December 1st, 2024
From The Series: John-
So That You May Believe
Part 12 Jesus Teaches
The Teacher
The Gospel of John John
3:1-15
Mountain View
Evangelical Missionary Church
Good morning. Today, as we
continue in our study of the Gospel of John, we come to a very familiar
account. This appears to have taken place during the same week that Jesus was
in Jerusalem for the Passover Festival.
We saw that after Jesus cleared
the Temple from the money changers and the sacrifice replacement sellers, He
remained in Jerusalem as an observant Jew. He did not go to the Temple just to
cause chaos and run away, leaving a mess in His wake.
We read how Jesus remained and
even performed some miracles (what John refers to as signs). So many signs that
people even began to believe in Jesus, whatever that would mean for them. That
statement does raise more questions for me. What did it mean that they
“believed in Jesus?”
The same questions are raised in
my mind today when someone says to me that they believe in Jesus. What exactly
do you believe about Jesus? Do you believe that He was a good teacher? A moral
man? A nice guy who helped people? Do you believe that Jesus was the Son of God
who took on human form to pay the sin debt owed by you?
So, it seems that people always
have questions about Jesus. This morning we will read about a very fortunate
individual who had a chance to pose his questions directly to Jesus. We will be
introduced to a man named Nicodemus. You may have heard that name before if you
have read your Bible at all, or if you have been in church for some time. Nicodemus
is only mentioned by name in John’s Gospel and he is mentioned on three
different accounts. Working from last to first, we see Nicodemus claiming the
body of Jesus after the crucifixion, Nicodemus was also present defending the
right of Jesus to a proper trial when a group of Pharisees challenged the
teaching that Jesus was doing in Jerusalem at about the mid-point of His
earthly ministry, and then here at their first meeting which we will look at
this morning.
Please join me in opening your
Bibles or turning on your devices to the third chapter of the Gospel of John.
We will begin with verse one.
If you did not bring your Bible
this morning, you should find one underneath one of the chairs in the row in
front of you. John chapter 3 will be found on page 862 of the pew bible. If you
do not have a bible at home, please take that bible with you as a gift from
Mountain View Church. We feel that it is vitally important that you have easy
access to God’s Word. And God’s Word says…
READ JOHN 3:1-15
“1Now 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.”
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.”
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. 14 Just
as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be
lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life
in him.”
Here, we are first introduced to
Nicodemus. John informs us that this was not an ordinary man, Nicodemus was a
member of the Jewish ruling council, a group known collectively as the
Sanhedrin. The origin for the Sanhedrin comes directly from Number 11:16-30
when God instructed Moses to choose 70 elders to assist him with making
decisions on how best to rule over the people of Isreal following God’s Law as
a guide.
The Sanhedrin which was located
in Jerusalem had authority over every Israelite no matter where they resided.
Serious disputes which could not be resolved at the local synagogue level could
be brought before the Sanhedrin for resolution.
According to one Jewish website,
the following were the requirements of the men to be chosen for the Sanhedrin:
“Every judge was required to have
the following seven attributes: wisdom, humility, awe of heaven, a loathing for
money (even his own), a love for truth, the love of the people at large, and a
good reputation.
In addition, to be appointed to
the greater or lesser sanhedrin, one had to have achieved
distinction in Torah knowledge and possess some knowledge of
intellectual disciplines such as medicine, mathematics, calendar, astronomy,
astrology and the teachings of idolatry, so that he would know how to judge cases
concerning those fields. He could not be too old or childless when appointed,
since someone with a family is more likely to be sympathetic and merciful.[1]”
We can deduce from the previous
description that Nicodemus was a learned man and he was also sincere in his
search for further knowledge and wisdom. Nicodemus was a truth-seeker and he
must have heard something in the limited teachings that Jesus had been doing
while He was performing the signs that the Gospel writer told us about in the preceding
verses.
