Come and See
The Third Night
Chapter 3 of the Gospel of John
Come and see the works of God: he is terrible in his doing toward the children of men. (Psalm 66:5)
For I [know] their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory. (Isaiah 66:18)
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He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about tenth hour. (John 1:39)
And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. (John 1:46)
And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. (John 11:34)
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Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; (Philippians 1:27)
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And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. (Revelation 6:1)
And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. (Revelation 6:3)
And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. (Revelation 6:5)
And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. (Revelation 6:7)
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The Gospel of John Chapter 3
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Part 3
The Third Night
  Once again we hear the voice of the Spirit saying, Come and see. The apostle John had no way of knowing about the meeting with the Lord Jesus Christ and Nicodemus. The details of this meeting were totally given to him by the Spirit of God, and this is why the Spirit of God speaks LOUDLY through the gospel of John with the words, Come and see.
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:3)
  In John Chapter 3, we enter into the night. In verse 3, the night is shattered by the words, Verily, verily. This emphasizes the very darkness of the night, for the evils of darkness can only be broken by the miracle of the new birth. We have left the thought of the next day in John 1:29, and 1:35, we have left the thought of the third day in John 2:1. Now, it is the night after, and it is the voice of the Spirit that reminds us of John 2, verses 24 and 25. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.
  Man has a deep belief within that he can hide himself, and his thoughts, and what is in him from the Almighty God. Nicodemus came to the Lord Jesus by night and the Lord Jesus knew his need and knew his standing before God. Nicodemus was a spiritually bankrupt Pharisee. He was among the most wicked of religious rulers of that day. Even if his heart was not wholly given over to the wickedness of the other religious leaders, nevertheless, by their company and agreeing with their wickedness he was numbered among them.
  The Spirit of God reveals a night so dark that only the light of God in Jesus Christ can remove its darkness and cast away its shadows. Nicodemus is identified as a man of the night. He is identified by the Spirit of God, a man with a soul in darkness. He was in a hopeless condition for he was under the reign and ruin of sin. Is this message from the Spirit of God just to Nicodemus? No. It is to ALL men. It is to the reader, it is to the writer, it is to all of us, that we (born of Adam) come into a world of darkness cloaked with sin and darkness. The verdict of Almighty God is ‘all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.’ Considering that we are condemned by God (who is the Creator of all things, and who is the very element of righteousness) then we are in a hopeless state for God cannot ignore His own righteousness. Yes, there has to be a miracle. And this miracle is the new birth in Jesus Christ. Adam must be cast away, and a NEW Man, the Lord of glory must be grafted into our souls, and we, by this miracle, must be grafted into His soul. Nicodemus wasn’t looking for saving grace, he was curious about this man whom he declared was sent by God.
The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. (John 3:2)
  In examining verse 2, Nicodemus first addressed the Lord Jesus as Rabbi (which is interpreted Master) and confirmed in the very first Chapter of the book of John in verse 1:38. Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? In examining this verse further, we also see that it was not only Nicodemus, but also the rest of the Pharisees also knew that this man, the Lord Jesus Christ, was a teacher come from God. The two words, we know, include the whole of the pharisaical condition, and the credentials of this Supernatural Man come from God were the miracles that He performed. Nicodemus represented the whole pharisaical branch of the Jews declared that no man could have performed these miracles except God be with him. Once again, in verse 2, the Spirit of God declares, Come and see.
