John 3:1-21 | Head and Heart
Notes
Transcript
We are continuing today in our series in the book of John.
Today we are moving into John chapter 3, which will be somewhat of a shift in the structure of the book.
In John chapter one, we are looking primarily at doctrine and theology. In chapter two, what we looked at last week was primarily a record of events.
Today in John chapter 3, we come to what is really a combination of the two.
We are introduced to a man in John Chapter 3 named Nicodemus who was a Pharisee. Having just looked at Jesus's response to Pharisees in John Chapter 2, we have a greater understanding of who he was.
We must understand that the Pharisees were the religious elite Jews.
They practiced the law and had added to the law to gain control over people.
So Nicodemus is in a unique spot because he has potentially personally witnessed Jesus cleanse the temple and make the claims that he did.
Yet he is conflicted over the truth behind what Jesus has said.
Let's jump right into this. We'll see the conflict that Nicodemus has. I think it will resonate because all of us have been where Nicodemus was at some point in our lives. And if we're not right now, at some point we will get to this place again.
There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”
So we see that Nicodemus comes somewhat secretly to meet with Jesus. He comes under the cover of night.
And notice the way that he approaches Jesus and addresses him.
First, he addresses him as "Rabbi."
The word "rabbi" simply means "teacher," but in Jewish culture, it would have held a more significant importance.
Jesus even addresses this prideful use of the term in Matthew 23.
I want to take a few minutes and work through Matthew 23.
I know we are working through the book of John, but Matthew 23 gives us a lot of insight that I think is important in understanding the conversation between Nicodemus and who he was and Jesus' message.
Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’ But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren.
So you see very clearly here exactly what the Pharisees were doing.
They were adding to the law for control, so that they could gain prideful control over individuals.
Notice what else Jesus says is that they were not even keeping the rules that they were making.
So, Jesus is pointing out the moral characteristics of the Pharisees here: that they are not attempting to reach some higher moral level themselves, but rather they are creating rules for control and to fulfill pride. That they are hypocritically not even obeying themselves.
Now I want to stop here for a second because Jesus speaks a lot about the Pharisees.
Throughout the Gospels, we consistently see public addresses, comparisons, and condemnation against the Pharisees. It may seem to us like a secondary issue.
Why would much of the New Testament be concerned about just one group of people that really only applies to the Jews and are not even an issue to us today?
Well, this is where there's a great misunderstanding. Jesus was not publicly condemning just a group of people; he was publicly condemning the mindset and the sin that they were taking part of.
And this sin and this act is no less prevalent today than it was then.
See throughout Scripture we have a heavy emphasis on the responsibility of the one who knows.
There is a very serious responsibility for those who know the Word of God to share it and to express it in a way that is correct.
Yes, there is condemnation and contemplation given toward the sinner. However, we see the greatest amount of seriousness given and commands are often towards those who are already believers.
We see the emphasis of this idea focused on the Pharisees in the Gospels. And then this emphasis would shift again heavily to false teachers after Christ.
So again, why is this such an issue of individuals adding to the law for self-gain?
This seems again like a minor issue to address, so much of Scripture too.
Well, I would argue that exactly what the Pharisees were doing then is just as prevalent today, if not more. It's just expressed in a different way.
See today we just call it by a specific word called "legalism."
The idea is that because there is an ignorance to the word of God, just as the Pharisees felt there was an ignorance to interpreting the Scriptures, that man and institutions will determine what the interpretation should be.
And we see this across all facets of Christianity today.
We see it in the Catholic Church, amplifying tradition and practices over Scripture.
We see it in Mormonism and Jehovah's Witnesses of Teaching what is not found in Scripture, and instead that the truth is only given to a few.
We see it in the ultra-conservatism And taking what is meant to be fluid and applicable to all people across all cultures, instead subjugating moral ideas into specific processes.
Where the Pharisees added to the dietary laws, the Catholic Church added sacraments.
Where the Pharisees added rituals, the ultra-conservative church added moral dress codes.
