The Insufficiency of Some Knowledge
By Woodrow Kroll
Passages from The Gospel of John
Perhaps you've worked with computers, or cars, or chemicals, and you know just enough to be dangerous. Start a project, fix a few problems, or handle an emergency or two, but you don't know quite enough to avoid some major risks or pitfalls. And that could result in some serious trouble. However, if you have insufficient knowledge of Jesus Christ as Savior, it could keep you from spending eternity with Him. And that's far more serious than a crashed hard drive, a faulty engine, or even a chemical explosion. You see, what you know about Jesus Christ is of vital importance. This study has been helping us upgrade our knowledge so we don't make the mistakes others have.
Nicodemus is an interesting character, because Nicodemus is a man who is the equal of the Lord Jesus here on earth. He is a rabbi; Jesus is a Rabbi. And as a rabbi he comes to the Lord Jesus at night, in John 3. And he says to Jesus, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher sent from God; nobody could do these things that you are doing unless God is with him."
Now what I want you to see today, however, is this man who had insufficient knowledge of the Lord Jesus, this man who knew something about Jesus. He knew Jesus was a teacher. This man who knew Jesus could perform miracles, He could do signs and wonders, this man who did not know enough about the Lord Jesus had his insufficient knowledge corrected by the Lord Jesus.
I think this is the most remarkable thing in this passage. I want to begin again today at John 3:1, and I want to read through verse 3 this time. Look at this, "There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, 'Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.' Jesus answered and said to him, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.'"
Have you ever asked yourself what verse 3 has to do with verse 2? Have you noticed that! Nicodemus comes to the Lord Jesus, he says, "Jesus, I know you are a teacher sent from God, because nobody could do these miracles that you do unless God sent him." Jesus said, "That's good. Now, let's change the subject." Isn't that what He did? Yeah! Jesus did not address the fact He was a Rabbi, He did not address the fact He is sent from God, He did address the signs and wonders that He did--He addressed the need of Nicodemus.
And the need of Nicodemus was not to believe in Jesus as teacher, the need of Nicodemus was to believe in Jesus as Savior.
So Jesus immediately changes the whole tenor of this conversation. And He says, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Now see what Jesus is doing here is He's cutting right through all this business about Him being a teacher, all this business about the signs that He's done, He said, "Look those are important, but that's not what saves you. Nicodemus, you need to be born again."
And while you and I witness to our friends and our family, we can talk about church, we can talk about Jesus the great teacher, we can talk about the wonders He did and the miracles that He did, we can talk about what a great person He was--none of which is sufficient to lead our friends and family to the Savior. It's not until you get to this business of being born again, that you've really begun to witness about what is important.
Jesus got to it immediately. Now I'm amused by this, because I read everything I get my hands on about approaches to evangelism in the 21st century. You know, this approach and that approach, this church is known for this thing and this church is known for that, the only thing I don't find is anything that relates to what I read in the Bible. And that's a shame. Because Jesus was a strong believer, as was the apostle Paul, in getting to the heart of the matter as quickly as He could.
And that's exactly what He does here. Jesus abruptly changed the conversation. He went right to the heart of the matter. And the heart of the matter was Nicodemus the rabbi needed a Savior, just like the rest of us do. So He begins immediately. "I'm a great teacher, okay, I accept that. I'm a miracle worker, okay, I accept that. But I want you to know, I'm the key to your eternal life."
And what He has to say to this man here, "Those who have come to Jesus looking for a miracle worker, will find a miracle worker in Jesus. Those who have come to Jesus looking for a great teacher, will find a great teacher in Jesus. But only those coming looking for a Savior, will find a Savior in Jesus."
Now look at the response that this man gives, verse 4. "Nicodemus said to Him, 'How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb?'" Now I would say that's a pretty legitimate question, wouldn't you? I mean if Jesus is talking about being re-born physically, knowing what he knows, anatomically it seems pretty impossible for this man Nicodemus to be born again because he's a full-grown man. Now let's give credit, this is a rabbi, he's dealing with what he knows to be true. He's a man who externalizes everything. He doesn't understand what Jesus is talking about.
And that's why the rest of John 3, that contains John 3:16, is all about how to be born again. What a wonderful passage it is. But the passage, my friends, comes as a result of a man who had some knowledge of Jesus but it was insufficient knowledge. And I don't want you to lose that. Because the whole reason Jesus explains how to be born again is, here's a man who saw Jesus as a teacher but did not see Jesus as a Savior.
