"HOW CAN THESE THINGS BE?"

John 3:1-2; 9-11 

"1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

2 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......." 

"9 ......Nicodemus said to HIM (JESUS) "HOW CAN THESE THINGS BE?"

10 JESUS answered him, "Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?

11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony."

Nicodemus was a highly thought of man by "this world" in the days that JESUS physically manifested HIS presence to us.  He was a Pharisee, a ruler of the Jews.  Nicodemus came to JESUS "by night", presumably to be undetected by other Jewish rulers, and to attempt to get to the bottom of this thing called "eternal life".  He was WELL educated, yet still he did not know "HOW CAN THESE THINGS BE?"

JESUS responded in verse 10 that Nicodemus was a supposed teacher of Israel and evidently he did not know what he should be teaching?  A teacher who isn't sure about what they are teaching can be a great disaster.  I believe Nicodemus was serious about wanting to know THE TRUTH, but he had to accept THE TRUTH on HIS terms, and not try to put HIM in some preconceived box of the supposed learned!  

Although the Israelites were in captivity in their own land by the Romans, the so-called educated Israelites were "in power" as far as telling people what they should believe.  Now here came a "ruler", in the darkness of night, to be educated by a carpenter!  Nicodemus said, "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."  Nicodemus thought knew WHO JESUS was, but at the time didn't believe that GOD had taken on flesh and become a man because of HIS LOVE (John 3:16)!  The belief that Nicodemus did come to a belief of WHO JESUS really was, is shown in John 19:39 when he helped Joseph of Arimathea remove JESUS from the cross and bury HIM. If he didn't fully "KNOW" then, he certainly did three days later!!!

The intelligence of "this world" can be way blown out of proportion.  There are countless Doctors and Phd's that will never SEE the things of Heaven.  Just because you are bestowed all kinds of earthly degrees and notoriety, that won't help you find out "HOW CAN THESE THINGS BE?"  The Spiritual things can only be "discerned" by we who have the SPIRIT (1 Corinthians 2:14)!  Don't be deceived by the glamour of "this world" and be left wondering, "HOW CAN THESE THINGS BE?"