Where the Pharisees Twisted the prophecies to exclude Christ. The Mormon church twists the gospels to reframe Christ.
So you can see that Jesus was so emphatic at rejecting the false teaching of the Pharisees, not because there was an issue with the Pharisees specifically, but because of what they were doing. And what they were doing is still being done today. I believe it is just as prevalent today as it was then.
So keep this in mind when we look at Nicodemus moving through this conversation.
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Nicodemus addresses Jesus as Rabbi and a good teacher.
There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”
Now, this is particularly interesting because Jesus was very critical of the Pharisees.
Keep in mind that this occurred somewhat shortly after Jesus had cleansed the temple.
Jesus had publicly addressed the Pharisees at the temple, calling them out on their sin, condemning them.
And now, some time later, a ruler of the Jews, Nicodemus, comes to Jesus, calls him "Rabbi," which is a Jewish term of respect. And says that he is a teacher come from God.
So Nicodemus is giving him some sense of respect here. And again, it seems obvious that he's doing this secretively, because what he believes is an opposition against the Pharisees.
Notice the evidence by which he does this.
He said, "He calls him Rabbi and a teacher come from God, why? Because no one can do these things that you do unless God is with them."
So, the evidence by which he is recognizing who Jesus is, who he says he is, are the miracles.
We see at the end of John 2 that Jesus had begun his public ministry after the cleansing of the temple and is actively doing miracles.
So I want you to see this, that this very logical approach, which we talked about a few weeks ago, of how these individuals are coming to Jesus is not blind faith.
Nicodemus, being one who is in the depths of rejection against Christ, is not called to just blindly believe in who Jesus is.
Jesus says who he is, then he does the miracles to prove that he has a supernatural power.
Nicodemus sees the power.
Nicodemus begins to believe.
This is such a natural process for mankind, and exactly how it should be.
There should be no criticism for Nicodemus coming to Jesus in this way.
Jesus had just begun his ministry. Very little public proclamation or teaching had been done yet.
Even in the midst of that, Nicodemus sees these miracles and logically puts together the fact that this man says he is the son of God and he does miracles. There has to be some validity to what he's saying.
But here's the key: Nicodemus clearly has not yet taken a step of personal faith.
This is really the whole point of the message today. Nicodemus is observing the evidence. He is believing in a logical response of that evidence. But he hasn't let that evidence take him to the end goal yet.
And this is where Jesus comes in.
See, the way Jesus responds is by immediately taking what Nicodemus has in his head and reflecting that to what's in his heart.
Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Now, this is the first time we've seen this language used of being "born again."
I think Jesus asked him this because Nicodemus is responding logically. So Jesus responds with more logic, forcing him to discover this more deeply.
By Jesus Phrasing salvation in the terms of something illogical. He's directly challenging this logical nature that he can see within the community.
So Nicodemus responds exactly as you would think.
Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
Nicodemus thanks in his logical ways. This makes no sense what Jesus is saying, so I need proof. What's Jesus doing here? He is bringing this conversation to a point of letting Nicodemus see the truth within his heart, taking what's in his mind and letting him bring that down to his heart.
Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’
Now, this is one of those verses that I've heard many different interpretations for, and I've shared many different interpretations before. However, I feel very confident now on what I think this is a reference to.
I'll first share what I don't think this is a reference to.
Number one: I don't believe Jesus is saying unless one is baptized and born in the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
I think it's very clear based on the context here that Jesus is not talking about a physical act, and that in fact I think he's actually referencing the very opposite.
This is often a verse used to try and teach the necessity of the physical act of baptism for salvation.
However, we see within context that clearly this is not what Jesus is saying.
I've also shared before that this is often looked at as water being a reference to physical worth.
That one must be born of honor in the sense of a physical birth and be born of a spiritual birth of the spirit.
This is a very common interpretation of this. However, again, I think looking at the context and reality, it just doesn't fit.
This clearly is a reference to entering the Kingdom of Heaven when it's needed to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. And being physically born would not align with the context of the point Jesus is making.
So I actually think Scriptura itself gives us the best indication of what's being referenced here.
