[Thou art a teacher come from God.] This cautious sentence is an instructive indication of the state of Nicodeinus' mind. He was naturally a timid, hesitating, slow-moving man. That Jesus was somebody remarkable, he m- as convinced by His miracles. That He might possibly be the Messiah, had probably crossed his mind, and the more so because he doubtless knew of the ministry of John the Baptist, and had heard that John spake of one greater than himself who was yet to come. But until he can make out more about Jesus, by private conversation, he declines to commit himself to any stronger statement than that before us. The G-reek words would be more literally rendered, " From God thou hast come a teacher."
Lightfoot thinks that Nicodemus here refers to the long cessa- tion of prophecy, which had now lasted for four hundred years. During this long period no one had appeared from God to teach the once-favouied Jewish nation, as the prophets did of old. But now, he seems to say, " Thou hast appeared as the prophets did in former times, to teach us."
[No man can do these miracles.. ..with Am.] This sentence has been justly called an illustration of one great purpose of our Lord's miracles. They arrested men's attention. They were evidences of a divine mission. They showed that He who wrought them was no ordinary Person, and ought to be lis- tened to.
I am aware that some have thought that Nicodemus attached too much weight to our Lord's miracles, and have boldly asserted that miracles are no necessary proof of a divine mission, seeing that Anti-christ will appear with signs and lying wonders. (2 Thess. ii. 9; Rev. xiii. 14.) Li reply it might be sufficient to remark that our Lord Himself declared that " His works bore witness that the Father had sent Him." (John v. 36 ; x. 25 ; xv. 24.) But I also think that sufficient stress is not laid on the expression, " These miracles that thou doest." The character and quality of our Lord's miracles were such as to prove His divine commission. False teachers and .Anti-christs may be permitted to work some miracles, like the magicians who with- stood Moses. But there is a point beyond which Anti-christ and his servants cannot go. Such miracles as our Lord worked could only be wrought by the finger of God. I therefore think that Nicodemus' argument was just and correct. — It is moreover worthy of note, that the expression he uses is precisely the same as that used by St. Peter when describing our Lord's ministry and miracles. He says, " God was with him." (Acts x. 38.)
The expression, " God being with a man," is a common phrase in the Scriptures, denoting the possession of certain special