John & 1,2,3 John | Lecture 6 : BC301-John-20260828

Yes, good morning to those of you who are online. Good morning to the students over here. Good morning to the students who are talking in the last row. Good morning to everyone. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. So, uh we'll begin with a word of prayer committing our class into the Lord's hands. Uh any volunteers? >> Let's pray. Thank you, heavenly father. Thank you for this wonderful morning that you have given us. So father god thank you for that new day that you given us. So father god and as we going to study your word oh master god give your wisdom knowledge. Oh father god give give that more revelation in our hearts. So lord we pray that oh father god you open our mind and so we can understand everything in a proper way proper way. Father god I surrender entire class into your hands. So father god and I surrender ma'am also into your hands. So father god you reveal yourself. for father God and give you more revelation in her life for master God and I surrender all thing into your hands. We give you all the glory and honor into your name in Jesus name I pray. Amen. >> Amen. Amen. Thank you. So we have finished two chapters. Um so we we looked at Jesus having an encounter with two groups of people uh so far. One is the people at the wedding feast in Canaa. And then we also saw his interactions with the uh people who were selling uh products in the uh temple courtyard which is actually not the correct place to be making uh sales. So we saw his interaction with these two groups of people. Now we are going to be seeing today in chapter 3 his interaction with one individual with a very important Pharisee. Usually when we hear the word Pharisee, we think of the most negative things. So this man is also a Pharisee. Um but he is someone who is also a truth seeker. He genuinely wants to know the truth. Uh so that's the difference between him and the other Pharisees. The other Pharisees even though they can see the truth, they pretend that they are not seeing it. But here is a man who is willing to accept the truth when it is taught to him. So we will look at this um you know encounter that Jesus has with the uh Pharisee Nicodemus. So um if maybe we could begin with the first two verses. If someone can just read out chapter 3 1 and 2. Now there was a Pharisee a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him." >> Yeah. So we get to know that he was a member of the Jewish ruling council, the Sanhedrin. Uh so he's not just an ordinary Pharisee. He's someone with a lot of political influence, a lot of power. And this man comes to Jesus at nighttime. Um it's important to remember that Jesus is just starting off his ministry at this time. There is not much opposition against him. So it's not that Nicodemus is afraid to meet with Jesus in the daytime. He has basically come in the night to find out whether this is genuinely the Messiah or whether this is you know someone who is a fraud. So he's basically coming over here first of all to have a discussion with Jesus and find out whether this is really the true Messiah. He's not scared of any opposition. Okay. So right now at this stage where Jesus is still starting his ministry, there's hardly any opposition at this point of time. But because he's such an important leader, this uh Nicodemus, he first wants to make sure that this is truly the Messiah before he starts associating himself with Jesus. So he comes over here to clarify and find out uh exactly who Jesus is. And um so he makes a statement here and he says no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him. So he has seen these signs, you know, the sign boards which are pointing towards Jesus and he is beginning to realize that this probably genuinely is the Messiah. So he says your the signs which you are performing seem to indicate that you're definitely from God. Um now of course we are we are also aware this is of course a valid statement which Nicodemus is making. But it's also important to remember that even the evil one can sometimes perform signs and pretend that he is good. Right? Uh we see that maybe we can look at 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 9 because over there you see the evil one also performing uh signs and wonders. >> Yeah. >> The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the life. >> Uh so here in your 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, it's actually talking about the uh antichrist and his false prophet. They will perform great signs and wonders. So you see here Nicodemus is saying if you're from God then you will be able to perform miraculous signs. But in second Thessalonians we see that even the evil one also can perform signs and wonders. So how would we differentiate? How would we know who is genuine and who is fake? Basically when you start observing their life and the kind of fruit which they are producing on a daily basis that will give us clear proof of whether they are actually from God or from the evil one. People who looked at Jesus they could not find even one fault in him. In fact, when Jesus goes to John the Baptist for baptism, John the Baptist says, "I'm the one who should be getting baptized by you because, you know, you lead such a holy lifestyle." So, no one could ever point a bad fruit coming out of Jesus' life. Um, so we see that in Matthew 7 18-20 where it talks about the kind of fruit that we bear. uh Matthew 7 18- 20 if someone can read out. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree every tree that that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus by their fruit you will recognize them. by their fruit you will recognize them. So when you see a person performing signs and wonders it's uh that is not enough. Look at the fruit which is coming out of their life. How do they treat people? Uh how uh are they when it comes to their personal relationship with the Lord? How are they when it comes to you know uh showing maybe mercy and kindness to the poor? You know these things will show what they are actually like on the inside. what their priorities are. So by their fruit we will recognize them. So here of course Nicodemus is right when saying uh that the signs which Jesus are performing indicate that he is from God. Um so when he says this you know he he talks about how Jesus is seems to be genuine uh Jesus seems to be from God. When he says that Jesus how does Jesus reply? What is what is Jesus response in the next sentence? He doesn't say yes yes yes I agree with you I am from God. Uh he says something else which is completely new something disconnected from the conversation so far. So if you could just maybe read out that one verse chapter chapter 3:3. >> Jesus replied very truly I tell you no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. >> Yeah. So Jesus knows why he has come. He's come over here because he's eager to uh know to to see the kingdom of God. The same way the disciples were eager uh you know Andrew just Andrew and uh Simon Peter and Nathaniel and uh who was that Philillip they all were so eager to see this Messiah who is going to be coming and bringing the kingdom. In the same way Jesus recognizes that this Nicodemus is also eager to see the kingdom. And so without you know any further uh uh you know you know small talk Jesus gets to the main point. He says to him very truly I tell you no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. So Jesus is basically asking him are you born again? You are eager to see the kingdom. But are you even born again? Will you really be seeing the kingdom? First of all, address that issue. Then you will be able to you know uh talk about kingdom matters. So Jesus makes that opening point. So so that you know Nicodemus be becomes aware that he's not yet meeting the criteria required to even enter the kingdom. So even though he thinks in his mind that he is ready to be in the kingdom. Uh yeah Raj you have a question. Go ahead >> ma'am. Uh in Colossian earlier you mentioned like uh Satan can also perform >> perform signs and wonders. Yeah. >> So in Colossians uh 2:15 as it is mentioned like >> um Satan has disarmed and power and authorities. He made public biblical spect. >> So I mean uh so Satan has lost lost his power right? >> So how we understand this and >> he still has his powers but he doesn't have authority. Power and authority are two distinct things and it's very helpful to know that. It's a good question. um whatever power God gave each angel when he first created that angel stays that power stays with that angel. So God's angels who are still faithful to him, they still have their powers. The fallen angels who chose to rebel against God, they too still have their powers. And uh so when these were when these fallen angels were thrown down to the earth, they took the opportunity later to try and tempt Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve had been created with full authority to rule and have dominion over everything in the earth. They had full legal authority given to them by God himself to have rule and dominion. So Satan tempts Adam and Eve to sin and when they sin they lose this authority which they had earlier it goes into Satan's hands. So Satan now you know because of the sinfulness of humans he's able to exercise his authority over them. So in that way Satan who had powers also now manages to get authority. If God says to him who are you to exercise authority over my people he'll say your people fell. They fell into sin. They are no longer under your covering. So now they have come under the covering of sin. And because they are under sin and they are helpless, I'm going to be the gangster who will, you know, have control over them. They're helpless. So Jesus came and he did something. He won back the authority which is rightfully ours. So on the cross, this you know condemnation of sin which is hanging over our heads, Jesus paid the price for it. the death sentence which has to be given for sin, he paid the death sentence. And so now that condemnation which is which is which used to hang over our heads over the heads of believers that is removed. So now we have got back our full authority. And so in the heavenly realms Jesus openly showed and declared and said see I have risen from the dead in my capacity as the human representative of all these helpless humans. I represented them. I never sinned. I defeated death. I have risen up. And so now Satan no longer has any authority over any human who chooses to place themselves under me, under my