John 3A. Now we enter into one of the most intriguing and unique section of John s Gospel. An blind man...among others

Transcription

1 Jhn 3A Nw we enter int ne f the mst intriguing and unique sectin f Jhn s Gspel Beginning tnight in chapter 3, Jhn chses t relate a number f encunters between Jesus and varius men and wmen A Pharisee A harlt An blind man...amng thers Each persn Jhn highlights becme believers in the Messiah, having been tuched by Jesus wrds and miracles They begin each encunter in ignrance But they leave transfrmed by Christ Therefre, each f these interactins serves t highlight a dimensin f the salvatin fund in Christ Between these encunters, Jhn als recrds varius miracles and dialg between Jesus and three different grups fllwing Jesus First, there is Jesus interactin with Jewish leaders and the crwds f rdinary Jews wh fllwed Him Secndly, Jhn recrds numerus private cnversatins between Jesus and His disciples Finally, Jhn invites us int Jesus private mments in prayer t the Father Jhn selects these mments t further illustrate the nature f saving faith Thse prfiles f each unique character and hw they came t faith will shw us hw hw an pen heart respnds t the Light f the Gspel While the Jewish leaders and crwds typify the respnse f darkness t the message f salvatin 2014 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

2 Jhn 3A 2 f 24 And then we have Jesus disciples and their struggle t understand the nature f Christ s ministry and their wn salvatin Reflecting hw spiritual immaturity is cmmn t all new believers Finally, Jesus cnversatins with the Father shw us the magnitude f the Father s lve fr thse He saves And the magnitude f Christ s sacrifice t deliver that salvatin Stepping back, it s easy t see that Jhn s fcus in writing this Gspel was t explain the nature f s great a salvatin He s explaining it thrugh the eyes f thse wh encuntered Jesus Bth thse wh believed and thse wh didn t And thrugh the experience f Jesus Himself Jhn isn t simply retelling events; he s teaching us abut the nature f the Gspel itself S we begin this sectin in chapter 3, with an encunter that illustrates the manner f ur salvatin, that is hw it arrives And what better figure t feature in a discussin f hw ne is saved than a Pharisee, the self-appinted religius leader and teacher f Israel This scene takes place in Jerusalem, smetime arund the Passver celebratin, befre Jesus left the city fr His hme in Capernaum in the Galilee Jhn 3:1 Nw there was a man f the Pharisees, named Nicdemus, a ruler f the Jews; We were tld at the end f the chapter 2 that Jesus was perfrming many miracles in the city during Passver week, and and many believed in Him Withut a dubt, sme f thse wh wuld bserved Jesus ministry during this week in Jerusalem were the religius leaders f Israel The Pharisees, Sadducees and priests wuld have heard Jesus teaching and seen His miracles firsthand 2014 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

3 Jhn 3A 3 f 24 And they wuld have als witnessed seen the crwds psitive respnse And we can be sure many f these leaders went away scffing and even angry by what they saw But nt all f them reacted that way, as we discver frm Nicdemus First, we hear that Nicdemus is a Pharisee A pharisees was a rabbi (r teacher) f the scriptures in Israel Secndly, we re tld he is a ruler f the Jews This indicates that Nicdemus was a member f the Sanhedrin, the ruling cuncil ver Israel In fact, we ll see in later chapters f Jhn that Nicdemus uses his psitin n the cuncil t cme t Jesus defense Knwing a little abut Pharisaical teaching is helpful t understanding what takes place in this encunter First, Pharisees taught that every Jew was assured a place in the cming Kingdm merely n the basis f their Jewishness Simply by virtual f being an bedient child f Abraham, a Jew culd be sure they wuld be included in the Kingdm In fact, Pharisees taught that Abraham himself sits guarding the gates f Hell t intercept and save any Jew cnsigned t that place We see this thinking reflected in numerus places f NT Matt. 3:7 But when he saw many f the Pharisees and Sadducees cming fr baptism, he said t them, Yu brd f vipers, wh warned yu t flee frm the wrath t cme? Matt. 3:8 Therefre bear fruit in keeping with repentance; Matt. 3:9 and d nt suppse that yu can say t yurselves, We have Abraham fr ur father ; fr I say t yu that frm these stnes Gd is able t raise up children t Abraham. Rm. 2:28 Fr he is nt a Jew wh is ne utwardly, nr is circumcisin that which is utward in the flesh. Rm. 2:29 But he is a Jew wh is ne inwardly; and circumcisin is that which is f the heart, by the Spirit, nt by the letter; and his praise is nt frm men, but frm Gd Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

