Shalom, everyone. God bless you. We are studying together the Gospel of John, the Gospel of Yohanan. And this Gospel is the Gospel that presents before us the Lord Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah, as the Eternal Son of God. We have covered already chapter 1 and chapter 2. And we also began through the third chapter. And we have already covered the first 13 verses of John chapter 3. In this ministry meeting, dear brothers and sisters, we'll continue with verses 14 to 21 of John chapter 3. So, if you have your Bible with you, please open your Bible to John 3 and verse 14. And we read: "The Lord Jesus, the Messiah, continued to speak to Nakedimon, Nicodemus, the ruler of our people of all, the people of Israel, the ruler of the Jews.

And he has continued to speak with him, and to minister to him, to help him understand the necessity of being born of the Spirit of God." "Born from above." "Born from above." "Born again." In Hebrew, it is called "Lehivaled Michadash." "To be born again." "Born of the Holy Spirit of God." "In the first 13 verses, Yeshua already gave two illustrations. As a rabbi, as a teacher, he is instructing Nicodemus, and he is illustrating to him how can one be born again, and how is it possible to happen, and the need for it in order to enter and to see the kingdom of God." "Now, to remind you, Nicodemus was a ruler in Israel.

He knew the scriptures, the Hebrew scriptures, very well. But, because of a departure from that which was given in the scripture, from generation to generation to the people of Israel, because of that departure, the Lord had to teach the teacher, the rabbi, the necessity of being born of the Holy Spirit of God." "And so he continued, and I am reading verse 14 of John chapter 3. "Yeshua said, "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life. 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.

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." "And this is the condemnation: that light is coming to the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. for every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." And so, beloved friend, we are in the middle of a discussion between a ruler of Israel, Rabban, Rabban Nicodemus, and the Messiah Yeshua himself, which Nicodemus himself called him Rabbi.

"If you remember in chapter 3 and verse 2, the same, that is Nicodemus, came to Yeshua 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." And from here on, beloved brothers and sisters, Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah, began to give Nicodemus a four-fold illustration as to how can one enter into the kingdom of God. You remember what he said in verse 3? "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." "Malchut ha-Elohim." A little bit later, in verse 5, Yeshua said again, "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." He cannot see the kingdom of God.

He cannot enter into the kingdom of God. And in order to enter into the kingdom of God, to become a child of God, to become one that belonged to God and enjoy this Malchut, this kingdom, the promised kingdom that was promised to the people of Israel already in days of old. That a kingdom will come. And a messianic kingdom will be established. And a Messiah will be ruling and reigning over this world. Let me remind you that at this time, the truth of the church was not yet revealed. And the truth of the church will be revealed specifically after the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

And the coming of the Holy Spirit to form the body of Christ, the body of Mashiach. And from there on, as Yeshua said before His ascension, He said, "Ye shall be my witnesses." Beginning in Jerusalem, then furthermore to Judea, and then further to Shomron, Samaria, and then further to the Atomos part of the earth. But at this time, this is the beginning of the public ministry of the Lord Jesus, Yeshua the Messiah, He began His public ministry. In the second chapter, He turned the water into wine in Cana, in the north of the land of Israel, in the Galil. That was the beginning of miracles which He had done in His public ministry.

Then He came down to Yerushalayim, to Judea, Yehuda, and Yerushalayim. He went to the temple and He cleansed the temple. And you remember in the second chapter, He said unto the ones that were buying and selling in the temple. If you remember, He told them when He cleansed the temple, "Take these things, hence make not my Father's house a house of merchandise." The disciples who read the Hebrew scriptures understood that the Psalm 69 and verse 9 was prophetically spoken by David concerning Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah. And David said, "By divine design, the zeal of thine house has eaten me up." And here the disciples understood that really what David was saying, speaking about the Mashiach Yeshua who was so zealous to honor God in the midst of so much dishonor that have occurred when He arrived at His first coming to the land of Israel.

