Daily Devotions
John
A summary of the doctrines Jesus taught
Text: John 3:1-21
A SUMMARY OF THE DOCTRINES JESUS TAUGHT
We understand better why Nicodemus came to Jesus by night. The conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus must have taken a good number of hours. What was preserved in John’s Gospel would be at best a summary of the main doctrines that Jesus sought to bring across to Nicodemus.
As we study the Gospel of John, we will take time to summarize the discourses that Jesus gave so that we could comprehend what He taught better.
1. The Doctrine of being “Born Again”
a) This was a pre-requisite to admission into the Kingdom of God (John 3:3, 5).
b) This was essentially a special work of God through the ministry of the Holy Spirit (John 3:6).
c) The sinner’s part is to desire to be washed and cleansed (John 3:5).
d) The person who is truly born again would evidence in his life the fact that the Spirit of God has worked in his life (John 3:8).
2. The Doctrine of Christ
a) He is none other than the eschatological Son of Man (John 3:13).
b) He came from heaven (John 3:13).
c) He will be “lifted up” – a veiled reference to Christ dying on the Cross (John 3:14).
d) He is the only begotten Son of God (John 3:16-18).
e) He came to give salvation to the world (John 3:17).
f) He came as The Light of the world (John 3:19; Cf. John 1:7-9).
3. The Doctrine of “Belief” or “Faith”
a) Knowledge must be converted into “belief” or it is futile (John 3:12).
b) Belief is centered in the Person of Jesus, and not just in academic concepts (Cf. Points a-f which relate to Jesus – John 3:13-19).
4. The Doctrine of Response
a) Those who Reject Jesus:
i) They imperil their very souls (John 3:18).
ii) The will perish (John 3:18).
iii) They will receive condemnation when judged by God one day (John 3:18).
iv) When they reject Jesus, they reject none other than the Son of God Himself (John 3:18).
v) They loved their world of darkness rather than come to The Light (John 3:19).
vi) They prefer to remain in their sins, than to receive forgiveness from the Lord
(John 3:19-20).
b) Those who Receive Jesus:
i) They would like to enter into God’s Kingdom (John 3:3, 5).
ii) They accept God’s terms for entrance into His Kingdom (John 3:3-8).
iii) They evidence the fruit of the Spirit of God (John 3:8).
iv) They believe that Jesus was indeed the Son of Man and the Son of God (John 3:14, 18).
v) They believe that they will indeed have eternal life through faith in Jesus (John 3:16).
vi) They are able to come to Jesus because they have a love for the truth (John 3:21).
vii) They recognize Jesus as The Light of the world (John 3:19-20; 1:7-9).
NO MIDDLE GROUND
Nicodemus had come to Jesus impressed by what Jesus taught and what He did! He now had a lot of doctrines to evaluate. There was really no middle ground. He had come to this realization. He either accepted or rejected Jesus.
What Jesus taught did not give him any room to maneuver. This kind of teaching was so different from the Rabbinic form of teaching he was brought up in. There, lots of theories and opinions were tossed around. One was not compelled to hold to any particular doctrine. Thus there were many schools of thought floating in the Jewish theological schools.
The Sadducees felt free to reject the doctrine of the Resurrection, while the Pharisees embraced that. The Zealots however promoted a theology that bordered on nationalism. All believed that they were right. However, none taught that their eternal destiny hung in the balance. Only Jesus taught that!
How was he to decide? Should he follow his heart and believe in Jesus? But then that could lead to ostracism from his fellow Pharisees who had a very low and derogatory opinion of Jesus.
What if he were to reject Jesus? That was such a scary proposition, now that he had heard Jesus speaking about condemnation from God! Who was this Person Jesus anyway? Was He really the Son of God? Then the only logical conclusion would be to receive Jesus as his Messiah and Lord!
Poor Nicodemus just could not decide. He went away deep in thought, and heavy of heart, for he could not find the courage to make the important decision that would make all the difference in the world!
ARE YOU STRUGGLING WITH YOUR FAITH TOO?
Have you examined your faith lately? Take time to evaluate all that Jesus taught Nicodemus. Ask yourself whether you believe EVERY SINGLE THING Jesus taught! It is vital that we are able to say, “YES! I do believe everything that Jesus taught!”
Would you take another moment to ask if there is any evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit in your life? Are you able to see evidence of salvation in your life? Do you see the Lord cleansing your life of sin? Take time to ponder and pray over these issues. Your eternal destiny could well hang in the balance!