Nicodemus and the new birth

Nicodemus comes to Jesus by night

1) Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2) 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."
3) In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."

Nicodemus was one of those impressed by Jesus' signs (2:23), and a member of the ruling Sanhedrin. He was religious (a Pharisee); educated (Nicodemus is a Greek name); and influential (a ruler) - a "good" representative of all men (2:23-25).

Nicodemus:

He was a Pharisee and a ruler. Archon (ruler) suggests a member of the Sanhedrin, but not one of the chief priests (archiereus). The Talmud records Nicodemus as one of the four richest men in Jerusalem and a disciple of Jesus.

Hoskyns records that Nicodemus was a member of the aristocratic family that had furnished the Hasmoneaean king, Aristobulus II, with his ambassador to Pompey in 63 BC.

His son apparently was the man who negotiated the terms of surrender to the Roman garrison in Jerusalem prior to the final destruction of that city in A.D. 70.

[Talmudic references link him to Nicodemus ben Gorion, brother to historian Josephus, a very wealthy member of the Sanhedrin in the first century. He lost his wealth and position later; a reversal due to his becoming a Christian? ...all this is considered doubtful.]

Pharisees: Their entire religious hope rested upon their lineage, a physical descent from Abraham. The emphasis of this racial heritage is contrasted with the “new birth” in John Chapter 3.

The Progression:

• By night, John 3:2-10

• Defense at Sanhedrin John 7:51-52

• Anointed Jesus’ burial John 19:39-42

Why did he come by night? Perhaps he was timid, or he wanted an uninterrupted interview with Jesus.

Is Nicodemus' statement in verse 2 true? Can someone not from God do miraculous signs? (Yes, according to 2 Thessalonians 2:9 and Revelation 13:13-14).

Jesus' reply to him shatters the Jewish assumption that their racial identity (old birth) assured them a place in God's Kingdom. The Jews were looking for the Messiah to bring in a new world, in which the Jews would be pre-eminent. But Jesus came to bring new life, in which He would be preeminent.

Again (anothen) can be also translated "from above;" this is the sense in which John uses this word in 3:31 and in 19:11 and 23.

Nicodemus' reply may not be out of ignorance, but from thinking that Jesus is speaking of "turning over a new leaf"

4) "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"

He may be asking "how can you teach a old dog new tricks?"

Jesus explains the new birth

5) Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is 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."

Jesus is emphatic that man does not need a reformation, but a radical conversion by the Spirit of God.

What does it mean to be born of water? We know that from verse 10 that these examples should have been familiar to Nicodemus, probably from the Old Testament. Water may represent baptism, but there is no real Old Testament foundation for this. Water may represent physical birth, but isn't that obvious? But it may be a parallel with that which is born of the flesh in verse 6. Water may represent the Word, as we are washed by the water of the word (Ephesians 5:26).  Water may represent the Holy Spirit, the living water of John 7:38-39. Water may represent the water of cleansing prophesied in Ezekiel 36:25-28.

To understand the meaning of `water and Spirit', travel back with me to the book of beginnings: Genesis. I, along with many others, believe that between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2, Lucifer was thrown out of heaven, and cast down to earth, causing a tilting of the axis and cataclysmic changes upon our planet which resulted in darkness, formlessness, and emptiness. Genesis 1:2, therefore, begins an account not of the creation, but the re-creation, the rebirth of Planet Earth. How did God re-create the earth?

The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters (Genesis 1:2). What does water refer to in Scripture? The Word of God (John 15:3, Ephesians 5:26).

God re-created the earth by the Spirit and His Word. How does He re-create us? The same way. When the Word of God, energized and empowered by the Spirit of God, speaks to our dark, formless, empty lives — a new birth, a re-creation takes place. When the Word and Spirit work in tandem to draw us to the Father by way of His Son, we are reborn.

Without the new birth of the Spirit, all works of righteousness are tainted by the flesh.

Jesus says "you don't understand everything about the wind, but you see their effect; that is just how it is with the birth of the Spirit".  Remember the emphasis: this is something God does in us; not something we do for God.

Pneuma: “wind,” but is used 370 times in the New Testament and all but once it is used of the “spirit.” Emphasizes the sovereignty of the Holy Spirit. He is not subject to our devices, but is sovereign.

Jesus responds to Nicodemus' question how can this be so?

9) "How can this be?" Nicodemus asked.
10) "You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things? 11) 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. 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.