Sad, sad conditions prevailed in the land of Israel among our own people who were not, you might say, alert and awakened to the fact that the Messiah is coming and that the Lord Jesus indeed is that Messiah. Well, beloved brothers and sisters, now in chapter 3, He is speaking to Nicodemus and Yeshua as a rabbi, as a teacher instructing a nakdimon concerning the way whereby one must enter into the kingdom of God. We are using four illustrations. In verses 1 to 7, the illustration Yeshua used is the natural birth in comparison to the spiritual birth. To be born in the flesh, to be born in the spirit. You remember what he said in verse 6, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit." Flesh in Hebrew, in Hebrew, in Hebrew, "Ruach." You must be born of the Ruach, Ruach Elohim, the spirit of God.

The natural birth will not avail to enter into the kingdom of God. Why? Because the natural birth, we have inherited a sin nature and that which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. You must be born again to be born of the spirit. Then Yeshua continued in his teaching as a teacher, as a rabbi, to tell Nicodemus that it is very similar to the new birth is very similar to the wind, the natural wind to be compared to the Holy Spirit of God. The natural wind blowing from one side to another, its effect is evident, but no one sees the wind.

It's the same thing with the Holy Spirit of God. No one sees the person of the Holy Spirit of God, the person of the Holy Spirit, Ruach HaKodesh. But the effect. Something happens when a person of the Lord Yeshua and the Spirit of God comes to indwell in him. He becomes born again. And you remember we read in the book of Yechezkel, of Ezekiel, how God said to Israel that Israel will be born of the Spirit of God. If you remember that the prophet Yechezkel in chapter 36 and in chapter 37 have promised that Israel will be born of the Ruach, of the Spirit of God. And you remember he said to Nicodemus in this, he said to him, you know, you are a ruler in Israel.

Verse 10. Thou art a master in Israel and knowest not these things? He asked him. And now Yeshua, Jesus continues to speak to Nicodemus, to help him almost, you might say, to go back to the Hebrew Scriptures, back to the promises of God. And to understand that Yeshua himself is indeed the promised Messiah, that he is the Son of God, God the Son who became a man. And beloved brothers and sisters, you have to realize that never in the history of humanity God became a man until the day that Yeshua was born to the virgin Miriam in the city of Bethlehem. It happened only once in history.

It will never happen again. It only happened once. And who can fathom that God was walking upon the face of this earth? It is beyond comprehension. It is beyond comprehension. The natural man cannot imagine that we who are believers can only see it and understand it in some small measure because we have the canon of Scripture in our hands and we are born of the Holy Spirit of God. But 2,000 years ago when our people of Israel, the vast majority were anticipating for the coming Messiah, but yet turned away from the biblical instruction to rabbinical and pharisaic instruction. They have deviated from that which was expected as God had promised to Israel.

But that's why, beloved brothers and sisters, they were so blinded, so hard-hearted that the vast majority of the religious leaders could not see that Yeshua is the Messiah. And I can tell you that if you and I would have been there, we, unless the Lord would have opened our eyes and softened our hearts, we also would have not been able to see this. But God is working in the lives of individuals. He worked in the life of Andrew. He worked in the life of Shimon Petrus. He worked in the life of Philip. He worked in the life of Netanel who could say, "Rabbi, you are the son of God.

You are the king of Israel." How do you think Netanel knew that? It was by the divine inspiration that he received his revelation. How do you think Shimon Petrus understood that Yeshua is the Messiah? The Lord told him in Matthew chapter 16, "Flesh and blood has not revealed unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven." And this is exactly what Nicodemus needed to know as he was seeking, as he came to the Lord Yeshua by night. And so now, after giving him two illustrations, the natural birth to be compared with the divine, the spiritual birth. The natural wind to be compared or cast alongside to give us an example as to the new birth that come by the Holy Spirit of God.

The Lord Jesus the Messiah continues now to give additional two illustrations to Nicodemus. And he uses one of them in the Old Testament in Israel's history, the serpent on the pole, the brazen serpent on the pole, found in Numbers chapter 21, and he compared also light and darkness, the physical light and darkness, and casting it alongside to show that the light, spiritual light, comes to one that we trust in the person of Jesus the Messiah. Now notice that, and let me read verses 14 to 18 and begin there with the illustration that Yeshua uses from the history of Israel, found in Numbers chapter 21. And so we read in verse 14, Yeshua said, continued to say to Nicodemus, "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Now you notice now he gives to Nicodemus a third illustration that Nicodemus knew very well, because this is the history event that happened to the people of Israel in days of old.