There is much speculation about
why Nicodemus came to see Jesus at night, but Scripture is unclear about the
reason, so there is little to be gained from discussing it. Nicodemus may have
been fearful about reprisals from other members of the Sanhedrin for speaking
with Jesus, or perhaps they were both busy men, and the evening was the only
time they could spend uninterrupted and have a meaningful conversation. Evenings
were used for personal and family time for there were no televisions and radios
that seem to absorb so much of time today. People actually ate meals together
and talked or studied Scripture together when it was too dark outside to work
anymore.
So, Nicodemus comes at night and
he addresses Jesus with a title of respect by calling Him “Rabbi” or “teacher”.
Look at verse 2, “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.”
Right out of the gate, Nicodemus sets the tone
of the meeting by giving Jesus respect and using the title of “Rabbi”. But
Nicodemus goes further and acknowledges that Jesus has come with authority and
power by recognizing that Jesus would not have been able to perform the signs
if God was not with Him. Nicodemus recognizes that Jesus is doing the work that
He is doing with the blessings and empowerment of Yahweh. Nicodemus has seen
something in Jesus that causes Nicodemus to desire a deeper understanding of
what was happening and perhaps determine if Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah.
Nicodemus is demonstrating a willingness to
learn from a new authority. But notice that he does not do so from a naïve
perspective. He has come to Jesus to probe and understand what the message and
purpose of Jesus’ trip to Jerusalem was. Nicodemus is using his discernment to
determine if Jesus is the “real deal” or if He is just another imposter.
What is important to recognize is that
Nicodemus was willing to learn. To not rest on his own knowledge, but he was
willing to learn from another teacher, a teacher with recognizable authority.
So Nicodemus seeks after Jesus, but simply seeking after Jesus does not guarantee
salvation.
In Luke 18:18-27 we read the account
of the rich young ruler who comes to Jesus in one sense seeking salvation, he
asked the question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” But really the
young ruler was looking for validation from Jesus that what the ruler was
presently doing was adequate to enter heaven. Jesus being able to see into the
hearts of people, jumps right to the thing that is most dear to the man and
tells him to go home and sell all that he has and to give it to the poor and
you will have treasure in heaven. This leaves the man very sad and it appears
from the parable that the man fails to do this at that time because then it
begins a discussion about the rich entering into heaven.
Then Jesus reminds the disciples who
is responsible for salvation with this statement, “26 Those who heard this asked, “Who then can
be saved?”
27 Jesus replied, “What is
impossible with man is possible with God.”
With
Nicodemus, Jesus lays out the requirement for salvation. Look at verse 3, 3 Jesus replied, “Very truly
I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” For you see, seeking after God is
not enough to ensure that you are saved. You must undergo spiritual renewal, a
heart replacement, a rebirth, and a radical change in your life. This assertion
from Jesus challenges Nicodemus’ understanding. We can see the struggle from
the question he poses back to Jesus which is tied to a physical rebirth.
Look with me at verse 4, 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!” The question shows
that Nicodemus’ traditions and worldview were preventing him from thinking
about salvation from this new perspective. Remember that Nicodemus was a
Pharisee, a teacher of The Law of God. One whose worldview would have been tied
to works and the need to please Yahweh by observing all of the Laws and
traditions of Jewish life.
As a matter
of fact, the Pharisees were such experts in the Laws of God they added to the existing
613 laws that were to be found in the Torah. The Pharisees built up the Old
Testament prescriptions from Leviticus 11 to 15 into a complicated system of
rituals of absolution and atonement with God. This was one of the major areas
of conflict between the Pharisees and Jesus throughout the ministry of Christ.
The Gospels record numerous times when Jesus called out the Pharisees for the
extra burdens which they placed on God’s people and the hypocrisy in their
strict observance of the letter of the Law, all while missing the intent and
the purpose of the law.
