The Teacher of Israel

 …art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?
…If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
(John 3:10 and 12)

Jesus is talking to Nicodemus, a leader from Israel, a member of the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem at that time. Nicodemus had come to Jesus at night during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, curious to hear what this Jesus would stand for. A conversation about the Kingdom of God ensues. In this conversation, Jesus first emphasizes the conditions that apply in order to be part of it. Jesus talks about being born again, being born of the Spirit. From this conversation, it becomes clear that Jesus and Nicodemus are talking completely at cross-purposes. Nicodemus does not understand anything Jesus is saying, and Jesus reproaches him for this. As a teacher of Israel, he should understand these things, but the opposite appears to be true. In this conversation, Jesus tries to make it clear that the Kingdom of God is a spiritual, heavenly reality and not an earthly one. You have to remember that the Jewish expectation for the future was that the old Israel under David and Solomon would be restored at some point, and that this would become a reality when the Messiah appeared. Jesus’ reproach is that they did not understand earthly things and that, as a result, they would also be unable to understand what Jesus was talking about. Apparently, they do not really understand the function of the Mosaic covenant and the associated temple service, which are part of the earthly realm. In the following passage, Jesus makes the connection between the serpent in the desert in the time of Moses and the purpose for which He came, thereby making it clear that the affair with the bronze serpent is a picture that points to the future. In this way, Jesus wants to make it clear that what Israel experienced on earth, and this also applies to all matters concerning the priestly service and the temple, are pictures of something much greater that far exceeds the limitations of our physical existence. Everything related to the Kingdom of God and the Gospel is so much greater than what they, the Jews of their time, could understand. Paul explains in various places what the difference is between what the Old Testament was about and everything that the New Covenant stands for. I will zoom in on a passage from the Epistle to the Hebrews, which was addressed to the Jewish Christians of that time.

₁Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; ₂a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. ₃For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer. ₄For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law: ₅who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount. ₆But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
(Hebrews 8:1-6)

What Paul is trying to make clear here to Jews who were part of the covenant people is that the reality we are part of is first and foremost spiritual and heavenly, and also much better than the Mosaic covenant. Paul uses terms such as “shadow” and “image,” which can be compared to a photograph. A photograph can make you very happy, but actually being part of the environment depicted in the photograph surpasses everything, of course. The spiritual reality to which Paul refers is what it’s all about.

Back to Nicodemus, he expected the restoration of Jerusalem’s former glory and David as its king, in other words, the restoration of the original Israel. Jesus, however, goes on to speak about all people on earth, the world, and the salvation that would be theirs if they believed in Him as the only begotten Son. Jews had become accustomed to the idea that a life with God was intended exclusively for them and that the rest of humanity did not really matter, something that Jews still believe, as evidenced by various statements in the Talmud. They are the exclusive chosen people, they consider themselves to be genetically superior, they believe themselves to be uniquely capable of obeying God’s laws, and that Gentiles do not possess these qualities. What these Jews do not understand is that they are limiting themselves to the restoration at earthly level and that they have no insight into the much greater heavenly realm associated with Jesus Christ.

Many Christians have also ended up here because of their embrace of Zionist beliefs. The expectation of the future, which for centuries had exclusively concerned the reality of being in Christ and all that this implies, combined with the expected return of Jesus, has been replaced by an expectant focus on developments in the Middle East and the current state of Israel. As a result, many are losing sight of the original spiritual or heavenly perspective. Their perspective of the new covenant is gradually becoming smaller, and they are slowly but surely losing the awareness of what it means to be part of the heavenly realm in Christ. But let’s look at a passage:

₃Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 
(Ephesians 1:3)

₁₉and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, ₂₀which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, ₂₁far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: ₂₂and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, ₂₃which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
(Ephesians 1:19-23)

The perspective on this current reality is overshadowed by the so-called future perspective on Israel. The riches associated with the new covenant we are now part of are slowly but surely dissipating.

Jesus tries to make it clear that the heavenly things associated with his coming are what everything revolves around and that the earthly things are merely an image:

 ₁₉And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. ₂₀For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. ₂₁But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
(John 3:19-21)

Ancient Jerusalem and present-day Israel are part of the earthly reality described, which is still connected to darkness. Rejecting Jesus has major consequences for everyone, as you remain trapped in darkness. If we as Christians reconnect with this, we too will end up in darkness.

We started with the teacher of Israel who not only has no regard for the heavenly, but also does not understand the earthly properly. Believing that we should consult the Jews to gain insight into biblical matters can only cause our perspective on Jesus Christ and the gospel to become increasingly clouded, with all the consequences that entails..

 ₂₄Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. ₂₅For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. ₂₆But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. 
(Galatians 4:24-26)

The choice is ours: which of the two dispensations do we want to be fully part of? Ancient Jerusalem is in bondage, and that is still true today. Heavenly Jerusalem is free; it is the place where Jesus is seated and where we are a part of if we are truly and exclusively in Him.