4 Jhn 3A 4 f 24 Secndly, Pharisees were the cnservative, law-abiding party, plitically speaking Their chief rivals fr pwer were the Sadduccees, which was the liberal plitical party f Israel As it happened, the Sadduccees were the plitical party in pwer at this time, hlding a majrity f the seats n the Sanhedrin As a result f their majrity, the Sadduccees were respnsible fr the Temple and the peratins f the temple munt S the temple was the surce f the Sadduccees pwer, influence and wealth in Jewish sciety The Pharisees, n the ther hand, had n ruling r financial interest in the temple, s they had t rely n a different base fr their plitical pwer They btain pwer ver the peple thrugh their thelgy and teaching Their pwer ver the peple came frm teaching a strict adherence t the Law as a means f maintaining citizenship in Israel They were renwn experts in the Law And their teaching frm the Law stressed that in rder fr a Jew t enter the Kingdm, they had t be in gd standing with the Law If a Jew didn t keep the wrks f the Law accrding t the Pharisees teaching and standards, the peple were at risk f frfeiting their Jewish identity In ther wrds, when they apprached the gates f Hell, Abraham wuldn t save them because they had lst their right t be called a Jew It was a wrks-based thelgy, and it ensured that Jews eager t enter Heaven wuld give heed t the Pharisees teaching T slidify their authrity ver the peple, Pharisees made a pint f mdeling a scrupulus bedience t the Law in a very public way They went t ridiculus lengths t abide by the Law r display their piety t the wrld 2014 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

5 Jhn 3A 5 f 24 As Jesus cmmented elsewhere, referring t the Pharisees tendency t make a public shw f even their prayers Matt. 6:5 When yu pray, yu are nt t be like the hypcrites; fr they lve t stand and pray in the synaggues and n the street crners s that they may be seen by men. Truly I say t yu, they have their reward in full. Matt. 6:6 But yu, when yu pray, g int yur inner rm, clse yur dr and pray t yur Father wh is in secret, and yur Father wh sees what is dne in secret will reward yu. The purpse in such displays was t creating an impressin amng the peple that satisfying Gd s demands was nearly impssible fr the average Jew That the effrt required t secure the Kingdm was enrmus and few beynd the Pharisees were capable f making the grade But f curse, these men were self-deceived in thinking themselves righteus, fr they weren t even clse t meeting the standard Gd requires, as Jesus said Matt. 5:20 Fr I say t yu that unless yur righteusness surpasses that f the scribes and Pharisees, yu will nt enter the kingdm f heaven. And that s hw a Pharisee s gained pwer ver the peple: they prtrayed themselves as nes held the keys t Heaven fr the rdinary, hapless, sinful Jew When the average Jew saw the difficulty f fllwing in the Pharisees ftsteps, they wuld seek sme ther slutin They wuld cme t their rabbi, the Pharisee, seeking a slutin fr hw t be assured entrance int the Kingdm And the Pharisee wuld ffer new burdens, rules r requirements fr the Jew t adpt in return fr increased ptential t be judged wrthy fr the Kingdm Naturally, the appreciative Jew was expected t reward the Pharisee fr their advice and spiritual wisdm This is a scam as ld as religin itself, and the Pharisee played the game as well as anyne ever has By exhibiting themselves as guardians t the gates f Heaven, the Pharisees gained bth the praises and wealth f men 2014 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

6 Jhn 3A 6 f 24 Cnsider sme f Jesus cmments cncerning the Pharisees: Luke 16:14 Nw the Pharisees, wh were lvers f mney, were listening t all these things and were scffing at Him. Luke 16:15 And He said t them, Yu are thse wh justify yurselves in the sight f men, but Gd knws yur hearts; fr that which is highly esteemed amng men is detestable in the sight f Gd. Matt. 23:1 Then Jesus spke t the crwds and t His disciples, Matt. 23:2 saying: The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair f Mses; Matt. 23:3 therefre all that they tell yu, d and bserve, but d nt d accrding t their deeds; fr they say things and d nt d them. Matt. 23:4 They tie up heavy burdens and lay them n men s shulders, but they themselves are unwilling t mve them with s much as a finger. Matt. 23:5 But they d all their deeds t be nticed by men; fr they braden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels f their garments. Matt. 23:6 They lve the place f hnr at banquets and the chief seats in the synaggues, Matt. 23:7 and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men. S with that backgrund, let s lk at the cnversatin between this Pharisee and Jesus Jhn 3:2 this man came t Jesus by night and said t Him, Rabbi, we knw that Yu have cme frm Gd as a teacher; fr n ne can d these signs that Yu d unless Gd is with him. Jhn 3:3 Jesus answered and said t him, Truly, truly, I say t yu, unless ne is brn again he cannt see the kingdm f Gd. The name Nicdemus literally means a victry ver peple r victry fr the peple It s irnically prphetic when yu cnsider that Jesus delivered a victry fr the cmmn man ver the tyranny f Pharisees He decides t cme t Jesus by night, which tells us he was hping fr a private mment utside the watchful eyes f his fellw Pharisees His desire fr secrecy is ur first indicatin that Nicdemus isn t yur rdinary Pharisee 2014 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