You have to remember that Nicodemus would have had a very, very strong knowledge of the Old Testament and prophecy. He would have had much of the Old Testament memorized.
So I think Jesus says he often does with the Pharisees, the religious Jewish elite. He references the Old Testament to back the authority of what he's saying.
And so I think in reality Jesus is actually even further supporting his case by asking this question with a specific biblical Old Testament prophecy in mind, Knowing that Nicodemus would get the reference.
So what is that verse? Well, I think he's referencing Ezekiel 36:25-27
Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.
So we have this picture here of what appears to be exactly what Jesus is referencing.
This prophecy, given by God to Ezekiel, that God would cleanse them from their filthiness, from their idols, from their sins, of physical purification from their sin. But then he would put a new spirit within them.
There's this picture of a physical cleansing, changing from sin, but also this inner spiritual cleansing done by the Spirit.
This Initial process and continuous process can be defined as the word sanctification.
We are initially inwardly, positionally sanctified. Set apart. Saved by the blood of Christ. But then we are outwardly continually sanctified away from our sin.
Going back to our understanding of the Pharisees. What is Jesus trying to show him that both of these methods of sanctification are essential for true salvation?
Now, here's where this gets complicated.
Can I frame this seemingly minute issue into something that is actually very important in regards to salvation and the debates surrounding it today?
Nicodemus and the Pharisees would have had a mindset of the progressive sanctification resulting in Positional sanctification.
Basically, whether they would outright say this or not, they would hold to a mindset that the more you sanctify yourself, the closer you can get to the inward sanctification.
Basically, if you do enough with your mind, it can result in a change in your heart.
This goes back to exactly many of the issues that we see within the legalistic church today.
The Catholic Church would have this very same mindset.
A heavy reliance on the mind, the actions our body, her physical attributes, what we can do that then will result in a change of the heart.
I want you to notice how Jesus clarifies this, because he doesn't say that you only need one. He says you need both. But notice how he clarifies the process by which both of these become prevalent.
The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Jesus clarifies that the spirit side, the change of the spirit, the inward sanctification, can be compared to the wind.
He's actually referencing back to Ecclesiastes 11:5, another verse Nicodemus would have been well aware of.
But the focus is that no one can grab the wind. You know it's there, but you can't tell where it comes from, where it's going. You have no control over it. He says this is like the one who was born of the Spirit.
So, what is he immediately shutting down right after he has just explained that you must have that outward physical cleansing? You must have this inward cleansing. But there's nothing that we can do to contribute to that inward cleansing.
Now, some could take this too far to believe that this means we have no control on the initiation of the process.
That we are simply floating through life, and the spirit chooses who he will change and who he will not.
I don't believe that's what this is saying.
Example: Picture like this. I used to have an old Ford Ranger. In the inner lining on the inside of the truck got tore up somehow was literally hanging from the ceiling.
Now let's say I decide I want to restore this whole truck.
What can I do? Well, I could start at the outside and start washing the truck.
And I could remove all the scratches and refinish the paint, shine the truck, and make it look really nice on the outside.
Once you get on the inside, what do you find? The ceiling of the truck is falling down.
Now I don't have the ability to fix that. I don't have the tools, I don't have the fabric, I don't have any way to do that.
So if I keep scrubbing the outside of the truck as much as I physically can, will that ever fix the inside of the truck? No. Will Will cleaning the outside as much as possible do you think convinces someone more so to buy the truck when the inside ceiling lining is falling apart? Probably not.
So does that mean that if I want the inside of the truck to be fixed, I just need to wait for someone who does upholstery to hopefully come by and fix the inside of the truck? No, what do I do? I take it to someone to fix it.
I don't have the power to do it. I can't fix the inside of the truck. There's nothing I can do to the outside of the truck that will make a difference in that. So I must take it to someone who knows how to fix it.
And it is only by their will and their power to do so, that they will refinish the inside of that trunk.
And when it's re-finished now, it's actually worth something. Because I haven't just cleaned up the outside, now the structure of the truck has been made new.