Remember what happened. In Numbers chapter 21, Israel is on the way to the Promised Land. The book of Numbers in Hebrew is really the name is Bamidbar in the wilderness. The journey began when the Hebrews left Mitzrayim, Egypt, on a way to Knaan, the land, the Promised Land. And on its way, Israel has experienced so many experiences. Israel many times did not honor God on their journey from Egypt to Knaan. This wilderness journey reminds us of ourselves, doesn't it? You and I are on a journey from this world to the Father's house. We are believers saved by the precious blood of the Messiah, Yeshua, like the children of Israel were redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.

They were out of the world. They were out of Egypt on the way to the Promised Land. But how many a time did they grumble and complain against the God who loved them and brought them out of bondage? And how many a time did you and I grumble and complain against the Lord Jesus the Messiah who loved us and gave Himself for us? And so we read in Numbers, chapter 21, verse 1: And when King Arad, the Canaanite, which well in the south, heard tell that Israel came by way of the spies, then he fought against Israel and took some of them prisoners. And Israel vowed a vow unto the Lord and said, If thou will indeed deliver these people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.

And the Lord hearkened to the voice of Israel and delivered up the Canaanites, and they utterly destroyed them and their cities. And he called the name of the place Chormah. And they journeyed from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea to compass the land of Edom. And listen to this. And the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. Brothers and sisters, listen. The journey on the way to Canaan for Israel was not an easy journey. If you ever visited the land of Israel and the wilderness there of between Israel and the Jordan today, and all the area that the Canaanite land and the Moab, Ammon, Edom, a Dorm, all this area, present-day Jordan, you will see how terrible the journey must have been.

So Israel, naturally, their soul was much discouraged because of the journey, because of the way. But you see here, God can understand when we are sometimes discouraged. He can understand when we are sometimes disappointed and dismayed and things are not always easy in life as we know it. Israel have experienced this in their journey. But what God do not want is when we despise his goodness. And what happened here in Numbers chapter 21 is that Israel began to speak against God and against Moses. As it says in verse 5. And they said, "Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?" They asked God, "Did you bring us just to kill us in the wilderness?

Why did you bring it out?" "For there is no bread, neither is there any water." "And our soul loatheth this light bread." You see what happened? Verse 5 presented before God the condition of the heart of Israel. They spoke against God. They spoke against his servant Moshe. They asked him, they challenged him, "Why did you bring us out of the land of Egypt?" "If you really loved us, you probably should have kept us there and not bring us out of the land of Egypt." "Do you want to kill us? Is that the reason why you brought us?" And then they said the bread, there is no bread, there is no water and we loathe this light bread.

What this light bread was? The man. The man that God gave from heaven. In English they call it manna, in Hebrew we call it manna. The bread that came from heaven, angel food God provided for his nation Israel. But you see, they were dissatisfied. They said we loath, are so loatheth this light bread. Fascinating because this bread, the man really is a picture of the Messiah, of Yeshua. whom through the word of God we feed on him. And imagine what is it to say to God, God we loath. The Messiah, the bread that came from heaven. John chapter 6, we are going to get there. Yeshua called himself, I am the bread of life.

I am the bread that came down from heaven. He is the bread of life, my dear friend. He is the one that came from heaven. He is the one that came from heaven. But you see, God is showing through the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, to Nicodemus that here is something that happened in Israel's history that became a picture and a type. And you might say almost a parable to point to the necessity of the Messiah to die in order to save sinful world. And you notice the illustration now because you remember we read in John chapter 3 and verse 14 "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the son of man be lifted up." Speaking about the crucifixion of the Messiah, Yeshua is telling Nicodemus, "I am the son of man.

I must be lifted up to die on that cross." Like the event that happened in Israel's history when they grumble and complain against God. So notice what God did when Israel grumbled. Numbers chapter 21 and verse 6 "The Lord sent fiery serpents among the people and they beat the people and much people of Israel died." You see, God physically removed some of the people of Israel. They were already redeemed because they came from the land of Egypt. They were under the blood. But physically he removed them from this earth because of their grumbling and complaining. You remember what the Apostle Paul said to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians chapter 10.