  The one who stood before Nicodemus was the Creator of all things. In the words, no man, Nicodemus described something beyond mankind, something in the supernatural, and therefore, Nicodemus described a Supernatural Man, who is the Master of all things. He was a Teacher sent from God, and He performed the most outstanding miracles for there was no other man, not Moses, nor Elijah, who did the miracles that He did. He stood alone as a Man without sin, without the darkness of heart, without the soul of the overthrown, and without the downtrodden spirit of sin. He was pure in all aspects because He was and is, the Righteousness of God. Between the second and third verse of Chapter 3, you would think that there would have been more discussion or further expounding. You would think that the Lord, as many of the preachers today, would have given a long dissertation on the need of Nicodemus; instead, the Lord Jesus calls the words of heaven before us, Verily, verily; Truly, truly; Amen and Amen, except, you have no other chose; except, you have no other alternative; except, you are under the bondage of sin and death, and now, the solution: Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
  In bringing this Chapter before us, it is supernaturally given to John to reveal the supernatural birth. This is the only place in the four gospels that the Lord Jesus stated that, A man must be born again. Without this new birth, no one can see the kingdom of God, neither can anyone enter into the kingdom of God.
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (John 3:5)
  Think of how many times since John penned this Chapter that the servants of God have spoken these words of John (divinely given by God). How many servants of God have penned their feelings, their emotions, and thoughts on this particular chapter? Most of the world has heard John 3:16. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Whether they believe it or not, it is always before them reminding them of the great love of God through His beloved Son, and reminding them of their desperate need to be born out of this world into the glorious liberty of the sons of God and the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. If the Lord Jesus were here now, He would ask each and everyone, Children, have you any meat? The meat of this chapter is the Supernatural. No amount of thought, nor intellectual clarity, nor philosophy could ever understand the new birth in Jesus Christ. This entire chapter takes us beyond the stars to the realm of God, and to God’s capabilities of changing a sinful man into a new creature.
  God in His omnipotent power is still doing the work of creation every day; for every day He creates those children separated from the world to be separated unto Himself and His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. It was the curiosity of Nicodemus that brought him into the presence of the supernatural, and in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ he would receive the truth of his condition, and that mankind could not change their position. The remedy was to be born again.
  The answer of Nicodemus was, How can these things be? Let us consider our first birth when we came into this world: our birth was out of our control. When we were taken from the womb, it was not man who gave us breathe, but God Almighty. And so, in the new birth, it too is also out of our control. Were we physically born into this world supernaturally, like the Lord Jesus? No. Did we lead a sinless life and have no sin within us? No. Did YOU or this writer give himself a sacrifice to God on the cross of Calvary? No. So up to this point we have no control over God’s justification of mankind. We were in a sea of hopeless darkness without light, and without life. As many years have past by since the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ, only those born of His Spirit belongs to Him. (Romans 8:9) It is His Spirit, the Spirit of the Almighty God, who broods over us, that brings forth light that we might receive life in Him. When the miracle occurs, and a man is born again, all things become new. Darkness is completely revealed before us even though God has removed us from this darkness, He uses us to condemn the darkness in our new condition, as the children of God. The Spirit of Christ breathes new life within. He changes the heart, the soul, and the spirit; thus, these children of God are completely changed by Him to glorify Him. He breathes life into the chrysalis of death, to bring forth new life, and as the butterfly is covered with the coat of many colors to show forth its new life, so John tells us in his first epistle, Chapter 3, verse 2, Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. In the new birth we are not only changed in the sight of God, but we will one day be conformed to the image of Christ. As we have received sonship, we are made joint heirs with Jesus Christ. We have also been recognized by God the Father as adopted sons.
To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. (Galatians 4:5)
And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. (Galatians 4:6)
Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. (Galatians 4:7)
  In Galatians Chapter 4, we are drawn into a relationship as sons, not just children, but sons of heirship. Although we serve Christ, we are no longer servants. We are the sons of God. And if we are then the sons of God, then Galatians 4 teaches us that we are heirs of God THROUGH Jesus Christ. Romans Chapter 8, verse 17 confirms that we are heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. The Lord Jesus referred to His disciples as ‘children’ at the Sea of Galilee. Both Paul and John, through the Spirit of God, used the word ‘children;’ however, when referring to the supernatural, Paul and John called those who are born again ‘sons’ in relationship to heirship and although you might not see it, it is also our relationship to the world around us. Again, we look at 1st John Chapter 3, the first three verses confirm that we are the sons of God. Then, in Hebrews Chapter 12　we are considered sons in a relationship with God the Father, that we are completely in His hands for guidance, and chastening so that we will be perfected in Jesus Christ.
