Sermon Tone Analysis

Born from above = born again Nicodemus takes this literally

The Gospel according to John (1.

The New Birth (3:1–15))

Leon Morris “... in one sentence he sweeps away all that Nicodemus stood for, and demands that he be remade by the power of God”

John 1–11 The Story of Nicodemus (3:1–10))

Borchert states “Nicodemus’s final question to Jesus reveals that he was stuck in an intellectual and philosophical quagmire of the flesh (earthly realities) and that his earlier lack of comprehension seems here to have deteriorated into helpless doubt.

Jesus’ reply in 3:10 is an excellent example of Johannine patterns of reversal.

Nicodemus, as leader (archōn, 3:1) and teacher (didaskalos, 3:10) of the Jews, had come to Jesus as a seeking “knower.”

By the time Jesus asked his first question of Nicodemus (a man who was filled with questions), it became clear that Nicodemus was a confused “nonknower.”

The irony in the exchange is that Nicodemus, the earthly teacher, was shown to be a poor learner of the message of Jesus, the teacher sent from God (3:2).

Nicodemus was in fact one who did not know (ou ginōskeis) the core subject matter of his vocation as a Pharisee.

Jesus is the Son of Man.

The example of the golden serpent (Numbers 21:1-9)

Jesus will be lifted up - the cross

Nicodemus - Negative as ignorant and doubting but positive as still being revealed the gospel

Modern day Nicodemuses - Journalists?

Politicians?

Jesus is the light - two kinds of people those who love evil and those who come to the light