notes

Main point summary

The Lord explains the gospel to Nicodemus. One has to be born again to see and enter the kingdom of God. The Spirit does the new birth which happens apart from human efforts. The new birth is received through the truth of the Son of God.

Arc

editing

NT

John 3:1-17

nkjv

mine

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus ,

Nicodemus was a man of the Pharisees,

a ruler of the Jews.

a ruler of the Jews.

ideaexplanation

This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him,

This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him,

“Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God;

"Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher like us come from God;

for no one can do these signs that You do

because no one can do these signs that You do

unless God is with him.”

unless God is with him."

conditional

ground

Jesus answered and said to him,

Jesus surprisingly countered Nicodemus honorable words by saying,

“Most assuredly, I say to you,

"I tell you the very truth:

unless one is born again,

Unless one is born again,

he cannot see the kingdom of God .”

he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus, I'm not only a teacher who does signs but the One who creates new people for the kingdom of God."

situationresponse

Nicodemus said to Him,

Nicodemus asked Jesus,

“How can a man be born when he is old?

"How can a man be born when he is old?

Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”

Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"

series

Jesus answered,

Jesus answered,

“Most assuredly, I say to you,

"I tell you the very truth:

unless one is born of water and the Spirit,

unless one is led to repentance of sins and receives a new creation by the Spirit,

he cannot enter the kingdom of God .

he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Nicodemus, there is no rule or doing for being born again. It is received.

That which is born of the flesh

A baby is born by the mother without any effort of the baby itself

is flesh,

and has therefore a human body just as her mother,

inference

and that which is born of the Spirit

and someone who is born of the Spirit, also without any self-effort,

is spirit.

becomes therefore a spiritual being.

progression

Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

Don't be too taken up with how the new birth works because it is a miracle.

The wind blows where it wishes,

There is no formula for the new birth. It is like the wind that blows where it wishes,

and you hear the sound of it,

and you hear the sound of it,

but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes.

but you cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. You cannot control the Wind, you just know when you feel and hear it blowing.

concessive

So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

So is everyone who is born of the Spirit. That Person does not know how the new birth exactly came to happen, but the person knows that it happened.

comparison

questionanswer

Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?”

Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "I still don't see it. How can that be?"

Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?

Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?

Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen,

I tell you the very truth: We speak what We know and testify what We have seen,

and you do not receive Our witness.

and surprisingly you do not receive the witness of God Himself.

If I have told you earthly things

If I have told you earthly things like the behavior of wind

and you do not believe,

and you do not believe that,

how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things, like the working of the Spirit.

No one has ascended to heaven

My word is reliable because My and God's word are the same. I was with God in heaven

but He who came down from heaven,

and came down from heaven and will ascend to heaven again.

that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.

I'm the promised Son of Man send by the Father. And I am also already as good as back in heaven with the Father.

And as Moses lifted up the serpent

Receive the truth Nicodemus. Think about this passage you know well till you receive the truth: Remember how Moses lifted up the serpent

in the wilderness,

in the wilderness, so that all who believed the word of salvation and looked to the serpent, did not die but were saved?

locative

even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

Even so must the Son of Man be lifted up on a cross

that whoever believes in Him

so that whoever, including you Nicodemous, believes in Him

should not perish

will not perish eternally in the lake of fire

but have eternal life.

but have eternal life with God.

negativepositive

actionresult

actionpurpose

For God so loved the world

The reason for why the Son of Man will die on a cross is God's amazing love for the people of this world.

that He gave His only begotten Son,

God loved the people of this world as much as His perfect one and only beloved Son, whom He gave for us

that whoever believes in Him

so that whoever receives the Son of God

should not perish

will not perish in self-deception

but have everlasting life.

but receives everything with Him, which is everlasting life.

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world,

In other words, I am not hier to condemn the people of this world,

but that the world through Him might be saved.

but that the people of this world through Me might be saved.

What is water and the Spirit?

Nicodemus recognizes Jesus as teacher. As one of them. Jesus confronts Nicodemus misunderstanding. The beginning is the new birth. What he has done so far for God doesn't count.

