SCRIPTURE: JOHN 3
JESUS TEACHES NICODEMUS (vs. 1-21)
A Pharisees named Nicodemus was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him” (v. 2) Jesus replied: I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” (v. 3). Nicodemus asked: “How can a man be born when he is old? Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!” (v. 4) Jesus answered: “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, “You must be born again.”. 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. I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has even gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven – the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
“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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the worlds through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God. (vs. 5-21)
JOHN THE BAPTIST’S TESTIMONY ABOUT JESUS (vs. 22-36)
Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent time with them and baptized people. John was also baptizing people at Aenon near Salim. An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan – the one you testified about – well, he is baptizing and everyone is going to him. John replied: “A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.’ The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less. The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. The man who has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the So-n has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.” (vs. 27-36)
THOUGHTS:
The Pharisees were a group of religious leaders whom Jesus and John the Baptist often criticized for being hypocrites. Most Pharisees were jealous of Jesus because he undermined their authority and challenged their views. Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the ruling council. He was a learned teacher and he was searching for the truth. So he came to Jesus to be taught. No matter how intelligent and well educated you are, you must come to Jesus with an open mind and heart for him to teach you the truth about God.
Jesus taught Nicodemus that the kingdom would come to the whole world and that everyone must personally be born again. The Kingdom is personal not national and its entrance requirements are repentance and spiritual rebirth. “Of water and the Spirit” refers to the contrast between physical birth (water) and spiritual birth (Spirit). Jesus was explaining the importance of a spiritual rebirth because people don’t enter the Kingdom by living a better life but by being spiritual reborn. Jesus said that God’s Kingdom has already begun in the hearts of believers. It will be fully realized when Jesus returns again to judge the world and abolish evil forever.
When the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness, God sent a plague of snakes to punish the people for their rebellious attitudes. Those doomed to die from snake bite could be healed by obeying God’s command to look up at the elevated bronze snake and by believing that God would heal them if they did. Similarly, our salvation happens when we look up to Jesus, believing he will save us. God has provided this way for us to be healed of sin’s deadly bite.
John 3:16 is the message of the Good News which is the most famous scripture. God’s greatest and perfect love is manifested with the highest price that he paid for us. Jesus accepted our punishment, paid the price for our sins, and then offered us eternal life. To receive eternal life is to join in God’s life. Thus, eternal life begins in the moment of spiritual rebirth. We also need to share the Good News with others to show our love to them.
To believe means to put our trust and confidence in Him that he alone can save us. It is to put Christ in charge of our present plans and eternal destiny. Believing is both trusting his words as reliable, and relying on him for the power to change. For example, when you are sick, you will consult a doctor. If you really believe the doctor, you will buy the medicine and take it as prescribed. Similarly, If you really believe in Jesus, it means that you will listen to His Words and put them into practice.
John’s disciples were disturbed because people were following Jesus instead of John. John did not get jealous of the popularity of Jesus’ ministry. Instead, he showed his humility by his willingness to decrease in importance. When we serve the Lord, we must emulate the humble example of John the Baptist.
John the Baptist continued to baptize after Jesus came into the scene because he wanted to continue it until God called him to do something else. His main purpose was to point people to Christ. Pastors and Christian leaders can be tempted to focus more on the success of their ministries than on Christ. Never put more emphasis on your own achievements than on God’s kingdom.