming to this famous light…
So if I understand correctly, I think that Nicodemus didn’t feel much like one of these “sons of light“. He must have felt it in Himself.
When you have enough light you don’t come looking for it, it seems to me.
Astonishing Nicodemus, as an “honest man” in the first place !
At that time Nicodemus was not yet a disciple of Jesus; but he already had the look of one, and especially the “way of acting“. Going to see Jesus when you don’t really know, is the indelible mark of a future disciple, and even of a disciple at all.
Nicodemus, indeed, strongly looked like what Jesus said: “But he who does the truth ‘comes to the light‘, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.“
Nicodemus therefore came to Jesus, the Light, so that his works as a teacher of the law might be made manifest, that is, “brought to light“.
He was not hiding from it. For him they were “made in God“, his works, since Nicodemus followed the law. It was just that, seeing Jesus being what He was; seeing Him acting, teaching His doctrine, and moreover “doing miracles“, he found in it something really “other”. Yes, something totally “other”.
So he came to Him, the true Light, the one that is “other”, so that all his works as a “doctor of law“ could be brought to light in relation to Jesus and his “other light“.
Very noble state of heart in truth, that of Nicodemus.
Few men, -starting with me-, and especially those who call themselves “doctors of the law“, have taken this noble step; a step which is nevertheless natural for a Christian, to come to Jesus when we are not too sure of ourselves and of our “Christian life“.
There was a time in my life when I kept hearing that we had to “come to Jesus“. But for me it was something abstract. I didn’t understand what it meant.
However, this kind of fog, created by words and phrases without any real substance, gradually led me to entrust myself to Him, as if blindly, because I had no other way out than this.
And it was from there that everything began for me, because, indeed, the answers I was waiting for came to me in the course of my real needs, a long time after the usual “come to Jesus” with no real content, no real substance, like trompe l’oeil, like mirages.
Yes, phrases, words… Calls, invitations, but without knowing to “whom” exactly I was being invited. And for good reason : Jesus had never been introduced to me.
What was presented to me through the preachers’ words were certain needs, vague, but not the one that was supposed to take care of them. I was told what I needed, apparently, but I was not convinced. Me, I needed a person, but instead they presented me my “needs”…
How can we believe in the One we do not know? Is it not the job of the workers to make sure that we know Him, so that we come to believe in Him?
Jesus indeed said “believe in ME“… That is, in Him, who was there, before them.
Since then, I do the opposite : I make sure to no longer say “come to Jesus” to others, but I do my best to introduce Him, -Him-, through the Scriptures and the Spirit of the Scriptures, so that then those who will have caught a glimpse of Him, will come to love Him, be saved by Him and follow Him.
Others will be allowed to not want Him, nor what He represents. It will be their choice; for in love there can be no obligation whatsoever. Otherwise it would be something forced.
But Jesus calls; He does not force anyone !
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To come back to Nicodemus, he was of the Pharisee caste.
Clearly, Nicodemus did not live well this law he practised and taught. The proof is that he recognised in Jesus a “teacher come from God“, that is, a teacher who preached and lived a law that was very different from the one he, Nicodemus, lived. Otherwise he would not have said: “Teacher come from God“.
Speaking in this way, Nicodemus was then presenting himself as a simple “teacher of the Scriptures“, that is, without the “come from God” that he attributed to Jesus alone. In this, too, Nicodemus was very honest with Jesus.
He was thus implicitly acknowledging that he, Nicodemus, as well as his colleagues, had not necessarily been “sent from God. That they had been in place for a long time, but that Jesus, sent by God, was there, now, and that they wanted to tell him openly.
In sum, Nicodemus felt, in the depths of his being, the need to live “something other than what he was living at present“.
“But how could such a thing happen,” he thought ?
So he comes to see Jesus by night; this Jesus who attracts him so much, to the point of accepting to be “the representative of his other colleagues”… A bit like an ambassador.
– How to approach him ?
– What should I say to him ?
– How do I tell him ?
Here is a little of Nicodemus’ state of heart that night, and that I propose to your personal perception of the matter.
So, not really knowing what to tell him, he simply tells him what he and the others think of Him. He indeed says that they know… That it is obvious to them that he comes from God.
We see at the same time that he was not very happy, Nicodemus; not very reassured either. His “doctoral discipline” certainly did not satisfy him.
However, I am convinced that this man was not doing what was evil, and that his “works” did not seem evil to him either, otherwise, as the previous text says, he would not have come before Jesus, the Light. For if his deeds had been evil, he simply would not have come to Jesus, for fear of being revealed in his “evil deeds“.
Rather, I believe that Nicodemus and his colleagues had unanswered questions. If he had had those answers, he would not have come to Jesus.
But how to ask these famous questions ??? Or : “How to ask questions when you don’t even know your need ? When you don’t know how to target it” ?
Not really knowing how to approach him, he then says to Jesus: “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”
Statement perfectly clear in itself.
Thus we see that Nicodemus gave the title of “teacher” to Jesus… Why ?
Well, because, according to him and the other teachers, he “did miracles”…
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A teacher… A teacher “come from God“…
I wonder if the fact of speaking to Jesus in this way, was not made as to create a kind of friendly link between him and Jesus, link of friendship that would have been found between two “doctors“. A bit like an “identification between him and Jesus” through a common work : the doctorate. Like two people who would be supposed to understand and appreciate each other through their common work. Which is normal in itself.
However, let’s not forget that Nicodemus was speaking on behalf of all the other teachers. (We know…) That is no mean feat !… He is clearly saying what he has heard from other teachers… even though they are not there, at the place of this personal encounter, so personal !
Peut-être aussi que pour lui, le titre de «docteur» était le titre le plus digne qu’il pouvait donner à un homme, et donc à Jésus. Je dis cela car on voit bien que Nicodème avait de bonnes dispositions envers Lui.
Perhaps also, for him, the title of “teacher” was the most dignified title that he could give to a man, and therefore to Jesus. I say this because it is clear that Nicodemus was well disposed towards Him.
Nevertheless, what surprises me a little is that Nicodemus associated the title of “teacher come from God” with the fact of “doing miracles…” At least that was the conclusion of “all the other teachers“, in addition to Nicodemus’ -personal- conclusion.
Here, I don’t quite understand. I don’t quite understand because as a “doctor of the law“, Nicodemus should have known that the Scriptures do not mention the case of a doctor of the law who “did miracles“. Personally, I don’t know of any in the Scriptures. But then, I may have forgotten; or I may not have read carefully enough.
– It may also be that for Nicodemus, a “doctor” was not necessarily the idea that we might have of him.
– Perhaps he had a much higher view of it, and therefore found this “higher notion” in men of God quoted in the Scriptures, and whom we do not necessarily think of.
– Perhaps Nicodemus really had seen in the Scriptures the case of “teachers doing miracles“. Maybe even Moses after all, since he proclaimed the Word of God and did miracles in His Name ….
– Perhaps he also attributed the title of doctor to all the prophets who did miracles? I do not know exactly.
But in the end, wasn’t the association of “teacher” and “teacher doing miracles“ for Nicodemus the highest point of view he attributed to Jesus ?
Maybe so, after all. I’m even leaning that way.
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So what to think of this notion that existed in the thoughts of all those doctors of the law: “God has sent us a teacher”… Because it seems to me that this is what they believed, those doctors.
In sum, they thought that all the people, including themselves, needed a teacher of high rank, able to solve their problems of “bad living” before the Lord. It was as if the Lord no longer agreed with their lives and their practices, and so He sent them a “great teacher” equal to the task.
I think that’s it, because if for them it was about bad deeds and serious sins, then these teachers would have said: “We know that you are someone that God sends to us to rebuke us”, for example.
But no, they knew. They knew inside themselves that Jesus was mainly a “teacher“. And that’s quite normal since they heard him teach the crowds. Even if his teaching was really different from theirs, Jesus taught.
Indeed, when Jesus taught, He did so in such a way that those who heard Him were captivated by the wisdom of this teaching, which meant that everyone, great or small, could grasp it in because of the obviousness of it.
Moreover, Jesus did it in such a way that everything would be brought back to his Father; so that people would come to believe in the Father and also to believe in Him, the one his Father was sending them as intermediary and Saviour. That after Moses the Lord was now sending them “another intermediary”…
There were even times when Jesus taught by means of miracles; like something done to support what he had just taught… When this happened, it was then the miracle itself that taught, without any additional word…
So yes, for these doctors of the law, when they said through Nicodemus’ mouth that they knew that Jesus was a teacher come from God, it was because they really thought so, even if this famous “doctorate” was far beyond them. In sum, they had no other term to use than teacher.
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But to come back to Nicodemus and his colleagues, I wonder why they did not give him at least the title of “prophet come from God“? There was also John the Baptist after all, who preceded him and to whom was attached the title of “prophet of the Highest“!
Personally, I am inclined to think that if Nicodemus was thus able to give the title of “teacher” to the “carpenter’s son“, it was because he was making the link with the general teaching that Jesus was giving around Him; “teacher come from God” being, -for him-, “the high expression of the true doctorate“.
With this in mind, frankly, would you move by night to say such high and noble things to someone in particular to say to him: “Master, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him “.
Would you make that kind of statement? No, when you go out at night to see someone, it is not to say flattery, compliments, even if they were not.
No, in principle, when you come to see someone at night, it’s because there’s an emergency, and this in relation to a situation. Something serious enough; something important. But here, at this very particular moment, Nicodemus was only saying to Jesus: We know… We must therefore conclude that Nicodemus and his colleagues were not talking about something serious that needed to be dealt with as soon as possible.
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But will you now look with me at the subtlety of the inspired text? For indeed when I say that this statement by Nicodemus contained nothing else, it is false. It is true and it is false at the same time.
Indeed, in the quoted text by Nicodemus, it is true; but in the “rest of the text“, it is false.
Why ? Because the inspired text goes on like this: “Jesus answered and said to him”…
But how is this possible? There was yet no question in the statement made by Nicodemus and his colleagues ! There was only one statement, which is this: “Master, we know that You are a teacher “come from God“; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him“.
So there was, indeed, no special question in this general statement made by Nicodemus on behalf of all the doctors.
What do we usually answer to ? Isn’t it to a question? But it is precisely written that Jesus answered…
But so where was that question, someone might ask? You will not find it anywhere, because it does not exist in the written text. The question only exists by the fact that Jesus knew about it, and it was this “unwritten” question that he answered to in his own way.
Therefore, if we are willing to admit it, it is Jesus’ answer to this “no question” that is supposed to reveal to us what all these doctors wanted to ask to Jesus, Nicodemus being their spokesman.
And what was that question, in that case ? To try to find out, let’s first read what Jesus answered to this question ; which was not asked, but asked all the same :
Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Astonishing ! It seems like Jesus is changing chapters altogether. They’re talking about some kind of super doctorate, and He, Jesus, is talking to them about another way of seeing. To see a Kingdom from now on; a Kingdom of God… Something unknown at the time. But Jesus also declared that this Kingdom had come unto them…
– Has anyone ever seen a kingdom of any kind come to anyone ?
– Isn’t it rather the contrary ?
– Isn’t it usually the man who is supposed to go in the direction of a kingdom ?
– A Kingdom that moves…
– Which moves in a man…
– And now He says that in order to “see” this Kingdom, one must be born again. To be born of the Spirit…
– Would it be then that this kingdom is “spirit” rather than “matter” ?
– Sometimes, by speaking like this, wasn’t Jesus bringing out something very special in Nicodemus ?
– Expressing a new notion, isn’t it at the same time creating it in the other person who is listening ?
And so, little by little, by speaking in this way, Jesus will create in Nicodemus a new notion, a new approach that was supposed to detach him from the things of the earth, which deprived him of the kingdom… of God ! This God who is, He, in his place : Heaven. Heaven which nevertheless moved towards man through the coming of the Son. The Son of this very God.
But by the way, aren’t we, too, a bit in the situation of Nicodemus from time to time ?
What our eyes turned towards ?
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But I would now like to return to the general situation of this so particular moment :
“Master, we know that You are a teacher “come from God“; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him“.
In the “Master” (/Rabbi), we hear well the sense of “Master in doctorate”…
Therefore, this is what Nicodemus said first to Jesus that night.
