The Gospel of John: Nicodemus 3:1 – 21

 In this lesson we meet an important man, Nicodemus. Before I say more about Nicodemus it’s good to notice the emphasis this Gospel has on individuals. We have 23 individuals in the Gospel, and there are nearly 70 references to Jesus talking about individuals. We know their names and we get to see a little of their character, as with Nathaniel. Like Nicodemus here; the woman at the well, the man who was lame, the man who was blind Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha in Bethany, Caiaphas, and Pilate, Mary Magdalene, Peter, Thomas, sadly Judas. It’s fair to say that there is an emphasis on how Jesus relates to individuals. So yes, there is one flock, but Jesus knows each sheep by name (John 10), there is a vine, but each individual branch is distinctive.

 In some cultures often more emphasis is put on the identity of the community. This Gospel is saying there must first be an individual experience, an individual conversation, and – if possible – like Mary or the Beloved disciple, individual intimacy.

 Now let’s turn to an individual, Nicodemus. He was a very important and learned man. We know he is important because he is a member of the Sanhedrin, the council that ruled Jerusalem, with the permission of the Romans. And we know he was learned because Jesus says he is a teacher of Israel.

 We can sum up the story by saying it is about Jesus and Nicodemus, and how to experience eternal life.

 First, the relationship between Jesus and Nicodemus. It is not what we would have expected. Nicodemus is a leader of Israel, Jesus is the son of a carpenter. We would expect Jesus to be visiting Nicodemus. But it’s the other way around.

 Nicodemus comes at night. Perhaps he didn’t want others to see him, perhaps it was just because it was cooler then and this is when Rabbis had their discussions. That’s at one level. But at another we know that this writer associates the night with moral darkness. So in 13.30 Judas goes out – and it was night. Nicodemus is coming from a dark place.

 The surprise in this relationship continues. In most cultures it is the host who greets the guest, but look what happens, it is Nicodemus who speaks first. Perhaps there was a rather embarrassed silence first, and then Nicodemus says what we have in v. 2. He is very respectful. He calls Jesus ‘Rabb’i and says that ‘we know ‘that Jesus has come from God, because of the miracles he has been doing. Nicodemus thinks that he knows a little about who Jesus is – ‘we know’. He is implying he wants Jesus to say more about who he is.

 Again Jesus’s response is unexpected. Nicodemus has talked about who Jesus is, and Jesus does not reply to that at all. He ignores what Nicodemus has said. Instead he talks about how to see the kingdom of God – the rule of God.

 We have to admire Nicodemus. Rather than get upset because of the way Jesus is dealing with him, he goes with the flow of the conversation, and in so doing shows he is not as bright as his title suggests. It’s there in v. 4. It’s not the cleverest of questions. Nicodemus of course is not the only one to misunderstand Jesus. We’ve already had the Jews misunderstanding Jesus’ comment about destroying the temple; the woman of Samaria misunderstands Jesus about the water; the crowd misunderstand Jesus about him being the bread; the disciples about Lazarus sleeping. There are probably more examples. So Nicodemus is not alone, but this is a very bad one, his question about entering a mother’s womb again is probably the most stupid question in the New Testament.

 Jesus explains more about the new birth, and then there is stinging rebuke from Jesus to Nicodemus. We often assume that Jesus is always nice. That’s not the Jesus of the Bible. Look at v. 10. ‘Are you a teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?’ Jesus thinks Nicodemus should have known about the new birth from the Old Testament, and especially the passages in Jeremiah that talk about God giving people a new heart. Or the story about the dry bones in Ezekiel 37. Later Jesus says he cannot talk to Nicodemus about heavenly things, because he still hasn’t grasped earthly things, i.e. things that happen on earth like the new birth. (v.12)

 Nicodemus entered Jesus’ presence thinking he was somebody. He thought he knew things. But Jesus shows him it is just the title that makes him important. The truth is that he doesn’t know the most basic things about relating to God. The experience must have been uncomfortable for Nicodemus.

 Jesus is not interested in being polite or making people feel comfortable. He wants to talk about what matters, and what matters is that Nicodemus needs to be born again. If that means he needs to humble Nicodemus, so be it.

 Jesus is very certain. Twice he says, ‘Truly, truly’, and in v. 11 he emphasizes that he speaks of what he knows – and what he has seen. He is not guessing. He is not having a discussion with Nicodemus.

 That is the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus. Now let’s turn to the content.

