Jesus and Nicodemus

The Approach (3:1-4)

Prior to this passage, we see that Jesus was in Jerusalem at the passover festivities. He would’ve been in the midst of many people, particularly religious folk.

Nicodemus witnessed the miracles and signs that Jesus performed in 2:23-25. This must have piqued his interest in Jesus and his teachings.

Nicodemus was a pharisee. What do we know about Pharisees?

Pharisees were the religious elite of those days.

They were easily some of the most educated individuals.

Throughout the gospels, they always approached Jesus with “trick” questions.

Nicodemus approached Jesus at night. Why?

Some pastors and scholars have taught that it was out of shame. Like he was hiding under the cover of night.

However, I believe that night time was the best opportunity for Nicodemus to get Jesus alone.

This is evidenced by Nicodemus’ respect for Jesus as a teacher.

Nicodemus calls him “Rabbi.” And even in my Greek interlinear Bible, the R is capitalized. So it was absolutely intended as a title of respect.

Then he goes on to call Jesus a “teacher come from God.” This clearly demonstrates the respect that not only Nicodemus had for Jesus, but Pharisees at-large. Verse 2 states, “we know...” which indicates his representation of a group, likely the pharisees.

The Answer (3:3, 5-15)

In V. 3 Jesus answers the unasked question. “How can we see the kingdom of God?”

Being born again is an interesting concept that Nicodemus could not grasp at the time. Like most people we encounter today, the idea of being born again is a foreign concept that seems like an impossible physical task.

However, Jesus clarifies that one must be born of water (physical) and the Spirit (salvation) in order to see the kingdom of God.

Jesus’ Illustrations

Birth

Everyone is familiar with what birth is. Every person that has ever lived was born (except Adam and Eve?). Regardless, it is a universally understood concept and topic. Jesus started with this as a baseline that anyone can relate to. A new birth indicates a fresh start, a new life.

The Wind

Jesus uses the Greek word “pneuma” which is wind/breath/spirit. Nicodemus should have associated the verbiage very easily to Ezekiel 37 when he prophesied to the wind and the Spirit/wind swept through the valley of dry bones to bring new life. In the same manner, without Jesus we are like those dry bones, lifeless, useless. Once the Pneuma comes to us, we are made new and made alive! This is what Jesus was telling Nicodemus!

The Serpant on the Pole

In Numbers 21, the Israelites are complaining about Moses leading them into the wilderness, so the Lord sent a bunch of fiery venomous snakes to bite the complainers. When the Israelites realized they messed up, they confessed their sins to Moses and asked for the Lord to remove the snakes. The Lord commanded Moses to make a fiery/bronze serpant on a pole. Anyone who was bitten could look upon the bronze serpant and they would live. The people of Israel had to repent of their sins and look in faith at the bronze serpant.

Jesus compares this occurance with what will take place to him. The Son of Man must be lifted up and believed in!

On January 6, 1850, a snowstorm almost crippled the city of Colchester, England, and a teenage boy was unable to get to the church he usually attended. So he made his way to a nearby Primitive Methodist chapel, where an ill-prepared layman was substituting for the absent preacher. His text was Isaiah 45:22-"Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth.' For many months this young teenager had been miserable and under deep conviction, but though he had been reared in church (both his father and grandfather were preachers), he did not have the assurance of salvation. The unprepared substitute minister did not have much to say, so he kept repeating the text. "A man need not go to college to learn to look," he shouted. "Anyone can look--a child can look!" About that time, he saw the visitor sitting to one side, and he pointed at him and said, "Young man, you look very miserable. Young man, look to Jesus Christ!" The young man did look by faith, and that was how the great preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon was converted

The Application (3:16-21)

Next comes the application of the answer. It’s easy to read into the illustrations and get confused and not take action. But Jesus takes it a step further.

The most quoted verse that is not taken out of context: John 3:16 ““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” This verse encapsulates what it means to become a Christian.

All we have to do is BELIEVE. But what does it mean for us to simply “believe”?

The Greek word for believe doesn’t translate directly into English. The Greek word literally would translate to “faithing” in English. Therefore, belief is the action verb of faith. So what does faith in action look like?

JD Greear wrote that REPENTANCE is faith in action. Several passages in scripture include “Repent and believe” as the method of salvation.

Repentance means to turn away from the sins in your life. Turn away from them and turn to God.

Now, when we repent and believe in Jesus, many think that makes life a smooth ride, and no more sin comes. That is completely false! What salvation does is change your position in the circumstances.

IF IT is raining outside, you may want it to stop, but you can't control the rain. However, you can open an umbrella. An umbrella does not change the circum-stances, but it changes you in the middle of the circumstances. The wetness is no longer controlling you. God's grace opens up an umbrella during the rainy seasons of life so that we may overcome and have the victory even when everything around us is wet.