John Chapter 3

Born again

1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

In this member of the Sanhedrim:

He is next met with in the Sanhedrin (John 7:50-52), where he protested against the course they were taking in plotting against Christ.

Once more he is mentioned as taking part in the preparation for the anointing and burial of the body of Christ (John 19:39)

John 12:42  Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 

2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “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.”

Came three times in the night

Joh 12:42  Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 

The history of Nicodemus is meant to teach us that we should never “despise the day of small things” in religion. (Zechariah 4:10.) We must not set down a man as having no grace, because his first steps towards God are timid and wavering, and the first movements of his soul are uncertain, hesitating, and stamped with much imperfection. We must remember our Lord’s reception of Nicodemus. He did not “break the bruised reed, or quench the smoking flax,” which He saw before Him. (Matthew 12:20.) (JCR)

3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Is the calling into existence of a new creature, with a new nature, new habits of life, new tastes, new desires, new appetites, new judgments, new opinions, new hopes, and new fears. All this, and nothing less than this is implied, when our Lord declares that we all need a “new birth.” (JCR)

4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”

Being “born again,” means that complete change of heart and character which is produced in a man by the Holy Spirit, when he repents, believes on Christ, and becomes a true Christian

In Ezekiel it is called “taking away the stony heart and giving a heart of flesh,”—“giving a new heart, and putting within a new spirit.” (Ezekiel 11:19; Ezekiel 36:26.)

In Acts it is called “repentance and conversion.” (Acts 3:19.)

In Romans it is called “being alive from the dead.” (Romans 6:13.)

In Corinthians it is called “being a new creature.” (2 Corinthians 5:17.)

In Ephesians it is called “being quickened.” [made alive) (Ephesians 2:1.)

In Colossians it is called “putting off the old man and putting on the new.” (Colossians 3:9-10.)

In Titus it is called the “washing of regeneration.” (Titus 3:5.)

In Peter it is called “being called out of darkness into light,” and being “made partaker of the divine nature.” (1 Peter 2:9; 2 Peter 1:4.)

In John it is called “passing from death to life.” (1 John 3:14.)

He was to baptize not with water, but with the Holy Spirit. Our Lord begins His address to Nicodemus by taking up His forerunner’s prediction:—He tells him that he must be “born again” or baptized with the Spirit.—Human nature is so entirely corrupt, diseased, and ruined by the fall, that all who would be saved must be born again. No lesser change will suffice. They need nothing less than a new birth. (JCR)

5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

The elements of re-birth. JCR believes this is not a reference to baptism.

1. Does not mention or refer to baptism

2. Bible does not say baptism regenerates

3. It would mean that baptism saves: but Scripture does not declare baptism as the sole way to God.

4. If baptism saves, what of the Spirit – it is devoid of use.

5. This would be a new doctrine – why then did Christ rebuke Nicodemus?

Water cleanses – represents the Word. The true water which cleanses a Christian came forth from the side of a dead Christ. He came by water and blood, in the power of cleansing and of expiation. (JND)

But there is in fact the communication of a new life; that which is born of the Spirit is spirit, is not flesh, has its nature from the Spirit. (JND)

6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

In this verse, our Lord gives Nicodemus the reason why the change of heart called “new birth,” is a thing of such absolute necessity, and why no slight moral change will suffice. (JCR)

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

8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Mysterious as the Spirit’s work was, Nicodemus must allow that there was much of mystery about the wind.

9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?”

This is the third and last time that Nicodemus speaks during his visit to Christ – shows his ignorance: In four different ways

1. Every man must be “born again.”

2. Jesus repeated the same thing in fuller words, and brought in the idea of “water,” to illustrate the work of the Spirit.

3. Jesus had shown the necessity of the new birth, from the natural corruption of man.

4. Jesus had illustrated the work of the Spirit a second time by the instance of the “wind.”

10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?

11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony.

Lord only means Himself when He says "we," and that He uses the plural number in order to give weight and dignity to what He says, as kings do

12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

If ye are stumbled at the very alphabet of my Gospel, what will ye do when I proceed to show you higher and deeper truths?" (Compare with the Hebrews, also who stumbled on the ABC’s of salvation).

