John 3:1-15
July 9, 1995
Sunday Morning Bible Study
Introduction
How would you respond if I asked you these questions:
1. If you were to die right now, do you know where you'd spend eternity?
2. If you think you would go to heaven, and you were standing at the gates of heaven, and Jesus said to you, "Why should I let you in?", how would you respond?
Is it because you've led a pretty good life?
Is it because you've never cheated on your wife and you've never killed anyone?
Is it because you go to church on Sundays?
Is it because you don't think God is mean enough to send people to hell?
Is it because you're an American?
Is it because you're pretty religious?
3. If your ideas about heaven were wrong, would you want to know about it?
:1-15 An Interview with Nicodemus
:1 a man of the Pharisees
Who were the Pharisees?
The Pharisees were about the most religious people who ever lived.
They were a sect of the Jews who prided themselves in trying to keep the Law of Moses perfectly.
They had developed an intense, strict way of living, according to their interpretation of Moses' Law.
Example:
When the Law said not to eat any meat with the blood in it (Lev.17:13-14)
The Pharisee practice was:
If you were sitting on your front porch one day, and while giving a big, big yawn, a gnat suddenly flies into your mouth and you swallow it.
They considered that eating flesh with it's blood in it, and you would have to gag yourself and throw up to get that gnat out of your body.
The Pharisee was a person who wasn't going to take any chances, but who was going to keep the Law in it's strictest interpretation, no matter what.
If they expected to get into heaven, it was done by keeping the Law perfectly.
:1 Nicodemus
Who was Nicodemus?
He is someone who by the end of Jesus' life, had come to believe in Jesus.
He helped Joseph of Arimathaea in preparing the body of Jesus for burial. (John 19:38-40)
John Gill goes into quite a lengthy discussion on the possibility of Nicodemus being the same as "Nicodemon ben Gurion", who was the brother of Josephus, the writer of the Jewish history.
This man was known as one of the three richest men in Jerusalem, and of whom there were traditions of miracles being done by.
Who knows?
:1 a ruler of the Jews
Apparently Nicodemus was a member of the ruling council of seventy one men, known as the Sanhedrin.
He would be considered a very important person.
:2 came to Jesus by night
Why didn't Nicodemus come to Jesus during the day, when everybody else did?
It seems that Nicodemus didn't want a lot of people knowing what he was doing.
At one point in Jesus' ministry, Nicodemus made kind of a half-hearted defense of Jesus.
»John 7:45-52. Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him? 46 The officers answered, Never man spake like this man. 47 Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived? 48 Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him? 49 But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed. 50 Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,) 51 Doth our law judge [any] man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth? 52 They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.
Note that the chief priests thought that there weren't any rulers or Pharisees who believed in Jesus.
Even if Nicodemus had believed in Jesus by now, he wasn't very public about it.
Some people don't want others to know that they're looking into Jesus.
»John 12:42-43 AV Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess [him], lest they should be put out of the synagogue: 43 For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
At least through part of the earthly ministry of Jesus, Nicodemus seems to be the kind of person who is intimidated by peer pressure.
Lesson:
God's thoughts about you should be more important that people's thoughts.
We are too often concerned what people are going to think of us.
But in reality, we're not going to stand before them in the end of our life to determine where we will spend eternity.
We really ought to be looking forward to hearing what God's thoughts are toward us.
On the other hand, Nicodemus is coming to inquire.
He wants to find out more about Jesus.
There needs to be room for inquireres.
Jesus doesn't rebuke him and say, "I'm sorry, but I only give appointments in the day time, in front of large multitudes."
But for those of you who have spent time inquiring...
The Bible says, "today is the day of salvation".
You don't know how long you have to decide.
Illustration:
It's like driving a car without a gas gauge or an odometer.
You never know when you're going to run out of gas.
What if your wife borrowed the car and already put 150 miles on it without you knowing it?
You could run out of gas tonight.
:2 Rabbi ... thou art a teacher come from God ...
These are very large compliments that Nicodemus is giving Jesus.
:2 these miracles
Keep in mind the historical context.
Jesus arrived in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover (2:13)
While in Jerusalem, Jesus apparently performed some miracles, causing some to believe in Him.
»John 2:23-AV Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast [day], many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.
:3 Jesus answered ... verily, verily I say unto thee
He's not going to answer Nicodemus' words, but his thoughts.
Remember what we read last about Jesus?
»John 2:25-AV And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.
Jesus is going to cut through all the small talk and get to the heart of the matter.
This man wants to know God. This man wants to be with God.
He's lived a life as a Pharisee, trying to be pleasing to God by keeping the Law.
Now Jesus is going to tell him what he really needs to know.
:3 except a man be born again
Being "born again" is a term that's been getting a lot of airplay in recent years.
When a baseball player has been in a slump for a long time, then comes out of it, his career is called "born again".