7 Jhn 3A 7 f 24 His interest in Jesus is very persnal and sincere Als, cming t visit Jesus in darkness als reminds us f Jhn s metaphr fr spiritual blindness As he speaks, Nicdemus gives Jesus respect and cnsideratin frm the start He calls Jesus rabbi and cnfesses that we knw Yu have cme frm Gd because f the signs Jesus has dne Teacher was a respectful term, but it falls shrt f acknwledging Jesus as Messiah And the use f we wuld refer t the rest f the Pharisees in the Sanhedrin Apparently, the Sanhedrin had cncluded that Jesus was ding miracles by the pwer f Gd The irny f curse is that thugh the religius leaders culd see the pwer f Gd at wrk in Jesus, they rejected His claims As we said last week, this is ne f the central themes in Jhn s Gspel: explaining the respnse f unbeliever t the Gspel The acceptance f the Gspel is a matter f supernatural faith and it isn t dependent n miracles r signs Hearts in darkness will reject the Light f the Gspel even when it s accmpanied by self-evidently evidence f Gd Jhn revisits this pint later in this chapter In respnse t Nicdemus plite pening statement, Jesus abruptly jumps int the heart f what s n Nicdemus mind: a cnversatin n entering the Kingdm Jesus knew that this man, wh claimed t hld answer t entering Heaven He knew Nicdemus wanted t hear Gd s answer t the questin, Hw des ne enter the Kingdm f Gd? But befre he culd even ask the questin, Jesus gives the answer 2014 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

8 Jhn 3A 8 f 24 Jesus tells this man that the true way a man enters the Kingdm f Gd, r we culd say being saved, is t be brn again The term brn again lng ag became part f the Christian lexicn, such that mst true believers knw and understand it It describes the mment when we receive a new living spirit, at the mment f faith in Christ Made pssible by the wrk f the Hly Spirit We might assume that this phrase wuld be cmpletely unknwn t a Jew living at this time and that Jesus chice f wrds wuld have been entirely cnfusing And t an extent that s true, as evidenced by Nicdemus respnse But it s nt because Nicdemus had never previusly heard the term brn again It s because Pharisees had cntrived their wn understanding f that term as part f their twisted thelgy Lk at Nicdemus respnse: Jhn 3:4 Nicdemus said t Him, Hw can a man be brn when he is ld? He cannt enter a secnd time int his mther s wmb and be brn, can he? Jhn 3:5 Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say t yu, unless ne is brn f water and the Spirit he cannt enter int the kingdm f Gd. Jhn 3:6 That which is brn f the flesh is flesh, and that which is brn f the Spirit is spirit. Jhn 3:7 D nt be amazed that I said t yu, Yu must be brn again. Jhn 3:8 The wind blws where it wishes and yu hear the sund f it, but d nt knw where it cmes frm and where it is ging; s is everyne wh is brn f the Spirit. Nicdemus asks hw can smene be brn when he is ld? He desn t ask hw can smene be brn again, but rather hw can smene be brn again when they are nw grwn ld This questin reflects the Pharisaical teaching n being brn again Pharisees taught there were six ways that a man culd experience a rebirth in life 2014 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