He made the same comparison when he warned the Corinthian believers. In 1 Corinthians chapter 10 not to behave in such a way. Because it was dishonoring to the Lord when Israel behaved such a way. Remember he said in verse 10 of 1 Corinthians chapter 10 "Neither murmur ye as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer." 1 Corinthians 10:10 While here they murmured against the Lord and God as we read here in Numbers chapter 21 "Some of them died." According to verse 6 of Numbers chapter 21. But continue. Listen to this. When the people came to Moses and they said, "We have sinned. We have spoken against the Lord and against thee.

Pray unto the Lord that he take away the serpents from us." They confess their sins. We have sinned. And what did Moses do? He prayed. And what did God do? He gave instruction to Moshe. To do something in order to eliminate their physical death. So they will not die physically if they will only trust in the Lord. And so we read. And the Lord said unto Moses in verse 8, "Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole, that it might come to pass that every one that is bitter, when he looketh upon it, shall live." And Moses made a serpent of brass. And he put it upon a pole, verse 9 said.

And it came to pass that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked at the serpent of brass, he lived. Now notice, beloved brothers, this is what you call almost like a parable, even though we don't have necessarily parables, Meshalim. But this is a Meshal. This is like a parable because he compared the physical and applied it to a spiritual truth. Like the physical birth, Yeshua explained to Nicodemus, as you had nothing to do with your physical birth, there is nothing that you can do about your spiritual birth except then to believe. The same thing with the wind, the physical, the natural wind blowing.

The parable, it speaks to us of the spiritual, the Holy Spirit of God who is moving and living an effect on the life of those who believe. Like the natural wind, living an effect, according to John 3 and verse 8. As the natural wind, living an effect as it moves. We don't see the wind, but we see the effect, what it causes. Verse 8 says, the wind blows where it listers, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but cannot tell whence it cometh and whither it goes. So is everyone that is born of the Spirit. You see, the Lord Yeshua the Messiah is one of the greatest teachers. The greatest rabbi ever walked upon the face of this earth.

He teaches spiritual truth using illustrations from here and now. And so now he's speaking about the brass serpent lifted up by Moses in the wilderness. So that every Israeli individual that were bit by the serpent because he or she grumbled and disobeyed God. If they look at that serpent that is lifted up on the pole, they will live. Let me read this verse once again in Numbers chapter 21. Listen to this. It says, and Moses made a serpent of brass, and he put it on a pole. Verse 9, and it came to pass that if a serpent had bitten any man or any woman, we can say, When he or she beheld the serpent, looked at the serpent of brass there, he or we can add she lived.

And that tells us fascinating truth. That a life is a look of faith. A life is in a look of trusting God. And so the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, continued to explain this to Nicodemus in John chapter 3. And he continued now in verse 15. Notice that. Whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. In other words. As Moses lifted up the serpent in a wilderness, even so must the son of man be lifted up. That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. The son of man is that Messiah Yeshua. Remember, Ben HaAdam is a messianic title. It was given to the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, because he is the son of man.

Ha Ben Adam. The sinless one. But he, notice, he must be lifted up. He must be lifted up. In other words, he must be on that cross. When a Roman hung him on the cross some 2,000 years ago, it was not done by accident. Because God, through David, said in Psalm 22, they pierced my hands and my feet. Notice that David didn't say they stoned me. But they pierced my hands and my feet. Prophetically speaking about the Messiah. Because God knew that when his servant, Yeshua the Messiah, will be killed. He will not be stoned. But he will be lifted up on a cross. And that's the way the Romans who occupied the land of Israel some 2,000 years ago.

They crucified anyone who opposed them. Anyone who was a malefactor. Anyone who was against the Roman Empire. Anyone that have wronged the Roman Empire. But Yeshua was the sinless one. He didn't sin. He came in order to give his life for sinners, for men who have fallen into sin. And so here is the third, beautiful third illustration that Yeshua the Messiah uses. A parable to explain to Nakdimon the necessity of his crucifixion, his death. The ordinary Israeli in the days of the wilderness who were bitten by a serpent. All what they had to do is to look at that brazen serpent that Moses, in obedience to God, have created, have made in order for the Israelis who were bitten to live and not die physically.

And by a look, they were healed. By a look, they survived. By a look at that serpent, they received their life back. They didn't die physically. But here now, the Lord Jesus the Messiah teaches spiritual truth from this lesson on the serpent that was on a pole. And here he says, notice, the son of man must be lifted up. And he has a reference to the cross. When the Lord Jesus was on the shameful tree, there he bore our sins in his body on the tree. There, according to John 19 and verse 30, the Lord Yeshua Jesus the Messiah said, "It is finished." And he bowed his head and he gave up the spirit.

