Written ~ 04-08-2024
Read John Chapter Three
John 3
Verses 3:1-7…
1 There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. 2 After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent You to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with You.”
3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
4 “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”
5 Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. 7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’
Nicodemus was a Pharisee, from what we have learned in the previous three Gospels is that Pharisees would never claim that Jesus was the Son of God, nor would they truly believe that the miraculous signs and wonders Jesus did were from God. But here we have Nicodemus, a Pharisee… is he questioning everything he thought to be true of this man named Jesus? As his curiosity grew, verse 3:2 says, “After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus…” I would imagine he chose the cover of night to meet with Jesus so none of his fellow religious leaders would see him go off to meet the man they grew to hate with a passion.
Let’s look back at John 2:23-25…
23 Because of the miraculous signs Jesus did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many began to trust in Him. 24 But Jesus didn’t trust them, because He knew all about people. 25 No one needed to tell Him about human nature, for He knew what was in each person’s heart.
So is this why Jesus agreed to meet with Nicodemus? Even though He could not trust the hearts of men, did he see something different in the heart of Nicodemus?
John is the only Gospel writer to share the story about Nicodemus meeting with Jesus and aren’t you glad we get to be a “fly on the wall” to hear this conversation? What Jesus shares with Nicodemus in verses 3:1-21 is the entire reason why Jesus came to earth, to share the Gospel Message, to die on a cross and rise again to save the world from sin and death.
Why don’t we dive in a little deeper into this awesome conversation…
Verse 3:2b…
2b “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent You to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with You.”
It may be true that the Pharisees thought Jesus was sent by God, but they certainly did not believe He was the Son of God. So they were missing out on the purpose of Jesus coming to earth. Look at the reply Jesus gave to Nicodemus…
Verse 3:3…
3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
Think about what Jesus just said, “…unless you are born again…” We can believe, like the Pharisees, that Jesus was a good teacher and even that He was sent by God, but unless we are “born again” we will not see the Kingdom of God. Obviously this statement astounded Nicodemus. But isn’t his question valid? Many people today have the same question. Why is it so important that it isn’t enough to just believe that Jesus is the Son of God, but that we also have to accept Him as Lord and Savior and become born again?
Verse 3:4…
4 “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”
The whole idea to be “born again” seemed preposterous to Nicodemus, that’s because he was thinking only of a physical birth, not a spiritual one. The notion that someone should go back into their mother’s womb would have been too much for this man to comprehend. But luckily Jesus sets him straight, look at His response…
Verse 3:5-7…
5 Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. 7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’
Then Jesus continues in verse 3:8…
8 “The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”
Jesus knows the complexity of the human brain and how we have a tendency to overthink things and rationalize things with logic or fact. So, Jesus gave an example from nature to explain the Holy Spirit. We may not see Him, but we do see the affect of His moving, we hear His voice through the conviction of our hearts. Our thoughts are tuned into a specific frequency to hear that still small voice. Like the wind, the Holy Spirit can be gentle and subtly prompt us to turn our hearts to the Lord. Or He can be fierce when danger is headed our way and He’s trying to get our immediate attention. But when the Spirit of the Living Lord is present and a soul is reborn, transformation takes place.
Let’s continue with the conversation between Nicodemus and Jesus…
Verses 3:9-15…
9 “How are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked.
10 Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things? 11 I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony. 12 But if you don’t believe Me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake (Numbers 21:4-9) on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life.”
When Nicodemus questions Jesus about how these things are possible, it is important that we understand what Jesus is saying in His response. Many who choose not to believe in Jesus even if they have heard the Gospel Message are just like the Jewish leaders of that day. Some can hear the message, some can even see the evidence of changed lives, and hear testimonies from others whose lives have been transformed! But still there is unbelief. Jesus said in verse 3:12, “But if you don’t believe Me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things.” The Pharisees were caught up with earthly law and tradition, they had not given a serious thought about the supernatural change that happens in a person’s life when they encounter Jesus.
“…You must be born again…”
The next part of John chapter three I find quite interesting, I wonder if any of you, like me, missed the fact that the next few verses could very well have been included during the conversation Jesus had with Nicodemus! John 3:16 is one of the most well known verses in the Bible and it may have been spoken in private, under the cover of night with a man who was struggling with his belief in who Jesus was. John 3:16, though fantastic all on its own, I choose to think that it came from one thought, one conversation starting in verse 3:1(Some commentators are divided, some say verses 3:16-21 switch to John speaking).
Here is how I am choosing to read it… as part of the same conversation when Jesus told Nicodemus he needed to be born again…
John 3:16-21…
16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent His Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him.
18 “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in Him. But anyone who does not believe in Him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. 19 And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s Light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the Light, for their actions were evil. 20 All who do evil hate the Light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. 21 But those who do what is right come to the Light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.”
In a nutshell, whether you think this is Jesus speaking to Nicodemus or it is a narrative given to us by John, these verses are at the very heart of Salvation. Each person walking on this earth has a choice to believe and accept or to reject and deny – choose Light or choose darkness…
God’s Son, Jesus, came into this world to rescue it from the sin that has enveloped it. His desire was to bring a Light into the world so those who are lost could find their way to Salvation and life eternal.
Where do you see yourself in these verses?
Have you chosen the Light? Have you been born again?
~OR~
Are you stagnant in a sea of doubt and unbelief? Do you question the Light that exposes your darkness? Do you wrestle with anger towards God? Are you consumed with confusion over who Jesus says He is?
Jesus says, “Come. All you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. Let Me set the worries of this world on my shoulders. Find peace and comfort in Me. I am the Light of the world, follow Me and you won’t have to walk in darkness any longer. Call upon My Name and you will be saved.”
~AMEN~
- If you have come to the point in your life where living in darkness is not where you want to be, choose the Light by accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior, right here, right now… say this simple prayer…
Dear Jesus, You know my heart, all the things I have done and said. Please forgive me for my unbelief. Please forgive me for all of my sins. I believe You are the Son of God. I believe You came to earth to die on the cross for my sins. I believe You rose from the dead to give me freedom from sin and death. By faith through believing in Who You Are, I accept You as my Lord and Savior. Come into my life, cleanse this heart of mine, white as snow. Help me not to doubt any longer and breathe life into me, fill me with Your light. Thank You Jesus! Amen.
- If you solemnly prayed this prayer, tell at least one person, so they can share in your joy!! I rejoice with you! All the angels in Heaven rejoice with you!
- It is very important to me that those who might be reading these journal pages of mine and don’t yet know the Lord Jesus Christ, that you make that decision. Today. Your heart and mind may not understand everything you have been reading, but if you open your heart to the truth of who Jesus is, you will be saved from sin and death. By the Power of the Holy Spirit you will be amazed at how quickly after giving your heart to the Lord your eyes and ears will be opened to the truth.