TEACHER COME FROM GOD

Nicodemus was at the pinnacle of the Jewish religious establishment. The Lord Jesus Himself referred to him as ‘the teacher in Israel’, John 3. 10, NKJV. Undoubtedly, this premier theologian thought that he was paying Christ a great compliment when he called Him ‘a teacher come from God’. To anyone else it would have been a great honour to have this outstanding Biblical scholar recognize them as a fellow rabbi and Bible expositor. In the Lord’s case, however, this title went beyond the bounds of mere human flattery to touch on a truth that Nicodemus was only just beginning to grasp. Christ’s many miracles made it apparent to this eminent ruler of the Jews that Jesus was an extraordinary servant of God. Beyond the wonderful signs that He performed, the doctrine that the Lord Jesus shared with Nico- demus that evening revealed Christ to be the greatest teacher in the history of the world.

The Lord Jesus is the greatest teacher by virtue of the fact that He is the One who perfectly reveals the Father, John 14. 7-9. His words were given to Him by the Father Himself, John 14. 10. Furthermore, He is the grand subject of the Scriptures, John 5. 39. To hear Christ was to listen to One who spoke with unparalleled authority. What is more, ‘in [Him] are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge’, Col. 2.3. Nicodemus was astounded to learn that all of his theological training and religious background were of no avail in bringing him to God. As the Lord told him, ‘Ye must be born again’, v. 7. To rest on physical descent from Abraham or one’s own righteousness is to miss the kingdom of God. In order to gain salvation, one must experience a spiritual rebirth from above. All of the celebrated sages, intellectuals, and philosophers who preceded Christ failed to understand this great truth. Only ‘the teacher come from God’ could reveal God’s true nature, thereby making plain the way of reconciliation and eternal life. Both in word and example, the Lord Jesus perfectly demonstrated the reality of God’s holiness, mercy, grace, justice, and love. Other teachers offered opinions and speculation, but Christ brought men and women into the certainty of a relationship with the Father.