9 Jhn 3A 9 f 24 Much like the Cathlic teaching n sacraments, the Pharisees taught these six mments were imprtant mments f spiritual transfrmatin during ur life Nt all men culd experience all six mments, but prgressing thrugh them was a jurney f spiritual advancement Fr example, when a Jewish by had his bar mitzvah, r when he gt married r when he became a rabbi, in each instance he was said t be brn again As in his life began again in a new and better way Like sacraments, it suggested a wrk that mved the persn clser t Gd Nicdemus hears Jesus telling him he still lacks a necessary step f rebirth befre he can be assured f salvatin But t a Pharisee, this statement makes n sense If there was every smene wh culd be said t meet the requirements f being brn again, it wuld be a Pharisee A Pharisee wuld have met mst every rebirth tllgate But nw Jesus is saying there s mre required Nicdemus can t believe what s he s hearing, s he respnds in a smewhat mcking tne asking Jesus hw it s pssible t re-enter a mther s wmb Since Nicdemus has met every type f rebirth taught by the Pharisees, he can t imagine any ther rebirth pssible except t take Jesus literally And f curse there is n pssible way t be brn again physically S that s the thught that Jesus seizes upn t respnd t Nicdemus Jesus says ne must be brn f bth water and spirit if they are t enter the Kingdm f Gd T be brn by water is a Jewish expressin that means t be brn physically It s a reference t the amnitic fluid breaking at birth 2014 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

10 Jhn 3A 10 f 24 Obviusly, n ne is ging t enter Heaven unless they ve first been brn int existence But Jesus includes this bvius prerequisite as a respnse t Nicdemus mcking abut climbing int a wmb He says there is a birth that is physical (r flesh) and ne that is spiritual and bth are necessary t enter the Kingdm In the way Jesus phrases His respnse, we can clearly see that these tw births d nt happen in the same mment If every physical birth included a spiritual birth, then there wuld be n reasn t call them ut separately Jesus is emphasizing that a secnd kind f birth, ne that cmes after ur physical birth, must happen t us Jesus chice f birth as a metaphr is telling, because it teaches us abut the manner f ur salvatin: being brn agin is similar t being brn physically Cnsider the prcess f physical birth Our physical birth is an event that happened t us because f a decisin made by ur parents - we dn t chse t be brn And when the time came fr ur birth, we were blivius t everything - it just happened t us We tk ur first breath and may have cried But thse were ur respnses t being birthed And in the first weeks and mnths after ur birth, we lacked the maturity t appreciate what life was abut But then ur awareness began t grw and ver time we gt t knw ur parents and came t understd the significance f life This is the mdel Jesus chse t explain spiritual renewal: we were brn again spiritually That birth came t us by the will and pwer f Gd When it happened, we were blivius t Gd, ur Father 2014 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

11 Jhn 3A 11 f 24 Even after ur new birth, we lacked the maturity t understand it prperly But ver time, we gained in spiritual maturity as we are taught by Gd s wrd, Until we develp the capacity t appreciate ur new life That s the pint Jesus is making t Nicdemus In cntrast t the Pharisaical teaching that said men culd effect their wn rebirth thrugh certain wrks, Jesus says it nly happens by the wrk f Gd by His Spirit Nicdemus is hearing Jesus wrds, and he understands what Jesus is saying at sme level, but yet he s amazed Wh has ever experienced such a thing? When has such a thing ever happened t a man? In v.7 Jesus tells the man nt t be amazed by this cncept Jhn 3:8 The wind blws where it wishes and yu hear the sund f it, but d nt knw where it cmes frm and where it is ging; s is everyne wh is brn f the Spirit. Nicdemus was amazed at the prspect f the Spirit f Gd mving amng men granting rebirth yet undetected by Israel s religius leaders In Pharisaical thinking, rebirth was a prcess f wrks, like the sacraments f the Cathlic thelgy It was smething tangible Smething that men culd see, understand and achieve But Jesus was speaking f a spiritual rebirth accmplished by the Spirit f Gd Himself If such rebirth was the nly way t enter Kingdm, then surely it wuld be happening all arund Israel Certainly, Nicdemus and ther religius leaders wuld have seen it if nt experienced it themselves But n ne had seen a spiritual rebirth, r s Nicdemus must have thught 2014 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