For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. (Hebrews 12:6)
If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? (Hebrews 12:7)
But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. (Hebrews 12:8)
Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? (Hebrews 12:9)
For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. (Hebrews 12:10)
  There are two doctrines that have been under fire by the ungodly since the days of the apostles. One is found in John Chapter 3: that a man must be born again. The world and the religionist do not understand the supernatural process that takes place in our new birth. They also refuse to believe or accept that a-no- account rebel in Adam can be changed into the righteousness of God through Jesus Christ. Then there are others who are high and lifted up, as Lucifer, wanting to be God by declaring themselves sons of God equal to Jesus Christ. This is an absolute abomination to the Almighty God. He only has ONE Son and this is the Lord Jesus Christ. Our sonship is brought in by adoption and heirship THROUGH the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no equal and there has never been another equal to the divine Being, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the fullness of the Godhead bodily. (Colossians 2:9) By being brought in as sons in Jesus Christ we are removed from Adam, and from his genealogy. We now belong to the genealogy of new born creatures in Christ. According to Matthew 1:1, there is a new generation, and this generation is OF the Lord Jesus Christ. Our only genealogy is in Christ. For we are born again through His Spirit. We have the Spirit of Christ within us according to Romans 8:9. Christ brought in a new Man from heaven.
Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; (Ephesians 2:15)
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)
  Let us now look at things from the side of heaven. Because the Lord Jesus is the Man FROM glory, and the Man IN glory, He fits us with that same glory as adopted sons.
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. (Romans 8:15)
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: (Romans 8:16)
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. (Romans 8:17)
  And we wait till our own manifestation is complete. This is not a worldly manifestation. It is a supernatural manifestation in heaven with our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. According to Romans 8:19, For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God — there is a wonderful sequel of evidence that takes place in our new birth. First, we are created into a new being. From heaven’s side the Spirit of God sowed the seed of faith and this seed of faith came from the Son of God who is the True Seed of Righteousness. Then the Spirit of God broods over us to bring us to the point of our need, and this is for every child of God; consequently, every child of God comes upon a different circumstance, a different hour, a different place, and a different condition. This is the calamity of our condition in Adam, we must be brought to see the depth of our being in Adam before we can see the glorious light and soul saving power of the Lord Jesus Christ. When our soul is at it’s lowest then the love in Jesus Christ speaks like a soft wind. Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? (John 9:35) At this moment, in our hearts, souls, and spirit say, Who is He Lord that I might believe on him? Then, the Spirit of Christ says to us, Come and see. We cast ourselves down and declare, I believe, and worship Him. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him. (John 9:38) Every experience may be different in location and circumstance, but there are two consistent elements: first, is that I am completely undone in Adam; secondly, Christ is the only answer for my need, and He is the only One who can give me true life in Himself. He is consistent. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. That first seed of faith that was given to me is the same seed of faith that I live by each and every day. It is the faith OF the Son of God who loved me, and gave Himself for me. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. In Hebrews Chapter 12, verse 2, we have the One who is the Author of faith, and this is the Son of God; we have the Finisher of all faith, or the Completer of all faith in the same Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ.
  Galatians 2:20 brings an individual as Nicodemus to his own need. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20) The solution is that the individual meets Jesus Christ in the darkness of death for the individual is crucified WITH Christ in the crucifixion of Christ. The Lord Jesus brings me to death to give me life. In this life He gives me love beyond all of man’s comprehension. Since I am crucified with Him, I enter into that death, and by the faith that drove me to Him, I now live by that same faith of the Son of God; consequently, within me is the hope of my manifestation, and the manifestation of the sons of God. I stand before God with no separation from Jesus Christ for nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. It is Christ Himself who keeps me in this present life for He, Himself, has imparted His own Spirit within me. We, as the apostle Paul, can state that in our present life the Lord Jesus will keep us until our change comes. If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. (Job 14:14) Once again, the Spirit of God, says to our hearts, Come and see.