What poor
Nicodemus doesn’t understand yet is that this spiritual moving can be
mysterious. We are not to rely on our ability to understand all of the
mysteries of God before we place our trust in Him. I remember when I was in
Bible college, there was a student who was younger than I was, actually, all of
the college students were younger, but this particular young man was getting
frustrated because the professors were not explaining to Him all the mysteries
of God. This young student felt that there should be a logical explanation for
all of God’s actions and that we should be able to fully understand the reasons
why God behaves the way He does sometimes.
I explained
that I was comfortable allowing God to remain somewhat mysterious to me. I
reasoned that if I was able to understand all of God’s actions and all of God’s
reasons for His actions, then that would make me just as intelligent and
powerful as God. I told the young student, that I desired to worship a God more
powerful and more wonderful than me. I wanted a God who was still
mysterious to me, yet at the same time, working diligently to understand
everything that God does reveal about Himself to us.
It was at
this point in the discussion that the professor quoted Deuteronomy 29:29, ”29 The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed
belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of
this law.” That was
when I realized that if I had a question about life, I should turn first
to the Bible to seek my answer.
We see Jesus
trying to do just this very thing to Nicodemus. Jesus is trying to explain to
him that no earthly status or knowledge is enough to gain entry into God’s
Kingdom. No amount of works or following of the Law will save you. Only a
rebirth brought by faith in Jesus Christ does. Jesus is setting the stage for
understanding the transformation work that occurs only through Jesus and the
Holy Spirit.
Nicodemus is
failing to understand because he can only envision a physical rebirth. Look at
verse 5, “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.” Now this
passage does present some interpretive challenges. It is natural for us from
our Christian perspective to think of baptism when Jesus gives this analogy of
“water and Spirit”.
But was that what Jesus was
referring to? If so, why didn’t Jesus just say “born of baptism and Spirit”?
Well, Jesus often spoke in parables so that only those “with eyes to see and
ears to hear” would understand. Only those with the indwelling of the Holy
Spirit would be able to grasp the true meaning of Jesus’ words. Now, I’m not
saying that it doesn’t refer to baptism, for it could, but what I am
saying is that it doesn’t only refer to baptism.
Water has many different
associations with it in the Bible. In Jeremiah 2:13 God refers to Himself as a
Spring of Living Water, “13 “My people
have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of Living water, and
have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” We
will see in the new year when we examine the encounter that Jesus has with the
woman at the well, that He refers to Himself as Living Water there as well.
One commentator presented a
different point of view in regard to this encounter with Nicodemus. James
Montgomery Boice in his book “Foundations of the Christian Faith” presents this
viewpoint.
“Water is also used in the Bible to
refer to the Word of God. Ephesians 5:26 says that Christ loved the church and
gave Himself up for her “Christ loved the church and
gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by
the washing with water through the word,”.
Boice continues, “In 1 John 5:8, the
same author who composed the fourth Gospel writes of “three
witnesses, the Spirit, the water, and the blood.” Since he then goes on
to speak of God’s written witness to the fact that salvation is in Christ, the
Spirit must refer to God’s witness within the individual, the blood to the
historical witness of Christ’s death and water to the Scriptures”. In other
words, water is also used to refer to the scriptures themselves. John 15:3 also
refers to washing through the Word of God, “3 You
are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.” Spoken by
Jesus but recorded for us in written form.
I agree with Boice that Jesus may
very well have been referring to the Word of God when He used water as a
metaphor here. Isn’t that what holds true for us today? We often are cleansed
through the reading of God’s Word. Cleansed and convicted by the Spirit when we
begin to fully understand what the Bible is speaking to us today.
Look at the next few verses in this
passage. Jesus comes back to Nicodemus’ illustration of returning to the womb
for this second birth, “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.’” Jesus
returns to what Nicodemus said, but Jesus then goes on to illustrate the
difference between what He is saying and what Nicodemus is saying. It is the
Spiritual rebirth that Nicodemus and by extension us today, should be seeking. We
should be desiring the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, not just to give
us rebirth, but also to guide us into an obedient life that Jesus desires for
all of His followers.