Nicodemus basically asks, what can people do to save themselves?

Jesus answered that no work of man can be done, because to be born again is the work of the Spirit.

What did you do to be born? It was your mothers labor You were passive because you couldn't do anything

Jesus is more than a teacher. He is the messiah. The one who would save His people from their sin.

Nicodemus you need to enter the kingdom of God. You need to start from the beginning. You can't add to what you have already.

What are those things? That the Son of Man must be lifted up like the serpent in the wilderness. (It says "told" so it should be something He said earlier)

Who is "We"?

Hier is something to receive that is true...

discourse

Told as a Story

About 2000 years ago, in the land of Israel, there was an older respected wise teacher and ruler of the Jews, whose name was Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a man to whom the people looked up to and thought that he is one that God favored much. He was one of the strict law keepers, called the Pharisees. He kept his clothing very clean and in accordance to the requirements of Jewish law. He prayed quite often very loud and long on front of many people who admired his prayers. He fasted twice a week and people seemed to see his devotion to God on his face. Nicodemus was also wealthy and gave money to the poor so that people saw him as a generous man. Nicodemus seemed to have it all together. But than he met somebody that raised some interest in him and eventually change his motive for life completely. He was called Jesus from Nazareth a carpenter by trade. Nicodemus was astonished with what authority Jesus spoke. And even more he concluded that God had to be with Jesus because of the signs he did. Once, Jesus turned water into wine. So Nicodemus decided to talk to this carpenter to find out more and perhaps to suggest him perusing to became a Pharisee too. Jesus had a divided reputation among the people. Many of Nicodemus friends thought little of Jesus. So he went by night to Jesus to speak secretly with him. When it was dark, Nicodemus went outside to the place were Jesus stayed over night. At that place were trees and you could here the wind blowing through the trees. When Nicodemus reached Jesus he greeted Him and wanted to honor Him with a few good thoughts he had about Him. He said: "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." Jesus was not flattered by theses words. After a short silence he answered: "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." With that answer, Jesus was helping Nicodemus to understand who He is. Jesus was not only one of many teachers that happened to be able to do miracles, but rather, to see Jesus and His work properly, Nicodemus had to be born again. Nicodemus new what birth is but to be born again seemed to be strange. So he asked: "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" Now Jesus helped Nicodemus to see what the new birth is by saying: "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." Jesus explained that the new birth is one that is received and not of human effort. To be born of water is someone who is led to repentance and to be born of the Spirit is to receive spiritual life. Jesus continued: "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." With these words Jesus explained the difference of when a mother gives birth to a natural human baby, were as the Spirit gives birth to spirit nature. Nicodemus looked confused and Jesus continued: "Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' 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." With this Jesus wanted to take the confusion from Nicodemus by saying that he doesn't have to understand the new birth but should believe it. Jesus took the wind they were hearing as an example. They clearly notice the wind but didn't know where it came and went to. Nicodemus needed to accept that the new birth simply happens to somebody without anything he could add or figure out with his cleverness. But Nicodemus still refused to accept the fact and said: "How can these things be?" Jesus firmly said: "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?" Jesus said this to show Nicodemus unbelieve. Nicodemus refused to believe the fact Jesus stated about the wind, and so he will even more refuse the facts about the new birth. Jesus affirmed the truthfulness of His words by pointing that the words and He Himself are from heaven and said: "No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven." Jesus desired Nicodemus to experience the new birth and referred him to think about a passage he knew well. He said: "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." Nicodemus might have thought within himself that the people that trusted and obeyed the words of Moses to look to the serpent were healed and saved from death. But those who neglected and rejected Moses words did die. He further might have thought that if Jesus words are true like the words from Moses, then I must trust Him to receive eternal life, to be born again, to see and enter the Kingdom of God. Now Jesus continued to explain the reason and the cost for God's gift of eternal life and said: "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." Are you someone like Nicodemus? Are you quite content with yourself and think the gospel is not for you? Make no mistake. It is also for you because one day you will physically die and if eternal life is not yours, you will eternally perish. Accept the truth of God, believe Jesus and receive eternal life.