covering, under my protection. So in uh so that is why in your Romans chapter 6 it says or Romans chapter 8, there is now no condemnation for those who are under Christ. So a in a in public God showed everyone that the evil one and his you know demons have lost their authority. So the authority is lost. So now Satan still has got powers in the sense he's able to maybe do great miraculous things which we humans beings cannot do. When we do great things we either do it by the power of the evil one or we do it by the power of the holy spirit. Because there are people who perform all kinds of wonders, but they're doing it by the power of the demons. So powers have not been lost but authority is now gone. So now even the smallest believer can stand up and say in Jesus' name and exercise that authority and they will have to bow to the name of Jesus because a public spectacle was made of them where they were clearly it was shown that they had lost their authority. So supernatural powers, you know, maybe flying in the air, things like that, a demon will be able to do. Powers are still there. Authority is gone. We believers who recognize that we now have the authority which Jesus has given us back can exercise that authority over the demons. Uh so supernatural powers, they still have those that does that help? Yes. >> Okay. So uh when uh the judgment will come ma'am >> at the end when we will separate it uh the believers will be separated those who not uh didn't believe they will be separated. So uh at that time still it will go go same way I mean power authority I mean authorities already uh gone from us. Yeah. >> Okay. So on judgment day we believers uh will continue to exercise authority. We no longer need to exercise authority over all the human things which we are now you know struggling with and all that because once you're in heaven I mean it's completely different setup there is no suffering over there there are no obstacles to overcome so we may not really need our authority at that point of time till we are given new responsibilities in heaven so uh authority is not affected >> the Satan and Yeah. >> See, I don't know whether they'll still have their powers or not, but the point is it will not help them in any way because they'll be sitting inside the lake of fire and they can never come out of it. And what are they going to do with all their power in the lake of fire? They can't even bring themselves out of it. They'll be in complete punishment and suffering and uh it's eternal agony. So all their power maybe they still have the power but they can't use that power to even get one one bit of relief. There's just no relief, no rest. They're completely cut off from God. So they may still have the power at that time, but it'll be of no use to them because they're inside the lake of fire. So yeah. Yes. Yeah. Okay. We kind of got diverted but that was a valid question. So and we will anyway come to Colossians one day. So in our in our next uh you know semester. So yes. Um getting back to uh Jesus opening statement. Jesus knows why Nicodemus has come. And now Jesus is questioning Nicodemus and saying, "Will you see the kingdom of God?" Because only bornagain people can see the kingdom of God. Very truly, I tell you, you know, that's what Jesus says. And we've talked about this earlier. You know, whenever Jesus says very truly, it's like as if he's highlighting that sentence in yellow, you know, in our in our on on our computers when we think that some sentence is important, we highlight it in yellow. And here's like as if Jesus is doing that. that he's saying very truly I'm telling you only someone who has been born again can see the kingdom of God. So Nicodemus what was his impression about how a person gets into the kingdom of God? He believed in what they had been taught long back by Moses in Deuteronomy chapter 30 3-6. you know where Moses says there are two things which have to happen and after that the great day of the lord will come. So all the you know Jewish people from ancient times have believed this they have believed that two main events will take place after those two main events take place then the great day of the lord will come. So if you were to look in your Deuteronomy 30 3-6, the first thing that they are told is that, you know, after God's judgment has come upon the Israelites for all of their sins, they'll be taken away as slaves, but God will set them free. He will bring them back from their captivity. So the first major event which will take place is even though God has punished them and sent them away as slaves to different different countries they will all be brought back from captivity and then that that is in your Deuteronomy chapter 30:3 that God will bring them back from their captivity and then in your verse 4 it says those who are left in you know in in in the farthest parts even they God will gather them and he will bring them back. So that was one main event which will take place. And the next major event which God promises he will do for his people is he says that he will circumcise their hearts. That will be in your chap in your verse 6 uh Deuteronomy 30:6. God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants to love the Lord your God. So most of these Jewish people in Jesus' time