So Loved, John 3:1-21, 10 June 2012
Big Idea: God gave. Seekers can find.
John 3:1-21
But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person. (John 2:24-25)
Jesus knew what was in each person. He knows what is in you and me. He is God.
He also knew what was in the heart of a guy named Nicodemus.
Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. (John 3:1)
He was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, likely a member of the Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish court. He was an outstanding man. Today he would wear an Italian suit, drive a sports car, be a member at the country club, and command attention in every room he enters.
He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” (3:2)
Nick at night! He could not “see” spiritually. He came with a mask. “We” know. They recognized the miracles.
Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” (3:3)
Jesus interrupts him and starts talking about the kingdom of God. Born again or born from above.
“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” (3:4)
This is a great question! Jesus wasn’t talking about a physical birth, though.
Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. (3:5)
Water could refer to baptism or the womb but likely the sanctifying, cleaning power of the Word of God (Ezek. 36:25-27) through the Holy Spirit taking the Scripture and using it. The Spirit of God uses the Word of God through the man of God.
Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. (3:6)
Our old, sinful nature does not change. It will die with our body.
The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. (Romans 8:7)
The spiritual birth is necessary. We are given a new nature because our old nature is put to death (baptism).
You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 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.” (3:7-8)
We still know little about the wind. We can’t stop tornados. We can barely predict them! We can recognize when it is blowing, though, despite the fact that we can’t see the wind. “You” must be born again is plural. The same Greek word for wind means Spirit. We can’t see or control the Holy Spirit, but we can experience His power and presence and observe His movement.
“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. (3:9)
Nick is no longer a Pharisee or a ruler but a spiritual seeker. The masks are gone. He gets real with Jesus, and that’s what we must do, too. I believe the greatest reason that people in the west reject God is they refuse to humble themselves and admit that they need God. We can’t impress God. We can’t put on a show for Him. We can only come on our knees in respectful reverence, awe, wonder, and desperation.
“You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? (3:10)
Don’t miss Jesus’ sarcasm here!
Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. (3:11-13)
See Daniel 7:13-14
I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.” (John 16:28)
Jesus is the only One who can speak of heaven because He’s the only One who has been there. Prior to Jesus, the righteous dead went to Abraham’s bosom.
Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” (3:14-15)
The serpent represented the sin of the people. Christ was made sin for us on the cross. See Numbers 21:4-9. Jesus repeats that message in the most famous verse in the Bible:
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. (3:16)
The son of man must be lifted up. We must be born again. The love of God cannot save a sinner. It is by grace that we are saved. He loved so He gave. To believe in Christ means to trust Him for your sins. Believe is more than just mental agreement. Demons “believe” in Jesus, but they don’t trust Him for their sins and soul. They have not surrendered their lives to follow Him.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (3:17)
Jesus did not come to judge the first time. He came as the Savior. Next time He will come as the judge.
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (3:18)
The name of Jesus, the Savior of the world. The Pharisees believed that the Messiah would come as a Savior and judge. They were correct, but those two roles would occur during two different occasions.
This week I heard a great quote from Billy Graham:
God judges. The Holy Spirit convicts. We are to love.
This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. (3:19)
Nothing that grows in the dark would be welcome in your home!
Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. (3:20-21)
Credits: Some ideas taken from J. Vernon McGee.
You can listen to the podcast here.
John 3:1-21
But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person. (John 2:24-25)
Jesus knew what was in each person. He knows what is in you and me. He is God.
He also knew what was in the heart of a guy named Nicodemus.
Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. (John 3:1)
He was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, likely a member of the Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish court. He was an outstanding man. Today he would wear an Italian suit, drive a sports car, be a member at the country club, and command attention in every room he enters.
He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” (3:2)
Nick at night! He could not “see” spiritually. He came with a mask. “We” know. They recognized the miracles.
Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” (3:3)
Jesus interrupts him and starts talking about the kingdom of God. Born again or born from above.
“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” (3:4)
This is a great question! Jesus wasn’t talking about a physical birth, though.
Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. (3:5)
Water could refer to baptism or the womb but likely the sanctifying, cleaning power of the Word of God (Ezek. 36:25-27) through the Holy Spirit taking the Scripture and using it. The Spirit of God uses the Word of God through the man of God.
Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. (3:6)
Our old, sinful nature does not change. It will die with our body.
The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. (Romans 8:7)
The spiritual birth is necessary. We are given a new nature because our old nature is put to death (baptism).
You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 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.” (3:7-8)
We still know little about the wind. We can’t stop tornados. We can barely predict them! We can recognize when it is blowing, though, despite the fact that we can’t see the wind. “You” must be born again is plural. The same Greek word for wind means Spirit. We can’t see or control the Holy Spirit, but we can experience His power and presence and observe His movement.
“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. (3:9)
Nick is no longer a Pharisee or a ruler but a spiritual seeker. The masks are gone. He gets real with Jesus, and that’s what we must do, too. I believe the greatest reason that people in the west reject God is they refuse to humble themselves and admit that they need God. We can’t impress God. We can’t put on a show for Him. We can only come on our knees in respectful reverence, awe, wonder, and desperation.
“You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? (3:10)
Don’t miss Jesus’ sarcasm here!
Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. (3:11-13)
See Daniel 7:13-14
I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.” (John 16:28)
Jesus is the only One who can speak of heaven because He’s the only One who has been there. Prior to Jesus, the righteous dead went to Abraham’s bosom.
Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” (3:14-15)
The serpent represented the sin of the people. Christ was made sin for us on the cross. See Numbers 21:4-9. Jesus repeats that message in the most famous verse in the Bible:
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. (3:16)
The son of man must be lifted up. We must be born again. The love of God cannot save a sinner. It is by grace that we are saved. He loved so He gave. To believe in Christ means to trust Him for your sins. Believe is more than just mental agreement. Demons “believe” in Jesus, but they don’t trust Him for their sins and soul. They have not surrendered their lives to follow Him.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (3:17)
Jesus did not come to judge the first time. He came as the Savior. Next time He will come as the judge.
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (3:18)
The name of Jesus, the Savior of the world. The Pharisees believed that the Messiah would come as a Savior and judge. They were correct, but those two roles would occur during two different occasions.
This week I heard a great quote from Billy Graham:
God judges. The Holy Spirit convicts. We are to love.
This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. (3:19)
Nothing that grows in the dark would be welcome in your home!
Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. (3:20-21)
Credits: Some ideas taken from J. Vernon McGee.
You can listen to the podcast here.