For these doctors Jesus was therefore a Master, followed by the term teacher. So in sum a super-teacher…
Jesus, He, spoke of His doctrine, and moreover He said that it did not come from Him. So it came from somewhere else. He didn’t say of himself that he was a teacher, but that he had a doctrine; a doctrine that didn’t come from him but from his Father. No matter how much Jesus said these things, it didn’t seem to go in, and for good reason…
Who would indeed believe in a doctrine coming from a distant god ? An invisible god in an invisible kingdom, and who would have a son moreover… So necessarily a wife, also invisible but real…
It is true that there was Mary, his mother, but sincerely she had nothing of a goddess.
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But I would like to go back a long way again, for fear of obscuring the general situation by which we can visualise the whole picture; and which is no small matter !
Nicodemus did not ask any questions indeed ; he only claimed one thing: “We know…” In sum Nicodemus was being the “faithful spokesman of all the other doctors.“
Where was the problem with the other doctors in this case? Indeed, if Jesus was for them a teacher “come from God“, why didn’t all his colleagues naturally side with him, the famous “teacher come from God“?
Between doctors, wouldn’t that have been normal ?
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In truth, Jesus possessed something in Himself something that all those teachers did not have. They lacked that little spark of divine Life, that makes everything change when it comes to someone.
Worse : They were perhaps not too sure that their deeds were sufficiently clear-cut and right to come and present them “to the Light” ….
Let’s not forget what we read above :
For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be “exposed“.
And Jesus had also said this :
“But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be “clearly seen“, that they have been done in God.” (in this case).
So there were “some and others“; and Nicodemus, -the man alone-, found himself to be, we don’t know why exactly, the representative of all, in this so particular encounter with Jesus, so personal…
So what was the difference between Nicodemus and the other doctors ?
There was that Nicodemus came to Jesus, and the others, did not: 3; 1-2 There was a man “of the Pharisees“ named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. -This man- came to Jesus -by night- etc.
The –this man– making the difference here.
Why? Perhaps because of what we have just read above: “But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be “clearly seen“, that they have been done “in God“.”
These doctors of the law were apparently unable to make the connection between what was written about a “Saviour to come” and the One who was there, before them, because something prevented them from doing so.
Jesus knew it well. He knew indeed what their “deeds” were. He knew by whom and by what they were produced; that is why he said this to Nicodemus as a remedy :
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
18 He who believes in Him is not condemned ; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (Jesus/Savior)
That’s it, the tone is set. Jesus declares here, in the most solemn way possible, who is “not condemned” and who is “condemned“. For he or she who believes in Him does not even have to go through the judgment in this case :
John 5 ; 24 : Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me (therefore in the Father) has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
We clearly see here that Jesus only talks about believing the Father, that’s all! And all this by means of His Word ! His own Word, Jesus, which precisely brings people to the Father.
Obviously, such a clear-cut statement seriously clears up some confused grounds caused by various doctrines that are only pure invention.
But let’s look at the same time that it was about listening to the Word of the only begotten Son of God. Listening to what -He-, was saying on behalf of the Father, so that man could precisely come to believe in the Father.
But how can we get to know him, this famous Son, in order to believe in Him and above all to come to listen conscientiously to His Word? For it is obvious that in order to believe in his Word, we must first and foremost believe in Him, isn’t it ?
This is what Jesus will undertake to do for this honest man named Nicodemus, so that he will believe in Him, first. And in order to do this, he will take him little by little from the visible to the invisible.
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Jesus knew Nicodemus’ heart; he knew his urgent need. The Spirit of Christ was working in the depths of his being.
In fact, it was the Father who drew Nicodemus unto Jesus, and at the same time the Spirit of Christ worked on him so that Nicodemus would believe in the Father, thanks to this “other” side of Jesus. Other than his current normality.
Indeed, I think that Nicodemus believed “in God“, but not necessarily “in the Father“.
And what about us ???…
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We clearly see here that the work of Jesus, -among others-, was that people come to “believe in God” and especially to “believe in the Father“.
Jesus said “my Father“, but his work, which still continues today, is that men should also be able to say “Our Father“. Yes, that there should be total reunion on this precise point, which speaks more of a father than of a god. A somewhat vague, distant god, unlike a father, who is a relative, and who proves it.
Moreover, Jesus declared here, most formally of all, that anyone who believes in the One who sent Jesus has already passed from death to Life, and that in this Life there is no judgment, because there is only Life in that “other place“.
Indeed, it is in “judgment” that evil and possible condemnation are found; not in LIFE !
It was the moment for Nicodemus to have “The” encounter in Spirit and in truth with Jesus, even though Jesus had not yet passed through the cross.
This encounter had become the most urgent among many others, in Nicodemus.
For Nicodemus, the day was reserved for the law and its doctorate; and the night… well it was for Jesus; to go and see the light that shone during the night…
So Nicodemus’ schedule was busy. He must not have slept much. And I’m inclined to think that many men must not sleep much, until they have had that same kind of encounter with Jesus.
But afterwards, yes! Afterwards he sleeps well and even a lot, because he is at peace with God. And when you are at peace with God, you are finally at peace with yourself, that self that used to disgust you, but now serves as an “instrument of Justice“.
It was essential for him to meet this Jesus “differently than usual“, as for example when he heard him teaching everywhere. In those moments Jesus was “other” than what he appeared to be by his physical appearance, because it was His Word that took precedence over what he was physically. (He had no beauty, nor comeliness…)
Yes, he needed something else as a “doctor of the law“, to Nicodemus. He needed a “personalised” teaching. Jesus had to tell him something personal, adapted to his real need, and moreover adapted to a teacher; someone who is supposed to transmit what he knows, because that’s his job.
In fact, I think that this is the need of all men, doctors of law or not : Having a personalised teaching by Jesus. A teaching for oneself, on a case-by-case basis.
For there to be confidence, there has to be “coherence in the teaching given“. This is vital !
No one can be satisfied with things that are “just about right“; and if he is satisfied with them, then I fear for him; the first wind of doctrine will be for him, and with it the snares of the evil one : “Everything that seems beautiful“.
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But before going any further, let’s bear in mind that it was first of all to a doctor of the law – a Jew – that Jesus made this famous statement about “being born again“. It was not to the nations. Even the apostle Paul put the subject of this new birth on the back burner.
It’s no mean feat to insert this additional notion into our personal space of understanding ! It changes a lot of things indeed.
It is not we, the nations, who received the “oracles of God“. It was the Jews who received them in the first place. Now here Jesus was talking to a Jewish doctor of the law… who also had these famous oracles. So something that had to be heard more than read.
Yes, this was addressed first and foremost to Jews, and especially to Jews “under the law“… Under the law of death and condemnation! 3
So the Jews had to be served first, didn’t they? And isn’t it justice that the one who is under condemnation should be served first ?
And that’s precisely what Jesus did. Then came the apostle Paul and his very spiritual teaching which encompassed all things “in Christ” :
“If any man is ‘in Christ‘, he is a new creature“.
Was Nicodemus “in Christ ?” No, not yet. Later, he was. We will see this later in this document, and others on the same subject.
—
Nicodemus therefore needed to “be in Christ“, which is the total fulfillment of the “new birth” ; its completion, as it were.
However, to be in Christ is to be “in the Eternal” (that is, the Lord). To have finally seen oneself in the Eternal, through His own Work !
For it is only when we see through other eyes that we are in Christ, that we are truly born again.
So yes, in this case and indeed, all things have become new.
This is not at all a kind of “creed” that we quote over and over again during evangelical services, but a living reality !
For indeed, I must unfortunately note that these texts, so often repeated as “repetitions“, are not lived as such. They are only limited to a “knowledge”.
We should rather be “rebels to this kind of thing, of the order of: “Knowledge for knowledge’s sake, I accept that easily; I like that”…
—
So, to come back to the subject of being born again, if we “voluntarily pass over” the fact that, as soon as He began to undertake Nicodemus, Jesus quoted the painful and serious episode in Numbers 21 when He evoked the “and as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness…“, then we will certainly miss the essential point of the situation, and even the whole subject; a situation that Jesus had wanted to create precisely by speaking in this way to Nicodemus the doctor… Yes the doctor of the law who also knew well “the Scriptures“… Only it so happened that Jesus was obliged to say to him on this subject: “do you not know these things ? »
Indeed, I am unfortunately obliged to note that the system of churches that I call “Christianity“, –(sorry I don’t have any other term available)-, this Christianity never evokes, indeed, the passage of Numbers 21 which Jesus yet quoted to Nicodemus who precisely needed to “be born of the Spirit“.
We easily quote “John 3:16“. It is quoted as if it was a trophy. It is even quoted as being the most beautiful verse in the whole Bible, but always omitting the passage from Numbers 21 which is nevertheless contained in the whole passage in question !
How strange all this is !
They say to those who listen: “You must be born again“, that’s for sure, but without evoking or explaining the text that Jesus yet quoted, and by which the one who listens is supposed to be born again. At least if he understands the secret hidden in it, a secret that allows one to see what can not be seen. Because to see what can’t be seen, it is necessary that “eyes made to see” must be created, as it is written, but in reverse in this case, and for profit.
For indeed, if the Scripture declares on several occasions : “They have eyes to see but they do not see“, it is towards those who live under a regime that allows this kind of anomaly, this kind of amputation of the senses. But for those who no longer want this slavery, then they have the right, as a bonus, to receive the famous eyes that see and the famous ears made to hear. They don’t have to look for it because it is a gift !
Let me continue :
The result? Well, whoever reads this passage with one part cut out, namely Numbers 21, will not be born again; he will not receive new eyes to see.
So, as it is said that “God so loved“, he will take up the theme of “love“, but without understanding “in what exactly God so loved the world“, and even less understanding what happened on the cross, except in a very… “technical“, technological way. He will live and teach theology, but without the living God of this famous theology.
If you are in a completely dark room and someone knows where the light switch is and turns it on, do you think the person who was previously in the dark will have to be “taught to see“? No, certainly not, because you don’t gives commands to open eyes; they work by themselves.
Therefore, we can have confidence, brothers and sisters, because in this case we have with us the One who is “for us“! ! Yes I say “for us”, and not “with us“, because in this case it is His approval, and not mine.
I can assure you that no one is born again by reading John 3:16 alone, that is, without the explanation that Jesus gives by quoting Numbers 21. It is impossible, because in this case the whole text is amputated from the Divine Means that is the Spirit to know and understand the whole thing that God has put in place, not “just to say his love” (so loved), but to give us the details of it, and especially to “show us its greatness” by amplification ; by amplification of the Spirit !
In sum, on the cross there is indeed the forgiveness of sins, yes, but we do not necessarily know that a gift is also provided in it, the gift of the Spirit, which is precisely given so that we can see the whole picture, and especially the “so loved” that Jesus declared with the strength that the Spirit gives.
I would like to make a parenthesis here, because I am afraid that a certain vagueness reaches you because of the lack of precise information. Indeed, the sentences above only “evoke something“, but without giving what should fill it.
So you should be aware that if it is like this, it is because I can’t do otherwise. I mean that, there is a beginning and an end, and that there is also an in-between necessarily.
In what I wrote above, I mention the fact that if we preach John 3:16 and leave out Numbers 21, which is nevertheless part of it, then we will miss the essential of the general content that Jesus wants to show us. But it will be later, towards the end, that the solution and especially the clarification will come; then you will understand in a much greater way what I am evoking here in a very partial way.
So see you later, if you don’t mind.
So Jesus tells us that God so loved, while it was his son who was on the cross…
– Does this make sense ?
– Is this reasonable for human reason ?
– Who loved ?
– Who “so” loved the world ?
– Who said that ? The Father ? The Son ?
– But… isn’t it Jesus who declared that it is God himself who so loved the world ?
– How can we understand these things ?
– How can we understand that it is the son, who was crucified, who said that in this precise moment, God so loved everyone ?
– Isn’t there an anomaly ?
I think this is what the apostle Paul also understood or received by revelation when he declared this : “that God was ‘in Christ‘ reconciling the world to Himself.“
Did Paul make this statement just like that, to explain something, or because he received the same thing that I propose to you below, in the form of a questionnaire to answer face to face with oneself :
– Where did it take place ?
– On the cross or somewhere else ?
– Or both ?
– Where exactly “God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself” ?
