John 3
-Jesus encounters
a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus who was a ruler of the Jews, at night
presumably due to Nicodemus’ stealth in meeting with such a controversial, but
intriguing, character. The curious Pharisee started by calling Him “Rabbi
(Teacher),” which was a mark of respect. Then he made a comment that was
exceptional, “We know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God
is with Him.” Nicodemus was interested in where Jesus was from, but the Christ
was instead interested in talking to him about where he was going. Jesus began
an ultra-important dialog on the Kingdom of God and how one enters into it. He frankly
told the religious leader that truly, truly unless one was “born again” that
one could not “see the Kingdom of God.” This stymied the learned man initially.
He was thinking purely in the physical as he remarked, “How can a man be born
when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be
born, can he?” Jesus began to teach this spiritual novice about an otherworldly
birth from the Father. This is a birth from the Holy Spirit, and It blows wherever
It wishes with neither understanding of where It comes from or where It is
going. Everyone born of the Spirit is like this. This strange phenomenon was
something that Nicodemus could not wrap his mind around. Jesus then rebukes him
as a leader of Israel for NOT understanding these spiritually discerned things
of the LORD. He reprimanded him for not yet receiving His witness to the facts
of spiritual new life and misinterpreting heavenly things. Then He confounded
this intent listener by stating, “No one has ascended into Heaven, but He (referring
to Himself) who descended from Heaven, even
the Son of Man.” He went on to foretell of His crucifixion comparing it to
Moses lifting up the serpent in the wilderness for the typological healing of
the Hebrew people (Numbers 21:4-9). Then He made a vital comment concerning
whoever would believe in Him, this Messiah, as inheriting eternal life. Next
comes the most critical verse of Scripture in the entire Bible, “For God so
loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in
Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” He continued that it was not His
mission at this point to judge the world, but save the world from its deserved
wrath by the Father due to sin and corruption. Jesus goes go into deep and
abiding theology with Nicodemus proclaiming that the one who believes in Him is
not judged, but the one who does not believe has already been judged due to distrust.
Jesus then summed up man’s natural condition by confirming, “And this is the
judgment, that the Light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness
rather than the Light; for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil
hates the Light, and does not come to the Light, lest his deeds should be
exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, that his deeds may
be manifested as having been wrought in God (John 3:1-21).” By the end, thankfully,
we see Nicodemus with what appears to be a new birth spiritually as he helps
Joseph of Arimathea post crucifixion (John 19:38-40).
-*Application*- The
gospel is about a Person. A Person who was sent from a loving God that desires
every single person on this earth to know Him and live with Him eternally in
His Kingdom. He does not want us to perish, but to have life. Just like
Nicodemus, Jesus does not want us to be in the dark. When we expose our evil
deeds before the Father and confess them in the Name of a crucified Savior who
shed His blood for us to cleanse us (Hebrews 9:14), we can come into the Light
and be unified with Him forever in the land of forgiveness, restoration, and
completion (Revelation 1:5). This is how life was meant to be. Accept Jesus
Christ as Lord and Savior by simply believing. It has nothing to do with our
own works of goodness (Galatians 2:16).
-Now that the author has dealt with the essentials of the
new birth experience, John moves on in the narrative as Jesus and His disciples
came back into the land of Judea to the east close to the Jordan River area.
John the Baptist was still baptizing in Aenon, near Salim, about half way
between the Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee. There was much water there, and
people were still coming for a baptism of repentance from their sins to this
revered-prophetic man. John the Baptist had not yet been thrown in prison at
this juncture, and there arose a discussion on the part of John’s disciples
with a certain Jew about purification. John’s disciples approached him because
many were now following after Jesus, to whom John had borne witness (John 1:19-34),
and He was active in baptisms now, although it was His disciples, not Him, that
were baptizing people (John 4:2). John, in a brilliant act of humility and non-competitive
spirit, begins to take a back seat to the Messiah’s ministry. He credits Heaven
with giving Him His success. He reminded his disciples that all along he had
told them that he was NOT the Christ, but only a forerunner. He simply stated
that he was like a friend of the bridegroom that greatly rejoices when he hears
the voice of that anointed bridegroom. He stated matter-of-factly that his joy
had been made full. Then he gives us all something to think about with this
poignant and prophetic statement, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” Then
he declared, “He who comes from above is above all, he who is of the earth is
from the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from Heaven is above all.”
He wrangled with the distortion that even though Jesus has now borne witness to
Himself, “no man receives His witness.” However, he teaches them that “He who
has received His witness has set his seal to this, that God is true.” At the opportune moment, John the Baptist
gives the Christ His proper credence, “For He whom God has sent speaks the
words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the
Son, and has given all things into His Hand.” The chapter ends with a beautiful
mix of grace, truth, and justice as John the Baptist finishes out, “He who
believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall
not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him (John 3:22-36).”
*Application*- We
must decrease if Christ is to increase in our lives. It is a difficult thing to
give up our natural-worldly lives, but in the end, it will be resurrected into
eternal-spiritual life (1 Corinthians 15). Not only that, but Christ gives us
abundant life in the here and now through His Spirit that fills the believer
with His grace, fruits, and power (John 10:10). Step into the Kingdom of God
and enjoy His presence forever as He overwhelms and conquers all our fears,
worries, and concerns (Matthew 6:33-34, 1 Peter 5:6-7, 1 John 4:16-18).
Verses to Memorize:
John 3:6, 16-19, 27, 30, 36
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