On that shameful cross, beloved friend. And whosoever believes on him. Yeshua is telling Nicodemus in anticipation of his death. "Whosoever will believe on him should not perish but have everlasting life." How wonderful it is to have this assurance that he gave to Nicodemus. And he continued to tell Nicodemus in verses 16, 17 and 18, this wonderful word. I love this verse as almost all believers remember this verse by heart. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him shall not perish but have everlasting life." And this verse, every young child who is a believer in Yeshua the Messiah memorized.

Memorized this verse because this is a central verse to prove to us that God is existing. And that God has provided redemption for those that will only trust in him. And that God loved the world so much and that God was willing to give his beloved Son. And you know this reminds me of the verse that is most known by the people of Israel since we were kids. We were learning this verse in our homes or in the synagogue or in a school. Because this is the central verse in Israel's history that God reminded his people all the time. And you know what this central verse is found in Deuteronomy, chapter 6 and verse 4.

This is very clear, beautiful verse. It's called the Shema. The Shema. Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad. Beautiful verse. Hear O Israel the Lord our God is one Lord. And you know that today even if you will open the radio station in Israel in the morning. That's how the day began. Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad. Hear O Israel the Lord our God is one Lord. To show Israel that there is only one God. And this one God is the one that has chosen the people of Israel to be a nation that he loved and he elected and for himself. And he brought them out of the land of Egypt.

And he used their lamb for sacrifice to pass over the Hebrews and bring them unto redemption. And they needed to remember this every time. For us who are believers in the Lord Yeshua the Messiah who do believe in the God of Israel who sent the Messiah Jesus his son. We also should never forget that God so loved the believers and loved the world. And what did he do? He didn't only say I love you. Verse 16. But he did much more than just say it. He gave. And by giving his only begotten son he didn't only send him here to this world to show an example and to go back to heaven.

Oh no. For God so loved the world that he gave. How did he gave? Well verse 14. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the son of man be lifted up. He must die. He must become the sacrifice lamb, beloved friend, dear brothers and sisters. He must die in order to provide redemption for mankind. In John chapter 12 Yeshua himself said. In verse 23 Jesus answered and he said unto them the hour is come. That the son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, except the corn of wheat fall into the ground and die. It abideth alone. But if he died, it bringeth forth much fruit.

You see, he must be glorified. But how is Yeshua going to be glorified? How are we going to be going back to heaven? He must go through death. Death. And why he had to die? So he will become the substitute. So he will take upon himself the sin of the whole world. This is exactly why the prophets of old have written down and given us the record concerning the necessity of the Messiah to die as a substitute. Beloved friends, this is fundamental. This is the seed of the woman that will be bruised. You remember what Isaiah said? We often quote this verse. Isaiah 53 and verse 6.

All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way and the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all. He must die. Except the corn of wheat fall into the ground and die. Otherwise, he will abide alone. That's what he's trying to teach Nakdimon. That he must be born again. Born of the spirit. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. He must have a new birth. A spiritual birth. That is worked in the heart and in the conscience and in the life of the believer in Yeshua. By the spirit of God. That's why Yeshua used these illustrations, these parables to teach Nakdimon this spiritual truth.

The sad thing is that the Lord told him. Are thou a teacher in Israel and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I said to thee, we speak that which we do know and testify that we have seen and ye receive not our witness. Verse 10 and 11 of chapter 3 here. If I have told you earthly things and ye believe not, how shall ye believe if I tell you heavenly things? Yeshua the Messiah told Rabban Nicodemus. That's why he's explaining to him the necessity of the new birth, but the necessity of the Messiah himself to die so sin will be paid for. And faith in him provide new life, provide eternal life for the believer.

Notice what it says here. Verse 15 and 16 one more time. Whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life. Verse 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. Faith in the Messiah Jesus is essential for salvation. And the reason that his faith is essential in him and not in another is because he paid for our sins. Of course, in John 3, he hasn't died as yet, but he is anticipating his death. And that's why as he shared with Nicodemus, as he teach Nicodemus, as he using illustration parables to illustrate spiritual truth.