When an actor hasn't made pictures for a long time, and then makes a big hit, his career is "born again".
Though in reality, the world doesn't have the slightest idea of what it really means, at least they have gotten down part of the concept.
Lesson:
Being born again means getting a second chance at life
Hopefully, after this morning, we'll have a better understanding of it.
Do you need another chance with God?
:4 into his mother's womb ...?
Nicodemus doesn't have a clue what Jesus is talking about.
In typical Pharisaical fashion, He takes what Jesus has said literally.
Nicodemus is looking at this being born again as being physically a second time.
:5 born of water and the Spirit
Jesus is going to give a little more clarification to being born again.
This phrase has lots of different interpretations, but to save time, I'm just going to give you the correct one.
I believe it's talking about two births, a physical one and a spiritual one.
Born of water
Speaks of the physical birth.
For nine months, while in your mother's womb, you were swimming in a sack of water.
At birth, you were born out of the water.
Born of the Spirit
The second, spiritual birth.
Why is this the best understanding?
Context!
vs.3 - First, in the whole concept of being "born again", there must be two births. You can't be born again, if you haven't been born at all.
If Jesus was talking about two births in verse 3, and here in verse 5 he's talking about being born of two things, then He must be telling us what the two births are.
vs. 6 - As if this isn't enought, in the next verse, Jesus clarifies it again as the two kinds of birth:
»John 3:6-AV That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
The first birth is of the flesh, the second birth is of the Spirit.
:5 he cannot enter into the kingdom of God
Unless a person is born twice, through both births, they will not see heaven.
Is this a crucial piece of information?
YES!
Lesson:
Have you been born again?
Unless you are born again, you will not go to heaven.
Do you have loved ones, friends, acquaintances who are not born again?
Is it very important for them to be born again?
You cannot claim to either be a Christian, nor claim to be going to heaven without being born again.
What do you think will happen to them if they were to die without being born again?
How are they going to hear about being born again?
:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh
The term "flesh" in Scripture not only sometimes refers to our human skin, but also a particular kind of nature that is forever attached to our body of skin.
»Romans 8:5-8 AV For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded [is] death; but to be spiritually minded [is] life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind [is] enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
the words translated "flesh" and "carnally" and "carnal" are all the same word in the Greek (sarx).
When a person has only been born from the flesh, with the first birth, they are not going to be able to do anything that is pleasing to God.
Even as Christians, we know what it's like to get "fleshly", or to get "fleshed-out".
We can still put our minds in the gutter and fill ourselves with the things of the flesh nature, and we find out over and over again just how unpleasing we are to God.
:6 that which is born of the Spirit is spirit
This new birth is done by the Holy Spirit.
We have here the nature of the second birth.
It is a birth of the Holy Spirit.
The second birth is one that effects the realm of the spirit, not the flesh.
It's not something that happens to the outside of you, it's something that happens to the inside of you.
It's not what you do to yourself, it's what the Holy Spirit does for you.
Illustration:
The necessity of the new birth is vividly portrayed in the life of George Whitefield. At 16 he became deeply convicted of his sin. He tried everything to become acceptable to God. He wrote,
"I fasted for 36 hours twice a week. I prayed formal prayers several time a day and almost starved myself to death during Lent, but only felt more miserable. Then by God's grace I met Charles Wesley, who put a book in my hand that showed me from the Scriptures that I must be 'born again' or be eternally lost."
Finally, Whitefield understood that he had to trust in Jesus Christ. He believed and was both forgiven and changed. After he became a preacher, he spoke at least a thousand times on the subject, "You must be born again."
:7 Marvel not
Apparently Nicodemus was listening with his mouth hanging open or something.
:7 ye must be born again
PNT: No one born a citizen of England can become a citizen of the United States without complying with our naturalization laws. The kingdom of God has its naturalization laws, and there is no other way of entrance than to be born of water and of the Spirit.
It's our human spirit, part of a person's inner person, that communicates with God.
»John 4:24-AV God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth.
But before being born-again, your spirit was dead because of your sin.
»Colossians 2:13-AV And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
And that's why we must receive this new birth, so that our spirit will be alive to commune with God.
:8 the wind bloweth where it listeth
"listeth" - (thelo) 1) to will, have in mind, intend
"The wind blows where it wants to blow"
The Greek word for "wind" is the same Greek word translated "spirit" (pneuma).
In Hebrew, it's the same too - ruach is translated "wind" and "spirit".
(In fact, some people would rather that we translate this verse, "the Spirit breathes where He wants to ..." - I don't agree.)
Jesus is using a play on words to teach on how the Holy Spirit works in the new birth.
The Holy Spirit moves when and where He wants to.
It has to be a work of the Holy Spirit in being born-again.
It's not a matter of you deciding to clean yourself up for God.
You have to let the Holy Spirit change you.
