Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  2024  Day 274

September 29;      John 3:10;       71/260(III);      ‘The Ignorant Teacher’

John 3:10 Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?

Nicodemus was a respected member of the Sanhedrin.  He was a Pharisee and was thoroughly trained in the Jewish law and theology.  In this verse Jesus calls him a teacher of Israel.  Nicodemus may have come to Jesus at night because he was fearful of losing his reputation and position.  Jesus shares with Nicodemus that unless someone is born again, they cannot see the kingdom of God (verse 3).  Nicodemus had no idea what Jesus meant. I do not believe Jesus was trying to embarrass Nicodemus when He questioned him about being a teacher of Israel and not knowing what Jesus was talking about.  Religion is basically a counterfeit of the truth.  There is a little of the Word to make it sound truthful, but religion is in essence man’s efforts to earn heaven.  An example would be the Ten Commandments.  They were given to clearly teach us that we are sinners and cannot keep them.  The Lord did this to show us that since we cannot keep the Ten Commandments we are in trouble and need someone to help us.  That Someone is Jesus.  Religion tries to keep the Ten Commandments, utterly fails and condemnation is the result.  To salve the conscience religion makes up for its inability to keep what we are told to do, and cannot, by doing good deeds.  The Bible indeed tells us to do good deeds (Ephesians 2:9), but we are to do them because we are born again and the love of God flows out of us by helping others. Religion is a tool of the devil, it condemns.  Christianity is following Jesus by the Word.