12 Jhn 3A 12 f 24 S Jesus ffers a shrt parable t explain hw smething s critical t eternal life culd be s invisible t a religius leader like Nicdemus Jesus cmpares the Spirit s regenerative wrk t the wind blwing The wind blws as it will under Gd s directin, but we cannt see it at wrk Wind is invisible We nly sense it by the frce it exerts r the sund it makes S it is fr everyne brn f the Spirit We can t see the mment f a spiritual rebirth, since it s an invisible prcess And we dn t knw where the Spirit is ging next in His missin t bring men t faith, since thse He chses t regenerate are nt annunced in advance But that desn t mean we can t detect the Spirit at wrk Just as the wind makes sund as it passes by, s we can recgnize the Spirit s spiritual regeneratin taking place in the hearts f men and wmen We can see men and wmen brught t repentance We can hear the resulting cnfessins f faith and see water baptisms We witness lives, lifestyles & pririties changing as sin is set aside We see the spiritual fruit f the Spirit wrking in believer s lives In all these ways, we recgnize a spiritual rebirth At this pint, Nicdemus is starting t get the pint, s he asks the questin that every persn shuld ask: Jhn 3:9 Nicdemus said t Him, Hw can these things be? Jhn 3:10 Jesus answered and said t him, Are yu the teacher f Israel and d nt understand these things? Jhn 3:11 Truly, truly, I say t yu, we speak f what we knw and testify f what we have seen, and yu d nt accept ur testimny. Jhn 3:12 If I tld yu earthly things and yu d nt believe, hw will yu believe if I tell yu heavenly things? 2014 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

13 Jhn 3A 13 f 24 Nicdemus asks hw can these things be, meaning hw d these things happen? Nicdemus wants t knw hw a persn can be brn again by the Spirit? What set f circumstances lead t this wnderful utcme? What are the steps required t enter the Kingdm This is the right and prper questin fr him t ask In fact, this is questin every persn shuld ask Every human being shuld be literally bsessed with finding that answer in every day they spend n earth Fr there can be n higher purpse in ur earthly lives than t answer the questin what cmes after death As Christians, we ften lament the fact that s many peple latch nt the wrng answer t that questin, falling victim t false religins But we shuld lament all the mre the fact that s few peple even think t ask the questin at all! Nicdemus asked it, and because he did, nw it s Jesus turn t be amazed Jesus asks hw can a man wh is a teacher f Israel nt knw hw smene enters the Kingdm f Heaven? Is there n mre basic questin than this in all religin? Yet here s a man wh suppsedly leads thers int finding Heaven asking Jesus hw a man can enter the Kingdm Yu need n further evidence f hw far Israel was frm understanding their wn scriptures than this man s testimny But we shuldn t be surprised t discver that teachers will smetimes be as ignrant as their students They claim t knw hw t find Gd when they themselves are far frm Gd The Pharisees were just ne grup in a lng line f wlves in sheep s clthing 2014 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

14 Jhn 3A 14 f 24 And these men still perate in the church tday Dn t ever assume because smene is a pastr r elder r Bible teacher that they will have the right answers t central questins f faith In fact, dn t be t quick t assume they even knw the Lrd themselves Instead, lk fr evidence f the Spirit in their lives As Jesus says: Matt. 7:15 Beware f the false prphets, wh cme t yu in sheep s clthing, but inwardly are ravenus wlves. Matt. 7:16 Yu will knw them by their fruits. Grapes are nt gathered frm thrn bushes nr figs frm thistles, are they? Matt. 7:17 S every gd tree bears gd fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. Matt. 7:18 A gd tree cannt prduce bad fruit, nr can a bad tree prduce gd fruit. In vs.11-12, Jesus explains why Nicdemus has fund himself in his predicament f ignrance Jesus says we have spken f what we knw and what we have seen, but yu d nt accept ur testimny Wh is we? It culd be a reference t the Trinity, that is Jesus and the Spirit have been testifying t this truth But I think Jesus is referring t Himself and Mses, because f what cmes next in the narrative Jesus is referencing the teaching f Mses, the authr f the Trah, which the Pharisees memrized and studied t n end Mses taught the way f salvatin and fretld f a cming Messiah Wh wuld bring men int the Kingdm Mses testified f what he saw and Jesus is nw fulfilling what Mses wrte Yet the Pharisees have nt believed what was given them in Gd s wrd Of curse, the wrds f Mses were given by Jesus Himself, since He is the wrd f Gd 2014 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

