John 3

The New Birth

John 3:1–21 NASB95

1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; 2 this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 “Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 9 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things? 11 “Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony. 12 “If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 “No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man. 14 “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. 16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20 “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 “But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”

What is a Pharisee?

Holman New Testament Commentary: John John 3: Eternal Life

• Jewish sect that used oral law and tradition in their teaching

• Minority party in the Sanhedrin

• Theologically conservative by comparison with the Sadducees

• Major opponents of Jesus’ teaching

• Numbered about six thousand during the time of Jesus

• Middle-class businessmen, merchants, and tradesmen

Who was Nicodemus?

Holman New Testament Commentary: John John 3: Eternal Life

• A Pharisee and member of the seventy-elder Sanhedrin which ruled the Jewish people

• Defended Jesus in the Sanhedrin (John 7:50–52)

• Assisted Joseph of Arimathea with Jesus’ burial

• Name means “victor over the people”

• Never again mentioned in the New Testament after John 19

Verses 1-2

My assumption has always been that Nicodemus was scared of the other Pharisees or embarrassed to be seen with Jesus so he snuck to meeting under the cover of darkness but I very likely was wrong in this belief. Jesus was surrounded by people all throughout the day so a night meeting seems to be the most suitable. Nicodemus, a learned and wealthy man, showed humility in that he called Jesus, a carpenter, “Rabbi.” This puts Nicodemus in the role of a student and he also confirms that he believes Jesus has authority from God.

Verse 3

Jesus waste no time jumping right in to the heart of the matter; He almost immediately begins to discuss the Kingdom because the Jews associated the Messiah and the Kingdom. But what Jesus tells Nicodemus is that he will have to be “born again,” this is also translated “born from above.” That terminology literally describes a garment being torn from top to bottom (like the veil at the Holy of Holies at the time of the crucifixion). We must be changed by God from the inside to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Verse 4