Message
Jn 2:23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name.
Jn 2:24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men.
Jn 2:25 He did not need man’s testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.
Chapter 3
Jn 3:1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council.
Jn 3:2 He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."
Jn 3:3 In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.""
Jn 3:4 "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!
Jn 3:5 Jesus answered, I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.
Jn 3:6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.
Jn 3:7 You should not be surprised at my saying, You must be born again.
Jn 3:8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.
Jn 3:9 How can this be? Nicodemus asked.
Jn 3:10 You are Israel’s teacher, said Jesus, and do you not understand these things?
Jn 3:11 I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.
Jn 3:12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?
Jn 3:13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven, the Son of Man.
Jn 3:14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,
Jn 3:15 that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
Jn 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Jn 3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Jn 3:18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
Jn 3:19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.
Jn 3:20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.
Jn 3:21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."
I want to begin by mentioning two passages from the end of chapter 2: First:
Jn 2:23 many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name.
Compare that to: Jn 3:2 "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."
Nicodemus was one of the people spoken of in 2:23, he had seen the miracles and he believed.
Secondly: Jn 2:25 he knew what was in a man.
Since, Jesus knew what was in a man, in John 3:3, He informs Nicodemus that "no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."
Jesus was aware that a fundamental change had to take place within man.
1Co 15:21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.
1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
Nicodemus needed to be born again. Nicodemus was an heir to sin, in order to become an heir to salvation, he would have to be born again.
The way to move from being heirs with Adam and sin to heirs with Christ and life is by being born again. Nicodemus understood this and asked the question, "How can a man be born when he is old?". "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!" Nicodemus was saying a man cannot start over again.
Jesus then informs Nicodemus that He is referring to a spiritual birth not a physical birth.
Nicodemus is a Pharisee. Nicodemus was defined by his position; his position was defined because he was accepted into the organization. The organization was defined by its measure of education; by the clothing they wore, the expressions on their faces, the attitudes in their hearts and their agreement with the organization.
Being part of an organization is not all bad because it can reveal true beliefs. Being a part of something larger than ourselves can keep us on track and prevent us from following some misguided fad or individual. But the organization should not define the people; the people should define the organization. I believe that’s why it is noted that Nicodemus was there at night, because he was doing something the organization had not approved and he was in fear of being rejected by the other Pharisees.
Jesus then criticizes Nicodemus for being so predictable. You may have missed that because He didn’t say it with words, but He said it with the words He left out. Jesus encourages him to be like the wind. To be powered by a source that cannot be seen. Nicodemus was powered by the Pharisees, that’s where he received his approval and his self-worth. Jesus was telling Nicodemus he was recognized by his position as a Pharisee when he should be recognized by the affects of God in his life.
Let me give you an example:
Some time back, in a conversation, I expressed my concern about someone’s spiritual development. As soon as I said it, I knew I was not clearly expressing my thoughts. Because the person is a spiritual person; they are expressive, saying the right things; appropriately emotional, being moved by the right things; they expressed love for God and the affects of their life is easily seen. The problem was they were driven by a wind that kept blowing down all the wrong trees. They were spiritual, but even though everything sounded right and much looked right, they had not developed a true Christian spirituality. They are spiritual, but they are not being lead by the Holy Spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (Gal 5:23) gentleness and self-control were hit and miss rather than the standard. They were doing all the things that made them appear good, yet there was still something wrong.
John 3:9 "How can this be?" Nicodemus asked. If a guy is doing right, how can he still be wrong?
In explaining this, Jesus pulls from the Old Testament. Jesus chose an account in Numbers 21, when the people had settled into grumbling and complaining about their daily life. They were having hard times and they didn’t want to continue dealing with these difficulties. Then one-day snakes started coming out and biting the folks. These snakes were so poisonous that those who were bit, died. The people, now in fear for their lives, turned to God and Moses asking forgiveness and begging for help.
Nu 21:8 The LORD said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live."
Nu 21:9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.
In reading this, it is easy to see the comparison between the pole the bronze snake was lifted on and the Cross Jesus would be lifted on. Those who looked on the bronze snake would live and those who look to Jesus live. But I couldn’t help but wonder, How does this answer Nicodemus" question?
Jn 3:9 "How can this be?" How can a person be born-again? How can a mature person begin to think in new ways?
This is how the question is answered:
Nicodemus needs to be born again. He needs to be changed from the inside out. He needs a new spirit inside. He needs to accept the truth about himself and life. 3 times Jesus used the term, "I tell you the truth" v3, 5 & 11. Verse 11 reads,
Jn 3:11 I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.
There is a story told of two preachers standing on the roadside with a sign that read, "The End is Near - turn around now before it’s too late". A passing driver yelled "leave us alone you religious nuts". Then the preachers heard a loud splash. One preacher said to the other, "Do you think we should have made a sign that just said "Bridge Out". Sometimes the message is clear and we just choose not to see it.
Jesus couldn’t be any plainer, "I tell you the truth." Nicodemus needed to accept the truth, his good life was not enough. There will always be excuses and there will always be another side to the story. There will always be another approach; there will always be a fear that we are doing it the wrong way. Nicodemus only knew one way, the Pharisee way. Jesus told him there is only one way, but the only One who knows the way, is the One who has been to heaven and earth: that is Jesus.
So have a little faith, look to what God has supplied to redeem us from our sins. Hear the truth, be born-again. Some may ask, "Isn’t there another way?" The answer is, apparently not. God did not allow Jesus to be crucified, so that He would be one of the choices. God sent Jesus so that we could be absolved from our sins. He didn’t leave any conditions on it. He didn’t make it multiple choice. He didn’t send Jesus to condemn us.
God sent Jesus to give us the opportunity to experience
the security of everlasting life,
the confidence of being eternally loved,
the peace of living without condemnation
and the comprehension that comes with being able to see clearly.
God has provided the way for us to be born-again in our hearts, our souls and our minds. But will we hear and will we take advantage of it?
John 3:21 says, "But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."
Are you hopeful about the truth coming out? Would it suit you if someone came in and publicly played the movie of your life, so that everyone could see everything you have ever done? Every evil thought? Every ill word spoken? Every time you should have said something and were silent? If you understand what Christ has done for you, then you are good with letting that stuff be shown. Because you understand that your sins were laid on Christ and removed from you. You understand that you don’t have to feel embarrassed about your sins; you should feel forgiven. You no longer have to focus on your failures; your sins. Now you can focus on the fact that you are forgiven and that, my friends, is when you know you are born-again. When you think more about what God has done, than what you have done.
