Born Again
v2. Nicodemus was a Sanhedrin. He came to see Jesus in secret, maybe so other Pharisees wouldn’t know.
(Mal 2:7) He was right in seeking more information from the Teacher.
v3. This is the spiritual birth.
v4. Is it ever too late for someone older to change?
v5. Being born of spirit. The water represents cleansing or purification such as in the Flood. (Titus 3:5, Is 44:3)
v6. Flesh and spirit are not compatible, they are opposites. Religion tries to combine the two.
v8. God is in control. The Spirit is not led by our will, but we are to be led by the Spirit.
v10. He should have had a great understanding of the Old Testament. (Ezek 36:25-27) So why didn’t he know what Jesus was saying?
v11-12. Speaking of the Word of God.
v14. The serpent saved lives if the snake bitten looked up to it. So are we saved if we look to Christ’s finished work on the cross.
v15. Whosoever, we are all given the same opportunity of salvation.
v16. For God so loved the World. What could He have possibly loved about such a wicked World? He found nothing worth saving in us, but saved us anyway because that’s the kind of God He is. None of us deserved God’s grace (unmerited favor). Isn’t He generous.
Why did He send His Son? God demanded perfection. Nicodemus, like other Jews, thought eventually perfection would come to the Jews through the Law. We couldn’t meet the standard, so God sent His Son, who was perfect, in our place. He paid the price of sin for us. This is what we need to believe, that Christ’s death and resurrection justifies us and we gain Christ’s righteousness by grace through faith in the finished work at the cross.
v17. Jesus is the only way. He did not say that He knew the way, but that He was the Way.
He must increase, but I must decrease.
v22. Jesus didn’t actually do the baptizing Himself.
v23. John was still baptizing and pointing people to the Messiah.
v26. They were questioning whether Jesus was interfering with John’s ministry.
v27. There was no rivalry between them.
v28. He reminds them that it isn’t about him, but Christ.
v29. John had fulfilled his mission.
v30. In order for Christ to show through us and God’s will be done, we need to put aside our flesh. We need to sacrifice ourselves.
v31. John testifies to Christ’s divine nature.
v32. Jesus spoke the Word of God.
v33. God keeps His promises.
v34. Jesus had all of the gifts of the Spirit at full capacity.
v35. God’s plan of redemption has been fulfilled through Jesus.
v36. Jesus is the only way.