God Made a Way

Introduction

So it’s Father’s Day. I never really understood the difference in the way we celebrate Father’s Day and Mother’s Day.

At my house, when my boys were growing up, Mother’s Day was a day when I worked to get the boys to either (1) do nice things for their mom; or (2) to leave mom alone so she could have a relaxing day to do whatever she wanted to do.

But Father’s Day, that was a different story. On Father’s Day I was expected to spend time playing games and doing things with the boys!

No really, I always loved celebrating Mother’s Day and Father’s Day because no matter how we celebrated these special days, I was reminded of the blessing it was to be a parent!

That brings me to a question. It is a question that I often ask myself.

What kind of legacy do I want to leave for my family?

My short answer is that I want them to remember that I loved Jesus and sought to lead each of them to Him.

This morning we are going to continue our study in the book of John. Our passage today includes one of the most well known verse of the Bible.

Yet what I find is that very few people know the context of the passage.

Let me remind us where we are in John’s wonderful story.

Through an amazing sign/miracle, Jesus demonstrated that He was Lord over the natural world. He did this by changing water into wine!

Then, in our passage last week, John showed us that Jesus is Lord over our worship. That means Jesus defines how we should worship!

Today, John is going to introduce the idea that Jesus is Salvation—and throughout this book we are going to learn that Jesus is the only way to have a relationship with God the Father.

If you have your Bibles, I want to encourage you to turn with me to John 3 and we’ll begin reading with verse 1.

John 3:1 NIV

Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council.

Nicodemus and Jesus

In this section we are introduced to Nicodemus. Here is what we know about him:

His name means Conqueror, or Victor over.

He was a Pharisee.

And he was a member of the Sanhedrin (cf. 7:50-51).

As a Pharisee, he would had respect for the Jewish Scriptures, but would have been nationalistic politically.

He would have stressed the importance of carefully observing the laws of Israel, and the traditions of the elders. He would have believed that salvation came through a person’s obedience to the laws and traditions.

By contrast, the Sadducees were more politically accommodating. They denied the resurrection, and the existence of angels. But they had a high view of the authority of the Old Testament, and rejected much of the “traditions” that the Pharisees regarded as more authoritative than the Old Testament.

Finally, he was a prominent teacher in Israel (v. 10).

John 3:2 NIV

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.”

First thing we notice is that Nicodemus came to Jesus by night. If this fact wasn’t important, John probably would not have mentioned it.

—Throughout the book, John uses “night” and “darkness” to indicate spiritual darkness (cf. 9:4; 11:10; 13:30). Such was probably the case here.

—The fact that he came at night may have been to keep his visit from being interrupted (cf. 19:39).

—The most likely reason for coming at night was to keep the other Pharisees from knowing that he had gone to Jesus. In general, the Pharisees were hostile toward Jesus.

He refers to Jesus as “Rabbi” which was a term of respect.

He also states “we know” that Jesus was a “teacher who has come from God.” The use of the plural “we” suggests that he was not the only Pharisee that thought Jesus was a God-sent teacher.

He came to the teacher conclusion, because he says that no one could do the things that Jesus was doing unless God was with him (cf. 10:38; 14:10-11).

John 3:3 NIV

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

Jesus Response

In verse 2, Nicodemus says that he believes God is with Jesus because of the signs (or miracles) that Jesus is performing.

Jesus says a true follower must do more than believe the evidence that the miracles give.

The fact is no one can see the kingdom of God unless that person is born again (Gk. literally born from above cf. Jn. 1:13).

Nicodemus’ Confusion

John 3:4 NIV

“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!”

Nicodemus does not understand! How can someone old be born?

To further show his confusion, he ask, how can I go back inside my mother and be born a second time?

Jesus’ Answer

John 3:5 NIV

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.

No one can enter the kingdom unless they are born of water and the Spirit (v. 5). Two conditions must be present to come into God’s kingdom. But what did Jesus mean by water and Spirit? There are at least 5 possibilities:

The “water” refers to the natural birth while the “Spirit” revers to the spiritual birth (v. 5a).

The “water” refers to the Word of God (cf. Eph. 5:26).

The “water” refers to baptism as an essential part of regeneration. This view would contradict other Bible verses that emphasize salvation by faith alone (cf. Jn. 3:16, 36; Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5).

The “water” is a symbol of the Holy Spirit (Jn. 7:37-39).

The “water” refers to repentance (i.e. the ministry of John the Baptist), and the “Spirit” refers to the application of that repentance by the Holy Spirit to an individual.

