John 3:1-21

Introduction

The concept of eternity. It is something that is so so so hard to grasp. It is so vast our minds literally cannot handle it. The concept of everlasting life is not something that Jesus introduced, rather it was actually prophesied in Daniel 12:2 “2 “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.”

Do you know what is harder for me to understand? That everything and all we see means nothing. That we are somehow clumped together as cells and we make our way to this life and we love and laugh and cry and have some deep emotional connections to somehow die and thats it. As if we are just a part of some experiment. My everything tells me that is not how it works. I have talked with atheists and asked this question.......

But i know that I know that there is life everlasting in the father. Jesus knew and explained to Nicodemus in our text today how one can obtain this everlasting life.

There are 21 verses we will go through today, but before we get there, there are two OT stories I want to go over first. For times sake, I will not read them both, but I will give you a brief overview of them.

The first is a story in Ezekiel 37 and this story is referred to the valley of dry bones

The Spirit of God takes Ezekiel to a valley of dry bones. Hopeless, death, no potential

The Spirit of God asks EZEKiel if these bones can live? What a question of course not

Ezekiel say hear the word of the Lord and breath

Ezekeiel does as instructed and tendons and flesh and a rattle

Ezekiel says breath (ruach) and they rise to their feet

The second story is Numbers 21 and the story of a snake problem

God send fiery snakes and they bit Israelites and they died… WTC

They realized they had sinned… Great first step and the first step of obedience

Moses to take a conquered snake and place it on a staff and all those that look upon it will be saved

Alright, here are our two stories and these will both be referenced in our text today.

The passover festival was either happening or just ended and Jesus is still in Jerusalem. While he has done these signs here, there seems to be a pharisee who believes that Jesus is sent from God but has not necessarily accepted Him as messiah as we spoke about at the end of last weeks text.

The New International Version Chapter 3

3 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 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.”

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

So Nicodemus meets with Jesus at night. I think there are a few reasons

Jesus had people around him everywhere.

Nicodemus had to be cautious. Superiors and others what would they think if he was seen with Jesus. It seems that he comes representing others because he says WE KNOW.

Notice he points to the signs. But what signs was Nicodemus referring to? He was referring to actions that had been done or the prophecies that had been fulfilled.

LET ME STRESS SOMETHING HERE… Jesus did not come to perform a magic show. He did not come to wow you, that should be done by merely looking at creation around you. He did not come to perform miracles to satisfy you. That was not the point. He could have done that at any time in history and could do that now. BUT HE came then to fulfill the WILL OF THE FATHER AND THE PROPHECIES THAT HAD BEEN WRITTEN.

Whats crazy and Jesus will stress this in this story. Nicodemus of all people should know this. He knows Numbers 21 and He knows Isaiah and Jeremiah and Ezekiel. he knows the stories backwards and forwards. He knows them better than me and most theologians. Yet he and so many are blinded. Just as the Israelites were by their self righteousness and the Works mentality of the world and their idols.

So How is it that one can believe? How can you see what is from heaven if you have sinful eyes. Jesus tells us that in vs 3

This word anothen into born again or from above . It is the same greek word as from above and because of Johns other use of the word it is likely this should be translated as from above but I think also again.

I think Jesus is speaking to above and that fits the rest of what he says. But Nicodemus takes it as again because he doesnt get it.

A man and a woman can certainly creat life here on earth, but how can man create life from above. Who can take the clay of the earth and form it into man. Who can take a rib from the man and make a woman. Who can take a valley of dry bones and breath life into it? Only God.

Nicodemus is wandering this very thing? Even though he knows the stories of the OT he still asks.

The New International Version Chapter 3

4 “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!”

5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 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.” k

9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11 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. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. r 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, t 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” v

Must be born fro both water and spirit. You must be a new creation

The Gospel according to John 5. Jesus and Nicodemus (3:1–15)

. Barrett (p. 206) finely cites Calvin: ‘by the term born again He means not the amendment of a part but the renewal of the whole nature. Hence it follows that there is nothing in us that is not defective’ (Calvin, 1. 63).

Nicodemus is perplexed. People can spend there whole life in the church and know scripture and still be perplexed by Jesus if they dont know Him or their eyes are not opened by the spirit of God.

My kids and behind the ear quarter trick (maybe example)

Jesus basically then says YOU SHOULD KNOW THIS BECAUSE YOU HAVE READ MY WORDS!

Jesus uses the word we. 2 Plausible explanations. 1. we as a reply to nicodemus 2. We is Jesus and the prophets before that were also ignored.

YALL

The story of Numbers 21 and now it is used to explain what is to come

This is what we have of this conversation. There was much more I am sure of that, but this is what is recorded. I love the chosen like so many of you but indeed it is very unlikely the rest of what is said here is from the lips of Jesus but rest assured inspired from the Spirit of God it is from God but from the Lips of John.

The New International Version Chapter 3

16 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. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 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. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 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.

The only begotten one or the only born one

That whoever, greek jew make female

God did not send Jesus to condemn. The Jews thought that was their full time Job, THe calling of matthew analogy

1 timothy 2:4 “4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

2 Peter 3:9 NASB95

9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

We are not born righteous and lose righteousness but born under the curse and with no surrender stand condemned.

They ran from the light