 It is about how to have eternal life: v. 3 seeing the kingdom of God, v. 5 entering the kingdom of God. This is the only time we have the words the kingdom of God in this Gospel. It means the rule of God, so a place where life never ends, and in v. 15 and 16, having eternal life. In the Synoptics talk of entering the kingdom is often seen as a future event. Eternal life will happen at the end of the world. This Gospel has another emphasis. Eternal life, or literally ‘life of the age to come’ starts now, and will then continue.

 So – how do we gain eternal life? Nicodemus would have assumed that as a Jew he would automatically have eternal life. However three times Jesus tells Nicodemus that we must be born again, v. 3, 5, and 7. The word ‘again’ here in the Greek is anothen which can mean again or above. Jesus talks about both here.

 This is being born of the water and the Spirit. Some think the water might refer to baptism. This is unlikely. Most think t it is just another way of saying Spirit as water is a symbol of spirit in John’s Gospel – and indeed in the Old Testament. So to be born again is to be born spiritually. It is an event, like a physical birth. It is something that must happen in a definite way for someone to have eternal life.

 This was a radical message for a Jew like Nicodemus. And for many others. They think they are heading for eternal life, but Jesus asks them – have you experienced the new birth?

 We want to have this birth. How can we make this happen? As usual, Jesus is a bit strange. In some religions you just have to repeat a prayer, and that’s it, you now belong to that faith. Even sometimes with Christian preachers we are told it is our decision. You want to be born again. Just tick this box. Say this prayer. Do this. Do that.

 That’s not what we have here. Look carefully at v. 8. The wind blows – not where we choose, but where it chooses. Like our physical birth, our spiritual birth does not depend on us. It depends entirely on the Holy Spirit. Jesus says the same thing later in John 16:8 when He says that the Holy Spirit will come to convict the world of sin. We cannot truly understand that we are sinners, without the conviction of the Holy Spirit. So, we cannot become Christians, unless the Holy Spirit works in our hearts.

 This then is the first thing we learn about eternal life from this conversation. We have to be born of the Spirit.

 From v. 13 onwards we learn something else. Eternal life is brought about by Jesus. Yes, others have ascended to heaven – Enoch, Elijah – but only Jesus has descended from heaven. And then we have another surprise with the reference to Moses. We would be expecting Jesus to descend from heaven to give a new law, we are expecting a new Mount Sinai story. But that is not what we get. Instead we go to the strange story of the serpents in the wilderness. It is in Numbers 21. God sent these to punish the Israelites for their complaining. They didn’t like it and so Moses prayed and in response the Lord told him to make a bronze serpent and put it on a pole. Then whenever a snake bit someone, if they looked at this bronze serpent, they lived. Otherwise they would died.

 Jesus goes to this story. And says that the He, the Son of Man, will be lifted up, just like the serpent in the wilderness, and if anyone – not just Israelis – if anyone looks at him with faith, they will be healed from the sting of sin, and receive life.

 And so we have the most famous verse in the Bible

 ‘For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

 The initiation of salvation is firmly rooted in God’s sacrificial love, his agape. And this is for the whole world, not just one people.

 Eternal life revolves both around a spiritual new birth, and not just our faith in Jesus, but our faith in his cross and resurrection – when He was lifted up. If we believe we are not condemned, if we do not believe, we are condemned (v.17).

 Then from v. 19 another factor is brought in, the necessity to come to leave the darkness and come to the light. To be true (v. 21) which is to act faithfully, honourably. This is John’s way of saying we have to repent. You can’t just say I have believed in Jesus, but stay in the darkness, so showing that you really love darkness. You have to come to the light and act in a way that shows that your deeds are godly, v. 21. The writer says exactly the same thing in his first letter, chapter one, verse five, ‘God is light and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness we lie and do not do what is true.’

 Here we have three truths

 1. We must be born again of the Spirit. This is something only God the Spirit can bring about. Like the wind, this is beyond human ability.

 2. We must look to Jesus, ‘lifted up’ on the cross and resurrection. This is something we must do.

 3. Because of this new birth and faith there will be a leaving from the darkness and we will prover our new birth by the life that we live.

 The new birth, faith, holy living   – all working together. This is how we receive eternal life.

 Initially it seems that Nicodemus returns to the darkness. And maybe we are thinking, well, Jesus wasn’t such a good evangelist. He was rude to Nicodemus, so he’s gone. But we will see Nicodemus again. Jesus’ conversation with him had an impact. At the end of chapter seven the religious authorities are wanting to condemn Jesus. Who speaks up for him? Nicodemus. And when Josephus goes to collect Jesus’s corpse on Good Friday, who is with him? Nicodemus.

 Jesus knows how to talk to us – as individuals.

 We looked at the rest of this chapter which is about John the Baptist in Lesson 3, so in our next lesson we will be in Chapter 4, with a remarkable lady. 

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