Good morning. After the
fig tree, Jesus returns to Jerusalem and enters the temple. The chief priests
and elders are mad at Him because of His casting out those selling things in
the temple. By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this
authority? So Jesus tells them that He’s going to ask them one question, and if
they answer it He will tell them by what authority He does these things. The
baptism of John was from what source, from heaven or from men? He's got them
there. If they say from heaven, He will ask why they did not believe John. If
they say from men, they will be afraid the multitudes will stone them because
the people believed that John was a prophet, and the chief priests and elders
did not. That left them with one response – we don't know. So Jesus tells them
that He is not going to tell them by what authority He does these things. Then
Jesus tells them about the two brothers (no it's not the prodigal son). He
tells both to go do something. The first says he will, but does not. The second
says he won't, but changes his mind later and does. Which one did the will of
his father? Of course it was the second one. Jesus tells them that the bad
people will get into the kingdom of God before them. (Matthew has been saying
kingdom of heaven up till now. The Jews were so afraid of using God's name in
vain that they said kingdom of heaven instead of kingdom of God.) John the
Baptist came preaching righteousness, and the Pharisees did not believe him.
They were like the son who said yes, but did not do the will of his father. The
sinners did believe John, and were like the son who first said no, but then did
the will of his father. And you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse
afterward so as to believe him. Not even jealousy could cause them to change
their minds. Father thank You that the reader said yes to You, and did Your
will. Make his/her path smooth.
Unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God
Good morning. While Jesus was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing. Jesus was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men. Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. It doesn’t say, but I assume it is still during this time of the Passover. This man came to Jesus by night. Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do the signs that You do unless God is with him. It just said that the people believed in His name because of the signs He was doing; yet it does not say what those signs were. Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. That is why unbelievers cannot tell what is of the kingdom of God and what is not – they’re not born again. Nicodemus doesn’t have a clue. How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he? Unless one is born of water and the Spirit ...
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