He is emphasizing that salvation is a divine work. It's not work that we do. It's not something we earn. It's something God gave in order for us to accept. By believing, we accept it and receive eternal life. These are beautiful verses, beloved friend. As we continue on, in verse 17 and 18, the Lord continued to elaborate and to give the instruction to Nicodemus concerning this faith in the Messiah, faith in him that is essential. And know not what he says in verse 17. For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. Beloved friend, listen, the reason that God sent his son into the world is not to condemn the world.

The world is already condemned. The world already is so far away from God. And the world is the human race. From the fall of Adam up till today, the sin nature that we all possess shows us that we are condemned by nature. Sin has to be judged. And the reason that in the fullness of the time the Messiah Jesus came to this world is because God wants to do away with sin so he will provide salvation to those from among the world who will only believe. So God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, verse 17 tells us, but that the world through him might be saved.

Notice that, by the way, what is the opposite of saved is lost. The Hebrew word for saved means Yeshua, it's actually the very same name of Yeshua, of Jesus. You shall call his name Yeshua, Jehovah the Savior, for he shall save, here it is, his people from their sins. Here is the word, that the world through him, this is Yeshua, through Jesus, might be saved. You see, God wants salvation to provide to a lost world. You see this, beloved friend? This is so beautiful to see that. Look at this verse in John chapter 5, in verse 33 and 34. Ye sent unto John, and he bear witness unto the truth.

"But I receive not testimony from men, but these things I say that ye might be saved." Yeshua wanted men to be saved because men by nature is lost. You see, my dear friend, if you are not a child of God, If your sins haven't been paid for, you are lost. You are lost. If you are not saved, you are lost. And that's the reason why the Lord Jesus the Messiah came, in order that you will be saved, that I will be saved. But how can we be saved? We must believe. Notice how many times he used the word believe. In verse 15, whosoever believeth in him.

Verse 16, whosoever believeth in him. You remember what we read? At John chapter 20, at the end of the Gospel, which we read again and again. John 20, verse 31. These are written that ye might believe that Yeshua is the Messiah, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. And that believing ye might have life through his name. You see, the whole purpose of the Gospel of John is that man will believe. Believe. Believe. Simply believe. Faith cometh by hearing. Faith cometh by hearing. And hearing by the word of God. As I read this word of God, and you listen to this. God desires that you will believe.

God desires that you will believe. Not believe in a preacher. Not believe in a rabbi. Not believe in anybody else. In a spiritual leader. Imams. Or whatever. Or priests and so on. But believe in the person of God the Son who became a man by the name of Jesus. As Yeshua the Messiah. Believe on him. Believe on him. So God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world. But that the world through him might be saved. And in order to be saved one must believe. And that's why verse 18 says. He that believeth on him is not condemned. But he that believeth not is condemned already.

Why? Because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. You see before Yeshua came. Our people of Israel. Needed to believe God. The God of Israel. And to submit to what he taught Israel. Our people of all received the Torah. And the Torah. Everything that was given in the Torah. The law was pointing to the Messiah. The sacrifices pointed to the Messiah. The Shabbat rest pointed to the Messiah. The feasts of the Lord pointed to the Messiah. The prophets consistently pointed to the Messiah. Everything in the word of God pointing to the one that would come to become the redeemer, the savior of sinners.

And so beloved friends and dear brothers and sisters, Yeshua used the illustration of the serpent on a pole that whosoever look at him in days of old remain alive and was healed from the bites that he or she received from the serpents because of their disobedience. He was the same. The same thing spiritually. The same thing spiritually. We have been bitten by sin. Sin. Sin has separated us from a holy and a righteous God. And because we are separated from God by nature and by practice, we need forgiveness of sins. And in order for us to receive life, not so much physical life, but spiritual life, we must look.

A look of faith at the one that was once hanging on a Roman cross, who became a sacrifice for us, who died, who was buried and rose again. And now he is risen and seated at God's right hand. And his name, of course, is Yeshua, Jesus. Wonderful. Wonderful. Wonderful illustration that the Lord Yeshua the Messiah uses a proverb, a mashal, a parable to illustrate spiritual truth, using event that occurred in Israel history to point to the Messiah who must be lifted up and die in order to provide redemption for man. Redemption for mankind. Now, listen to the final illustration for this ministry is found in verses 19, 20 and 21.