:8 thou hearest the sound thereof ...
The way that wind operates, you can see it's effects, you can hear it moving, but you can't see it.
This is the way the Holy Spirit works too.
You can't see it with your physical eye (not usually), but you can see the path the Spirit makes as He moves through a place.
The evidence is in the people who have been "blown away" by the Spirit.
:8 so is every one that is born of the Spirit
When we've been born again, we too are going to be moved by the Spirit.
We won't always see the ways the Holy Spirit is working, but we can see His tracks.
When the Spirit moves, we should be moving too.
Illustration:
Hot Air Balloons
Hot air balloons are dependant upon the wind currents to move.
Whenever the wind moves, they go with it.
Unless they are anchored to the ground, or tied to the roof of a building.
Some Christians are like those advertising balloons that are filled with hot air, drawing a lot of attention to themselves, but aren't really going anywhere.
We need to make sure we don't have too much ballast, and make sure there aren't any ropes holding us back.
:9 How can these things be?
Nicodemus is having a hard time comprehending these things.
Possibly it's because he can't understand why he, a Pharisee, would have to be born again.
He's a good person.
Why does he need a second chance in life?
Lesson:
Even "good" people need a Savior.
Yet the Bible says that all of us are sinners, needing a savior.
»Romans 3:23-AV For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
:10 Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?
Jesus is implying that Nicodemus has the equivalent to a PhD in the law of Moses.
Here's this man, a Pharisee, an expert in the Law, who is also one of the ruling leaders in Israel.
Yet he's having difficulty with what Jesus is talking about.
It's not even that the things that Jesus are talking about are all that foreign to the student of the Hebrew Scriptures.
The Old Testament talks plenty about our sin and the need for rebirth:
»Deuteronomy 30:6; Jeremiah 31:31-34
»Ezekiel 36:25-27 AV Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. 26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do [them].
What often happens to a person who is very "religious", is that they know lots of stuff, they know what's good for others, but they don't realize what they themselves need to know and do.
Lesson:
Don't be blinded by being too "religious"
Don't let your relationship with God be based on mere facts you've memorized over the years.
Things that don't really mean too much to you.
A.T. Robertson:
The three terrible r's of mere traditionalism: Rote, Rut, Rot.
When your relationship with God gets to be merely things you've memorized and learned by rote (over and over again ...), you'll find yourself in a spiritual rut, and that means you'll start to rot!
When you study the Word of God, we need to always ask ourselves the question, "How does this affect ME?"
Or one day someone might say to us, "Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?"
:11 we speak that we do know
In other words, Jesus knows what He's talking about.
What greater authority do you want about how to get to heaven than God Himself?
Jesus has been there.
He knows what He's talking about.
Lesson:
Trust the authority
Lots of people have ideas about how to get to heaven.
But I want to know what their ideas are based upon?
How do they know it's true?
How can you trust Buddha when he's dead and never came back to tell you that it really worked?
You can trust Jesus.
:12 earthly things ... and ye believe not
The new birth Jesus is telling Nicodemus about belongs to the category of "earthly things".
It is something that is to take place in a person's life while they are still on earth, in their present fleshly condition.
:12 how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things
Nicodemus isn't going to get very far unless he gets the basics down first.
Lesson:
You have to start with the basics.
When you're sharing the Lord with people, it's important to keep in mind that they're really not going to get a whole lot of understanding until they are born again.
»1Corinthians 2:14-AV But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned.
Illustration:
If you play a sport, you have to get down the fundamentals first before you can get very far.
David is starting to play T-ball at the YMCA.
They don't teach them how to execute a double-play, or how to steal a base.
They just work on hitting the ball, throwing, and catching.
That doesn't mean that you can't try to answer their questions.
They may have questions about the end times, the rapture, demons, etc.
But realize that they are going to be limited because they're not spiritually equipped to be able to "digest" more advanced things.
:13 no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down ...
Enoch and Elijah ascended into heaven, but it wasn't by their own doing, it was God's doing.
It's not what man can do to get to God.
It's what God has done that counts, coming down to man.
That's the big philosophical difference between Christianity and other "religions".
Christianity is not about how you can ascend the twelve steps to heaven.
It's all about how Jesus came down to give you a hand.
:14 as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness
Israel was in one of their complaining moods while wandering in the wilderness.
»Numbers 21:6-9 AV And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. 7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. 8 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. 9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
What were the fiery serpents all about?
They were a kind of judgment by God on the people's sin.
There will judgment by God on our sin.
How was a person saved by the judgment of the serpents?
They had to look up to the serpent Moses had made on the pole.
How reasonable was it to look at the serpent on the pole?
It wasn't reasonable at all.
To our normal way of thinking, it didn't make sense at all.
I imagine that it could be a point of pride to some people who would think, "This doesn't make sense, I know I've been bitten by a serpent, but by golly, nobody's going to make me look up at that pole."
