John 03

Conversation with Nicodemus

3:1 Now a certain man, a Pharisee named Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish ruling council,

Nicodemus was a Pharisee, meaning that he believed not only in all of the books of the Old Testament, but in the Oral Law as well. Pharisees believed in the inspiration of Scriptures, miracles, resurrection, and the Messianic Kingdom. However, they added to the revelation of the written Word of God, which Jesus condemned. They taught that all Jews were saved, but all Gentiles were not saved. They taught that Abraham sat at the gates of Gehenna so that he could grab any Jews who might be headed to Hell. A Gentile could only be saved by becoming a Jewish proselyte.

3:2 came to Jesus at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs that you do unless God is with him.”

Nicodemus called Jesus "rabbi,"   meaning that he recognized Jesus as a great teacher. However, there are many liberals today who call Jesus a great teacher but not the Son of God. The miracles of Jesus had convinced Nicodemus that God was with Jesus. Therefore, Nicodemus saw Jesus at least as a prophet similar to Elijah.

3:3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 

The Greek for "born from above" is γεννηθῇ ἄνωθεν (vennaythay avothen), an aorist passive subjunctive verb. Most English Bibles translate it as "born again," but the better translation is "born from above." The verb is aorist, meaning that the birth is a onetime completed action of the past. This means that since the birth is complete, it cannot be lost. The verb is passive, meaning that the recipient receives the action. The mood is subjunctive, meaning that it is a strong possibility. This passage should be translated as "unless a person is possibly born from above as a onetime completed action of the past by another entity, then he cannot see the kingdom of God.

3:4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother’s womb and be born a second time, can he?”

Nicodemus did not completely understand this passage as of yet. In Jewish culture, there were six ways that a Jewish person could be "born from above."

First, a Gentile proselyte would be considered born from above at his ritual baptism. Nicodemus was born a Jew and did not qualify for this type of new birth.

Second, a king would be considered born from above at his coronation. Since Nicodemus was not from the royal house of David, then he did not qualify for this type of new birth. However, Nicodemus will qualify for the other four types of the Judaism new birth. 

Third, a thirteen year old boy would be considered born from above when he completed a ceremonial ritual similar to that of his Bar Mitzvah. Nicodemus had experienced this ceremony when he was a teenager.

Fourth, a Jewish man would be considered born from above by marriage. Since Nicodemus was a member of the Sanhedrin, then one of the requirements was marriage. Jewish men were usually married between 16-20 years old.

Fifth, when a rabbi was ordained at 30 years old, this was considered another new birth from above. Nicodemus experienced this rebirth as well.

Sixth, when a rabbi became the head of a rabbinic school where he trained and ordained other future rabbi, then he was considered to be born from above. Verse 10 confirmed that Nicodemus was the head of a rabbi school.

The question that Nicodemus asked Jesus was, "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus had already experienced the four new births of Judaism. There were no more new births for him to experience at his age. 

3:5 Jesus answered, “I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born of water and spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

A person who is "born of water" is one who is born of a natural childbirth. Every human being in the world has been born of water.

A person who is born of the spirit is one who is born with a dead spirit of Ephesians 1:10, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to the dead spirit and makes it alive. Once the spirit is made alive, then one can believe on Jesus and be saved.

Jesus point blank told Nicodemus that none of those other six new births would save him. The only way that he could enter the kingdom of God was to be born naturally and to be born from above spiritually. 

3:6 What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Judaism falsely taught that Jews born of the flesh would instantly go to heaven. Jesus dispelled this teaching. Only those who were born of water and spirit would enter heaven. Water birth was the natural birth of every human being. Spiritual birth is that of the elect who are chosen by God before the foundations of the world were created.

3:7 Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must all be born from above.’

According to Jesus, every single person must be "born from above," or they are not saved. Notice that the child had nothing to do with natural or spiritual birth. He cannot be unborn or unsaved. He simply received the natural and the spiritual birth and he cannot stop either birth process.  The baby cannot say "Leave me alone. I do not want to be born." This is true in both the natural and spiritual realm.

3:8 The wind blows wherever it will, and you hear the sound it makes, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Man cannot control when or where the wind blows. The wind is always acting upon God's sovereign plan. Neither can those who are born of the Spirit control their destiny. When they are born from above, they are saved for eternity and there is nothing they can do to reverse this process. When a natural baby is born, there is nothing that he can do to reverse the birth process. He can never become unborn and become a new creature.

3:9 Nicodemus replied, “How can these things be?”

Those who work with Jewish evangelism know that the conversion of a Jew usually does not come immediately. The Holy Spirit usually gives them a slow birth that is not too painful for them to swallow.

3:10 Jesus answered, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you don’t understand these things?