– Wasn’t it on the way that leads to the promised land ?
– Wasn’t this promised land promised to those of faith ?
– And so who is the invisible way made visible ?
– And us, where were we ?
– And the world saved then, was it just the world of that time ?
– And wasn’t the Spirit, who was there to open our eyes, also there at that time ?
– But could He be there ?
– Wasn’t it necessary that the One who was to come should make it visible through the cross ?
– So can’t He, even today, open the eyes to the reality of what was happening ?
Yes, of course, because God does not lie and He is faithful ; but provided that Numbers 21 is “shown“, precisely because Numbers 21 can only be seen and understood by the Spirit.
– But “how to show a thing” if you don’t even mention it, this thing ?????
– So why did Jesus mention this text from Numbers 21 that talks about fiery serpents ? What’s the point ?
– Was it done to punish a “certain disobedience“, or to reveal the One who was to come as Saviour, and how He would go about it ?
– So… what do we receive at the cross, if however we look, not at the cross but in Numbers 21 ?
– The sole forgiveness of sins ?
– But… isn’t it also the gift of sight ?
– Isn’t it the Spirit ?
– And in this case, what exactly saved those who were “beholding” ?
– the Lord ?
– Jesus ?
– the cross ?
– the gift of the Spirit ?
– the man ?
– maybe all of them ?
– But in this case, are all the elements separate from each other, or are they one ?
—
– In this case, the “for God so loved“, followed by “that he gave“, what does this really contain ?
– Or : How can I benefit from the cross of Jesus Christ if I don’t “see” what it contains ?
– What did God do by allowing his Son to die in this way ?
– Wasn’t it also the gift of the Spirit, which allows us to finally see the great Work of God in and through Jesus Christ ?
– And doesn’t this famous “For when we were still without strength, Christ died for us“, which the apostle Paul evoked, refer to a time that is not a time, since it encompasses everything in a single thing : “Christ outside the law on the cross ?
—
– Then the gift of the Spirit was given also to the Nations, after having been given to the Jews…
– Why was the Spirit given to the Nations ?
– So that the nations could see the “serious offence of these bad Jews who lived under the regime of the law of commandments and ordinances” of that time ?
– But… didn’t Jesus say that it was about the whole world in this whole passage ?
– When I visualise the cross of Jesus Christ through the Spirit, will I still see the poor Jesus paying for my dirty sins ? You know, a bit like the one I see everywhere nailed on various crosses, both on street corners and around the neck, or even on top of churches/buildings, conspicuous to the eye ?
– Could the gilding covering them be the image of the Spirit ?
– The cross as seen by the Spirit, is it not rather the view of my internal rebellions defeated by something indefinable but very powerful, as in that time ?
– But… weren’t these internal rebellions also there to open my eyes through this means ?
– So… if God planned these things in advance for my own benefit, do I still have the right to see the cross of Jesus Christ as a source of accusation ?
– And if the venom that was in me passed on to the One who was absorbing it into Himself, was I not then “in Him“, given that there was indeed a “venom link” existing, but that it was He who took it ?
– Or in other words : Is there not, in this case, a link between the Saviour and the saved one ?
– And in this area, were there only Jews ?
– Did the sin enter into the members of the Jews only ?
– Or : How do we connect this small group of people who were experiencing this thing, and “the whole world” ?
– Today, who doesn’t “try to find oneself” a little ?
– Who doesn’t wonder about their personal place on earth ?
Brothers and sisters, will we finally see “what we are” and “where we really are“, because these are the things that determine, in this case, our thoughts, our choices, our decisions, our life, quite simply.
– Isn’t it the “sight” that the Spirit gives that brings us back to life, real Life ?
Indeed, it is when we have “seen” what we are, that we finally live in the manner of what we have seen; that things harmonise, fall into place.
N’est-ce pas ici le «considérez-vous comme» de l’apôtre Paul ?
Isn’t this here the “reckon yourselves to be” of the apostle Paul ?
And what then is contained in Paul’s unceasing prayer that God would give the carnal Corinthians a “spirit of revelation in the knowledge of Him” ?
Let me come back to the subject :
– And in this case, what life could those who had been saved from the serpent’s bite have ?
– Did they live as slaves? Did they live as people obliged to give something back to God ?
– Do we see this in the text ?
No, they had come a long way, and they knew it.
They lived a kind of second life. A life that had become possible after a snake had been defeated, but defeated within Another, in whom God “was”.
– This was necessary for the Father to resurrect him.
– The Son was dying, but the Father remained at work.
– And where did the venom go ? It had to go somewhere, didn’t it ?
– And what exactly was this venom ?
– Wasn’t this what the people of that time were “perishing” from ?
– But, this time… was it in the time of the law or in the time of faith ?
– It was in the time of the law while at the same time they were following a spiritual Rock that was Christ.
But you see, they didn’t know that !!
And do we ?????? do we know that ?
—
I return to the subject from much earlier in the original document :
We well know indeed that it is a case of a snake on a pole; it is true. But from there to make the connection with faith and the new birth that goes with it, well, there is here something that gets in the way a little. It gets in the way because there is an invisible but yet very clear detail that explains everything, but which is not very well known, it seems to me. I only say that because I have never heard of it.
It must exist, for sure, but it must be a kind of rarity, otherwise the thing would be widely known to all. If it were known, we would certainly understand better the “is not condemned” that Jesus our Savior declared in an affirmative way.
I hope in any case that this document will be, therefore, useful to you in this sense, that is in “seeing” this “so particular thing“. This so particular thing “made to be seen without being seen“.
To that end, I am immediatly inserting the text of Numbers 21, so that we understand each other well and know what we are talking about.
21 ; 1 The king of Arad, the Canaanite, who dwelt in the South, heard that Israel was coming on the road to Atharim. Then he fought against Israel and took some of them prisoners.
2 So Israel made a vow to the LORD, and said, “If You will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.” (Faith; faith that relies on the LORD for a promised thing).
3 And the Lord listened to the voice of Israel and delivered up the Canaanites.
And they utterly destroyed them and their cities. So the name of that place was called Hormah.
So here is the answer to the prayer of faith, in accordance with the will of God on this precise subject.
4-5 Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom ;
5-6 and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses (saying) : “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness ? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.” (Disbelief)
6 So the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.
This was here the Lord’s answer to the prevailing unbelief.
7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD that He take away the serpents from us.”
So Moses prayed for the people.
8 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.”
9 So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
Then here is the second reference text on this subject, written in John 3 :
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.
For [don’t forget Nicodemus that] God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.“
Lifted up in this way in Numbers 21 ?????
So loved the world in Numbers 21 ?????
But yes, of course !!!
If you do not believe this, then you cannot believe in the “and as” that Jesus said either. You will therefore never be able to make the direct and total link between the times and dispensations, because you will always lack the “means to see the thing presented“.
Know that if those who put crosses everywhere, both on street corners and above preachers’ platforms, believed in this way, they would quickly remove these things; just as those who place a banner with John 3:16 as a backdrop on the preachers’ platform, but without ever giving the explanation of it.
Yes, they would quickly stop this kind of presentation, because with their very spectacular way of doing things for the eyes, we end up believing in the “presented text” more than in the symbol it is supposed to represent ! This way of doing things is therefore contrary to the Spirit, whom wants to show us things in a very spiritual “other way“, made to go to another place of our being, which needs to be nourished.
For indeed, originally, it was not about looking at the post or the pole that showed the dead snake, but about looking at the snake! The dead snake on a pole, and above all a “lifted up/lifted up/lifted up/lifted up” snake. (These four colors on a same word being the different stages of understanding that come little by little to a believer, provided that he receives a teaching designed to make it happen: Scripture. The flesh. The Spirit. The normal Christian life).
Think about it and see things “in the Lord“. This is much easier than “thinking about the feasibility of the thing“, because these texts are made for faith, not for human reason. These texts are made for the Spirit, not for the flesh with its well-known limitations.
—
Yes, the situation was serious in Numbers 21; and on top of that, it was happening “in the wilderness“. A walk in a dry desert, along the territory of the flesh : Edom. And all with the aim of a certain promised territory, which was to be taken… by faith.
Another remark : If Jesus had not explained the relationship between the bronze serpent and Himself to Nicodemus beforehand, how, after Jesus’ death and resurrection, could Nicodemus have correctly evangelised the Jewish people on this subject ?
For this is what he became, I believe, an evangelist. The Scriptures are there to prove it ; as we will see later on in this same document.
Yes, Nicodemus later became a kind of “evangelist doctor“, having previously been a “doctor of the law“.
This ministry is extremely powerful, and above all very fruitful, because it has the power to remove what is obstructing first, and to fill in where it is lacking second.
– Was Jesus telling Nicodemus that he too was stung ? Stung and poisoned by something that was paralysing and suffocating him ? You be the judge. But in any case it was not randomly that Jesus precisely quoted this text to Nicodemus…
However, this text that Jesus presented to a man who needed to be born again, is never presented in the religious world when the subject of the new birth is discussed. The reference text may be quoted, yes, but not in such a way that the eyes of those who listen are finally opened !
It’s truly astonishing such a worldwide consensus !
– In a way, Jesus was telling Nicodemus that, as the “successor of the doctor Moses“, he too was called to become the spokesman of a fantastic means of healing ? Of an “other” kind of healing ?
There again, you be the judge. Maybe one day. Who knows ?
I stop here, otherwise the beginning would become the end and there must be some space in between to detail the whole of what happened in this very special time of Numbers 21.
So if you would, let’s try to put ourselves in the situation of the moment :
——
Jesus is there, in front of Nicodemus. They are there, both of them, alone.
Faced with Nicodemus’ obvious embarrassment, Jesus answers him, of course, but with great tact, telling him in his own way that “to see, one must first be born again“.
That is, -by extension-, that to “know” as Nicodemus put it forward, one must first have seen, yes, but differently.
Nicodemus’ current “knowledge” was indeed a kind of “deduction“, and not something “seen“; not something “received” personally. “We know”… Yet it is this “other personal knowledge” that allows one to speak effectively and fearlessly about things from Above.
He, he said “we know“… So a kind of “collective knowledge“.
Even if Jesus’ answer probably made him uncomfortable, the door was finally open for Nicodemus – and it was he who had opened it, let’s not forget ! He could finally enter into the intimate presence of Jesus to continue this very important conversation; so important ! Something we will see later.
He even allowed himself to ask him a question, after Jesus had mentioned to him the fact of “being born again“, and also evoked “the kingdom of God“…
And I take this opportunity contained in this passage to say that a “kingdom of God” will remain for someone only a “simple kingdom” if he does not see God within it, and reigning over that very kingdom.
Here again, it is necessary to see with “other eyes” to catch a glimpse of what “the Kingdom of this God” is, especially when it is personalised to perfection by the One who speaks of it best : Jesus. However, it is He who gradually reveals Himself to us. This is nevertheless what Paul describes by “a spirit of revelation in the knowledge of Him“.
This spirit of revelation therefore comes from God Himself, as does the content that this spirit of revelation is supposed to reveal to us.
—
But let’s get back to what we were saying :
Jesus speaks again. Nicodemus is attentive. He is listening, because it is for this only reason that he came by night : To listen to him. To talk to him and then to listen to him after having talked to him, even if what he has said to him is a little vague.
He is captivated by Jesus, but he does not know how to put a name to what, -in Him-, captivates him :
“To be born again ! How can these things be ?
Then Jesus, full of attention towards Nicodemus, gradually continues to bring him further. To bring him “into the Eternal“.
He said this to him indeed : “No one has [ever] ascended to heaven but He who [now] came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who [is] in heaven.
……. ?
“ever“,
“now“,
“is“…
Three tenses used in one single sentence…
There is good reason to be unsettle for Nicodemus through such words !
“How is this possible ? A certain “Son of Man” who ascends to heaven, then comes down from heaven, and who would be in both at the same time ????
Nicodemus could have said to himself : “I know a certain passage in the Scriptures that could correspond, but in which it only talks about angels ascending and descending the ladder that Jacob saw. And yet this Jesus, who is here before me, speaks to me of the Son of Man in heaven...
What a mystery ! »
What could Nicodemus say in this “dimension of eternity” that Jesus had included through His words ?
– Nothing.
– No more words.
– No more questions.
– It is nothingness for Nicodemus.
