Ezekiel
Ezekiel was a Priest of Judah who was taken in captivity to Babylon in 597BC. There he became a prophet warning the people of the judgement of God and the coming destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. After the destruction of Jerusalem in 586BC, he prophesied to the defeated nation of a new age of forgiveness, restoration and resurrection.
In chapter 34 of his prophecy, God through Ezekiel attacks the false leaders (shepherds) of Judah, He promises that he will shepherd his people through his chosen Messiah (or Christ) – the new king David. In chapters 36 and 37 he promise a new age when God would not only forgive his people but also wash them clean, regenerate them with his Spirit, and returned to the prosperity of their home land. This new outpouring of the Spirit upon the people would move them to obey the Law from the heart instead of living in rebellion against God. The nation was to be resurrected under the leadership of God’s Messiah.
Nicodemus the Pharisee
Pharisees were an unofficial party within Judah at the time of Jesus. Their particular concern was a detailed keeping of the letter of the Law. They separated themselves from sinners and as with most law keeping moralists were entrapped in a sense of superiority and hypocrisy. Nicodemus, as a ruler of the Jews, would have served on the council of Jerusalem (the Sanhedrin).
Jesus Brings: Walking By The Spirit
Galatians 5:13-26
1 The World Brought
2 Jesus Brought
3 Jesus Bought
4 Jesus Brings