The Greek for "the teacher of Israel" is ὁ διδάσκαλος τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ (ho didaskalos you israel), meeting the head of the rabbinic school of Israel. The Greek articles mean that Nicodemus was head of a rabbinic school who trained and ordained future rabbi. Notice that Jesus commented that Nicodemus did not understand these things. Unless God opens the eyes of a rabbi, the rabbi is just as spiritually blind as the most wicked pagan in the jungle. However, the Holy Spirit will work with Nicodemus and eventually remove the blindness.

3:11 I tell you the solemn truth, we speak about what we know and testify about what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony.

Jesus gave direct divine revelation to the Jewish rabbinic leadership, but because they were not born from above, they would not accept even divine revelation from the Messiah Himself.

3:12 If I have told you people about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?

The rabbi could not understand spiritual things unless they were born from above.

3:13 No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven – the Son of Man.

Jesus called Himself "the Son of Man," which was a messianic title from the Book of Daniel. Jesus also point blank told Nicodemus that He had ascended and descended directly from heaven. Only God could do this. Therefore, Jesus plainly told Nicodemus that He was the Messiah who had ascended and descended from heaven. However, Nicodemus could not understand the identity of Jesus until he was born from above.

3:14 Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

Jesus gave Nicodemus the first step of salvation. The Son of Man, or the Messiah, must be lifted up for all to see. This "lifting up" was not explained at this time, but Nicodemus will explain the figure of speech later after Jesus is crucified.

3:15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”

This is the second stage of salvation. The person must believe in Jesus to have eternal life. Therefore, being Jewish will not save anyone. Every Jew and Gentile must believe in the atonement of Christ. 

3:16 For this is the way 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.

This is one of the most popular verses in the Bible. It is seen on almost every Bible tract. John 3:16 signs are seen at almost every NFL football game. One word and three numbers will not save anyone. The signs should just state the verse.

This verse reveals the easy plan of salvation. First, God loved the world. Second, He gave His one and only Son as atonement for the world. Third, everyone who believes on the Son will gain eternal life. Fourth, those who do not believe will perish.

Notice that there was nothing in this plan about salvation through works.  Walking down an aisle, saying a sinner’s prayer, accepting Jesus into one's heart, confessing sin, repentance. turning from one's sins, and water baptism are all works salvation. Once the person believes, then he is instantly saved and sealed forever.

3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him.     

Jesus came to earth to save sinners from the Lake of Fire. 

3:18 The one who believes in him is not condemned. The one who does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.

The one who does not believe is already on his way to the Lake of Fire. He is already condemned. However, the one who believes is no longer condemned, because he has been given a new birth. The believer cannot be unborn. He is a son of God born into a royal family who will one day co-reign with Christ.

3:19 Now this is the basis for judging: that the light has come into the world and people loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil.

This is the second time that John had mentioned the conflict of light and darkness. People live in a dark world and they love it. They want to keep doing evil things in the dark, so that no one can see them. This is why unbelievers pay money to be entertained by dark, sexy, and violent movies, songs, and books. They will not wake up early and attend a church on Sunday that teaches expository from the Word of God, but they will stand in line and spend lots of money to attend an R-rated movie filled with sex, violence, and ungodly themes.

However, Jesus is the light. He came into the world like a flashlight. He individually shows everyone their evil deeds. However, the people love the darkness more than they do the light. They do not want the light exposing their dark deeds.

3:20 For everyone who does evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed.

Those who live in darkness not only love darkness, but they hate the light. The Greek word for "hate" is μισέω (miseow), a present active indicative verb, meaning to continually despise and choose one lifestyle over another. Those who do evil see the light, but they despise this lifestyle and choose a different, darker lifestyle.

3:21 But the one who practices the truth comes to the light, so that it may be plainly evident that his deeds have been done in God.

Those who are born from above come to the light and apply the truths that come with this lifestyle. Everyone can witness that the person who is born from above is living his life to please God.

According to extra-blbical rabbinic writings, every rabbi had a profession. He made his living with his profession so that he could teach the Bible without charge.  These rabbinic writings reveal that Nicodemus was a well-digger. He was known as the wealthiest man in Jerusalem. He was also known as one of the three most righteous men in Jerusalem. However, after he believed in Jesus, he lost everything. He died penniless. His daughter had to beg for bread. However, Nicodemus died spiritually rich and will receive even greater rewards in heaven.

Further Testimony About Jesus by John the Baptist

3:22 After this, Jesus and his disciples came into Judean territory, and there he spent time with them and was baptizing.

Jesus and His disciples left Jerusalem and began teaching and baptizing in the Judean territory. 

3:23 John was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming to him and being baptized.