15 Jhn 3A 15 f 24 S Jesus asks if the Nicdemus wasn t willing t accept the wrds and signs given already, why wuld he accept even greater revelatin? Nicdemus was lking past the wrd f Gd, which had been given t Israel s they culd recgnize their Messiah He was asking fr special, divine revelatin cncerning entering Heaven Which is why Jesus asks Nicdemus hw he expects t receive greater, heavenly knwledge if he hasn t accepted the earthly knwledge already made available t him S it is with men everywhere They want smething special and unique revealed t them, when all they need has already been given thrugh the scriptures As Paul says, Jews seek fr a sign and Greeks seek fr wisdm But Gd has hidden the message f salvatin in a flish message It s flish t the natural ear It sunds crazy when we hear that the way int Heaven is by placing yur trust in a cnvicted criminal Wh was executed 2,000 years ag Nicdemus is stumbling in the same way that men stumble tday He is verlking what has been prvided while seeking smething greater And s Jesus asks him hw he expected t gain anything frm Heavenly revelatin when he hadn t made use f what Gd already prvided in Earthly revelatin In cmpassin, Jesus gives Nicdemus an answer t his questin, the answer t hw a persn may be brn again And what fllws in chapter 3 includes what is easily the best knwn verse f the New Testament, Jhn 3:16 As elquent as it is at expressing the essence f the Gspel, let s cnsider the whle f Jesus answer and avid fcusing n just ne verse 2014 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

16 Jhn 3A 16 f 24 Jhn 3:13 N ne has ascended int heaven, but He wh descended frm heaven: the Sn f Man. Jhn 3:14 As Mses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even s must the Sn f Man be lifted up; Jhn 3:15 s that whever believes will in Him have eternal life. Jhn 3:16 Fr Gd s lved the wrld, that He gave His nly begtten Sn, that whever believes in Him shall nt perish, but have eternal life. Jhn 3:17 Fr Gd did nt send the Sn int the wrld t judge the wrld, but that the wrld might be saved thrugh Him. Jhn 3:18 He wh believes in Him is nt judged; he wh des nt believe has been judged already, because he has nt believed in the name f the nly begtten Sn f Gd. Jhn 3:19 This is the judgment, that the Light has cme int the wrld, and men lved the darkness rather than the Light, fr their deeds were evil. Jhn 3:20 Fr everyne wh des evil hates the Light, and des nt cme t the Light fr fear that his deeds will be expsed. Jhn 3:21 But he wh practices the truth cmes t the Light, s that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrught in Gd. In answer t Nicdemus questin, Jesus says there are tw parts t reaching Heaven, and bth are ultimately the prduct f Gd s wrk The first is step is the Sn f Man descending frm Heaven Christ s descent frm Heaven was a fulfillment f what Mses demnstrated in Numbers 21 When Israel demnstrated unbelief in Gd s wrd, the Lrd brught a judgment f snakes r serpents t kill the peple The image f a serpent is a reminder that all sin traces back t the serpent in the Garden The Israelites had sinned in unbelief, and nw they were dying at the hands f the serpent But then Mses placed a brnze serpent n a ple and held it up high And he instructed the peple that if they lked upn the brnze serpent in faith that Gd wuld heal them, they wuld nt die And thse in the camp wh lked upn the ple with faith in Gd s prmise were saved frm the snakes 2014 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

17 Jhn 3A 17 f 24 Nw Jesus explains that this mment in Numbers 21 was a carefully cnstructed picture f Jesus Christ dying n the crss fr the sins f men The metal brnze always represents judgment in the scriptures And the serpent represents the pwer f the enemy t bring death t men And the raising up f the serpent f brnze symblized Jesus taking the judgment fr men, the judgment required by sin And He takes that judgment while being raising up n a wden ple r crss This is the first step f being brn again and entering the Kingdm Until and unless the Lrd descended and tk this penalty upn Himself, there was n slutin pssible Faith in this sacrifice is a requirement fr salvatin, and s the first step f being brn again is in knwing wh t lk upn At this pint, Christ has nly just begin His ministry And yet He s already describing the need t be lifted up n a ple, which is a clear reference t His crucifixin Salvatin depended n Jesus dying in ur place Secndly, a persn must believe in Jesus death n that ple Just as the peple in Israel had t lk upn the ple with the serpent, s much we lk upn Jesus death with cnfidence that it satisfies the wrath f Gd Jesus says that whsever believes in the Messiah will have eternal life Belief means belief that His death saves us frm judgment Just as the peple in the desert had t lk upn the serpent t express their belief in Gd s prmise t spare them Jesus then summarizes these tw parts t the plan f salvatin in v.16, and then amplifies each parts in mre detail in vs In v.16, Jesus says the plan f salvatin begins with the lve f Gd 2014 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