  Returning to the epistle of John, we are told by the Spirit of God that we shall be like him. Man cannot identify with these supernatural occurrences, only God can proclaim and bring it to pass. Mankind cannot even see the fullness of the tragedy of sin within himself thinking that the outward sin is their only detriment, when in fact, there is a horrifying reality within that they are of the same sin that Adam brought into the world, and thus, death by that sin. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (Romans 5:12)
  Nicodemus was abiding in darkness. He was in the night of sin, and the light of God was right before him. The Lord Jesus, through His ministry to Nicodemus, gives us three points: first, Nicodemus needed a new spirit; secondly, he needed a new soul; and thirdly, he needed a new heart; through the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, Nicodemus was instructed on how to obtain all three. Being born again is an operation of the Spirit. The Spirit of God takes away the spirit of Adam, and replaces it with the Spirit of Christ. Then, the second transaction is the Lord restores the soul. This is not the old soul worked over, but it is the soul renewed in Christ Jesus. He accomplished this by the travail of His own soul in the hours of darkness on the cross of Calvary.
He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities (Isaiah 53:11).
Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. (Isaiah 53:12)
  In the travail of the soul of the Lord Jesus Christ we see a work done in the unseen, for what man can see his own soul? Christ not only has the power of an endless life, but He took that life into death, and suffered the travail of His own soul so that He might restore the soul of man through the new birth.
  Then the heart had to be completely changed. We have a heart that is a duplex organ both physically and spiritually. There are two parts to the heart: one is the mechanical pump that pushes blood throughout the entire body, and the most dedicated surgeon sees its operation, how it functions, and yet deep in his own mind there is still a mystery beyond mankind. The second function of the heart, that cannot be seen or tested, except by God, is a mysterious element of feeling, emotion, and a knowledge that is beyond that of the mind. Scripture makes it clear that with the heart man believes unto salvation. The mind of man can give you a thousand reasons not to believe in the divine Being or salvation through Jesus Christ, but when the Holy Spirit of God works on the heart of man, and reveals His presence through His ministry and work, the heart is brought to conviction. And now a decision has to be made. No one will ever see that decision. Only the one who cries out for Christ will understand that decision. The Spirit of God will do His work by removing the heart of Adam and replacing it with the heart of Christ.
  The Lord Jesus did not begin His agony of soul, spirit, and heart on the cross of Calvary. It is in the garden of Gethsemane that He sweat, as it was, great drops of blood. I once experienced an illness, and was close to death, as I moved a certain way blood gushed from my nose. I was so weak that my body could not contain my blood. Think of the Sovereign of the entire creation in the garden of Gethsemane sweating, as it was, great drops of blood, and examine the word ‘great’ for we have a great need, and a great God meeting that need for us. Through these ‘great’ drops of blood the Spirit of God expressed the agony of the Lord Jesus BEFORE the cross concerning the need of the souls of men.
And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. (Luke 22:44)
Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; (Hebrews 5:7) Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; (Hebrews 5:8) And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; (Hebrews 5:9)
  In verse 6 of John Chapter 3 it is in the natural realm that we are born into this world flesh and blood for, That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (John 3:6) The Spirit of God handles this very truth in Chapter 1 of the gospel of John in verses 12 and 13. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (John 1:12) Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:13) The work of the Holy Spirit of God is to create a NEW being for heaven with a NEW heart, a NEW soul, and a NEW spirit.
Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. (John 3:7)
  Now in verse 7 of Chapter 3, Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. the Lord Jesus is reading the heart of Nicodemus without Nicodemus speaking a word, the omniscient Christ says, Marvel not. This time when He speaks about being born again, He directs it to Nicodemus himself, Ye must be born again.