You don't make serpents on a pole, you make anti-venom medicine, and hope the victim gets to the doctor in time.
But God's way worked!
:14 so must the Son of man be lifted up
"lifted up" in John always refers to Jesus hanging on the cross
»John 12:32-AV And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all [men] unto me.
Lesson:
We must look to Jesus on the cross
The story of Moses and the brass serpent becomes an illustration of what we must do to be saved.
1. We too find ourselves facing judgment over our sin.
2. If we want to escape God's judgment, we must look to Jesus.
Jesus took upon Himself our sin when He died on the cross.
»2Corinthians 5:21-AV For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
3. It's not a reasonable thing, but a thing of faith to look to Jesus.
»1Corinthians 1:18-AV For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
:15 that whosoever believeth in him
whosoever - (pas) - each, every, any, all, everyone
Every person who puts their trust in Jesus will receive eternal life.
Lesson:
Believing is the key to receiving.
Up to now we've seen how being born-again is a work that the Holy Spirit does in us.
But believing is the one thing that we do to initiate the whole process.
Believing is more than just intellectual assent.
pisteuo - to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in
It means putting your confidence in Him to be the one to deliver you from the penalty of your sins.
Illustration:
The tightrope walker over Niagra Falls.
Everybody thought he was the best.
He could even take a wheelbarrow across Niagra Falls loaded with sand.
"If I'm the greatest, then I need a volunteer, somebody to get into the wheelbarrow"
You need to get to the other side of the falls.
Are you going to get into His wheelbarrow?
:15 but have eternal life
Salvation is not just about what we're saved from (as in hell).
It's just as much what we're saved for (as in heaven).
RWP: ageless or endless life, beginning now and lasting forever.
When we are born again, we start tasting right here and now this quality of life we call "eternal life".
»John 10:10b I am come that they might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantly.
Additional notes:
:3 except a man be born again
The word translated "again" (anothen), can be translated several ways:
1) from above, from a higher place
2) from the first, from the beginning
3) anew, over again
The NRSV even translates it:
»John 3:3-NRSV Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above."
But the best translation seems to be born "again", since this is how Nicodemus will respond in verse 4, and that is how Jesus responds to Nicodemus.
:5 born of water and the Spirit
Jesus is going to give a little more clarification to being born again.
What's Jesus talking about here?
1. A person has to be baptized to be saved
Many have thought this through the centuries.
Many of the commentaries I read laughed at anyone who would take it otherwise.
Being born of water means baptism, being born of the Spirit means spiritual birth.
There are churches who teach that you must be baptized to be saved.
The Bible says differently:
1. Paul didn't think baptism was a high priority for his ministry
»1Corinthians 1:17-AV For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel ...
»1Corinthians 1:14-AV I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius;
2. Peter said it wasn't the baptizing that saved you, but your heart calling out to God
»1Peter 3:21-NIV and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also-- not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
3. Jesus promised the thief on the cross that he'd be in paradise with Jesus that same day, without baptism.
»Luke 23:43-AV And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
Baptism is very important.
It is commanded.
Jesus was baptized, an example to follow.
But our salvation doesn't depend upon it.
2. Two births, a physical one and a spiritual one.
Being born of water speaks of the physical birth.
For nine months, while in your mother's womb, you were swimming in a sack of water.
At birth, you were born out of the water.
Being born of the Spirit speaks of the second, spiritual birth.
Why is this the best understanding?
Keep the context of the passage in mind.
vs.3 - First, in the whole concept of being "born again", there must be two births. You can't be born again, if you haven't been born at all.
If Jesus was talking about two births in verse 3, here in verse 5 He is telling us what the two births are.
vs. 6 - Secondly, in the next verse, Jesus speaks of the two kinds of birth:
»John 3:6-AV That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Keep the Bible as a whole in mind.
We've already seen that salvation isn't by baptism.
:13 which is in heaven
Apparently this phrase isn't in some of the manuscripts.
Neither NASB, NIV, NRSV include it.
May be talking about Jesus' deity, His omnipresence, His constant communion with heaven.
:15
("should not perish" isn't in some manuscripts - NASB does not include it.)
("in him" may better apply to "have" than to "believeth", the idea being that it's in Jesus that we have eternal life.)
Note:
It is felt that Jesus' actual interview with Nicodemus ends here in verse 15, and verses 16-21 are additional commentary added by John in explanation to the things that Jesus said.
RWP: In verses "#16-21" we have past tenses constantly as is natural for the reflection of John, but unnatural for Jesus speaking. There are phrases like the Prologue (verse "#19; 1:9-11"). "Only begotten" does not occur elsewhere in the words of Jesus, but is in "#1:14,18; 1Jo 4:9". John often puts in explanatory comments ("#Jo 1:16-18; 12:37-41").