And if you're going to enjoy eternal life, in heaven with God forever, you've got to get beyond seeing Jesus as one of many teachers. You've got to get beyond seeing Jesus as a great, great human being. You've got to get beyond seeing Jesus as an ordinary kind of person. You've got to see Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. And that's what John the Baptist was talking about in John 1, and that's now what Jesus is going to talk about in John 3.
See, we don't have faith in Jesus because He does miracles, we don't have faith in Jesus because He's a superstar, we don't have faith in Jesus because He performs signs and He heals the sick and He raises the dead. We don't have faith in Jesus for any of those reasons. We have faith in Jesus because Jesus is God. And because Jesus is God, Jesus can indeed give us new life in God.
And that's what this Book is all about. I want you to see today, as we kind of take a little journey through this Gospel of John, I want you to see today the change in people's lives when they move from their understanding of Jesus as a teacher, to their understanding of Jesus as their Lord and Savior. And I want to take this journey today, because it is just possible that there are some people here, who are still enamored with Jesus the teacher and have never yet come to know Jesus the Savior of the world. You see Him as an ethical person. But I want you to know, knowing Jesus as an ethical teacher is not sufficient knowledge. There's more to know about Jesus than that.
Since we're here in the Gospel of John, turn back just a couple of pages with me. Notice the progression of faith that occurs in the disciples' lives. John 1:37. These disciples had been disciples of John the Baptist. But John the Baptist says, "There is One standing among you whom you do not know" (John 1:26). And then the next day he says, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" And then two of the disciples of John the Baptist, Andrew the brother of Peter being one of them, two of the disciples of John the Baptist suddenly look at Jesus and they say "Look, Jesus is not just a teacher; Jesus is the Messiah."
And that's what happens in verse 37, "The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, 'What do you seek?' They said to Him," now watch the words, "'Rabbi' (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), 'where are You staying?' He said to them, 'Come and see.'"
Now Andrew and the other disciple see the Lord Jesus, this is their first encounter with Jesus. And what is it they call the Lord Jesus at this point? They call Him, "Rabbi, Teacher." Because that's what they understand about Jesus at this point, He is a great teacher. But they do not become disciples because the follow a teacher. They become disciples because they follow a Savior.
So let's progress in our story. Look at verse 49. Jesus goes on after these two disciples, He goes on and He finds Philip and He calls Philip to discipleship. Philip finds his good friend Nathanael--now that's what evangelism is all about friends. Philip finds his good friend Nathanael and he says to Nathanael, "I want you to know I have found the Messiah, the Savior of the world." Look what Nathanael responds, verse 49, "Nathanael answered and said to Him, 'Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!'"
Jesus came to Nathanael and said, "Nathanael, I saw you before you were here. I saw you sitting under the fig tree." And Nathanael said, "That can't be." But he understands that Jesus is somebody special and he calls Him "Rabbi," because that's what he knows about Jesus. But he also calls Him "Son of God, King of Israel." Now where did he get that knowledge? That had to come from the spirit of God. Because he hasn't Jesus do the things that the others have seen. His faith is not just in a teacher, his faith is in the Son of God, the King of Israel.
So as the whole chapter begins, as this Book of John begins, we see the disciples calling Jesus "Rabbi, Teacher" again and again and again. But by the time you get to John 6, their tune changes dramatically. Look at this John 6:67. Jesus had taught some pretty tough things, and it was difficult for these people to follow the Lord Jesus. And some of those who were attracted by His miracles, some who were attracted by the feeding of the 5,000, some who were attracted by His teachings, some weren't quite ready to follow Him as Savior and Lord.
And so in John 6:67, the preceding verse some of the disciples walked away from Jesus. Verse 67, "Jesus said to the twelve, 'Do you also want to go away?'" But Simon Peter answered Him, and this is what he said. "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."
Now you see folks, when you begin to link the Person of Jesus with eternal life, He is no longer a teacher--He is now a Savior, He is the Lord Christ, He is the Savior of the world. At this point John chapter 6, up until this time they always called Jesus "Rabbi"--even the disciples. And at this point, John chapter 6, you will only find two occasions in the Book of John...now that would be at verse 2 of chapter 9, where they come into the Temple area there and they see a man born blind, and they ask the question, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he has been born blind?" They wanted to know something; they called Him "Rabbi" there. And again in chapter 11 verse 8, the raising of Lazarus from the dead, again they called Him "Rabbi."