The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. (John 3:8)
  In verse 8 we have the unseen work of the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God is symbolized as the wind. We are captivated by Him. The Holy Spirit surrounds us completely, and there is no escape from His work within us. We are in the womb of the Spirit of Christ, and He gives us life in Himself. The seed of faith becomes a new creation, a new creature born OUT of heaven, and FOR heaven, and at this point (through the mysterious work of the Spirit of God) God the Father translates us into the kingdom of God’s dear Son. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (John 3:5)
Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: (Colossians 1:12)
Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: (Colossians 1:13)
In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: (Colossians 1:14)
Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: (Colossians 1:15)
For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: (Colossians 1:16)
And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. (Colossians 1:17)
And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. (Colossians 1:18)
  This is a mystery to us in our present position, but God the Father has changed our position. He has translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son. It is a present reality on God’s part, and this is why (through revelation) He reveals this fact to us in the epistle to the Colossians. As we stand before God on earth, we also stand before God in heaven. It might be figuratively, but nevertheless, it is a reality of the unseen to GOD.
  As new born babes in Christ, we whimper and cry. We are born again, and now we see the world as it really is. We desire to turn from it and hide ourselves in the bosom of the word of God. We desire the SINCERE and TRUTHFUL milk of the word of God. In our journey, through the word of God, the power of Christ grows within us. We enjoy the power of His resurrection: understanding and rejoicing that we have been freed from the bonds of death. The Spirit of God reveals to us the glory that awaits us. And He also reveals to us our present glories in Christ. We now enjoy the security of Christ within us, the hope of glory. The Spirit of God teaches us to reach beyond the stars to the very presence of the Son of God, and to, Come and see.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (John 3:17)
  Did you notice that in the third Chapter of John, sin is not mentioned? This is a Chapter of deliverance. This is a Chapter of life, a Chapter of belief, and a Chapter of love. God examines the condition of the soul, and sends His Spirit into the night, into the darkness, and reveals light and life in the manifestation of the Son of God, not to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
  In the fullness of time God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, that the fulfillment of Genesis Chapter 3 would be revealed in Christ Himself as the True Seed. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. (Galatians 3:16) As the body was prepared before the foundation of the earth so the promised Seed, the divine Seed, was prepared. The reality of the Spirit is that Christ is the ONLY Seed. He is the divine Seed, and through Him we are born again.
  God places the Lord Jesus in the world, in the fullness of time, not at the end of time, nor at the beginning of time, but in the FULLNESS of time. Everything from Abel to the cross, everything from the cross to us, the fullness of time can be summed up in these words, It is finished. God brought all His divine plans to the fullness of time, and sent forth His Son to be the propitiation for sin. Christ IS the divine Mercy-seat pictured in the tabernacle. Christ IS the temple of God pictured in all the glories of the temple of Solomon. Christ not only came and tabernacled with us, but He also expressed to the Pharisees that His body is the temple of God not just as a holy residing place, but He Himself IS the temple of God. Everything to do with the Son of God is the Holy of Holies, He had a Holy birth, He had a Holy life, He had a Holy death. And now in holiness, He reigns from a throne of righteousness. When the angel spoke to Mary, the angel spoke of ‘that holy thing.’ When the angel spoke to Mary, it would be the power of the highest that would come upon her bringing that holy Seed of promise, that holy thing.
And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. (Luke 1:30)
And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. (Luke 1:31)
He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: (Luke 1:32)
And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. (Luke 1:33)
Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?(Luke 1:34)
And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:35)
  Notice that the Spirit of God did not pass over, the power of the Highest came upon her, the Highest Himself came to plant that holy thing.
