Christ and the Enquiry Room
Joseph Heaton. John 3:9 Nicodemus answered and said to him, How can these things be? I. THE INQUIRER Nicodemus was — 1. A sincere inquirer; his sincerity was based on a conviction of Christ's Divine mission. He knew there could be no trickery or magic in His wonderful works. Hence his unequivocal confession. 2. An anxious inquirer. 3. A perplexed inquirer. (1) Perplexity results from thought and imperfect knowledge. In the multitude of his thoughts Nicodemus is bewildered. He is learned in the law, but ignorant of Christ's true character as witnessed by the prophets. (2) Prejudice begets perplexity; and to receive Jesus as the Messiah was to do violence to all orthodox views. But blessed is the perplexity that prompts to inquiry. 4. A reverential inquirer. II. THE SUBJECTS TAUGHT IN THE INQUIRY ROOM: — 1. The kingdom of God. This kingdom is — (1) Real, though not of this world. (2) Spiritual; hence it cometh without observation. (3) Victorious, its weapons being mighty through God. 2. This kingdom has conditions. Entrance to it could not be — (1) by natural birth; (2) by nationality; (3) circumcision; (4) pharisaical righteousness; (5) but by Divine birth. III. THE METHOD ADOPTED WAS COVERSATIONAL. IV. THE RESULTS. 1. For a time doubtful. 2. Afterwards most satisfactory. (Joseph Heaton.) Parallel Verses KJV: Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? WEB: Nicodemus answered him, "How can these things be?"