It is nothingness, yes, but with, for once, the conviction that this nothingness would be filled, thanks to Jesus, because he formally knows that He is a teacher “come from God“; therefore that He knows well the mysterious things of God.
Placed in such a state of mind, placed so high, Nicodemus is therefore all ears, waiting for this prodigy.
He knows full well that a miracle is going to happen, because he had already seen Jesus perform all kinds of miracles, both physical and spiritual. Indeed, he has seen him heal the physically blind, and they often healed from their spiritual blindness as well. In any case, they were never the same again.
So for me, I believe that Nicodemus expected something along these lines from Jesus, because he knew him and had come to see him.
Then Jesus continued to speak to him :
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
For [do not forget Nicodemus, that] God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. [See what the Scriptures say, Nicodemus].
However, the Scriptures said that those who looked at the uplifted serpent “lived”…
How should this be understood ?
Did Jesus mean that before this painful episode, the people already had everlasting life ? I am talking here, of course, about those who walked in this way in a desert towards a territory, yes, but a territory “promised to faith“. A territory and a Promise in which Jesus was ! However, this famous promise had already been given to “Abraham the believer“…
I tell you about it. It is up to you to judge. If you know the Scriptures and have faith, then you have everything you need.
—
But in this case, why did the apostle John add the word perish in his writing, (should not perish) instead of simply putting : “that whoever believes have eternal life“? Wasn’t it simpler ?
What exactly does the apostle John mean here ?
He simply says that it is through faith that the Life of Jesus passes into man; and that if this link happens to be broken or degraded in one way or another, then the Life will no longer pass to counter a deadly venom. There will then be a progressive loss of life, which corresponds to “perishing“.
There are many other ways of perishing, it is true; but the biblical text does speak to us, in this very precise case, of : perishing.
What is the element, then, that can provoke this thing that is the loss of faith and that leads a person to perish little by little ? I hope that, as you read the documents that you will find on this website, this answer will come to you by yourself, because I don’t have to impose it to you. I cannot, me, open eyes. I can only present texts, as Jesus did for Nicodemus.
What is certain is that the Lord’s disapproval was clear and frank in this case. It’s up to you to see the general context and all its background.
—
I can almost see Nicodemus : he can no longer grasp the present situation ; he is overwhelmed !
Once again, Jesus mentions to Nicodemus the “Son of Man“, but this time in relation to the bronze serpent in the wilderness.
That is no mean feat !
Then, immediately afterwards, He also says this : “God so loved the world that He gave His Son“.
So loved… gave… He therefore speaks in the “past“, this Jesus who speaks to me personally in “my today“! He speaks as of a thing already done !
What a mystery, once again, for Nicodemus, and perhaps also for us today, if we discover these things with another eye ! With an “other” eye than usual.
—————————–
But now I propose you to let Nicodemus speak, putting ourselves in his shoes a little. I do it this way, because I don’t know how to do otherwise in this case.
– “Could it be the same person, this Son of Man and the Son of God ?
– Could it be Him, Jesus ?
– The one who is here ?
– The one who is before my eyes ?
– I’m confused… That’s impossible !
– But yet He speaks to me as if the present things had already happened !
– He speaks to me in the present tense, saying that whoever believes in what has already happened already has eternal Life !
– He tells me, moreover, that God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son… And yet I don’t see that this Jesus was given by God…
– I don’t understand…
– This only begotten Son, is this Him ?
– Is it someone else ?
– And the “world” of which He speaks, who is it?
– Are the “Son of Man” and the “only begotten Son” the same Man ?
– Are they two in one ?
– He mentions to me the episode of the poisonous snakes and the bronze serpent in the book of Numbers, which said that whoever looked at him nailed to the top of a pole conserved his life, despite the fact that he was bitten by a poisonous serpent. Like an invisible counterpoison.
– And now this Jesus speaks to me of “another way” to see this snake…
– He tells me that after a bronze serpent, made by the hand of Moses, there comes a man, a “Son of Man“, in place of a bronze serpent placed on top of a pole.
– He tells me that whoever believes in Him, not only does not perish, but even more, that he has eternal life from now on.
– It is true that it is written that “the just shall live by his faith…“ But from there to make the connection…
– Why does He tell me that those who believed in that time of Numbers 21 conserved life, while the others, who also believe today, have there, now and from this day forward, the Eternal Life ?
– And above all, why does He add “in Him” when He evokes the fact of “believing” ?
– Why believe in Him, in relation to the episode of the bronze serpent ?
– Could it be therefore the same people in one, without the time, -so great-, between the two?
– But also this : Who is therefore this serpent, since he makes the connection between a snake nailed to a post and an actual and living man ?
– So who exactly is the one who was on Moses’ pole ?
– Who is the One who is “Son of Man” and “Son of God” at the same time ?
– Who is the One who speaks to me, there, “in the eternal” ?
– Is this Him, this Jesus, the one who stands before me and speaks within me ?
– This is not possible… This is not possible !
– And yet I see him doing it… We all see him doing many miracles, which only an envoy of God can accomplish !
– Above all, I also see that He lives a Life “other than mine“; that He has within Him a principle of Life that attracts me, while in myself I see another very different one, so different !
– He is a permanent Light for all, and I come to see him in the darkness; in the midst of my own darkness.
– It is impossible for me to conceive that this Jesus, who is there before me, is truly the Son of God “given to men“. Humanly speaking, it is impossible for me !
– “Help me, O Lord my God ! I am blind ! I don’t grasp the words of this Jesus !
– And yet, within me, my whole inner being testifies to me that it is indeed Him !
– He talks to me about “being born again“… But I can’t, neither physically nor humanly !
– Yet, in His words, I feel that it is about me, for He speaks to me of “whoever“.
– This whoever, this “anyone” that this Jesus evokes, it could well be me !
– Maybe it’s me after all, since he’s talking to me. Yes, to me personally !
– It is probably me !
– Is this …….. Me ?
– Yes, I believe.
– I do believe that I believe better. But yet I can’t take hold of everything I glimpse, so great is it !”
—
This is -probably very akwardly said- what I just wanted to evoke. It is obviously only a simple image of what, in my opinion, happened a little for Nicodemus before Jesus whom he came to see, by night.
Nicodemus “glimpsed certain things” when Jesus spoke to him ; but to truly see he had to be born again.
In order to grasp all the words of Jesus and make them his own without twisting their meaning, he needed a valid support on which he could base his faith.
However, he will have this valid support one day before his eyes, his “other eyes“. But it will also be in “an other day”… A day yet filled with powerful darkness. He will then be able to “see in the midst of darkness“.
—
Nicodemus was a man of good disposition ; he had faith, even though he did not know it. The proof is that the law in which he found himself did not satisfy him; that is why he came to Jesus. Yet no one comes to Jesus except the Father who draws him….. By faith and by the Spirit precisely.
The problem is that Nicodemus’ faith did not have a valid and sufficient support. Nicodemus did not know Jesus in the Scriptures, since they are “confined under sin“. (Ep. to the Galatians).
Nicodemus therefore did not see Jesus in the Scriptures, and even less his function !!
His religion blocked his eyes. A veil prevented him from seeing properly. Yet it is “in Christ” that this veil disappears. And not through a “better practice of the law“.
And this is quite normal, since the Spirit only comes upon Jesus “outside the law“, the one that was given to “rebels in relation to the faith“.
Yes, the Spirit only comes upon the spiritual understanding we receive from Jesus. Yet it is this same Spirit that sheds light on the Words of Jesus !
As long as this understanding remains only a human understanding, the Spirit cannot spiritually attest the thing, otherwise this same Spirit would send us into error.
Nicodemus therefore needed a “personal encounter with Jesus“; so that he could see first of all, and then believe totally and properly. That is, to believe in Jesus Christ ! To believe in the Words of Jesus Christ !
Friends, one cannot believe properly without having seen Jesus through the Spirit who reveals him.
By the way, this is what happened to Nicodemus : not only did he no longer see him in the same way, but he also became his disciple, him, the “doctor of law“…
—
So Jesus showed himself to Nicodemus in the Scriptures. He made him see “spiritually” the link between what was written and what was before his eyes : That is : Him !
Jesus therefore “brought Nicodemus out of himself“. He took him into the real invisible; “into the Eternal“.
—
Let’s see, moreover, that it is in this precise passage that it is written: “God gave“, and that Jesus “gave Himself“, already by showing Himself as such, through the Scriptures that spoke of Him.
But He also “gave” Himself to the eyes of the world, by living a Life in all holiness and according to the great and beautiful Law of God. He “gave” Himself by revealing Himself as such, through the Scriptures that spoke of Him.
Yes, Jesus offers Himself to the eyes of whoever is willing to turn them to Him. (the Whoever).
Of course Jesus gave himself on the cross ; but did he not also give himself in advance to the gaze of Nicodemus, him, the doctor of the law who permanently had the veil of the law over his eyes ?
– Isn’t it also “giving oneself” in this case ? That is, to give oneself to restore the sight of a blind man ?
– When it is written that God gave his only begotten Son, does he not also give with him the “revelation of the Son” ? Of the Son of God ?
– And if someone does not see “the Son” on the cross, by whom can he be saved in this case ?
– Perhaps by a “poor man unjustly smitten“, as they say ?
– Can this be enough ?
But… while I’m thinking about it… Wasn’t it intended for the Jews to have eyes to see and yet not see ? To have ears to hear and yet be deaf ?
– But then… did Jesus go beyond what was formally written ?
Question…
– But what is this “power” that allows a man to ask Jesus to see, even if the Scriptures are there to prove to him the contrary ?
– What is this extraordinary “power” ?
—
By using the words “and as” and “even so“, Jesus was indeed making the connection between the Old Testament and what He Himself was, there, before Nicodemus.
He thus made the link between the invisible and the visible.
At the time the thing was not really visible, but when Jesus was later nailed to the cross, Nicodemus had no difficulty in believing that Jesus was indeed the One who was present in all the Scriptures.
The text of John 19, verses 38 to 42, is proof of this.
38 After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus.
39 And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds.
40 Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury.
Joseph of Arimathea was a disciple of Jesus Christ. It was out of fear of the Jews that he secretly went to ask Pilate for the body of Jesus. Joseph was in a way the image of what Nicodemus was, before he was converted to Jesus.
But Nicodemus had changed a lot and it was he who now came to encourage Joseph, and accompany him “by day” to bring a hundred pounds of myrrh and aloes, just like the woman who poured the very costly ointment for his burial, and of whom it is said that what she did would be said in the whole world.
This, in a nutshell, is the spiritual journey of this man…
—
So Jesus continues to speak.
He said, “For God so loved the world. »
In these words, Jesus makes like a special call to Nicodemus. For indeed salvation is not limited to the Jews. And, as Nicodemus believed, even so the “whoever” of the world who believes in Him, must also have eternal Life ; and this, according to the Righteousness of God !! The righteousness that comes upon faith, whether it comes from a Jew or a non-Jew.
Yes, the same righteousness of God that “counted for righteousness” this justification on Abram, he who had believed what the Lord had declared to him.
And later, always having this living faith within him, he became the father of believers, from whom we come from.
– Does God have a nationality ?
– Isn’t this thought alone absurd in itself ?
Jesus therefore invited Nicodemus to get out from the shackles of the religion in which he found himself, in order to become THE doctor of Israel, the one whom God wanted to use to announce salvation ; and this, even to the nations. The proof is that almost everywhere in the world people talk about being “born again“. To be born of the Spirit.
We thus see that the “things of the Spirit” were already happening at that time, since those who “conserved their life” conserved it because they “saw” the uplifted serpent, a type of Christ to come; and this, even in the midst of a general rebellion.
On the other hand, on Mount Horeb I do not see the Spirit acting at all. There is, on this mount, a total break. The proof, since Jesus evokes to Nicodemus the fact of “being born again“, that is, reborn. But to be reborn, there must be a death. An attested death. A death that is not physical but spiritual, which Jesus shows to be the true death. The being lives, but its inner being is dead.
By the way, this is what happened to the Christians of Galatia, when Paul mentioned that he feared he would have to “labor in birth again. But these Christians of Galatia had yet been born once. Paul therefore had to have the knowledge of an imminent death to tell them these things in this way, namely that when you are under the law you are dead, even though you are alive.