He chides Nicodemus for not being aware of the need and the promise of the new birth, because these are plainly laid out in the Old Testament.

Jesus "makes it clear that He can speak authoritatively about things in heaven, though no one else can".

Jesus and the brazen serpent

14) Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15) that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

Lifted up is later used to describe both Jesus' crucifixion and ascension - both meanings are in view, His suffering and exaltation.

How can the serpent of Numbers 21:4-9 be a picture of the holy Jesus? Because the serpent (sin, evil) was bronze (a metal picturing judgment) - Jesus was made sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21), and bore the judgment that we deserved. Remember that even though Jesus bore our sins, He never became a sinner - even His becoming sin for us was a holy, righteous, act of love.

The Cross as The Basis (3:14-17):

Compare with the Brazen Serpent in Numbers 21:9. Sin is acknowledged; “look and live.” There was no remedy that man could develop; they weren’t told to fight with the serpents (no society for exterminating serpents?); no offering was made to the serpents, no looking to Moses...Titus 3:5; they were not to look to their wounds, just “look and live”!

The serpents were a “type” of sin. Bronze symbolizes judgment. “As

Moses lifted the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up.” Aescapius (single serpent), Hermes (double serpent) = God of Commerce!

The way you get “born again” is to look to the Cross! Don’t give your heart to Christ: receive HIM. The Brass Serpent a model of Jesus Christ? He was “made sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21). God put upon Him what we all had earned.

The atheist heard on a radio debate simply could not believe that God would show such love to a puny people on a tiny planet - but He did.  Even as the dying Israelis could look, believing, and find life, so can we by simply looking to Christ.

Eternal life refers more to a certain quality of life than an extremely long duration of life.

Salvation and condemnation

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 he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.19) This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men 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 his deeds will be exposed. 21) 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."

Many commentators believe that these are John's comments, not Jesus' words, because gave seems to put the work on the cross in the past tense. But gave could just as well refer to Jesus' incarnation; I believe Jesus did say these words (but in really doesn't matter; it's all of the Holy Spirit).

Jesus' teaching of the new birth refuted the popular Jewish idea of the means of salvation; now in verse 16 the popular Jewish idea of the scope of salvation is refuted. The Jews never thought of God as loving the world, only Israel - the universal offer of life is Christianity's glory.

Two destinies: perish or find everlasting life - Jesus presents no other ways!

Jesus came to bring salvation, but those who reject that salvation thereby condemn themselves.

What keeps people from salvation, sin or unbelief? Both, because people will not believe because they love their sin. This cuts right through many of the "intellectual" excuses or dishonest doubts. Don't think only of notorious sin; the demand to be lord of my own life is sin enough before God.

How do people hate the light of God's truth? Two ways. By actively fighting against it (some do this). By ignoring it; by saying to Jesus "You are not worth my time" (most hate Jesus this way).

Final thoughts on the new birth

If Nicodemus, with all his qualifications and strenuous efforts to obtain righteousness had to be born again, what about you and I?

Jesus' first miracle is a miracle of conversion (of water into wine); His first discourse also regards conversion.

John the Baptist's final testimony about Christ

John easily assigns the pre-eminence to Christ

22) After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. 23) Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were constantly coming to be baptized. 24) (This was before John was put in prison.) 25) An argument developed between some of John's disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. 26) 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."
27) To this John replied, "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. 28) You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.' 29) 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. 30) He must become greater; I must become less.

John would not allow envy or the fickle crowds make him forget his mission: to announce the Christ, then step back.

John is the "best man" - who, in Jewish weddings, arranged many of the details of the wedding, and brought the bride to the groom.

He must increase, but I must decrease should be the motto of every Christian, especially leaders in the Church.

John's testimony concerning Christ

31) "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. 32) He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 33) The man who has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. 34) For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. 35) The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. 36) Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."

Jesus was different from others because of His heavenly origin.

Jesus is a uniquely reliable revelation, because He has the Holy Spirit without measure, in contrast to the previous prophets.

Wrath: "The word does not mean a sudden gust of passion or a burst of temper. Rather, it is the settled displeasure of God against sin. It is the divine allergy to moral evil, the reaction of righteousness to unrighteousness."

The wrath of God abides - it does not lessen with time. It abides in this world; there is no "statute of limitations" with God.  It abides into the next world, because Christ-rejecters cannot offer a perfect sacrifice acceptable to God. The wrath of God abides until it is satisfied by an individual's appropriation of Jesus' perfect payment on the cross.