John 3

1. But there was a man named Nicodemus who was one of the Pharisees. He was an important Jewish leader.

John 3:51 shows that Jesus was not trusting men, BUT Nicodemus must have seen Jesus clearing out the temple and wanted to really know more about what Jesus was saying. When we come with honest questions God will answer us.

2. One night Nicodemus came to Jesus. He said, “Teacher, we know that you are a teacher sent from God. No one can do the miracles you do, unless God is with him.”

The world is willing to say that Jesus was a good teacher. To them He is the same as other teachers who say things like, “Close your eyes and find some kind of energy [not energy from God] to escape from your problems." They do not see that we need to become new people through Christ.

3 – 4

Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth. Unless you are born again [from above], you cannot be in God’s kingdom.”

Nicodemus said, “But if a man is already old, how can he be born again? He cannot enter his mother’s body again. So how can he be born a second time?”

Nicodemus Was so full of the Jewish way of trying to get to heaven by doing more good things than bad, that he had no idea that what he needed was a new life.

5 – 6

But Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth. Unless you are born from water and the Spirit, you cannot enter God’s kingdom. A person’s body is born from his human parents. But a person’s spiritual life is born from the Spirit.

Some teachers think that this is talking about the water that is part of a human birth. Some churches think that this means you are saved by being baptized in water. Baptism shows the world that we are dead to our old life. It does not show the world that we are being born, but that our old life died. If baptism saved people then all the believers in the Old Testament were never saved.

Jesus is not saying that we are saved by baptism. He is saying that the decision to turn away from sin and be baptized to publicly show your decision is how the Holy Spirit works to save us. So we see that baptism does not save us but God's Spirit makes us into a new person when we turn away from sin. Acts 2:38

7 – 9

Do not be surprised when I tell you, ‘You must all be born-again.’ The wind blows where it wants to go. You hear the wind blow. But you do not know where the wind comes from or where it is going. It is the same with every person who is born from the Spirit.” Nicodemus asked, “How can all this be possible?”

There are things that we cannot see but they are still true. See Ezekiel 37, Hebrews 11:1

10 – 12

Jesus said, “You are an important teacher in Israel. But you still do not understand these things?

I tell you the truth. We talk about what we know. We tell about what we have seen. But you do not accept what we tell you.

I have told you about things here on earth, but you do not believe Me. So surely you will not believe Me if I tell you about the things of heaven!

Nicodemus did believe and later he was not embarrassed to be known as a follower of Jesus in the daylight. John 19:38 – 42

13. The only one who has ever gone up to heaven is the One who came down from heaven—the Son of Man.

These words would remind Nicodemus of the book of Proverbs.

Who but God goes up to heaven and comes back down? What is His name—and His Son’s name? Tell me if you know! Proverbs 30:4

14 – 15

“Moses lifted up the snake [on a pole] in the desert. In the same way, the Son of Man must be lifted up. Then everyone who believes in Him can have eternal life.

False teachers will tell you that you need to read their books to be saved. God shows us that if we will take an honest look at Jesus on the cross we can be healed and saved. There could have been some men who said, "That is a stupid idea! I do not see how that can help me. I am not going to do it. I will find another way to be healed! " If we will not look to Jesus then there is only death in this life and the next. Numbers 21:9

16. “For God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son. God gave His Son so that whoever believes in Him may not be lost, but have eternal life.

God sent His Son to die for us, what more could He do to prove His love? What fake religion, or man-made god loves like this? These are the words that saved Nicodemus.

“O my people, what have I done to you? What have I done to make you tired of Me? Micah 6:3

17 – 18

God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world guilty, but to save the world through Him. He who believes in God’s Son is not judged guilty. He who does not believe has already been judged guilty, because he has not believed in God’s only Son.

Remember, only the devil accuses us. Revelation 12:10, Romans 8:1

Hell was not made for people. People choose to go there of their own free will. Jesus did not come to judge the world, if He wanted to do that He could have done that in a minute and not have to die on the cross. If you think that nobody would choose to go to hell, take a look at how these people would rather die then to ask God to save them.

They kept saying to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne, and from the anger of the Lamb.” Revelation 6:16

...everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. Matthew 25:41

19 – 21

People are judged for this reason: I am the Light from God that has come into the world. But men did not want light. They wanted darkness because they were doing evil things.

Everyone who does evil hates the light. He will not come to the light because it will show all the evil things he has done.

But he who follows the true way comes to the light. Then the light will show that the things he has done were done through God.”

The reason men do not come to God is because they know that they have done something wrong and they are hiding from God. When we are talking with them they are afraid that the light will shine on them and show what they really are. Speak carefully so that they do not react against you and God will speak to their spirit.

22 – 26

After this, Jesus and his followers went into the area of Judea. There Jesus stayed with His followers and baptized people.

John was also baptizing in Aenon, near Salim, because there was plenty of water there. People were going there to be baptized. (This was before John was put into prison.)

Some of John’s followers had an argument with a Jew about religious washing.

So they came to John and said, “Teacher, remember the man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan River, the one you spoke about? He is baptizing, and everyone is going to Him.”

John's followers agreed with Jesus that men need to turn away from sin. They still saw John as their spiritual leader.

27- 29

John answered, “A man can get only what God gives him. You yourselves heard me say, ‘I am not the Christ. I am only the one God sent to prepare the way for Him.’

The bride belongs only to the bridegroom. The friend who helps the bridegroom waits and listens for Him. He is glad when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That is the same pleasure I have. And my time of joy is now here.

We may not agree about every practice in the church, but we all agree on the Gospel message. We disagree in a loving way about our personal convictions. Mark 9:38 – 40

30. He must become greater. And I must become less important.

We are not sent to make people follow us. There are false teachers who enjoy being lifted up as someone who is very important. The temptation is too strong for them to use this power to control people. These kind of leaders do not show people how to feed themselves but only to come to them for their spiritual food.

31 – 32

“The One who comes from above is greater than all. He who is from the earth belongs to the earth and talks about things on the earth. But the One who comes from heaven is greater than all. He tells what He has seen and heard, but no one accepts what He says.

When we do not spend time in serious study of God's words we become more open to the idea of following men and less interested in listening to God.

33. The person who accepts what He says has God's seal.

We cannot explain it but the Holy Spirit is living inside of us and this seal is a witness that we belong to Him.

34. God sent Him, and He tells the things that God says. God gives Him the Spirit fully.

We have a measure of God's Spirit. We can have a bigger measure as we open more of our lives to Him. Jesus was completely filled with the Spirit.

35 - 36

The Father loves the Son and has given Him power over everything. He who believes in the Son has eternal life. But He who does not obey the Son will never have that life. God’s anger stays with him.

Those who follow Jesus have a covering over them. Those who say they do not need this covering are open to every attack from the world and the devil.