were under the impression that both of these events have already finished taking place. They have seen, you know, their their ancestors coming back from Babylon, you know, reestablishing themselves in Jerusalem, building the second temple. Uh they've seen all that happening already. So God has gathered them and brought them back and they think that they have already been circumcised in their heart because uh during the silent years you know um after Malachi Malachi was the last Old Testament prophet and then the first New Testament prophet was John the Baptist. So in between when you had those 400 years during that time there were a lot of um godly movements which came up. One of the godly movements which came up was the movement of the Pharisees. Know we generally think of Pharisees as the most rotten apples. But originally when the Pharisees first uh were formed, they came together as a group with noble purposes. They did not like the way the people were living, the the lack of moral standards, the the the disrespect towards God. And so when they first formed themselves as a group, the Pharisees, their heart was that we will honor the Lord. We will follow all the laws of God. We will try, you know, we will stay sincere to him because we want to live a clean and holy life. And so um there were movements like this where Pharisees and other groups of people, you know, the Esmes, these are all different groups of people uh who who formed to live a holy life. So the the Jews of Jesus day were under the impression that God has already come during these religious movements and he has already circumcised people's hearts. That was the impression that they were under. So Nicodemus is coming over here to Jesus with the confidence that yes his people have already been gathered back to Jerusalem and yes God has already become circumcised their hearts because he is a Pharisee. He's somebody who keeps the 613 laws very carefully. Not just that, he has added a whole bunch of extra laws, you know, because that's what the Pharisees did, right? They they were trying to follow the 613 laws again and again they were failing because you know the sinful nature inside them and so they thought if we add extra laws then we will be able to keep it. So they brought in a whole of whole lot of extra laws beyond the 613 which Moses had given. And that is why basically in your Romans uh chapter 7 Paul cries out and he says oh how much I have wanted to live a holy life but there's something inside me which is not allowing me to live a holy life. So this is basically the problem which the Pharisees were going through. You know they wanted to be holy unable to be holy and many of them became hypocrites. So Jesus was angry with the hypocrites who are not admitting the dirt inside them. So um this man on the other hand seems to be a sincere person who wants to know the truth and uh so uh you know Jesus conversation with this particular Pharisee goes very differently. So when Jesus says you know uh a person cannot see the kingdom of God unless they are born again he's very confused and so he says in verse four this is the question which he asks which we are all very familiar with. If someone can read out that verse four, >> how can someone be born when they are old? Nicodemus asked, surely they cannot uh enter a second time into their mother's womb to be born. >> Yeah. So, Nicodemus is asking a very practical question saying how can how is it possible to get back inside the you know womb of your mother and be born again. Uh why did he say that? Because Jesus is using this particular Greek word over here. Anothen A N O T H E N. That's the word which is used over here. Jesus says no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born anoten. That's the Greek word. So that word anoten can actually be translated in two ways. It can mean again but it can also mean from above. Okay. This is these are two very valid meanings that word anotheen it can mean again but it can also mean from above. Let's look at some Bible verses where that where where that you know um meaning is used. Let's look at John 3:31. You have the word anotin mentioned in that verse. John 3:31 if you can read out. >> The one who comes above is above all. >> Yeah. >> The >> of the one who comes from above. same word anoten okay the one who comes from above the one who comes anoten is above all uh let's look at another verse where the same word anoten is used but with the other meaning John 19:11 >> Jesus answered you would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above >> yeah if it were not given to you Anoten from above. So we it turns out that this word anoten has got two meanings. One meaning is again but the other meaning is from above. So when Jesus said you know you a person should be born again he was actually not using again. He was he actually meant from above. So Nicodemus understands it the other way. He thinks of an as being again and so he says how can I be born again? it's not possible to again become a baby and get into my mother's womb. So Jesus, you know, is is is explaining in the next few verses that he was not talking about that meaning again. He was actually talking about from above. That's the meaning that Jesus was using. And you can see that in