Just like your physical birth was
the beginning of your growth and maturity, so it is also with your spiritual
rebirth in Jesus Christ. New growth and lifelong maturing should be the
hallmark of a dedicated follower of Jesus.
In verse 8 Jesus comes back to the mystery
involved in Salvation, “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.” The
same Greek word is used here for both wind and Spirit which reinforces the
analogy that Jesus is using here. One important thing to keep in mind is that
the entire process of Salvation is not a mystery. The mechanics
and the selection process of who God and the Spirit choose to bestow His mercy
upon is the mystery.
Scripture is clear, Romans 10:9 states, "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and
believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
Notice it says, “Believe in your heart”
not understand in your mind! Belief and faith are heart issues, not brain
issues. The heart can believe while still maintaining space for the mystery of
God to be at work in the exact mechanics of how and why God achieves His work
in the manner in which He chooses to do it.
One of the
mysteries is where exactly does faith come from. Is it of our own doing? Is it
based on our knowledge and understanding of events? Exactly what level of
Biblical competency must we reach before we can graduate into a state of
salvation in Jesus?
Ephesians
2:8-9 tells us the answer: Faith is a gift from God. Are you beginning to see
how perfect this plan of Salvation is from God? The work is all completed by
God, all of God! The entire Trinity is involved in the process of your
salvation. The Trinity conceived the plan before the foundations of the
universe were laid. The Son would bear the penalty and pay the sacrifice, the
Father would accept the payment and be willing to be reconciled back to the
adopted children of His, and the Spirit would move upon those whom the Father
has given His mercy through the Gift of Grace and the empowerment of the Holy
Spirit. No one can tell where it comes from or where it is going, only those
born of the Spirit are aware of its presence in their lives and the lives of
others.
Let me ask
you this, Are you willing to allow the mystery of God’s Grace to work in your
life and submit your will to Jesus Christ and allow Him to be more than a
Saviour for you? Will you permit Jesus to be Lord over your life and submit to
his teachings in every area of your life? Will you give Jesus your obedience
through submission rather than just paying lip service by calling yourself a
Christian? The work of the Holy Spirit should be deeply impactful on your life.
It should result in a radical change in your heart.
Christ was
crucified for this change. On the surface, it may appear that Jesus was
crucified for defying the ruling religious elites of the day and disrupting the
carefully laid plans of these men to maintain the sacrificial system which God
had instituted with Moses and Aaron. A system which was “Improved upon” (in
scare quotes) by the system enacted by the Pharisees and the priests. A system in
which God intended to highlight the seriousness of sin against God committed by
mankind. A system which was a pointing forward to the work of Jesus in the
future.
Look at
verses 10-12, “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?” See how Nicodemus is still struggling to
understand what Jesus is trying to teach him. Jesus is challenging Nicodemus
with the statement “You are Israel’s teacher,” This
is a condemning statement by Jesus. This man was responsible for faithfully
teaching scripture to God’s people but He was failing to grasp what the
ultimate teacher was presenting to him.
Jesus is even trying to give
Nicodemus a hint as to the authenticity of His words by using terms like
“testify” and “testimony”. Hints that what Jesus is saying is true. Terms that
a judge would be familiar with. A language that a judge should recognize as
indicating the truth from the witness standing before him. Isn’t that just like
Jesus to use different techniques and approaches that reach us exactly where we
are? Nicodemus’ struggles are our struggles. Faith doesn’t always come easily
or quickly.
Faith is a gift from God, and this
is true, but faith also must be nourished and grown throughout our walk with
Jesus. We are not to have the same measure of faith that we started with when
we see Jesus face to face. We should be able to point back at our lives and
show our Saviour how our faith was tested yet grew when we faced trials and
tribulations in our lives.