John the Baptist was also baptizing in the same area. Notice that as the summer grew deeper, John moved from the wilderness to Aenon, because the water was more plentiful. If John was practicing sprinkle baptism, then he could have stayed in the wilderness. However, since he was practicing baptism by full immersion, then as summer grew hotter and the lakes began to rescind, he had to travel to Aeon where the rivers were deep enough so that he could fully immerse the new believers.

3:24 (For John had not yet been thrown into prison.)

John will later be thrown into prison for condemning the incestuous marriage of King Herod to Herodias. Herodias was the ex-wife of Herod's brother.

3:25 Now a dispute came about between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew concerning ceremonial washing.

There was a controversy about the water baptisms that John was performing.

3:26 So they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, the one who was with you on the other side of the Jordan River, about whom you testified – see, he is baptizing, and everyone is flocking to him!”

John's disciples made the comment that John was losing most of his converts to Jesus. 

3:27 John replied, “No one can receive anything unless it has been given to him from heaven.

John was not jealous of losing converts to Jesus. His explanation was the sovereignty of God. The only reason that anyone had anything was because it was all given to him from above. This includes physical things, such as the location of one's birth, their family, their spouse, their children, their property, their clothes, their job, their career, their food, their intellectual ability, their physical ability, their athletic ability, or anything else that can be listed.

This also includes any spiritual things, such as salvation itself, spiritual gifts, ministry, the ability to understand the Scriptures, etc. The only reason that John the Baptist served in the capacity of herald was because it was given to him from above. Nicodemus was taught that even salvation was given from above.

3:28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but rather, ‘I have been sent before him.’

John's disciples knew that John had testified that he was not the Messiah, but just a forerunner of the Messiah.

3:29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. This then is my joy, and it is complete.

Jesus is the bridegroom. The church is the bride. The friend of the bridegroom is John the Baptist. The wedding is about the bridegroom and bride, not the best man. John was overjoyed to announce the bridegroom of the wedding.

3:30 He must become more important while I become less important.”

John must decrease so that Jesus could increase. Most people, even Christians, desire the opposite. It takes a mature believer full of Bible doctrine from the entire counsel of the Word of God to apply this spiritual concept.

3:31 The one who comes from above is superior to all. The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. The one who comes from heaven is superior to all.

Jesus came from above, because He is God. He is superior to all. God has no equal.

The one who belongs to the earth is inferior. He has never been to heaven. He is not interested in heaven. He has no experience in heaven. He does have experience on earth. He loves the things of the world. He enjoys speaking about wordily things, because it is all that he knows.

Jesus has a different and better experience. He wants to share this experience of heaven with others. Those who are born from above desire the things from above as well, although they have not yet experienced them. They understand that the best way to experience heaven is to know the mind of Christ. The only way to know the mind of Christ is through the study of the entire counsel of the Word of God. It should be the spiritual goal of every believer to study and apply the Scriptures at the deepest level.

3:32 He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony.

Jesus taught others about His experiences in heaven, but no one would believe Him. They could not believe Him unless they were born from above.

3:33 The one who has accepted his testimony has confirmed clearly that God is truthful.

Those who were born from above did believe the testimony of Jesus. They knew that Jesus was not a liar, but He was telling the truth, Many accept Jesus as a great teacher, but only a human teacher. However, Jesus claimed that He was God and that all who believed in Him only would enter heaven. Those who will not believe in Him will burn in the Lake of Fire forever. If Jesus was only human, then He could not be a great teacher, because He was not telling the truth about His identity. One must believe that Jesus is a liar, or a demon, or that He is God Himself in the flesh. However, no one can say that He was just a great human teacher unless they are able to accept the testimony of His deity.

3:34 For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for he does not give the Spirit sparingly.

God sent Jesus to reveal the truth about God. All that the pagan world had seen was the lies of Satan. Demons were masquerading as pagan gods, using sex and power to seduce and keep their initiates. All that the Jews had seen were the false doctrines of Judaism. The Oral Law was nothing but rabbinic mythologies that seduced the Jews into error. The big error was that all Jews would be saved just because they were born as Jews. This meant that the Jew could live a life of sin and not have to worry about his salvation. This was basically the Greco-Roman Epicurean belief system of "eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow you die."

3:35 The Father loves the Son and has placed all things under his authority.

The Father not only gave the Son all authority, but He gave Him all believers as well. Jesus will explain this later in John 6.

3:36 The one who believes in the Son has eternal life. The one who rejects the Son will not see life, but God’s wrath remains on him.

Everyone who believes in the Son will have eternal life. All Christ-rejecters will burn in the Lake of Fire forever. The Greek word for "believes" is πιστεύω (pisteuow), a present passive participle, meaning to continually be persuading of the claims and character of Christ.