the way he says the next few sentences. Uh if maybe we could read out verses 5 to 8. Okay. So here in these verses 5 to8 Jesus is clarifying. I was not talking about again I was talking about being born from above. So with with that meaning in mind you know let's look at these verses. What is Jesus saying over here verses 5 to8 if you can read out. >> Jesus answered very truly I tell you no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born again born of water and the spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh but the spirit gives birth to spirit. You should be you should not be surprised at my saying. You must be born again. The the winds the wind the wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the spirit. >> Yeah. So Jesus is saying I was not saying that you should be born again in your mother's womb. I'm telling you, you should be born from above. And he explains, you see, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the spirit. And both of these things are from above. I will explain, I'll explain that further. So Jesus says flesh can only give birth to flesh. But it's the spirit who gives birth to spirit. So it's very important that you should be born from above. Okay. So um and then he Jesus talks about the wind. He says see when the wind comes you can hear it you can't see it you don't know why it is coming on this particular day with this amount of force and you have no idea what it is supposed to be achieving in fact you don't even know where it is going from here you don't know any of the details but you have no doubt that the wind has come because you have heard it with your ears so in the same way Jesus is saying over here if a person is really born from above if they are born of water and the spirit it. You'll not really understand what has happened and how it has happened but you will see the change. You will see a transformation in that person and you will realize oh this person is not just born of the flesh you know the way human beings are born of the flesh but this person has also been born from above. Something has happened to him. The spirit has done something to him. He has changed and he's no longer the same person. So that is what Jesus is explaining over here in these verses. And Nicodemus is rather surprised and he says, "How can these things be?" And then Jesus says to him, "Are you a teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?" Because this was very clearly explained in the Old Testament is what Jesus is saying. So when Nicodemus says, "How how can a person be born from above? What is this being born of water and the spirit? What does that mean?" you know when he's kind of confused because he's not not exactly connected those that Old Testament passage with what Jesus is saying right now. So Jesus says to him you're a teacher of Israel. You know Pharisees were supposed to be teachers. They had indepth knowledge of the Old Testament. So Jesus says have you not connected what I'm saying with what you have read in the Old Testament? And Jesus is actually referring to your Ezekiel 36 25- 28 where it talks about being born of water and being born of the spirit. Ezekiel 36 25-28. If you can read out Ezekiel 36 25- 28, >> I will sprinkle clean water on you and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your um impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove from your heart from you your heart of the your your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh and I will put my spirit in you and move move you to follow my decrees and be careful to my laws. >> Then then you will live in the land I gave your uh ancestors. You will be my people and I will be your gods. So how will people become you know God's people? You know God says you will be my people and I will be your God. So you don't become a child of God by being a descendant of Abraham. Two things should happen. The Holy Spirit should sprinkle you with clean water and make you clean from all your impurities and from all your sinfulness. And the Holy Spirit should also change you. You know your heart is your heart of stone is taken away. A heart of flesh is given to you so that now you will be able to actually start following these commandments which god has given. So there are these two things which the holy spirit will do inside a person then such people they become born from above. So that is why in your uh John 3:6 Jesus says flesh gives birth to flesh but the spirit gives birth to spirit. So we all have been born of um from the flesh in the sense our h our human parents gave birth to us. So we have been you know flesh has given birth to flesh but only the holy spirit can cause a person to be born from above. That's something which only the holy spirit can do inside a person. So here Jesus says to him you're a teacher of Israel. You should actually be able to easily understand these truths because you're familiar with the Old Testament scriptures. So then Jesus says, you know, he in the next few verses he says, I'm somebody that you should truly believe. What I'm saying is the truth because I am not from here. I am from above. And so I'm telling you about things which are from above. I'm clearly clearly explaining these things to you. So Jesus talks about how qualified