And the illustration or the parable parabola or the mashal here is the light and darkness. Let me read verses 19, 20 and 21. And this is the condemnation. That light is come into the world and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth, come to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. Now, notice this. Yeshua used the words light and darkness. You notice verse 19, 20 and 21. He used the word light and darkness, especially verse 19. This is a very, very interesting verse because this verse really describes the condition of each individual that was born into this world.

We who have inherited the sin nature, we are those that are sinners by nature and by practice. And look what Yeshua is saying in verse 19. Why men by nature is condemned? Why? Because men love darkness rather than light. Look at verse 19. And this is the condemnation. The light is coming to the world. And men loved darkness rather than light. Why? Because his deeds were evil. You see, beloved friends, beloved brothers and sisters, you see what Yeshua is teaching here in verse 19. Can you imagine to expose? You might say he's exposing Nicodemus. He's saying to them, you know, Nicodemus, here's the condemnation. Here's the judgment that's going to come upon this world.

You see what it is? The condemnation is this. That light is coming to the world. And men love darkness rather than light. That light, of course, was the Lord, Jesus, Yeshua, the Messiah himself. He is the light. He called himself in John 8, I am the light of the world. He called himself the light. He was that light, beloved friend. You remember what we began in John 1? I'll read you back John 1. We read in verse 3 and 4. All things were made by him. All things were made by him. And without him was not anything made which was made. In him was life. And the life was the light of men.

And the light shineth in darkness. And the darkness comprehended it not. He was that light. The Bible tells us that God is light, 1 John 1. Yeshua called himself, I am the light of the world. He is the light that came into the world. But you know what? How sad it is, isn't it? It's not different today than what it was 2,000 years ago. Look at the condition of the world today. And actually you and I by nature, beloved friends. You and I by nature love darkness rather than light. This is the condemnation, the Lord Jesus the Messiah said. That light is coming to the world. And what we read here in verse 19b.

And men. That the human race. That's men. Descendants of Adam. Bnei Adam. The descendants of Adam. Mankind. Mankind love darkness rather than light. How sad it is to see the condition of the human heart. That men love darkness rather than light. And you know why men love darkness rather than light? Because when men entered into this world. When men was created by God. Men. Adam. You remember? And Eve. Disobeyed God. And by disobeying God. And eating of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They applied the whole human race into sin. And from there on, every boy, every girl that is born into this world is called a sinner.

And so men love darkness rather than light. There is a verse in 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 that Shaul Paul quoted. Or he wrote to the Corinthians reminding them how God in days of old. How God said, "Let there be light." And there was light in this world which was in chaos. In darkness. In creation days. When the fall of Satan was there. 2nd Corinthians 4 tells us, beloved brothers and sisters. And I am reading this verse. It says here in verse 4. "The God of this world have blinded the mind of them which believe not lest the light of the glorious gospel of Messiah, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." He continued in verse 5 Paul to say in 2nd Corinthians chapter 4.

"For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus, Messiah Yeshua the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake." And then verse 6. He is taking them back all the way to creation and making an application. "For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness in days of old." Genesis chapter 1. And he said, "has shined in our hearts to give us the light." This is the spiritual light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. In the face of Yeshua HaMashiach. You see, the same God who said, "let there be light" in Genesis chapter 1 is the same God who seeks to provide for you and I spiritual light.

So we will be saved and forgiven and have eternal life. And that's why in John chapter 3, Yeshua said to Nicodemus in verse 19, "this is the condemnation, Nicodemus, that light is coming to the world." And look, Nicodemus, men love darkness rather than light. Why? Because their deeds were evil. Why? Because their deeds were evil. Because their deeds, the action that we do come out of a sin nature that we have. Because man is a sinner by nature. And because of this sin nature, we sin. You remember we said many times, We are not sinners because we sin. No. But we sin because we are sinners. See, because we have a sin nature.