  The Highest himself is revealed in Psalm 87:5, And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her: and the highest himself shall establish her. In Psalm 87:5, we have prefigured, by the Spirit of God, a declaration that IN Zion, it shall be said, that this man would be born and that man would be born in Zion. This is a message of the Spirit: both John the Baptist and the Son of God were both born in Zion. Both of them were sent by the Highest Himself; both of them were given to fulfill the righteousness of God, and therefore, Psalm 87 delivers the message to us that both John and the Lord Jesus were the men of Psalm 87. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? (Matthew 3:14) And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. (Matthew 3:15)
  We see the power of the Highest in the Lord Jesus Himself, not only in His manifestation as the Son of God, but after His resurrection He declared that all power in heaven and earth was given unto Him. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. (Matthew 28:18) A comparative verse is found in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ in Chapter 22, verse 16. I, Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. In the root and offspring of David the Lord Jesus has all power in heaven and in earth. He is the fulfillment of the divine Kingdom, and He fulfills that kingdom by the power that has been given unto Him. He is truly the King of Kings, and Lord of lords. Yet, He proclaims that He is the root and offspring of David — marvel mystery of the Godhead. He has all power over heaven. He has all power over earth, and the kingdoms of men. A Kingdom has to have a King, and this King is the Son of the Father’s love, and this King has been ratified in His death and resurrection. And in that death and resurrection He has proclaimed to us that as He will drink the cup anew in the kingdom of God, so we will also. It is there waiting for us because He drank the cup of death and woe with all the dregs of sin, and then overcame death, and He proclaimed that He is the resurrection and the life. Our heavenly home awaits us, but His power is in us on this earth in the present for all is under His power.
  In John Chapter 3, it is the same: it is the same Spirit, it is the same power of the Highest Himself who gives us our new birth. The power of the Highest sows the embryo of faith to give the new birth as a gift of God to us. This gift of God comes through His dear Son, for grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. In this same aspect He comes into my heart, into my soul, into my spirit, and no one can deny the quickening of a child of God for there is no power that is over His power. He has proclaimed, in the heart of every child of God, that He is their Savior, and He will never leave them nor forsake them. Through the embryo of faith we become a creation of faith. We have become a child of the Highest, and sons of grace in Jesus Christ. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (Ephesians 2:8)
  In Ephesians 2:8 we see that grace is a gift of God; however, this gift, according to Ephesians, comes through faith, and without faith it is impossible to please God. For this faith must come directly from the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Author of all faith, and through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ we receive the grace of God and eternal life through our beloved Savior.
  The mind of the Spirit of God allows us to have divine definition. What do I mean? There are many precepts within one chapter, within one verse, within one section of Scripture. Sometimes ONE word with divine definition (from the Spirit of God) can give one more spiritual food than all the intellectual mind-bending definitions of men. Since we titled this series of messages, Come and see, we should SEE that faith is the seed that brings the soul to grace. No one can receive grace without first receiving faith. They are both free gifts from God. The Lord Jesus, in John Chapter 4, referring to Himself, said to the woman at the well, If thou knewest the gift of God. He was that gift. He is the embodiment of faith, and the embodiment of grace, as He is the embodiment of truth and righteousness. Faith belongs to Christ, and Christ takes the substance of faith and allows it to develop the things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)Faith produces tangible grace. It is tangible in this way: He loved me, and gave Himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: (John 3:14)
  We should also consider Galatians 2:20 with a comparative verse found in Chapter 3:14 of the gospel of John. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: In this verse, the Lord was speaking of His own crucifixion that through Him being lifted up, as a sacrifice to God, He would draw all men unto Him. Galatians 2:20 identifies each and every Christian with the sacrificial death of the Lord Jesus Christ.