he is to tell about these things. Um that would be your verses 11 to 13. Yeah. So if you can read out verses 11 to13. >> Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen. But still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe. How then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven, the son of man. >> Yeah. So Jesus says in verse 13, no one has ever gone into heaven. That word over there, um it's a Greek word. You don't really need to know that, but you know, the meaning is helpful. It says no one anab forget it. Okay, it's a it's a Greek word. That Greek word basically is not just talking about someone going. It's talking about someone who's not able to ascend into heaven with their own power by their own power. So Jesus is saying no one has ascended into heaven by their own power to find out about all these heavenly secrets. You know only one person who has come down from there he knows all those heavenly secrets and that is me. So he says you he's basically saying to Nicodemus, you better accept what I'm telling because nobody even you Pharisees never had the power to ascend into heaven on your own and find out these details. I am the one who has come from there. I am the one who knows these truths. And so he says very truly I tell you. You know again you have that highlighting word very truly I tell you. We speak of what we know. You know we the triune God, the father, son and holy spirit, we are speaking of what we know and we testify to what we have seen. But still you people you know you Pharisees are not accepting our testimony. So then Jesus says I have spoken to you of earthly things. You know these things which are there which were there in Ezekiel Ezekiel 36. You already knew that. So those things have already been told to you. has spoken to you of earthly things and you not do not believe you're not believing in this Ezekiel 36 which is already revealed to you in the Old Testament itself. So if you're not able to believe in earthly things how will you believe in heavenly things when I start telling you greater things you know is what Jesus is saying. So um after having you know explained to Nicodemus that he's fully qualified to be telling these truths and Nicodemus better believe it because he's the one who's come from heaven to declare these truths. Jesus now finally explains how these things can be because Nicodemus asked right how can it be? How can a person be born from above? So Jesus says this is how it's going to happen. verse 14 and 15. Just as Moses was lifted up in uh lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the son of man must be lifted up that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him. So this is how it's going to be. It's going to happen through the son of man who will be lifted up. So uh this is of course referring to your Old Testament um you know Exodus chapter 27 story. So in your Exodus chapter 27:es 1 to8 the people were grumbling about mana they said they are tired of eating mana and uh so at that time uh God is uh you know sends poisonous snakes into the Israelite camp and people start getting bitten by the poisonous snakes and they start dying and then God says to Moses make a bronze serpent and you know place it in the the middle of the camp and why why was bronze used? Because bronze is a symbol of judgment. So um God's judgment is going to come upon the people but if the people will go to that bronze serpent and look at it then God will put the judgment on the bronze serpent instead of putting it on them. So that's the uh you know um that that's the instruction which God gives in Exodus chapter 27. So a lot of people who have been bitten by the snake I don't know in what condition they would have been maybe they would have been dying. So they literally know they crawl they go to the middle of the camp they look up at that bronze serpent. Everyone who believes you know in what God has said and they look up at the bronze serpent they get healed because the judgment doesn't come upon them. It comes upon that bronze serpent. So Jesus says in the same way that happened you know in Exodus in the same way the son of man also will be lifted up and everyone who looks up to him and believes in him they will receive eternal life. So um that's the way Jesus explains how are these things going to happen? How will I be born from above? How will all that take place? It will happen the day you look at that Jesus and believe in him and actually accept that the judgment will not come upon you. It'll be placed upon Jesus and you will be saved through him. If you believe that then yes you will be born from above through the Holy Spirit. So this is the explanation which Jesus has given to Nicodemus. You know here we have just a very brief summary right. So Jesus would have explained in greater detail using more words, more explanation the way I'm explaining right now. So here in the scriptures you just have a brief summary of that conversation because every sentence cannot be written down right. Um so the main essentials of the conversation are mentioned over here in your uh John chapter 3. So now Jesus is explaining about this son of man who will be lifted up. how God so loved the world that he has sent the son of man you know to uh bring us eternal uh life. So um if maybe we can read out this passage about how you know God the father sent the son of man to save us uh vers 16 and 18. