Beloved friends, we are very happy to greet you in the precious name of the Lord Jesus and welcome you again to another meditation from the Gospel of John chapter three in respect to that midnight visit of Nicodemus with the Blessed Lord Jesus. We have considered the first section of John chapter three, verses one through three, when Nicodemus met the Lord Jesus face to face. And in our preceding message, we also considered the second section, or began it, verses four through thirteen, when Nicodemus and the Lord were reasoning mind to mind. The startling statement of the Lord Jesus emphasizing to Nicodemus, the absolute necessity of the new birth, greatly puzzled this ruler of the Jews. permanently religious, a master in Israel and of the strictest set of the Jews, a Pharisee. After all the many years of deep experience in Judaism, his teaching of the law, he was astonished that this young teacher from God had set before him that all that he had done was in vain if he really was expecting to see or to enter the kingdom of God. the necessity of the new birth he had never known before. And in its mystery to his mind, he repeated to the Lord Jesus, How can a man be born again? We have touched upon the Savior's explanation in our preceding broadcast, down to verse eight, when he reasoned with the Lord mind to mind. But now again he replies in verse nine, very similarly as before, And note the question of Nicodemus. How can these things be? His mind was still confused. His mind was bewildered. But his mind was also anxious to know the answer. Now note the answer in verse ten that the Lord gives. Perhaps he may have spoken with a bit of sarcasm when he said, Art thou a master in Israel? and knoweth not these things? Oh, my beloved, he had his master's degree as a teacher noted in Israel, yet he knew not what the Lord was meaning. Now, why should the Lord ask this question? Well, beloved, may I state, there is a scripture in the Old Testament in the prophecy of Ezekiel. In chapter thirty-six, where God told that He would someday give Israel a new heart and a new spirit. You may read it in Ezekiel chapter thirty-six, verses twenty-five through twenty-seven in particular, if you wish. And surely this master in Israel should have been aware of this promise. Then may I also state, you could read in Isaiah chapter sixty-six, another statement that God someday would give a new birth to the nation of Israel. As a nation. Verses eight and nine of Isaiah sixty-six. So God had made the promise. And how much Israel needed this. And even still does. But someday we'll have that spiritual birth as a nation. But Nicodemus had forgotten about that. But note carefully. The Lord continues to reason with Nicodemus saying. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen. And ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, then ye believe not. How shall ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things? Now will you please note immediately, in substance, the Lord is referring I've been speaking to you of heavenly things, Nicodemus. And Nicodemus from the reading of the prophets may have understood or should have understood even those earthly things when God spoke to Israel. And he failed to do that. And like the nation at large. Thus he could never understand the heavenly things that Christ was seeking to bring and to reveal to Israel. And neither could Nicodemus understand it. not even grasping from the reading of the prophets the earthly things that God promised in relation to the nation. Now the Lord Jesus and His disciples were witnesses testifying of heavenly things. But as the Lord said in verse eleven, look, He said, You received not our witness. And note, when the Lord uses that plural pronoun, He's including the disciples who were with him and seeking the minister. But sad but true was the result. The Lord had to say, but you don't receive our message. Now let me again repeat. The message of the Lord Jesus, the origin of the testimony that was his, was heavenly, coming down from God through Christ, from heaven above. Now let's look at the next verse, verse thirteen. We'll verify this fact. Note the Lord Jesus saying a strange thing. No man hath ascended up into heaven or to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man which is in heaven. Now I want you to note very carefully some truths that are here. The Lord Jesus in these words also declares his pre-existence. He that came down from heaven. Now if he came down from heaven, then he must have been previously to being on the earth in heaven. And this fact concerning the pre-existence of Christ being true, then of course the doctrine of his incarnation and of his humanity is true. One who calls himself to Nicodemus the Son of Man is also the Son of God from heaven. Oh, may I repeat that? Don't forget, though the Son of Man, he came from heaven the Son of God. But note further the truth and deeper truth that the Lord reveals of himself to Nicodemus when he says, even the Son of Man and note his words, Which is, not was, but is, in heaven. Can we take that thought in? Could Nicodemus take it in, when the Lord speaks to him as mine to mine? Why does the Lord Jesus say, The Son of Man, which, not was, but is, in heaven? My beloved, though in person he was upon the earth in his perfect humanity, This one who was very God as well as very man, his heavenly existence did not cease during its time on earth. My beloved, please let me state, all that heaven is was in his heart. He never left. He never lost the consciousness of this heavenly person. Though the Son of Man was clothed in human form of flesh, He could say, I'm still in heaven. Please realize who He was. God come to the earth, but still possessed of divine attributes. And these very words saying, He is in heaven, can but proclaim the omnipotence, the omnipresence, and the omniscience of our Savior. Let me quote another scripture, revealing the abiding joy that Christ had, knowing his relationship with his Father God above. John chapter one and verse eighteen. No man hath seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, and note again, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him or made him known. on earth as well as in heaven. This blessed person, the Son of God, dwelt in the bosom of his Father. If you and I could look and were able to look into the heart of the Father, the beloved Son of his love, would be found filling that Father's heart. Did not the Father proclaim from heaven and the occasion of his baptism in Jordan? This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Chapter three of Matthew and verse seventeen. Oh, my beloved, let us realize as the Lord Jesus was speaking mind to mind with Nicodemus, the Lord Jesus was far above mentally, far above and spiritually, far above the thoughts of Nicodemus. Nicodemus could never Rise above the thoughts of earth. But the Lord Jesus is speaking of heavenly things, bringing down from heaven truth that Nicodemus needed to know. Can we then wonder that for Nicodemus there was some spiritual ignorance? Even though he courteously, very courteously, kindly acknowledged this young prophet, as a teacher come from God. But he did not grasp that he was much more than that. He was God who had come to teach. And thus the Lord talked, as it were, mind to mind about heavenly things. But still they were very difficult to penetrate the mind of Nicodemus. But he still went on, as we shall see in our next message. He went deeper. He wanted to reach the heart of Nicodemus. Not to see him face to face only. Not to reason with him mind to mind. But to bring out of the heart of God. And through the heart of Christ himself. That love. That God could reveal. And had revealed. And was revealing. Through his son. To save Nicodemus. And oh my beloved. The heart of this ruler of the Jews. The Savior was after. My beloved, may I say, the Lord Jesus desires to speak, not to our intellects merely, but to our hearts. For salvation is not a matter of intellectual ability or knowledge, but it is a message of love from the great heart of God himself, revealing through his Son his love for you and for me. And as we shall continue on by the will of God in our following broadcast, We shall see from John three, fourteen through seventeen. Then the Lord Jesus went deeper still. And may I say, salvation is not a matter of the head, it is entirely a matter of the heart. The truth ye must be born again is got to sink, none in the mind, but down in the heart, and reach. the necessity of effecting and bringing by the Spirit that new bird. Shall we pray? Oh, Blessed Father, take by the Holy Spirit Himself the words that we have given from thy precious book. Bless them to the salvation and to the blessing of many in Jesus' name. Amen.