——
Nowadays, 2000 years after Jesus Christ, we generally say that we have at our disposal all the means to receive a good teaching, and it is true. But in Jesus’ time, the Jews were certainly not ignorant either, since they had with them the writings of Moses and those of the prophets …. which already spoke of Jesus, but without his Name being mentioned.
And it is true that the Jews have the “oracles of God“. And as for being loved, “they are beloved for the sake of the fathers“. Loved because of the faith of the fathers, through which the fidelity of God is and will be exercised forever, for He does not vary.
Nicodemus, being a Jewish doctor of the law, knew these oracles well. Being of the race, he therefore knew all the “accuracy of the text” …. Like Saul of Tarsus before he became the apostle Paul.
However, even this kind of “perfection of the letter” did not allow Nicodemus to access the “spiritual” understanding, the one that comes, not from the letter, but from the “Spirit of the letter“.Yet, this understanding is a fruit of the Spirit that comes upon the faith of the person who believes.
2 Corinthiens 3 ; 6 : who [God] also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
In sum, the letter alone kills, but the Spirit gives Life to this law which previously gave death. This is why the apostle Paul says this: “For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal“, etc… In short, being carnal, I do not access to the spiritual side of the Scripture, just like Nicodemus.
Paul also had all the “exact knowledge of the Scriptures“, but unfortunately he was in the most total and deepest error, because he had not grasped “the Spirit of the letter“.
He too had not seen “the Son” in the Scriptures ; that was all he missed as a “link between the things to be understood” in the inspired Scriptures.
But fortunately one day Jesus met him ; and I believe that is what He still wants to do today, perhaps even when you least expect it, for it is always He who comes to us, and by the means that suit Him.
—
I repeat to say that it is here that the words of Jesus take on their full meaning. The “even so” and the “and as” are to be linked with the examples He gives in Numbers 21.
13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.
14-15 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness (Numbers 21), even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
——
Let’s now look at what happened, as well as the “detail” I mentioned at the beginning of this document, which will help us understand the things concerning faith.
So after the people had spoken against God, and then against Moses, fiery serpents appeared.
So the people ask Moses to pray to God to… send them away.
Moses then prays for the people, as the people had asked him to do.
In answer to his prayer, the Lord said to Moses: “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.“ (And not that the serpents will go away).
So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he “looked“ at the bronze serpent, he lived.
And that’s how the one who had been bitten by a living snake, had the “power to look” at another snake, but dead. And this is what enabled the man to conserve his life; his own life...
But let’s try to put ourselves in the situation of the moment if you will.
Let’s look precisely this really important point written below :
In this whole story relating the rebellion of the people, then the coming of the fiery serpents and then the coming of the serpent on the pole, see that no word came out of Moses’ mouth.
It is very important to note this very precise detail !
It is simply written that Moses prayed to God for the people. It was therefore a matter between God and Moses, the man of faith, towards the people. That’s all !
“Make (thee)“… What does that mean ?
Moses was “the servant of the Lord“. It is therefore “according to the image that Moses, the man of faith, was going to give to the serpent“, that help was to come for the people. And not only for that time, but for ever!
I say this because Moses made a mo(u)ld in the shape of a snake and then filled it with burning brass.
Consequently, what came out of the mold was not a snake but a “simple representation of a fiery snake“. However, a representation is not the reality of the thing.
And when we don’t see reality in relation to what is only an “image“, a “representation“, what happens ?
It happens then that one comes to adore only the representation, that is, what is before the eyes of flesh. Here is the proof :
2 Kings 18 : 4 He removed the high places (Hezekiah) and broke the sacred pillars, cut down the wooden image and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made; for until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it, and called it Nehushtan.
This is what happens when you are not inspired : You take everything to the letter, to the view of things.
But fortunately Hezekiah was an inspired man. He tore to pieces as an idol the “image” of what was the “help of the Lord“, namely Jesus on the cross. Almost nothing !!
Yes, we can come to idolise Jesus when we do not know who He is exactly, and especially when we do not know that He is truly the Son of God ! Yet it was this same Son who was already the Saviour of those who believed in Him at that time. And the Lord approved this thing, so strange to our eyes.
—
But then, if so, does this mean that Moses was announcing the gospel in advance, or at least a part of it ?
Yes, of course! It could not be otherwise, because it is the gospel of God. The everlasting gospel. (Epistle to the Romans Chap. 1 and the book of Revelation).
If someone does not yet see in the law “the Christ to come“, then he is still in the same position as Nicodemus :
– He is missing something.
– He is missing the fact of being born from above to be able to access these higher things.
– In this case he can not take others further than where he himself is.
– He then mixes a little law and a little grace in an attempt to make a homogeneous whole, and then he ends up with the doctrinal deviations that are the direct fruit of it.
But it doesn’t work like that with God ! There are times and dispositions ; and they must be distinguished, differentiated.
—
But, since we have reached this point, where do you find any exercise of “practice of the law” or “requirements of the law” in this passage from Numbers 21 ?
In truth there is none ! And for good reason…
God did not use exercicses of various laws to prevent someone from perishing, but an “anticipation of Christ“, and this in the direction of ….
Faith !
See also that Jesus said to Nicodemus : “And as…” Which means that the healing remedy was at work since ancient times, as it is today ! However, the remedy in question was “outside the law“, since it had no article of law “to be observed to the letter“.
The thing is therefore still current, since it is Jesus himself who announced these things. And this under the same regime as before : Faith !
I call on here the specialists of the Scriptures, so that they verify and re-verify the veracity of what I announce in this document and which is a “call to faith“.
Jesus does indeed talk about believing, and this by giving two examples : one in the book of Numbers, -therefore, in the time of the law-, and the other in his own time. (Reread John 3 on this subject).
—
The link of Life is therefore constituted by Jesus Himself : Faith in Him from all times. Yes, I do say from all times.
Yes, whether in the time of the law or in the time of Jesus, salvation was always offered by the means of faith. Moreover, those who perished in the wilderness perished because they did not have the same state of mind as Caleb and Joshua, men of faith ! Indeed, only these two men did not perish.
So whoever does not preach these true things is in great danger, and also puts in great danger those who listen to him.
Jesus warned us. So let’s pay attention to what He said on this subject, especially.
—
I return to the subject :
Moses knows God, he has an intimate and personal contact with Him. God spoke with him as a man speaks to his friend. Moses was not afraid of God. He trusted in Him.
Exodus 33 : 11 So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.
But Moses also knew the adversary. So he knew well the snake and what it produces with its venom : a slow and devious death.
Then Moses hurries ; he quickly makes a mould and pours the metal into it. He quickly takes the snake out of the mould, places it on a pole ; and quickly places it high up, (uplifted) so that everyone can….
Can what ?… Take it ?
No. So that everyone can look at it, and not kneel before it, as people do before a crucifix !
Oui, le VOIR.
Yes, LOOK at it.
Then, after having done this, Moses goes back to his tent, but without saying a single word !
That’s it. It’s simple but that’s all Moses did !
Moses did not say to the people: “Whoever looks at the snake will conserve his life“.
No, Moses said NOTHING ! Absolutely nothing !
Check your text, which is also mine.
– Yes, Moses consulted God.
– Yes Moses did.
– Yes Moses set.
– Yes, Moses does everything that needs to be done.
– But above all, Moses is silent !
Fortunately ! For if Moses had said anything that would have been like an “order”, man would still have been able to put forth “his obedience to God’s orders“, to assert his personal salvation.
Thus thinks the man under the law.
In fact, he always thinks like this. His nature, his concept, his life, are like this ; that is why it is necessary for him to be born again, to be born of the Spirit; to be an “other creature” with everything changed in him. Not an improvement !
It will therefore be up to each one (whoever) to “look up to what is uplifted“, or not. To believe, or not.
And it is exactly this that will make him conserve life, or perish, as it is written.
—
– The people had seen Moses make a mould and then pour the metal into it.
– The people had asked Moses to pray to the Lord to take the serpents away.
– The people were therefore in a certain wait.
What do they see ?
They see Moses, the Servant of the Lord, making a snake and then fixing it to a pole; then planting that same pole in the ground, in full view of everyone, and this without saying a single word !
After doing this, Moses probably had to walk away. If he had not done so, the people would have looked at Moses, as usual, instead of the bronze serpent.
So it was a very special moment between the Lord and the “whoever” of the people who were there.
Indeed, no human hand has to intervene between the Lord and the “whoever” of the people, otherwise nothing would have happened.
—
What does this mean ?
Well, that the new birth comes from faith and when it is born in someone it is always in a personal way.
The religious world is full of crowd effects. They rely on the crowd effect, on the law of numbers to supposedly favor faith.
But all this is purely human. Technical.
—
Before this situation, three kinds of people could come forward :
– The first person is the one who does pays no attention to this “uplifted” snake.
He doesn’t make the connection between things, preoccupied as he is with his own deadly infection problem.
He believes in himself, telling himself that if he strongly believes in himself, if he believes in the strength of his health, he will pull through.
But beyond his personal beliefs, based on man, this person acts in this way because he is still in rebellion, in a kind of internal rebellion.
He thinks like that because he is in rebellion against God and his servant Moses.
Internal rebellion begets resentment, hatred, increases pride and self-righteousness, and above all, it causes blindness.
Then this man dies, right in front of the precious object of his salvation; the object of grace which nevertheless had the power to save him, and which was before him uplifted.
The object of his possible salvation had indeed “come to him“, that’s for sure, but he didn’t want to come to him by believing. That is, to go to the object of salvation in question.
The “given” was indeed there, yes, but not what, -in man-, had the capacity to receive the “what was given“: That is, given to faith.
—
– The second person is the one who looked at this bronze serpent, but in the manner of a curious unlooker, not understanding what this “represented thing” was and by which the help was to come.
He absolutely cannot rise from the earth, -from earthly, visible things ; for in his life he has never been interested in anything else. And now that he is asked to “consider the new situation presented to him“, then, lacking habit, lacking in “spiritual sense”, he too misses the object of his salvation.
– Then he dies, for not having seen. For not having perceived anything.
– He dies under the law, under accusation, while the object of the grace had moved towards him, but he never knew how to recognise it as such.
—
– The third kind of person is quite different :
It is the man who, deep down, recognises that he has been rebellious towards the Lord and against Moses, his servant; and this in an unjust way.
This man also knows how to remember the years gone by, years during which he could often see the hand of the Eternal unfold in his favour at all times, both good and bad, bad especially.
He has a nobler heart towards the Lord, and towards things above in general.
He does not live by the things of the earth alone, but also by those of the heaven, which he loves.
He knows the Lord ; and when he sees Moses lifting up something that looks like what stung him and poisoned him, he tells himself that, knowing the Lord, it is perhaps a sign from him.
So, for a moment, he takes his eyes off his own problem to look at this hanging snake, looking for what it might mean from the Lord.
He had clearly seen Moses, the servant of the Lord, make this kind of statue of a snake from a mold, following the prayer of the people…
So, starting from this “spiritual knowledge that is his“, he expects what this sign might represent, following a prayer that he knew was heard from above when Moses prayed.
For him,
– God’s answer had to be in the same “spiritual vein” as Moses’ prayer !
– It had to be something spiritual, just as Moses’ prayer could be.
– It had to be something that came out of the secret place between “the man of God and God“.
– It had to be something intimate, made to be received in an intimate and personal way.
Then, seeing the hanging serpent, this spiritual man said to himself :
– “That’s it, the LORD answers. The Lord answers me.
– I have spoken against the Lord, and He, now, answers me; He speaks to me.
– I don’t understand his language very well, but I can see that His answer is directly related to my sin, my rebellion.
– But as I know the Lord and his servant Moses, I know that from Him I can expect everything in grace, for I have often sinned against Him and He has never returned the evil I did; but on the contrary He has done me good.
– Why would He act any differently today, since His name is “the Eternal ?“
– It’s true that I don’t understand the symbol presented to me by this sort of raised and hung snake, but on the other hand, I do know the Eternal, so it is with confidence that I try to “see differently” what He is showing me or telling me.
– “Eternal Lord, I do not understand well but I trust in You, because I know You inwardly.
– If you wanted us all to perish, why would you send us such a message ?
– Why would you send us the message of a dead serpent, but uplifted before our eyes ?