As a Christian, hardship should be
expected. Don’t listen to those prosperity teachers who assure you that all
will be a bed of roses once you come to Jesus. The very words of Jesus tell us
the opposite will be true. But these trials are a way for us to grow in our
faith in the Lord.
Look with me at the final two verses
of this morning’s passage. “13 No one
has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. 14 Just
as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be
lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life
in him.” Jesus is using a familiar passage of the Old Testament with
Nicodemus and pointing out that this account with Moses, was a foreshadowing of
Jesus and His yet-to-be-completed work on the Cross.
These words must have rung true to
Nicodemus after he saw Jesus hanging on that Roman Cross three short years
later. This conversation here could very well have been the motivating factor
which caused Nicodemus to go to Pilate to claim the body of Jesus of Nazareth.
But why would Jesus refer to an
account from the Book of Numbers to this Pharisee? Well, Nicodemus would have
known that this account with Moses and the Israelites was also a lesson in
faith. If you remember, the Israelites were in the wilderness at this time
because they had refused to trust the LORD when He had brought them to the edge
of the Promised Land. They refused to trust God and instead trusted in the
reports of giants in the land and they feared entry. God sent them back into
the wilderness until that generation responsible for the unbelief died off.
Sometime later, the people had
forgotten that they were being punished for their sins of unbelief and they
tried to blame Moses for their troubles. God brought poisonous snakes into the
encampment to punish them and people began to die. They came to Moses and
confessed their sins and they asked Moses to pray to Yahweh for their rescue.
God then instructed Moses to forge a bronze snake and raise it on a pole in the
center of the encampment.
God was teaching
the people something about faith. It is totally illogical to think that looking
at a bronze image could heal anyone from snakebite, but that is exactly what
God told them to do. It took an act of faith in God’s plan for anyone to be
healed, and the serpent on the stick was a reminder of their sin which brought
about their suffering.
Just as it takes an act of faith that Jesus hanging on a
Roman Cross is all that is required for a rebellious people to be
reconciled with the Father. But that is exactly what God’s plan demanded. It is
believing in Christ’s sacrifice that is the basis for rebirth and entry into
eternal life. This should encourage trust in Him alone for true renewal.
CONCLUSION
We saw in this passage how Jesus
has a profound conversation with Nicodemus, a Pharisee and teacher of Israel. Jesus
revealed the necessity of being born again to enter the kingdom of God,
teaching profound truths about spiritual rebirth and the nature of faith.
I hope I was able to help you as Christians
to understand the importance of spiritual rebirth, realizing that faith in
Jesus is not merely intellectual but transformative. It encourages us as believers
to reflect on our own spiritual journey and to share this transformative
message with others who may be seeking truth.
The concept of being 'born again'
is essential for anyone desiring to see the kingdom of God. This passage helps address
any misconceptions about faith we may have and emphasizes the supernatural work
of the Holy Spirit in regeneration and personal faith in Jesus.
Christ is the source of new life.
In the larger context of Scripture, being born again symbolizes the new
covenant's fulfillment in Christ, emphasizing that He is the bridge between
humanity and spiritual rebirth through His death and resurrection. True
spiritual transformation begins with being born again through faith in Jesus
Christ, enabling us to live in the fullness of God's kingdom.
Let me close with this final
illustration: When a father
picks up his little daughter and tosses her all around in the air, she laughs
and enjoys it, for she trusts—has faith in—her father. Even though she finds
herself in unusual situations, like being upside down four feet above the floor
with nothing supporting her (normally an uncomfortable circumstance), she does
not fear, for she trusts her father. That is the sort of faith we should have
toward our heavenly Father, too.[2]
Doxology:
Let me close with this doxology:
24 “The Lord
bless you and keep you;
25 may the Lord
make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;
26 may the
Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace."
Go in peace, you are dismissed.
[1]
https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/4100306/jewish/The-Sanhedrin
[2]
Michael P. Green, 1500 Illustrations
for Biblical Preaching (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2000),
133.
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