Like David said, In sin did my mother conceive me. Like Shaul Paul said, O wretched man that I am. Like Isaiah said, For I am a man of unclean lips. Like Shimon Petro says, Depart from me for I am a sinful man. These were honest men who said, Lord, I am a sinner. And that's what you and I, all men, all have to realize that. That by nature we love darkness rather than light. And if we turn to the Lord Yeshua, Jesus, by faith, He will give us new life. We will get the light of life. We will be forgiven. And we will be saved because God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

You and I are lost by nature. But you and I, if we believe in Yeshua the Messiah, can be saved. Can be forgiven. And that's how beautiful He is now using in the fourth illustration to Nicodemus. He is using the light and darkness, the natural light and the natural darkness to compare it to the spiritual darkness that one has in his and her life because of our sin nature. But we can have light of life. And so we read in verse 20 and verse 21. This is really the last thought that Yeshua is sharing with Nicodemus here in this portion. He says, "Everyone who doeth evil, he really hates the light." Verse 20.

"For everyone that doeth evil, hateth the light. Neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved." You see, the many wrong things that we do, we don't do it in the light. We do it in a time when nobody sees. In the darkness. That's why He said, "Everyone who doeth evil, the evil thing that we do, we don't do in the light. We don't let anybody see it." That's the sin nature in us. And out of the heart, we speak evil. Out of the heart, we do evil. This is the sin nature. We were born like that. All of us. All humanity. Everyone that was born into this world inherited the same sin nature.

But God sent His Son to deal with this problem. That's why Yeshua said, "So must the Son of Man be lifted up." "Even so must the Son of Man be lifted up." He meant, "I must go to the cross. I must pay for the sin of this world. I must die on that shameful cross for the sin of this world. Except the corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it remaineth alone." He must die, but if He die, it bringeth forth much fruit. And that's why Yeshua had to die as a substitute in order to provide salvation for mankind. And so, He said in verse 21, "But He that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." In other words, when we want to do right, to do the truth.

And what is the truth? To come to acknowledge before God that we have sinned. So we can come to the light. So we can come to the light. He is the light. I am the light of this world, Yeshua said of Himself. To come to Him and to confess. And to repent. "Like Israel of old, when they confess before Moshe, we have sinned against God and before you, Moshe. Pray to God that He will take away these serpents who bite us." And the Lord instructed Moshe to make this serpent, brazen serpent, to put it on a pole that whoever will look on that pole will remain alive physically here.

God sent His Son, the Messiah, to this world to be lifted up, not on a pole, but on a cross, on a tree. And there He died. He became the Lamb of God. The Passover Lamb. And to do the truth is to come and repent and confess and say, "Lord, Yeshua the Messiah, I have sinned. I am coming to You. You are that light." And here you know everything about me. As it says in verse 21, "His deeds may be manifest." "You know my heart. You know my work. You know my condition." "Oh, Lord, I am coming to You, repenting, confessing, coming to the light." And how wonderful it is when we come to the light.

As it says here, we read here that they are wrought in God and there will be a change in the life of the believer in Yeshua the Messiah. Because he will turn from darkness into light. There is a verse that I love that I found in the book of Colossians that the apostle Shaul Paul wrote to the believers in the town in the city of Colossae. And he said to them in Colossians chapter one. And verse 12 and 13. He says, "giving thanks unto the Father." This is Abba, Ha'abba, the Father. He says, "which have made us meet or suitable to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light." Here's the "or" in Hebrew, the word is "or." But then it says in verse 13.

"Who has delivered us from the power of darkness." And has translated us into the kingdom of his dear son. Of the son of his love. Ben Ha'ahavah. Oh, my dear friend. It's so wonderful. It's so wonderful to know that every believer in Yeshua the Messiah have been translated from the power of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear son. And that's why John 3:16 is the verse that Yeshua, the word of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah to Nicodemus. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him shall not perish but have everlasting life." Do you have everlasting life?

Do you believe on the Son? Do you realize that the Lord Jesus is the Messiah? Do you understand that he must be lifted up on that shameful tree in order to be killed and to shed his blood to make an atonement and to remove sin from before the Lord? Do you believe on him, my dear friend? He loved you. God loved you. God loved the whole world that he gave the only begotten Son. The only thing we need to do and you need to do is to believe. A sincere faith. A sincere faith. Confession of sins. I have sinned. And I would like to have Yeshua Jesus the Messiah as my Lord and my Savior to invite him into my heart.

Pray this prayer, my dear friend. Come to know Yeshua the Messiah today while it is the day of grace. God bless you, dear brothers and sisters. Shalom, shalom.