But after John chapter 6, now listen to this, after John chapter 6 when the disciples got to know more about who Jesus is, they only call Him "Rabbi" twice in the rest of the Gospel of John. And they call Him "Lord" 27 times. Now what does that mean? I think that means that knowing Jesus as teacher is insufficient knowledge of who Jesus is. It's just not enough to get you all the way to heaven.
You need to know Him as Lord and Savior as well. And that's what these disciples have come to know. Now let me just give you a couple of examples, and them we'll be finished. Look at chapter 11. I mentioned this about the raising of Lazarus from the dead. John 11:23, "Jesus said to her," this is Martha now. "'Your brother will rise again.' Martha said to Him, 'I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.'" See that's what you learn from a teacher.
"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?'" Now the question here, friends, is not "Do you believe My teaching?" but "Do you believe that I am the resurrection and the life?" "Do you want to have a personal relationship with Me that means life eternal?"
And this is what she said to Him, verse 27, "She said to Him, 'Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is come into the world.'" You see, when she say more than a Rabbi, she linked that with Jesus' ability to save her. Because He's the Son of God.
Let's skip a couple of chapters and go to chapter 13, John chapter 13 this is the story of Peter. Don't you just love Peter? Peter was the kind of fellow who often spoke before he thought. That's why we love him, I suppose. Chapter 13:3:
"Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, and took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, 'Lord, are You washing my feet?' And Jesus answered and said to him, 'What I am doing unto you, you do not understand now, but you will know after this.'"
But look what he called the Lord Jesus, he said, "Lord are You going to wash my feet?" As soon as Jesus explained why He was washing the feet, Peter said, "Oh, Lord, not my feet, but my head and my hands as well. Give me a good dose Lord, I need the whole thing. I don't need a few feet washed, I need a whole shower here." Now that's Peter. But he calls Him "Lord," because he understands now He's not just a teacher, He's a lot more than that.
Let's go right to the end of the Book, John chapter 20. Jesus has now risen from the dead. It's the first day of the week. Mary Magdalene has come to the tomb, and Peter and John have also arrived. And they looked in the tomb and they saw it empty and they left. And at verse 10, "Then the disciples went away again to their own homes. But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, as she had wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. And she say two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. Then they said to her, 'Woman, why are you weeping?'"
Now look at her response, "She said to them, 'Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.'"
Not just "my teacher," not "my spiritual adviser," not "my psychic hotline adviser"--"they've taken away my Lord." See the progression of understanding of who Jesus is, from just a simple teacher to Savior and Lord is the progression that means the difference between having some knowledge of Jesus and having sufficient knowledge of Him as Savior.
One last passage. John chapter 20 at verse 26, Jesus has now appeared to His disciples. Thomas, unfortunately, was not there at the time. Verse 26 says, "After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, 'Peace to you!' Then He said to Thomas, 'Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.' And Thomas answered and said to Him, 'My Lord and my God!'"
Now you see, Thomas believed Jesus was an excellent teacher, just like Nicodemus did. But the difference was, that when Nicodemus came to Jesus by night, he recognized something about Jesus but his knowledge of Jesus was insufficient to save him. Now I happen to believe he went away that night, fully aware of who Jesus was, and fully saved. And that's why when you get to the end of the Gospel of John, you see him and Joseph of Arimathea together taking the body of the Lord Jesus.
He became a disciple that night. But not based on his understanding of Jesus as a teacher or a miracle worker or one who fed the poor. That is insufficient knowledge to believe in Jesus to bring you to salvation.
There is just a lot of knowledge around today of the Lord Jesus, my friends, that will not lead you to Glory. And you can find it in the tabloids; you can find it in a lot of liberal literature that teaches about Jesus the historic person. But it's not the historic Jesus that brings us to salvation, it's the Jesus who invaded time, it's the God who in the fullness of time came to be with us--Emmanuel, God with us. It's that Jesus. And it's knowing Him not just as an ethical teacher, but knowing Him as Savior and Lord that brings us to full salvation.
You can die, my friends, with insufficient knowledge. You can do it both physically and you can do it spiritually. And that's why Nicodemus, when he came to Jesus that night, needed more knowledge than the fact He was just a teacher.
You see friends, insufficient knowledge is knowledge--but it is insufficient. Knowing Jesus as a good teacher, is knowing Jesus, but it's not enough to get you to heaven. If you haven't trusted Him as Savior, you've believed good things but you haven't believed all there is to believe. It's my prayer that you and I will know Him, not just with some knowledge but with sufficient knowledge to take us all the way to Glory.
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