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned. But whoever does not believe believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only son. >> So, so Jesus is saying there's only one way for you to get into heaven. You will have to believe what I have told you. You will have to believe in me. You'll have to place your trust in me. There is no other way. Because in verse 18, Jesus says, "Whoever believes in the son is not condemned. But whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only son." So there's no other method of getting into the into heaven and seeing the kingdom of God established. If you want to see the kingdom of God, you have to believe in this son whom God has sent. And he says, you know, God did not send his son to condemn the world. You know if the if the the if the people whom God has created are living in rebellion, they are living in sin. They have no respect for God. They want to live uh in whatever they way they wish to live. Such people actually deserve punishment. So generally if the if you know if God is wants to send his son the chances are he will send his son to punish them no not to save them. So here the point that you know Jesus is making is see God could have easily sent me to punish all of you because you're living in rebellion against what God has told but instead of you know hating you people God has chosen to love you. He should hate those who are rebelling but instead he has chosen to love those same rebellious people and he has sent not to condemn you and punish you but he has sent his son to save you. So that's the great thing which God has done and that is why it says in your Zechariah 9 9 and 10 you know as a prophecy of what Jesus will come one day and do. If you could read out that those verses uh Zechariah 9 and 10 rejoice greatly daughter Zion. Shout daughter Jerusalem see your king comes to you righteous and victorious lowly and riding on your donkey on your called the fo of your donkey. I will take away the uh carri from Ephraim and the war shores war horses from Jerusalem and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. his rule will extend from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth. >> So here in this prophecy you know which is fulfilled when Jesus is entering into Jerusalem or you know seated on a donkey. So this old testament prophecy it says rejoice greatly. Why? Because your king is not coming to you on a waror. If if the son had come on a war horse, he would be coming to declare war on all the people and destroy them, punish them for their sinfulness. But this king when he's coming, he's not coming on a waror. In fact, he says all the war horses will be removed from Jerusalem and he will proclaim peace to the nations. So God sends his son not on a waror to, you know, destroy the people. He sends his son seated on a donkey, an animal of peace, not an animal of war. Why? Because he wants to proclaim peace to the nations. He doesn't want to declare punishment to the nations. That is the love of God which is being you know um um shown towards sinful people who don't even deserve any pity. Such people God chooses to love. And God chooses to send his son not to punish but God sends his son to save. Okay. So that's the uh great gospel message which is presented in these verses. Um so now while we are here uh we have about 7 minutes left. Let's see what we can do. uh because see um this verse uh is kind of a bit controversial um because of the wording which is used in your NKJV and the wording which is used in many of the other translations. So those of us you know who have memorized our John 3:16 in NKJV you know we all know that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him and uh but on the other hand if you were to look at your NIV the same verse John 3:16 over there it will say um for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son. So in your NKJV it will say begotten son in your NIV it will say one and only son. Okay. So both NKJV and NIV accept the fact that God has sent his son. But what kind of a son? There seems to be a little bit of controversy over there. Um NKJV will say begotten son and your NIV will say one and only son. And it's not just NIV. You have many of the modern translations using this uh different wording. Uh so why? Because you know uh there's there's a little bit of um misconception a wrong idea which is formed in people's minds when they hear the term only begotten son because that word begotten means to begget to give birth to. Okay. So it sounds like as if God has given birth to Jesus. So which means that Jesus is a created being. And that's a wrong teaching, right? Because right in in your opening verse, John 1:1 itself, it's very clearly told in the beginning was the word. The word was already there in the beginning. God the father didn't create Jesus. Jesus was already there. So God did not begget Jesus. You know, Jesus was not begotten. He was not given birth to God. Jesus was always already there. So um why does NKJV insist on continuing to use this term only begotten over there? There's a little bit of grammar. If you can handle