The three views that I believe are the most plausible are (a), (b), and (e). For the longest time (a) “water” referring to childbirth, was my view of choice, and I still lean there, but view (e), “water” referring to repentance (i.e. the ministry of John the Baptist) also has a lot of theological merit within the context. What we must understand it that John the Baptist had stirred the nation of Israel with his message of repentance (Matt. 3:1-6), and Nicodemus might have connected the emphasis of “water” to John the Baptist’s message.

John 3:6 NIV

Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.

Flesh gives birth to flesh (this seems to argue for view (a) but the Spirit gives birth to the spirit (cf. 1 Co. 15:50) (v. 6).

1 Corinthians 15:50 NIV

I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

John 3:7–8 NIV

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.”

Nicodemus (and likewise us) should not be surprised that Jesus is saying “You must be born again” or “You must be born from above.” (v. 7).

Jesus is going to use make a play on words (v. 8). The Greek word pneuma can mean either wind or spirit. It is most often used to mean spirit. But here, Jesus is going to make the point that the Spirit (pneuma) works like the wind (pneuma). There appear to be at least 3 similarities:

Both operate independently. Meaning man cannot control either one.

We perceive the presence of both by the effect that we see.

We cannot explain their actions.

(Tom Constible’s Notes)

John 3:9 NIV

“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

Nicodemus’ Response

How can this be? Or, how are these things possible? In other words what Jesus was saying did not make sense to him at all! (v. 9).

Jesus’ Response

John 3:10–11 NIV

“You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 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.

Jesus wants to know how Nicodemus (a teacher of the Old Testament) doesn’t understand these things (v. 10).

For Jesus, any teacher of the Old Testament ought to have an understanding about the Spirit of God cf. Isa. 32:15; Ezek. 36:25-27; Joel 2:28-29) (v. 11a).

Likewise, Nicodemus should have understood that God can make ANY person’s heart brand new (cf. 1 Sam. 10:6; Jer. 31:33). But he is not understanding even the basic idea behind what Jesus is teaching him (v. 11b).

John 3:12 NIV

I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?

Jesus goes on to say that if Nicodemus doesn’t understand what Jesus is teaching about earthly things how will he understand and believe when Jesus speaks of Heavenly thing (v. 12)? The simple answer is that Nicodemus won’t.

John 3:13 NIV

No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.

After all, Jesus can’t prove what He is teaching (v. 13). Because no one has gone into heaven and see all these things. No one, that is except the Son of Man (a vailed reference to Jesus, Himself).

John 3:14–15 NIV

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.”

Now we have an example from the Old Testament (a story, that obviously, Nicodemus should know). Like the time that Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness (cf. Num. 28:8-9), so too the Son of Man must be lifted up (v. 14).

And just like people were saved by turning to that snake--so too those who believe in the Son of Man, they will have eternal life with Him (v. 15).

John 3:16 NIV

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.

The New Idea

God’s love for this world was so great, that He choose to send His Son into the world (v. 16a).

The purpose was to that whoever--any person--who would believe (Gk. pisteuo most commonly translated believe (trust in), believe (accept), trust in, entrust so it is more than believing facts about)--in Jesus would not perish (v. 16b).

In fact, the opposite would happen. Those who believe would actually have a life that would go on existing--eternal life. But it is more than that it is living life to the fullest (cf. Jn. 10:10).

John 3:17 NIV

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

KEY--God did not send Jesus into the world to condemn the world (v. 17a). In verse 18 we learn that humanity was already condemned!

No, Jesus came into the world in order to give humanity a way to move into a right relationship with God almighty! (v. 17b).

John 3:18 NIV

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.

It is in verse 18 that we are reminded that humanity, in their natural state is already condemned (v. 18a).

Thus, failing to believe (trust) in Jesus leaves the person in their condemnation (v. 18b).

KEY--Humanity was separated from God for sin (cf. Gen. 3). But God made a way for humanity to be placed back into a right relationship with God (cf. Rom. 5:8). This leads to an individual dilemma, do things by man’s way, or accept the gift that God extends to us and do things God’s way.

The Verdict of Jesus

John 3:19 NIV

This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.

God sent a light (Jesus, Himself) into the world (v. 19a).

The problem is people love darkness more than light (v. 19b).

All because their deeds are evil (v. 19c)!

John 3:20 NIV

Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.

People do not like their deeds to be exposed so they hate the light (v. 20).

John 3:21 NIV

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.

Conversely, whoever lives by “the” truth comes into the light (v. 21a).

After all they understand that whatever has been done has been done plainly in God’s sight (v. 21b).

So What?

The first question today is:

Are you walking in the light—in Jesus? Or do you love darkness? The answer to this question is truly key!

Are you loving what God loves? You see, God loves the world, and was so willing to do something about His love.