– If you wanted us all to perish, why would you not rather give us an image of yourself instead, an image that would be able to show us that we have sinned against you and that your anger would still be there ?
– I don’t quite understand Lord, but I am beginning to see. I see that this is not a message of condemnation, but a message of hope from you, towards my faith.
– Yes, I can see better now, my conviction is confirmed, I can see better and better.
– I believe…
– I believe in You now, more than in this snake !
– I believe because I see differently. Consequently, I understand a little better: “If you had wanted to present me with my deed of condemnation, you would certainly have exposed to me a living fiery snake from your hand, wouldn’t you?
– But no, on the contrary, you present me with “the image of what stung me but which is dead; and moreover, “made a show of it“.
– Therefore, Lord, you are telling me that my death is on this snake ? Is that right ?
– But, how is this possible ?
It’s not that I don’t believe you, but I just don’t understand.
– Eternal Lord, I must tell you anyway that before this serious matter I had never had such a real, so powerful communion with You, even if this beautiful thing is happening today in a great moment of distress, and that moreover I am not very proud of myself.
– It is true, Lord, I had never spoken with You as I am doing now, because I had not seen myself as being in danger of death.
I never had such a powerful and truthful contact with You.
I have never had so much confidence in you, even though the snake’s venom is still in me.
– But… what is happening to me ?
Eternal Lord, I can’t believe it ! While I was talking with You and trying to understand this dead and hanging snake, and while I was confiding in You, I didn’t realise that I no longer felt the effect of this venom in me; and even better, I come back to life, I am rising from the deadly pit in which I was sinking little by little !
– So where, O Lord, is the venom that was in me ?
Where did it go ?
– Where did my judgment go ? Where did my condemnation go ?
– Why did you take pity on me during this so precious time ?
– Had I not yet sinned against you ?
So, where did my poisoning go ?
– Why did you give to my eyes a symbol that obliged me to ask myself questions, to wonder what it could be ?
– And why did I see in it, not a condemnation but a symbol of your grace, of your help, but this time in a purely personal way ?
– Eternal Lord, I realise little by little that, not only do I believe in You in a true way, but moreover now I have the feeling that I can see ; I have the feeling of seeing You.
—————————————-
It was not, therefore, the act of looking at the serpent that saved the people, but “it was the act of looking up towards the presented symbol in the direction of faith‘ that saved those who looked in this way.
This is exactly what delivered those who believed, and this long before the coming of Jesus to the earth of men.
Yes, it was about looking up with new eyes towards this God, seen in an other way, that is, by believing. Yes, this somewhat strange God who answered their prayer in His own way. A prayer that was made by Moses, the man of faith.
They had asked for the Lord’s help, now they were receiving this very help : Jesus Christ crucified, bearing all our sorrows and sins.
—
The people did not necessarily understand this famous “real transfer of guilt” that took place at that time. This transfer being done by means of the faith by looking at “in a certain way the symbol of what had poisoned the man, but dead, and then placed on a pole so that it could be clearly seen“.
When I think of Moses… When I think of his patience… His love for God and for the people…
Make (thee), the Lord said to him…
There is something to be understood here : It is according to the call that a man has received that he will do things according to him, and not according to certain rules.
He will do his best to ensure that he accomplishes what has been asked of him. It will then be his personal zeal that will develop in his actions.
It is in freedom that he will accomplish this noble task which is related to the call of God that he will have heard and not as a copy coming from a certain “so-called blessed collectivism“.
And I find that this is a kind of “divine trademark” here, stemming from the freedom in which God wants us to live and practice these things.
Anyone who would like to make a “new pole with a new bronze serpent on it“, would soon be disapproved of by the Lord, and perhaps he would even find a new Hezekiah on his way to dissuade him, if there is still one left.
Making this pole and what was on it was in fact “the image of what the servant wanted to show the best he can“. He had not been told anything about the details of this pole or this bronze serpent.
Doing this is “another way of presenting the gospel“. There are some who make “small poles“, and others who make very big poles”…
Each man sent by God has therfore his own way, completely personal, of presenting things according to the call he has received, and not a copy, as it is commonly done nowadays.
—
And Jesus, how did He do it ? You will say to me : “But He was not concerned since He was Himself the One who was on the pole made by the hand of Moses”…
I agree, but then why did he mention the case of the bronze serpent to evangelise Nicodemus ? Wasn’t that what He used ? Yes, of course, and He used Himself !
Voilà quel a été le zèle de Jésus.
This was the zeal of Jesus.
—
I think it was necessary to note this very particular point of freedom ; so I did.
Yes, all these people did not fully understand what was going on, because for that to happen, Jesus had to come to the earth of men. However, it was the beginning of a true faith, –not to say a realistic one, which was taking shape here, without the people necessarily knowing it.
I want to talk here about a “certain process” by which faith grasps the things promised. Promised yes, but “in Jesus Christ“. Now you see that this process was there, for a very long time, but invisible !
It’s really amazing !
– It was also necessary that, at the time of Jesus’ coming, they could recognise in Him the Eternal ! The One who “was” before, and who was there again, now…
– It was necessary that the One who was close to them in those distant times should also become close to them now; that He should finally become “their neighbor“.
– In any case, this dimension of eternity had to enter at least into one man : Nicodemus. And Jesus did this towards a man who had come to find him personally.
– Time and space, as well as the current places, had to flee from before his eyes.
– Yes, that they escape from their human condition to finally access the eternal things, of the order of those in which the faith likes to travel. That timeless space in which there is no barrier of visible things, such as the flesh for example; the “self”.
—
If God had answered to the request of the whole people, it would have been a “collective deliverance“, therefore not good in itself. But, by means of the serpent on the pole placed before the eyes of each individual, it was then an individual and personal act that took place, and thus a personal faith through a personal experience.
….; and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
Any man…
It was indeed a group that was saved, for sure, but a group made up of people. People –one by one. It was a group composed of several particular people.
By the way, it is the same for anyone who perishes : he perishes personally, even if he is in a group of several people. You do not perish several at the same time, because each person is a unique and particular person. And if it is a whole group, then it is several particular people who perish.
Let’s keep in mind that the entrance into the land of the promise, the land promised to Abraham the believer, was not far away… However this land could only be grasped through a process of faith. It was therefore the obliged passage of the people, because God wanted to resurrect this faith in His people, but in each one in particular.
—
Friends, we cannot live by the faith of others; salvation and walking are personal matters.
– There is only one message !
– One cannot be saved by ‘any’ religion, no matter how good it is.
– These things don’t take place “in an automatic way”.
– No, it’s one by one.
– And fortunately it is so before God !
– That’s why there is only one message !
– It is a message that God sends to men in direction of their faith.
In the case presented here in Numbers 21, do you think that the people who looked “one way or another” at the image of a snake nailed to a pole, “forced their faith” to believe what they glimpsed through this sign ?
Can you believe this ? Can you believe that they were “forcing themselves to believe” ?
No, absolutely not. These things happens in the most natural way in relation to a kind of “inner acquittal“; a certain knowledge of the Lord, as in the passage from Numbers 21.
It’s a bit like those three kinds of people I mentioned earlier who reacted differently the one from the other before a same situation.
Here’s an excellent parallel :
Acts 28 : 3 But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand.
4 So when the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped the sea, yet “justice“ does not allow to live.”
5 But he shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm.
6 However, they were expecting that he would swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had looked for a long time and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.
Yes, the “justice” that these men evoked before, took thus the form of a God through the sight of the non-effect of a poison into a man, Paul in this case.
—
– Yes, it is God who has indeed allowed this situation.
– It was He who sent those fiery serpents.
– It was He who asked Moses to make a single bronze serpent, rather than destroy the serpents that were biting people. The Lord indeed used these snakes to manifest his glory through the faith of those people who believed in him.
– But in whom, -exactly-, did they believe ?
– And more exactly, did they see the One they believed in ? Certainly not !
– And why then, in Jesus’ time, did the people who saw Him doing miracles still not believe in Him ?
The Eternal could, indeed, have destroyed the serpents he had sent. Yes, but in this case a kind of “collective faith” would have come out of it, totally impersonal, without autonomous life in man.
And if I mention a life of autonomous faith in a man, it is not only because I believe it, but because the same Spirit of faith tells us in the Scripture, -which is made for faith-, that “my righteous one shall live by faith“.
Or again : “The just shall live by faith“. (Habakkuk 2; 4 and 5). Very short text, but which is for me “the center of the whole Bible“. The center of “the whole divine thought“!
It is around a message from God, and which is in fact a Word of Christ, that faith comes, and not because “others have believed“.
The “group effect” is what religions that aim to make “proselytes” are looking for.
You won’t find me doing that !
—
This people absolutely needed to turn their eyes away from themselves to turn them towards… an Other.
Now this “Other” was there, on the cross, represented at the time by the pole.
This “pole” was the means to “show something“; something that God wanted to present to faith“.
This pole, bearing on itself “the image of what had stung the people“, and not the exact reality, can therefore be, validly, the expression of what a true servant should announce when he speaks of the cross of Jesus Christ, and not only of the “poor Jesus” so often wrongly preached.
For here, let us see that this “image of a dead serpent” is nothing less than “the image of what is supposed to save man by means of faith !
—
Didn’t this serpent, although made by the hand of Moses, -the man of faith-, come because of the rebellion in a walking ?
Yes, of course !
But didn’t this same snake, dead and fixed on a pole in full view of everyone, become, on the contrary, the fantastic means of salvation for the one who had at his disposal eyes of faith to look properly at this “silent spectacle” ?
—
But, while we are on the subject, when Jesus was crucified, were those who looked at him been bitten by snakes ?
No, certainly not.
So why does Jesus use this example from Numbers 21 ?
Or more precisely : What were the people perishing from without really knowing it ? It was God himself who knew it, as the text of John 3:16 says. It is God himself who sent his own son, because he knew that men were “perishing” !
I mean that the thing did not come from men, but from God Himself! And for Jesus it was the same.
But let us remember, if you will, the context in which these things happened in the time of the book of Numbers, to apply it to the time of Jesus, since it is this thing that Jesus presented to Nicodemus.
and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses (saying): Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.
And all this was preceded by this : Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom;
As I said earlier, Edom is Esau. Esau the profane. The one who prefers the things of the flesh at the expense of the things of the Spirit, such as the birthright, which is a spiritual thing and not a physical thing.
This is here the “territory of the flesh“. A territory in which the Spirit is completely set aside precisely because he is hostile to this “flesh”, when it acts alone, without God.
However, it happens that Jesus used the text from Numbers 21 to evoke to Nicodemus the things of the Spirit. To be born of the Spirit, for example, to understand the texts, yes, but according to the Spirit from now on.
He told him that in this case one can be hungry and thirsty, and even disgusted, when one does not know how to see the One who is the smitten Rock giving water and who, moreover, followed them.
Or the One who was the manna in the wilderness and which translates as : “What is it” ?
Yes of course the “what is it” was indeed a hidden thing in this case, since the Christ was hidden in it, that is, in the manna, but invisible !
This is also why the apostle John, the intimate of Jesus, when Jesus gave him a revelation coming from Himself, evoked a “hidden manna“, yes, but a manna revealed today; that is, at the time when Jesus was speaking to John, while the latter was in prison precisely because of the Word.
So when Jesus said to the Jews : “Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead“, it means that if they had seen him as such, that is, as Jesus the Son of God, they would never have died !!
But these things had to happen, brothers and sisters in Christ, because as God has spoken twice, there also had to be two regimes that were related to these “twice“. However, these two regimes were not between the law and faith, but between the flesh and the Spirit !
On the other hand, concerning the coming of the law, it was literally condemnation and death that came to them.
But well, things are related between themselves, because if they had been spiritual, it is certain that they would not have lost the sense of the “voice of God“, the one contained in the Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people ; for all the earth is Mine. etc. (Exodus 19)
—
After having done this “little journey” in the Scriptures, let’s come back, if you will, to our little meditation about Nicodemus and especially about the notion of “being born again“; or if you prefer : “To be born twice without coming back in one’s mother’s womb”…
Concerning the people, nothing was asked of them : the mere fact of looking at the serpent on the pole was, without them realising it, the first act of faith in God in order not to perish. (should not perish).