13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.

The words of the text are to be taken literally. Prov 30:4. Song of Solomon 9:16-17.

Heavenly things – to be illustrated next

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

Num 21:7-9; 2Kings 18:4

The mention of Moses, of whom the Pharisees thought so much, was eminently calculated to arrest the attention of Nicodemus. "Even Moses, in whom ye trust, has supplied a most vivid type of my great work on earth—the crucifixion." (JCR)

The lifting up of the serpent of brass for the relief of Israel when bitten by serpents, is evidently selected by our Lord as an apt illustration of His own crucifixion for sinners.

15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

God so loved the world

16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Our Lord, in this verse, shows Nicodemus another "heavenly thing."

The "world" means the whole race of mankind, both saints and sinners, without any exception. The word, in my opinion, is so used in John 1:10, John 1:29; John 6:33, John 6:51; John 8:12; Romans 3:19; 2 Corinthians 5:19; 1 John 2:2; 1 John 4:14.

The "love" spoken of is that love of pity and compassion with which God regards all His creatures, and specially regards mankind. It is the same feeling of "love" which appears in Psalms 145:9; Ezekiel 33:11; John 6:32; Titus 3:4; 1 John 4:10; 2 Peter 3:9; 1 Timothy 2:4.

17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

In this verse our Lord shows Nicodemus another "heavenly thing." He shows him the main object of Messiah coming into the world. It was not to judge men, but to die for them; not to condemn, but to save.

18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

In this verse our Lord shows Nicodemus another "heavenly thing." He declares the privileges of believing, and the peril of not believing in the Son of God

19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

In this verse our Lord shows Nicodemus one more "heavenly thing." He unfolds to him the true cause of the ruin of those who are lost.

20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.

The application of this verse must doubtless be made with caution.

Right hearts will always come to Christ. If a man keeps away from the light, his heart is wrong. He is one who "doeth evil."

21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God."

22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing.

John the Baptist Exalts Christ

23 John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized

We can hardly doubt that John baptized all who came to him, at this period of his ministry, in the name of Jesus, upon confession of faith that Jesus was the Messiah.

Moreover, we are expressly told that "Jesus himself baptized not." (John 4:2.)

24 (for John had not yet been put in prison).

25 Now a discussion arose between some of John's disciples and a Jew over purification.

Controversies about baptism certainly appear to be among the oldest and most mischievous by which the Church has been plagued.

26 And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness--look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him."

The language of the whole verse seems intended to show that John’s disciples were jealous for their master’s ministry, and that its declining popularity, in consequence of our Lord’s appearance in Judæa as a public teacher, was a cause of annoyance to them. The verse is an instructive instance of that littleness and party spirit which are so painfully common among Christians when one minister’s popularity is interfered with by the appearance of another.

27 John answered, "A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.

Success, promotion, and growth of influence are gifts which God keeps entirely in His own hands

28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.'

John here reminds his disciples that he had repeatedly told them that he was not the Christ, and that he was only a forerunner sent before Him.

29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete.

The relative importance of John.

According to the marriage-customs of the Jews, there were certain persons called the bridegroom’s friends, who were the means of communication between him and the bride before the marriage. Their duty was simply to set forward and promote the bridegroom’s interests, and to remove all obstacles, as far as possible, to a speedy union of the parties.

30 He must increase, but I must decrease."

In this sentence John the Baptist tells his complaining disciples that it is right and proper and necessary that Christ should grow in dignity, and that he himself should be less thought of.

31 He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all.

In this sentence John the Baptist asserts the infinite superiority of Christ over himself or any other child of Adam, whatever office he may fill. Christ is "from above." He is not merely man, but God.

32 He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony.

In this sentence John the Baptist shows the divinity of Christ, and His consequent superiority over himself in another point of view.

33 Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true.

34 For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure.

35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand.

36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

In this verse John the Baptist concludes his testimony to Christ, by a solemn declaration of the unspeakable importance of believing on Him.

Among other, it condemns the weak and false charity of those who say, that preachers of the Gospel should never speak of God’s wrath, and should never mention hell. (JCR)