18 Jhn 3A 18 f 24 The wrd fr lve is agape, which means self-sacrificial lve Giving a life fr anther There is n greater evidence f lve than that a persn lay dwn His life fr His friends Which is what Gd vluntarily did in the Persn f Christ Dn t frget that Jesus didn t participate in this plan against His will The Sn and the Father determined tgether t accmplish this plan frm the fundatin f the Earth Eph. 1:3 Blessed be the Gd and Father f ur Lrd Jesus Christ, wh has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, Eph. 1:4 just as He chse us in Him befre the fundatin f the wrld, that we wuld be hly and blameless befre Him. In lve Eph. 1:5 He predestined us t adptin as sns thrugh Jesus Christ t Himself, accrding t the kind intentin f His will, Eph. 1:6 t the praise f the glry f His grace, which He freely bestwed n us in the Belved. Since Jesus was the Creatr, we can say that Jesus created the wrld knwing He wuld then have t die t save it And He still went thrugh with it This is the purest definitin f Lve Gd s lve is fr the wrld, which is the wrd ksms in Greek, which refers t the created universe, t all Creatin It is nt a specific reference t the ppulatin f the earth, althugh it includes humanity f curse The full sense is that Gd s lved His Creatin that He was willing t send His Sn t die t redeem it frm sin Yu can see this truth reflected in Paul s teaching n Christ as ur redeemer f Creatin Cl. 1:19 Fr it was the Father s gd pleasure fr all the fullness t dwell in Him, Cl. 1:20 and thrugh Him t recncile all things t Himself, having made peace thrugh the bld f His crss; thrugh Him, I say, whether things n earth r things in heaven Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

19 Jhn 3A 19 f 24 Jesus redeems all Creatin fr the Father, including thse men and wmen wh believe His payment n the crss redeemed the Creatin frm Satan, sin and the curse It s imprtant t understand that Jhn is nt saying that Gd lved all mankind and sent the Sn t die fr all mankind Self-evidently, nt all mankind are saved, s nt all mankind will be redeemed r lved by Gd This fact alne means that we cannt interpret the wrd wrld t mean all peple We must understand it accrding t it s literal meaning, which is as a reference t Creatin generally Including thse wh place their faith in Christ But then fr that sacrifice f lve t be effective in the life f a particular persn, he r she must believe in Jesus as their Savir At the mment f belief in the Messiah, Christ s sacrifice becmes effective in a persn s life They believe and and receive eternal life This is the secnd part f the answer t Nicdemus questin What must happen fr a man t be brn again? The Redeemer must be lifted up n a crss t take the penalty fr ur sins And a persn must believe in that sacrifice s they can be cvered by Gd s prvisin In vs.17-18, Jesus cmments n each f these steps in mre detail In v.17 He says that the Sn s arrival n earth was nt t bring judgment against sin He came expressly fr the purpse t die fr the sins f the wrld And thrugh that death the wrld might be saved thrugh Him Jesus wrds remind us that Gd culd have had a different plan in respnse t the sin f mankind 2014 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

20 Jhn 3A 20 f 24 Instead f sending Jesus t die fr ur sins, the Father culd have sent His Sn t judge the wrld the first time His judgment wuld have been justified and warranted Sin demands judgment, and there was nthing requiring the Lrd t spare us that judgment Instead, the Father sent Jesus n a missin t take that penalty n ur behalf S His arrival was fr a missin f mercy and grace But the Bible als recrds that Jesus returns a secnd time in the near future When that day cmes, Jesus will have a different missin The missin f mercy has already been accmplished in His first cming S His secnd cming will be ne f judgment, as depicted in Revelatin 19 and 20 Ntice in v.18 Jesus says that thse wh believe are nt judged Jesus is cnfirming that there is a judgment cming ne day The fact that Jesus didn t cme t judge in His first cming desn t mean that there isn t a judgment And yet when yu place yur trust in Jesus Christ, yu change yur future Yu will nt be subject t the cming judgment fr sin, because yur judgment fell upn Christ Even thugh that judgement day lies in the future, fr the believer it s been cancelled And then Jesus says that fr the ne wh has nt believed, his judgment has already happened because he rejected the nly slutin There is n secnd slutin Once yu reject the Sn f Gd, yu assure yurself a seat at the cming judgment mment And when that judgment cmes, it will be certain and final 2014 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