Where were the “works“ here ? You know those famous “works to add“. Or that “spirit of works” that pollutes any faith movement ?
In truth there was no possible place for such “works“. God had done things right !
What “work” did the one who was spared from death ?
Nothing. Nothing at all ! He just looked and believed, that’s all !
He believed especially in what Moses presented to them, yes; but coming from the Lord.
Indeed, it was a beginning of faith, and without knowing it it was “faith in Jesus Christ” ! I say this because on the pole there was only the “image” of what had stung them and made them die ; and yet it is written that they conserved their lives even though they could not explain it.
However Jesus spoke of these things openly to Nicodemus, the doctor of the law…
Yes the doctor of the law. But let’s not forget that he was also the doctor of Numbers 21, since he was a doctor of the law...
I mean that he was a teacher of these texts…
So what should we understand ? Would Jesus have mentioned these things without talking about himself to Nicodemus ?
So how can we understand that Nicodemus later shows himself as a “disciple of Jesus” when he’ll come to embalm Jesus’ body with his money ?
A doctor of the law disciple of Jesus ? I must be dreaming, probably…
But in this case, wouldn’t “doctor of Christ” be more appropriate ?
With the good smell of his spices, was he not prophesying about “the good smell of the risen Christ” ? As for the woman who did the same thing ?
—
I continue to say that the Spirit of Christ was already at work at that time in Numbers 21.
But you will agree that there is a big difference between conserving life and receiving Life ! Read the Scriptures on this subject and see if Jesus spoke of “conserving their life” to those who would believe in Him…
You will never find such statements in the words of Jesus. He says that whoever believes in Him has eternal life. Period.
He has.
He has Life, because his faith links him to the One who has Life !
He has it because faith is an eternal link with God ; and that it is through this link, this famous invisible divine conductor, that the Life of God, the life of Christ, passes and flows continuously.
Check it out !
—
This is how faith is : it believes what it sees, but in the “invisible of God“, without searching for the palpable visible. That is why we do not calculate anything when we function by faith, otherwise we would place before our faith something visible, while faith is linked to invisible things.
It is through this means, -though very poorly understood-, that the people of that time “looked“…
It was not a matter of “staring“, but of “looking“, quite simply. And it was according to the state of mind of each one that the look became a hope or a concern.
Yes,
– Faith rests on the Word of God; it has total confidence in It.
– Faith takes God “at his word“. His own Word.
– Faith does not seek to analyse what is presented to it : it only seizes, because faith comes from God, and through it we are connected to Him.
—
– The Jewish people were in an emergency situation, as Nicodemus perhaps was in front of Jesus.
– The people were perishing.
– Dieu à répondu à l’urgence afin qu’il ne…… périsse pas.
– Par quel moyen ?
– En regardant aux souffrances indicibles de Jésus sur la croix ?
Si quelqu’un en est là, bien que les souffrances de Jésus puissent provoquer une sorte de repentance dans l’homme, -et c’est bien normal-, jamais il ne sera sauvé de ce qui l’a piqué et par lequel il périt, par ce moyen !
Pour ce qui est de la repentance, Il y a en effet un énorme vide entre l’homme et Dieu, et devant lequel l’homme se sent misérable, vraiment misérable. Car en effet c’est la grandeur de Dieu placée devant l’homme qui «le pousse à la repentance», comme d’ailleurs l’apôtre Paul en parle en Romains 2 :
4 Ou méprises-tu les richesses de sa bonté, de sa patience et de sa longanimité, ne reconnaissant pas que la bonté de Dieu te pousse à la repentance ?
C’est donc la bonté de Dieu par rapport à tout notre contraire, que la repentance vient toute seule, pure dans ce cas.
Cependant ce n’est pas la repentance seule qui sauve, bien que celle-ci soit importante, car dans ce cas elle est comme une porte d’entrée ; mais c’est la foi, qui elle voit avec ses propres yeux «l’image de Celui qui portait sur lui nos péchés sur la croix, en tant que chose «à salut», -et non «à repentance», qui se lie à Celui qui a la Vie !
Il y a ici un piège énorme pour la «chrétienté générale», car cette notion d’obligation de repentance s’adresse plus aux sens émotionnels de l’homme qu’à sa foi.
En somme la repentance est comme une image de notre cœur quand celui-ci se trouve face à Dieu.
Mais la foi dépasse largement ce cadre pour y voir alors bien plus grand que ce que notre cœur pourtant nous accuse. Elle y voit Celui qui paie alors qu’il n’a commis aucun mal, ouvrant ainsi un crédit illimité à notre compte, et en même temps mettant à mal la loi et ses effets nocifs, qui poussèrent à mettre à mort le juste, le seul juste que la terre n’ait jamais porté.
Oui je parle de cette loi mal comprise, parce que la loi est spirituelle avant tout et que l’homme ne l’est pas forcément, spirituel.
Romains 7 ; 14 Nous savons, en effet, que la loi est spirituelle ; mais moi je suis charnel, vendu au péché.
—
Aujourd’hui ce n’est plus tellement «pour qu’il ne périsse pas» que Jésus a paru, mais c’est afin que «quiconque croit en Lui ait la Vie éternelle».
Dans le désert Dieu a donné, c’est vrai, mais donné momentanément afin qu’il ne… périsse pas.
Aujourd’hui par Jésus Dieu a donné, oui, mais «en éternité», pour que quiconque croit en Lui, ait la Vie Eternelle !
Dans le désert, dans une ambiance d’incrédulité et de rébellion, devant une «anticipation de Christ présentée par un symbole», -savoir l’image d’un serpent mort en lieu et place de tous les serpents vivants et mordants-, la vie de l’homme lui était conservée s’il regardait cette image d’une certaine manière.
Cependant il ne s’agissait que de la vie de l’homme dans ce monde, après quoi il mourait comme tout un chacun.
Mais quand la réalité du symbole vint, savoir Jésus le Fils de Dieu, la foi, qui avant se portait sur ce «seul symbole», se porte alors sur le Fils de Dieu.
Alors, en réponse à la foi envers Lui, Celui-ci donne alors, non une vie temporaire, mais bien une Vie éternelle, à l’image de ce qu’Il Est Lui-même !
Oui parce que, -je le répète-, la foi est un lien qui ne peut se rompre entre «l’homme et Celui sur qui ses regards se posent».
En parlant ainsi à Nicodème, Jésus lui montrait, par l’exemple du serpent d’airain, ce qui allait se passer plus tard sur la croix ; c’est-à-dire : De la façon dont on le regardera, soit on périra, soit on aura la Vie Eternelle. (Et mon juste vivra par la foi…) Habacuc 2 ; 4-5
—
Et c’est ainsi qu’en parlant du serpent d’airain, Jésus se dévoile aujourd’hui à nos yeux réjouis. Il montre que partout dans les Ecritures, même dans les endroits qui semblent nous montrer «autre chose», c’est toujours Lui qui est présent et qu’Il est le même.
En parlant ainsi, Jésus nous montre que si nous sommes devenus capables de le voir, Lui, à la place d’un serpent, alors nous pouvons dire qu’effectivement nous avons reçu de nouveaux yeux, et aussi la Vie éternelle qui va avec, à cause de la foi qui est maintenant capable de porter nos regards sur le divin Possesseur de la Vie éternelle.
—
L’homme, comme vous le savez, est naturellement attiré vers ce qui lui semble beau et digne de recevoir son attention. La vue d’un serpent lui fait donc naturellement détourner les regards… Cependant, quand l’homme reçoit de nouveaux yeux, ces yeux lui permettront alors de voir ce qui ne se voit pas à l’œil nu. Il y verra, non pas une «saleté de serpent», mais il y verra un homme, un Fils de Dieu, passant au-dessus des vicissitudes de ce monde, portant sur lui tout ce qui ne lui appartenait pas et qui provenait du serpent ancien.
Oui, c’est «selon le regard que l’on portera sur Jésus» que toute notre vie se déterminera.
Mais pour cela encore faut-il que les ouvriers le présentent ainsi, c’est-à-dire de manière spirituelle, au lieu de placer des croix de Jésus Christ à chaque coin de rue sans en donner le sens réel !
—
Oui, aujourd’hui encore, demeurent les trois catégories de personnes qui se trouvaient dans le désert.
– Il y a ceux qui ne s’occupent pas du tout de ces choses, étant trop occupés aux choses de la terre.
– Il y a ceux qui «regardent», mais avec une mauvaise vision, ou avec un excès de sentimentalisme, et qui, par conséquent, ne peuvent pas saisir la réalité de l’image présentée par l’Esprit.
– Puis il y a ceux, les «quiconque», qui vont au-delà de leur vision parce qu’ils ont expérimenté une nouvelle naissance.
– Il s’agit plus exactement une nouvelle naissance de leur vision.
– Ou une nouvelle vision à l’intérieur d’une nouvelle naissance.
Mais en réalité il s’agit de ces deux choses en une.
Ce qui est sûr, c’est que celui qui est né ne peut plus demander à naitre, car il est né. Et aussi que celui qui a reçu des yeux neufs se servira tout naturellement de ces yeux-là, car ils sont faits pour voir ce qui ne se voit pas. Il aura toujours ses anciens yeux, c’est sûr, mais ils lui serviront alors pour les choses communes de tous les jours, -de la vie courante.
Cependant, l’homme essentiellement spirituel ne pourra pas s’empêcher de se rendre compte de certaines choses spirituelles au travers de la vie de tous les jours. Des choses qu’il ne voyait pas auparavant. Il superposera, naturellement, sa vue spirituelle au dessus des choses naturelles.
C’est ce que vécut Jésus en tant que fils de l’homme et Fils de Dieu. C’est la raison pour laquelle il pouvait parler en paraboles, car celles-ci avaient deux côtés ; deux facettes.
—————————
Voici maintenant deux textes qui révèlent en Nicodème l’œuvre progressive de l’Esprit de Jésus en son être intérieur ; œuvre rendue visible dans un premier temps par sa nouvelle approche sur la pratique de la loi, et dans un deuxième temps dans la position de «disciple accompli», et par voie de conséquence la foi mise en pratique. Cette évolution en Nicodème, ayant bien entendu pour origine le dialogue qui s’était passé entre Jésus et lui, auparavant.
Jean 7 ; 28 :
Et Jésus, enseignant dans le temple s’écria : Vous me connaissez, et vous savez d’où je suis !
Je ne suis pas venu de moi-même ; mais celui qui m’a envoyé est vrai, et vous ne le connaissez pas. (Jésus dit ici très clairement que les juifs, -en tout cas ceux de ce temple-là-, ne connaissaient pas Dieu. Ils ne connaissaient pas l’Eternel)…
29 Moi je le connais ; car je viens de lui et c’est lui qui m’a envoyé.
(Où ? Vers eux bien entendu !)
30 Ils cherchaient donc à se saisir de lui, et personne ne mit la main sur lui parce que son heure n’était pas encore venue. (Etonnant Jésus, relié à une horloge «autre» que celle de la terre).
31 Plusieurs parmi la foule crurent en lui, et ils disaient : «Le Christ, quand il viendra, fera-t-il plus de miracles que n’en a fait celui-ci» ?
(C’est à peu-près le raisonnement qu’avait Nicodème et les autres docteurs.
Cependant le texte dit avec une grande précision qu’ils crurent en lui. Je dis cela car à un autre endroit il est écrit que malgré tous les miracles qu’il avait faits, ils ne croyaient pas en lui. Il y a donc croire et croire, et entre les deux se trouve l’Esprit).
32 Les pharisiens entendirent la foule murmurant de lui ces choses.
(Evidemment, si les gens en venaient à croire que Jésus était le Christ, avec la pratique toute particulière de la loi qu’il avait, cela commençait à devenir dangereux pour leur régime de vie, surtout pour leur vie religieuse avec leurs traditions).
Alors les principaux sacrificateurs et les pharisiens envoyèrent des huissiers pour le saisir.
—
33 Jésus dit : Je suis encore avec vous pour un peu de temps, puis je m’en vais vers celui qui m’a envoyé. (Par quel moyen ? Par sa mort, par sa résurrection, puis par le don d’un corps «autre» que son Père lui donna, puis son élévation, et enfin sa glorification).
34 Vous me chercherez et vous ne me trouverez pas, et vous ne pouvez venir où je serai. (Tout-à-fait normal dans ce cas).
