Christ Witnesses to Nicodemus

Christ Witnesses to Nicodemus

John 3:1-21

            There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him."

            3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."

            4 Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born again when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?

             5 Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and

The Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  7 Do not marvel that I said to you'

'You must be born again' 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the spirit."

            9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?"  

            10 Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?  11 Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what we have seen, and do not receive Our witness.  12 If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?  13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven that is the Son of Man who is in heaven.  14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the through him the world might be saved.  18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness instead rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deed should be exposed.  21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.

Commentary

            That Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews meant he was on the Jewish council or Sanhedrin.  The fact that he came at night to visit Jesus as verse 2 states tells us he probably did not want his peers. He ends up coming to believe in Jesus and actually risks his own life and reputation to give Jesus a decent burial (John 19:38-42).  In verse 3 Jesus tell Nicodemus you must be born again to enter heaven. The Greek word for again can mean "from above" or "anew."  Jesus is talking about the new birth or regeneration which is the act by which God imparts spiritual life to one who trusts in Jesus as the Holy Spirit enters them.

           

            In verse five Jesus talks of being born of water and the Spirit. Jesus was using Old Testament imagery with water referring to the work of God above.  In verse six where He mentions "flesh is flesh" is that flesh cannot be made spirit.  A person must experience spiritual regeneration. In verse eight Jesus uses the wind to illustrate the Holy Spirit.  As the wind blows where it wills so the Holy Spirit works sovereignly.  And no one knows the origin or destination of the wind but everyone knows its there.  The same is true of the Holy Spirit. 

            In verses ten, eleven, and twelve Jesus rebukes Nicodemus and all of the Pharisees for not knowing about spiritual regeneration or the new birth,  Jesus tells Nicodemus  in verse twelve that if He told him of earthly things such as the new birth, the wind or His miracles, how could Jesus tell him of heavenly thing like His resurrection, His ascension to heaven, or the coming of the Holy Spirit.  Although Nicodemus probably believed Jesus' miracles while most Pharisee did not.

            In verse fourteen He tells Nicodemus that the Son of Man must be lifted up much like Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness. (Numbers21:9)  In verse fifteen He tells Nicodemus whoever trusts in Him will receive eternal life. Verse sixteen shows God's love is not restricted to one nation or to a special elite but to the whole world. Jesus explains in verse seventeen that He came that so that the world might be saved through Him.  But in verse eighteen He separates those that believe in Him are not condemned, but those who do not believe are "condemned already"

            Jesus explains in verse twenty those who practice evil hate the light.  These people are reprobate who would rather live their lives without God. They do not do their deeds in the light "lest they be exposed."  "But he who does the truth" He explains in verse twenty-one is a true believer with genuine faith in Christ.