  The Lord, referring to His own death upon the cross, takes us back into the Old Testament to the writings of Moses, and gives us a similitude of the serpent in the wilderness lifted up on a pole for the salvation of those who had been bitten by the venomous serpent. We fail to see the identity and the deceptiveness of the serpent in the garden that it was the bite of sin that brought the ruin of mankind. And now, the Lord Jesus, in John Chapter 3, related to Nicodemus an escape from this condition of ruin, that the venom of sin can be removed by belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. That HE was lifted up to draw men unto Himself, to give the grace of the Almighty God unto them. The condition of our salvation was and is determined by the cross and shed blood of Jesus Christ. It is Christ who set forth His faith into my heart. For with the heart man believes. It was Christ who hung on the cross of Calvary and took my sin and the sin of the whole world away. It was Christ who entered into death itself to defeat death and to give me life in my Savior. It is the Lord Jesus who sent His Spirit into the world to brood over my soul, and your soul. It is the work of the Spirit to bring a person to repentance and to the knowledge of God. It is the Spirit, as the wind, that gives me life. I am born again, new in every way with a thirst for God and the holy. Why? Because in this new person made or created by Christ has the indwelling Spirit of Christ, and this Spirit will take us through the realm of death, and we will dwell in the Lord’s presence forever. Remember, he who believeth in Him is not condemned. The life of the sinner is hid in Christ in God. He that doeth the truth cometh to the light that his deeds may be manifest that they are wrought in God.
  This is God’s authority. It is given to every believer to proclaim the glory of God that the gospel is a responsibility to every soul in Christ, and this responsibility is to the whole world without restrictions from the evil of the world, and from ungodly men of religion. When the Son shall set you free, you are free indeed. You are no longer bound by the chains of sin and death. You are no longer of the world, although you walk through it. You are bound by heaven where the anchor of your soul, the Lord Jesus Christ, sits upon His throne. The price that He paid for each and every soul of grace was immeasurable. As Paul was a bond servant of Christ, we also enter into that bond as His servant; we are servants of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords for He has given Himself for us, and abides in us for Christ liveth in me.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)
  All power in heaven and earth is secured in the 16th verse of John Chapter 3. There is no power, there is no principality, there is no government, there is no power of the religion of man, there is nothing in the seen world, or in the unseen world that can separate a child of God from the Lord Jesus Christ.
He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. (John 3:33)
For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. (John 3:34)
The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. (John 3:35)
  In verse 33 of John Chapter 3, those who had received Christ had set to their seals that God is true. The Spirit of God again magnifies the love of the Father for the Son in verse 35. The Father has given to the Son ALL things into His hand; therefore, He is able to perfect them who comes to Him. Let us compare verse 35 with Colossians 1:15 – 19.
Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: (Colossians 1:15)
For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: (Colossians 1:16)
And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. (Colossians 1:17)
And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. (Colossians 1:18)
For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; (Colossians 1:19)
  These verses unfold the tremendous authority that the Lord Jesus has over creation as the Creator, and over all principalities and over all powers. He crushed all opposition in His sacrificial work on the cross, and He reconciled ALL things unto Himself whether they are things on earth or things in heaven. In Chapter 2 of Colossians verse 15, He has spoiled principalities and powers for He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them. And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. (Colossians 2:15) He has spoiled the world of the adversary. He has spoiled the world of mankind, and in conquering them, He has set us free from the earth, and from sin, and from death, and from the devil. We belong to a Man in heaven for us. Now back to John Chapter 3. The Spirit says, Come and see the last verse of John Chapter 3, verse 36.
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36)
  We have the contrast between belief and unbelief. We cannot rush by this verse. Even though we have been set free in the Lord Jesus Christ, there is unbelief all around us. There is the adversary trying to overthrow us, and there is Adam trying to lure us back into a world that hates our God. We know the way of truth, and the only thing that we can say to the world around us is, Come and see. There is still much in Chapter 3 for the searcher in the pursuit of the holy. Never stop looking for the many glories of the Lord Jesus. Always listen to the voice of the Spirit saying, Come and see.
© Copyright 2020, Michael Haigh
This article may be used, but not for gain. Freely ye have received, freely give.
All Scripture references are from the Authorized King James Bible. (KJV)