21 Jhn 3A 21 f 24 S in that sense the unbeliever has been judged already But then Jesus ges further in explaining hw that judgment came t men already In v.19 Jesus says that when the Light came int the wrld, it revealed wh was judged and wh was nt Thse wh lved the darkness rather than lving Christ, the Light are thse wh have been judged already They rejected the Light because they lved evil and didn t want their evil deeds expsed by the Light f the truth This is the cmmn experience f unbelievers Befre faith, we all live in immrality and sin, fr that s all we knw And the prspect f appraching Gd hlds n appeal, because we knw instinctively it will require an expsing f sin As Jesus says at the beginning f v.20, everyne wh des evil hates the Light, that is Christ Because the Light f the truth will expse the sin f ur lives Every unbeliever is set against Christ by nature This is why Paul says in Rmans 3 that nne seek Gd by nature Rm. 3:10 as it is written, THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; Rm. 3:11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; Rm. 3:12 ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE. S what causes any man r wman t make that trip int the Light? We all have evil in ur hearts We all have lived in sin S why d sme chse the Light instead f preferring darkness? 2014 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

22 Jhn 3A 22 f 24 Remember I said that bth parts f plan f salvatin are steps dne by Gd? Well, Jesus nw explains hw Gd is respnsible fr bth the wrk n the crss but als fr the wrk f belief in the heart In v.21 Jesus says it s the ne wh practices the truth cmes t the Light Smene wh practices the truth refers t smene whse heart has already been brught int agreement with the truth Jhn cmmnly speaks f practicing righteusness and practicing unrighteusness as ways f describing believers and unbelievers 1Jhn 1:6 If we say that we have fellwship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and d nt practice the truth; 1Jhn 2:29 If yu knw that He is righteus, yu knw that everyne als wh practices righteusness is brn f Him. 1Jhn 3:7 Little children, make sure n ne deceives yu; the ne wh practices righteusness is righteus, just as He is righteus; 1Jhn 3:10 By this the children f Gd and the children f the devil are bvius: anyne wh des nt practice righteusness is nt f Gd, nr the ne wh des nt lve his brther. S the ne wh practices the truth wuld be smene wh is righteus by faith That persn will cme t the Light Which makes sense, because if a persn has cme t be righteus by faith in Messiah, then they have nthing t fear in cming t the Light Their sins have been frgiven by faith, s the Light is n lnger a threat t them But the dd thing abut Jesus statement is the rder in which Jesus places these cnditins 2014 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

23 Jhn 3A 23 f 24 He says that thse wh practicing the truth are thse wh cme t the Light We might have expected Him t say that thse wh cme t the Light will becme thse wh practice the truth The rder seems backward Isn t it ur cming t faith in Christ that brings us int a walk f truth? Jesus has established a cnundrum in these verses He said that thse wh are in the darkness will always avid the Light The Light f Christ will expse the evil deeds f the unbeliever S the unbeliever will always avid the Light But then Jesus said that the salvatin Gd ffers thrugh spiritual rebirth requires that a persn believe in the Messiah S hw can a persn cme t knw Jesus as Messiah s as t believe and receive eternal life if every unbeliever hates the Light And hw can smene becme the persn wh practices the truth befre they cme t the Light? Jesus reslves the cnundrum in the secnd half f v.21 Peple are brught int the Light by the pwer f Gd Ntice that Jesus says the deeds f this persn are wrught by Gd The deeds Jesus is talking abut are the deeds f walking in truth Mving frm a life f unbelief and evil deeds is transfrmed int a life f faith accrding t the truth by the wrk f Gd The wrd fr wrught simply means accmplished by Gd The wrk t bring a persn int the Light s that they might believe and be saved is a wrk dne by Gd S nt nly des Gd descend t die in ur place But He is als the ne Wh transfrms us spiritually, by His Spirit 2014 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

24 Jhn 3A 24 f 24 And by that transfrmatin, we are then able t cme t the Light And that entire prcess is wrught r accmplished by Gd n ur behalf This is the true definitin f grace This ends the discussin with Nicdemus Summarizing this discussin, we learned abut the manner f ur salvatin It s a prcess f spiritual rebirth, nt ne f human wrks It s accmplished in the heart by the invisible wrk f the Spirit It brings men int a walk f truth, s that they may cme t the Light And in the Light they cme t belief in the Messiah s death n their behalf Just as Mses prphesied That a prvisin frm Gd wuld be lifted up n a crss S that all wh believe in that sacrifice wuld be saved And this Pharisee believed in this prvisin, having heard it explained by Christ Himself He s a man wh was teaching men the wrng way t enter the Kingdm And n this day, he came t understand it truly fr the first time 2014 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.