this, you you know go ahead and accept it. Uh if you think this is all going above your head, then you know it's all right. You can just sit back and relax. The reason that NKJV is insisting on continuing to use begotten as their translation is because they believe that the Greek root word used over there is a Greek root word called geno. G E N A O. Okay, Jennao means to give birth to. So NKJV will say look at that word over there in the original Greek. So you know everybody will go to Bible hub. They will open Bible hub. They will look at John 3:16. And over there they look at the wording which is used over there. God so loved the world that he gave his monogen. Mono means only. Jenna is the you know word which is being kind of um you know debated over. So monogenis he gave his monogen. Mono is only the gen is the part which people disagree upon. So the NKJV people will say look this word jenna which is mentioned over here it's taken from the Greek root word jao which means to give birth to that is why we are translating as only begotten on the other hand most of the modern translations they will say how can this be if the root word was jao then ja would have two ns it would be g n e but go look in your bible hub Over there it's mono and then it is g ne. It doesn't say g n ne e. It just says g e n e. So the root word cannot be geno. The root word is something else. According to them they will say the root word is genos. G e n o s. What is the what is the meaning of ge n o? It means something unique of a particular type. Something unique of a particular category. So they'll say the original Greek word from which this ja has come it's goss g n o s has got one n even the word in your john 3:16 that also has got only one n it's mono and then you have g n so that is why n kjv because they believe the original root word from which ja has come is geno they will say only begotten on the other hand the nivrs nasv and a whole bunch of other translations. They will all say that the original Greek word used over there is genos and goss you know from that word which means a unique type. Therefore they will say monogen has got only one n g n e only one n. So it is one and only a unique type of son. Jesus was the unique type of son whom God sent. Okay. So this is basically your grammar. And then um let's look at another verse and then decide who is more accurate. Okay. So we will look at Hebrews 11 17. If we cannot finish this today, we will continue in our next class. But it helps you know it helps to know what the actual meaning is. So let's go to Hebrews 11:17 where you have the exact same word monog mono and then g ne the same same word is used over there in your Hebrews 11:17 only thing in Hebrews 11:17 it's not talking about Jesus it's talking about Abraham's son okay so if someone can read out for us Hebrews 11:17 >> by faith Abraham when God tested him offered Isaac as a sacrifice He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son. >> Yeah. So if you're reading NIV, it will say one and only son. If you're reading NKJV, it will say only begotten son. Okay. So the same word is used even in your Hebrews 11:17. But over here, think about it. Um was uh Isaac um Abraham's only begotten. How many sons did Abraham begat? you know using that very old-fashioned word of giving birth to. How many sons did Abraham begat? He begat two sons, Ishmael and Isaac. So why is Isaac being called only begotten? Because this man Isaac is actually of a unique type. He's the one specific only son whom who would be given the inheritance rights according to God. God said you will I'll give birth you know you will give birth to a son and to that son of yours I will give my inheritance he will become the person through whom you know there'll be many many descendants and then one day even the messiah will come through that particular son so this Isaac was a very unique son he was the one and only kind of his type so therefore over here in Hebrews 11:17 when it refers to Isaac as the only one and only. It's referring to the his uniqueness. Okay. So we will clarify this further. We are out of time. So we have to kind of you know close down now but we will continue this. Uh but I think you kind of caught the basic concept already. All right. So let's just quickly close with a word of prayer. Lord we thank you for some of the truths that we have learned from your word today. Uh we thank you oh Lord that we can be born from above and actually see your kingdom established uh in the end times. we will actually be part of that uh of that exciting event when your kingdom is established here on earth and we will be able to witness all of that and be part of your people because through your Holy Spirit we oh Lord have been cleansed by water of all our impurities and we have been cleansed by your Holy Spirit and now oh Lord we have a heart which can actually obey you which can actually be submissive and surrendered unto You thank you oh Lord for the great work which you have done for us. You sent your son not to punish us on a waror but you chose to send your son on a humble donkey to proclaim peace to us. We thank you and we are deeply grateful to you oh Lord. Thank you Lord in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Thank you. >> Thank you ma'am.