Now let me also ask you this: would it make sense for me to spend all that time cleaning the outside of the truck as much as possible while the inside of the truck is falling apart?
No, what would make sense is that I fix the structure of the truck. The main problem, the real issue that's actually affecting the value. Then, when that's done, I work on the outside.
I think this is what Jesus is telling Nicodemus, that in Nicodemus' mindset, the Pharisees' mindset, they must work continuously to try to clean the outside of the truck so that at some point the inside will just turn out to be clean.
But what instead he had, as he called them in Matthew 23, were whitewashed tombs.
Can I just read this to you? It's a somewhat lengthy passage of scripture, but I think it's so important to understand this mindset here.
I want you to see what the Pharisees were doing, how this compares to what Jesus was saying to Nicodemus, and then see the result ending in exactly this picture of what we're looking at.
“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.’ Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold? And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.’ Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it. He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it. And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’
“Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?
Nicodemus was one of these Jesus was talking to.
And Jesus frames this picture of the other works, the mind. What comes from the outside is important. The change of the heart must come first.
You don't clean the tomb to try to bring life on the inside.
You don't polish the truck to try to stitch up the fabric.
By the power of the Spirit, you let Him change your heart from the inside, and then the works, the mind changes as a result.
My negative nearness is still confused.
Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?”
Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?
Now, this next passage of Scripture here, Jesus goes on to give one of the clearest expressions of the gospel and all of Scripture.
I could break it down, and I could explain as we go, but I really just want to read it. I want you to listen.
Because what we have here are the words of the Son of God, explaining how we are to be saved.
Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
This is the clear, present truth of the Gospel.
False teachers, false religion would have us believe that personal efforts of our mind and logic and works can eventually change the heart.
But the gospel is that God loved the world that he sent his Son to save mankind from their sins.
Because we are condemned in our sins, we desire darkness. Light has come into darkness.
The verse 21 says that he who does the truth comes to the light, as deeds may be clearly seen.
And you think, 'Well, this is exactly the opposite. We come to the light by our deeds, right?' Notice the last part. Notice how Jesus ends it.
Verse 21 says that they have been done in God.
We are unrighteous, unholy, sinful, wicked people.
We can't do no good apart from the Spirit.
When in God's grace, he sent his son to pay our payment for sin because of his love. If, as if that wasn't enough, then his spirit comes to dwell within us and enable us to take on that righteousness of Christ and then continually draw us closer to that, even though we still live in the midst of sin.
That's the gospel, and that's what he said to Nicodemus.
It was perfect.
He used the Old Testament, used proof of his miracles. He used Nicodemus' logic to compare to the truth and show him what was true.
So you say, 'Well, what happened in Nicodemus? It just ends there. We don't have any other result, and Nicodemus just left. Did he believe in Christ? What happened?'
Well, we'll actually see Nicodemus show up again later in John chapter seven, where he appears to somewhat defend Jesus. Not quite defending his deity, but seeming to be somewhat in a similar case
He's not openly supporting Christ, but he is defending at least his legality.
And other than that we would only see him mentioned one other time, at the end of John, after Jesus’s death, brining burial gifts.
So did he believe, most think so, however I am not so sure, and here is why.
Every time Nicodemus is mentioned, we see a reliance on the head instead of the heart.
In John 3 - he continually responds with logic and physically understanding
In John 7 - he responds with a defense of the law, not the spirit
and in John 19 - we see him, THAT WE KNOW OF”, not protesting the crucifixion, not standing for the truth of the gospel
But joining Joseph of Arimathea, IN SECRET, AS SCRIPTURE SAYS, HIDING FROM THE JEWS, doing what, once again, acting out of the mind.
Bringing gifts
Now could this be an incorrect assumption, sure, could Nicodemus have believed already, and these example just give na incomplete picture that could lead to this assumption, sure
But I feel like its intentional that this consistent battle, the same recurring theme keeps coming up in the life of Nicodemus.
He wants to live for Christ with his head, while Christ calls him, and you today, to give him your heart, and let the head, the works, the physical change, come as a result.