35 Sur quoi les Juifs dirent entre eux : Où ira-t-il que nous ne le trouvions pas ? Ira-t-il parmi ceux qui sont dispersés chez les Grecs, et enseignera-t-il les Grecs ?
36 Que signifie cette parole qu’il a dite : «Vous me chercherez et vous ne me trouverez pas, et vous ne pouvez venir où je serai» ?
(Oui, là il y avait une question qui demeurait, et encore aujourd’hui).
—
37 Le dernier jour, le grand jour de la fête, Jésus se tenant debout s’écria : Si quelqu’un a soif, qu’il vienne à moi et qu’il boive.
38 Celui qui croit en moi, des fleuves d’eau vive couleront de son sein, comme le dit l’Ecriture.
39 Il dit cela de l’Esprit que devaient recevoir ceux qui croiraient en lui ; car l’Esprit n’était pas encore, parce que Jésus n’avait pas encore été glorifié.
40 Des gens de la foule, ayant entendu ces paroles disaient : Celui-ci est vraiment le prophète.
41 D’autres disaient : C’est le Christ.
Et d’autres disaient : Est-ce bien de la Galilée que doit venir le Christ ?
42 L’Ecriture ne dit-elle pas que c’est de la postérité de David, et du village de Bethléhem, où était David, que le Christ doit venir ?
43 Il y eut donc, à cause de lui, division parmi la foule.
(Dommage, car leurs réflexions étaient bonnes en elles-mêmes. Mais cependant, l’Esprit n’étant pas encore venu, ils ne savaient pas et ne pouvaient pas voir qui était exactement Celui qui était devant eux. Mais un cependant pouvait le faire).
44 Quelques-uns d’entre eux voulaient le saisir, mais personne ne mit la main sur lui.
45 Ainsi les huissiers retournèrent vers les principaux sacrificateurs et les pharisiens. Et ceux-ci leur dirent : Pourquoi ne l’avez-vous pas amené ?
46 Les huissiers répondirent : Jamais homme n’a parlé comme cet homme.
(Mais qu’avait dit Jésus pour que ces huissiers disent une telle chose ? C’est écrit :
Celui qui croit en moi, des fleuves d’eau vive couleront de son sein, comme le dit l’Ecriture.)
—
47 Les pharisiens leur répliquèrent : Est-ce que vous aussi vous avez été séduits ?
48 Y a-t-il quelqu’un des chefs ou des pharisiens qui ait cru en lui ?
49 Mais cette foule, qui ne connaît pas la loi, ce sont des maudits !
50 Nicodème, qui était venu de nuit vers Jésus et qui était l’un d’entre eux, leur dit :
51 Notre loi condamne-t-elle un homme avant qu’on l’entende et que l’on sache ce qu’il a fait ?
52 Ils lui répondirent : Es-tu aussi Galiléen ? Examine, et tu verras que de la Galilée il ne sort point de prophète. (Ils cherchent des preuves, se servant de la matière, que Jésus est le Christ dans ce qui est «matière», «terrestre», comme «la Galilée», ou quelque chose d’autre de ce genre.)
53 Et chacun s’en retourna dans sa maison.
On voit bien ici que Nicodème commençait déjà à prendre position pour Jésus auprès des huissiers, des sacrificateurs et des Pharisiens, alors qu’il était encore un des leurs !
Il se servit de la loi, oui, mais pas en tant que condamnation ; au contraire, il s’en servit pour que Jésus ne fut pas condamné, ce qui est le contraire.
Pourtant ils ne se privèrent pas de remettre dans le droit chemin le «docteur Nicodème» quand ils lui dirent : «Examine». «Examine et tu verras, Mr. le docteur Nicodème qui prend la défense de ce Jésus»…
Nicodème ne se cache plus: Il parle enfin au grand jour et non plus dans les ténèbres, de nuit.
Pour lui, la loi avait déjà commencé à prendre une couleur différente qu’avant ; une couleur qui n’accuse plus mais qui ouvre une porte au dialogue, exactement du même type que celui que Jésus avait eu avec lui. Il se servit simplement d’un des bons côté de la loi pour qu’au moins Jésus puisse «s’exprimer». Oui s’exprimer comme Jésus l’avait fait pour lui.
Car en effet Nicodème avait déja compris que les opposants de Jésus voulaient le condamner directement, bien que le texte dise seulement que c’était pour le saisir.
Nicodème y voyait clair maintenant.
De la part des religieux la réponse ne se fit pas attendre, car ils associèrent tout de suite Nicodème à Jésus, puisqu’à la question «Y a-t-il quelqu’un des chefs ou des pharisiens qui ait cru en lui ?»
En somme ils faisaient en sorte que Jésus se retrouvât isolé, et donc Nicodème aussi.
Mais, passant outre, Nicodème prit immédiatement la parole pour leur demander s’il était normal que leur loi condamnât un homme sans l’avoir entendu.
On voit bien ici que Nicodème est en train de changer de camp, parce que devant ce qui se passe il ne peut faire rien d’autre que constater l’injustice de la loi écrite ; et par conséquent elle l’est à l’égard de tout homme qui vit sous cette loi.
—
Voyons quand même que plus haut, tous ces gens religieux avait appelé la foule «ces maudits», et cela uniquement parce que cette foule prenait fait et cause pour Jésus…
Mais… n’est-ce pas ce que Jésus avait à ceux qui croiraient en Lui ? Oui bien sûr !
Donc en prenant parti pour Jésus, d’une certaine manière Nicodème s’associait aussi à ceux que les religieux appelaient «ces maudits».
Il faut du courage pour cela, n’est-ce pas ? !
———-
Deuxième texte dans Jean 19:
28 Après cela, Jésus, qui savait que tout était déjà consommé, dit, afin que l’Ecriture fût accomplie : J’ai soif.
29 Il y avait là un vase plein de vinaigre. Les soldats en remplirent une éponge et, l’ayant fixée à une branche d’hysope, ils l’approchèrent de sa bouche.
30 Quand Jésus eut pris le vinaigre, il dit : Tout est accompli. Et, baissant la tête, il rendit l’esprit.
31 Dans la crainte que les corps ne restassent sur la croix pendant le sabbat, -car c’était la préparation-, -et ce jour de sabbat était un grand jour-, les Juifs demandèrent à Pilate qu’on rompît les jambes aux crucifiés et qu’on les enlevât.
Bien sûr que ce sabbat-là fut un grand jour, et même un très grand jour…
32 Les soldats vinrent donc, et ils rompirent les jambes au premier, puis à l’autre qui avait été crucifié avec lui.
33 S’étant approchés de Jésus et le voyant déjà mort, ils ne lui rompirent pas les jambes ; 34 mais un des soldats lui perça le côté avec une lance, et aussitôt il sortit du sang et de l’eau.
35 Celui qui l’a vu en a rendu témoignage, et son témoignage est vrai ; et il sait qu’il dit vrai, afin que vous croyiez aussi.
36 Ces choses sont arrivées, afin que l’Ecriture fût accomplie : «Aucun de ses os ne sera brisé».
37 Et ailleurs l’Ecriture dit encore : «Ils verront celui qu’ils ont percé».
Prophétiquement c’est : «Ils verront celui qu’ils ont percé».
—
38 Après cela, Joseph d’Arimathée, qui était disciple de Jésus, mais en secret par crainte des Juifs, demanda à Pilate la permission de prendre le corps de Jésus.
Et Pilate le permit.
Il vint donc et prit le corps de Jésus.
39 Nicodème, -qui auparavant était allé de nuit vers Jésus-, vint aussi, apportant un mélange d’environ cent livres de myrrhe et d’aloès.
40 Ils prirent donc le corps de Jésus et l’enveloppèrent de bandes, avec les aromates, comme c’est la coutume d’ensevelir chez les Juifs.
41 Or, il y avait un jardin dans le lieu où Jésus avait été crucifié, et dans le jardin un sépulcre neuf, où personne encore n’avait été mis.
42 Ce fut là qu’ils déposèrent Jésus, à cause de la préparation des Juifs, parce que le sépulcre était proche.
Oui heureusement que le sépulcre de Celui qui ressuscita d’entre les morts nous est encore proche.
—
Dans ce passage, il est parlé de Joseph d’Arimathée, disciple de Jésus, qui voulait réclamer le corps de Jésus pour l’ensevelir.
Joseph avait de la crainte ; de la même crainte que celle qu’avait certainement Nicodème lorsqu’il était allé voir Jésus de nuit.
Mais Nicodème avait bien changé depuis sa rencontre avec Jésus, et aussi la conversation qu’il avait eue avec les Huissiers, les Pharisiens, etc.
Oui Nicodème avait tellement changé que maintenant c’est lui qui allait fortifier Joseph et l’encourager dans sa démarche ; et il l’a fait en apportant de son côté tout le parfum nécessaire à l’embaumement de Jésus.
Nicodème ne se cache plus, il se montre au grand jour. Et c’est cela qui arrive quand quelqu’un a Vu ! Quand quelqu’un a des yeux neufs, faits pour voir.
Il ne se cache plus au beau milieu de son ancienne religion, mais au contraire il parle et il agit !
En effet on ne peut que constater qu’à son tour Nicodème devint un «disciple de Jésus», puisqu’on le voit associé à Joseph d’Arimathée, lui aussi «disciple de Jésus».
Il y a «association en Jésus»…
Maintenant oui, ayant enfin fait le rapprochement avec ce que Jésus lui avait dit sur Nombres 21, et ce qu’il venait de se passer à la croix en tant que «parallèle évident», Nicodème deviendra ce à quoi il était destiné : Etre non plus le docteur de la loi d’Israël, mais le «docteur de la foi qui présenterait la Loi».
La Loi, oui, mais à la manière dont Jésus l’accomplissait par son vécu sur cette terre.
Il s’agissait dons de Sa Loi, qui est aussi celle du Père.
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Voilà donc ce que devint Nicodème, que l’on raille un petit peu sur les estrades des «prédicateurs».
Oui Nicodème le timide, le peureux, le gamin qui pense rentrer de nouveau dans le ventre de sa mère, et j’en passe pour ne pas trop charger ces braves gens qui prêchent.
Ah oui j’oubliais : Il s’agit de Nicodème qui n’était pas encore «baptisé du Saint-Esprit»…
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Donc vivre La Vie Eternelle, c’est quoi ?
Vivre La Vie Eternelle, c’est vivre avec des yeux neufs, des oreilles neuves et un entendement neuf.
Vivre La Vie Eternelle, c’est avoir une vision «autre» que celle que nous avons acquise à notre naissance naturelle.
Vivre La Vie Eternelle, c’est vivre «dans l’Eternel», dans l’éternité : Chose impossible pour celui qui a les yeux fixés sur ce qu’il voit uniquement.
Vivre La Vie Eternelle, c’est ôter le temps et l’espace : Chose impossible pour celui qui n’arrive pas à se projeter dans l’Eternel.
Vivre La Vie Eternelle, c’est vivre par la Vie d’Un Autre : Impossible d’accepter le rachat pour celui qui tient à présenter ses propres bonnes œuvres.
Vivre La Vie Eternelle, c’est d’avoir les yeux détournés de soi-même : Impossible pour celui qui est encore dépendant de l’adversaire.
Vivre La Vie Eternelle, c’est vivre dans l’impossible pour un être humain : Impossible ne faisant pas partie du domaine et du vocabulaire chrétien.
Vivre La Vie Eternelle, c’est vivre dans l’inconcevable, l’inexplicable, selon l’expression d’un non-régénéré.
Vivre La Vie Eternelle, c’est vivre par la foi la Vie en Dieu par Un Autre : Jésus-Christ : Impossible à accepter pour celui qui est attaché aux choses de la terre.
Vivre La Vie Eternelle, c’est d’avoir accepté le transfert de culpabilité : Transfert irrecevable pour l’incrédule et le rebelle.
Vivre La Vie Eternelle, c’est d’avoir été délivré de toutes lois d’obligation : Irrecevable pour celui qui n’a pas vu le serpent cloué à la croix, à travers Jésus-Christ.
Vivre….
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JeanP, ainsi que tous les frères et sœurs qui ont tenu à ajouter ce qu’ils avaient reçu en particulier, et tout spécialement dans cette dernière page.
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