JOHN CHAPTER 3

John Chapter 3 – Lesson 1

 Covert Meeting with Nicodemus

John chapter 3 is both apologetic and evangelistic. In it, John proclaims and defends the deity of Christ, that He is the Son of God. He also clearly presents the way of salvation through God’s gift of His only begotten Son. The story of the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus continues the theme at the end of chapter two that Jesus can see into the hearts of men.

John 3:1 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council.

The Pharisees were Jewish “Puritans” who meticulously observed the letter of the Mosaic law along with a host of traditions they had added to it. However, they often missed the heart, the spiritual intention, of the Law. Jesus called them out on this:

Matthew 23:23 (NIV) “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

According to the MacArthur Bible Commentary the Pharisees were comprised of mostly middle-class businessmen rather than priests and Levites. I had always pictured them as rich men. The common people revered them because their outward appearance seemed to indicate they were devout. However, Jesus at one point described them as “whitewashed tombs.” OUCH!

Matthew 23:27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.

Nicodemus was not only a Pharisee but a “ruler of the Jews” which means he was a member of the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin was comprised of the High Priest, the chief priests, the elders, and some scribes for a total of seventy-one people. Nicodemus must have been an elder, head of a family since he was neither a priest nor a Scribe. The Sanhedrin was the supreme court of the Jews in Palestine, but they had to defer to the Roman authority in matters of capital punishment which we will see later as Jesus is brought before Pilate, the Procurator. Nicodemus was a member of this prestigious group. 

John 3:2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

Nicodemus approached Jesus under the umbrella of darkness because he did not want any of the other Pharisees to know of his inquiry of Jesus. Nicodemus must have been talking about Jesus to other Pharisees whether they were willing to admit it or not because he says, “We know that you are a teacher who has come from God.” He acknowledges that the power to perform the miracles Jesus had done must have come from God. Yet, at this time, he still could not bring himself to admit that Jesus could be God’s Son. As we will see later, most of the Pharisees did not even give Jesus a chance. But Nicodemus wanted to look into His eyes, talk with Him face to face, and see exactly what He was about. You know the honesty or deceit of a man by looking into His eyes.

John 3:3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

Jesus’ statement about being born again was shocking because Nicodemus would have been confident he would see the kingdom of God because of his righteousness in adhering to the Law and his Jewish lineage. Jesus was saying this heritage and personal righteousness was not enough. The other reason it is hard for Nicodemus to digest is that he is taking it literally! Because he did take it literally, it made his brain go tilt, tilt, tilt!

John 3:4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

Nicodemus pictures a grown man somehow going back into the womb to be “born again.” As we will see, this is not what Jesus meant at all. The phrase “born again” can literally be translated “born from above.” Jesus endeavors to explain this distinction in the next few verses.

John 3:5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

Since Nicodemus is obviously thinking of natural, physical birth, Jesus contrasts this with spiritual rebirth. He compares the Spirit with the wind. We do not see the wind, but we feel and see its effects. So Jesus is declaring to Nicodemus that he must receive transformation by the power of the Holy Spirit. We do not see the actual transaction of the Holy Spirit entering a life, but like the wind, we see the effect this has on the person’s attitudes and behaviors. We see the fruit of the Spirit in a consecrated life. Jesus is explaining that our own self-righteousness can never be good enough. We must be transformed by the power of the Lord through faith in order to approach a Holy God.

John 3:9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

Old Nicodemus still doesn’t get it. Even though he now knows it is not a second physical birth, he still cannot figure out how this new birth transpires. Where he goes wrong is trying to reason everything out. It is all an intellectual process for him. He is not using eyes of faith. Of course, I guess we should cut Nick some slack since Jesus had not yet died and been resurrected. Also, his wheelhouse is dissecting the Law for proper interpretation, but he misses the core of the Law which is love for God and people. The Pharisees sat in judgment upon the people but did nothing to lift them up.

Luke 11:46 (NIV) Jesus replied, “And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.

John 3:10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things?

Nicodemus was a teacher of teachers. He was a respected authority among the Jews. The Pharisees were so focused on the external obedience they could not see the need for inward transformation. If you do not know the reason for the ritual, it is of no effect. The rituals of the Jews should have been an act of obedience based on their relationship to God, not an occasion to say, “I’m holier than you.” I am reminded of a song that was instrumental in my realizing I was a “good girl” but did not know Jesus at all. The lyric was “Empty eyes stare from empty sockets; frozen lips form frozen words. Masks that hide faceless people, acting roles with lines unheard. Row on row we march in order, mouthing hymns and reading prayers.” Pharisees demonstrated all the outward appearance of serving the Lord but needed an operation of the heart that only the Holy Spirit could perform. The Apostle Paul explained this quite well:

Romans 2:29 No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.

Q – Has God revealed a need for inward change in your own life? Have you been checking off all the expected boxes for “Christian” behavior rather than submitting to having the Holy Spirit change your heart? In tomorrow’s lesson, Jesus will explain to Nicodemus exactly how this change occurs.

John Chapter 3 – Lesson 2

Jesus Must be Lifted Up – Eternal Life Through the Son of God

John 3:11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?

The MacArthur Bible Commentary:

John 3:11-12 “Jesus focused on the idea that unbelief is the cause of ignorance. At heart, Nicodemus’ failure to understand Jesus’ words centered not so much in his intellect, but in his failure to believe Jesus’ witness.”

As we have stated before, Nicodemus is trying to analyze everything intellectually rather than just believing Jesus at face value. He was missing the faith factor. For example: I am fully convinced that Jesus is our healer in every sense of the word, but healing of my cerebral palsy has not been physically manifested in my body. However, I know that I have been healed in the most important manner, the healing of my heart. I have faith that I will be completely, physically healed when I am with the Lord if not before. What an exciting day that will be! However, I am blessed and privileged beyond measure that every day that I wake up I have the honor and pleasure of being the Lord’s mouthpiece to share His word and truth around the world.  Jesus was explaining that “birth from above” was transacted by God’s grace through faith and was not something to be achieved by man’s own power. Self-effort will not and cannot get you to Heaven, in God’s presence eternally. No matter how hard I might try, I cannot in my own strength be good enough to merit a relationship with the perfect, almighty God.

John 3:13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.

Jesus is the One sent from God to provide the way for us to enter Heaven. He is the only one who was in Heaven and came down to earth to reveal truth to us. Paul stated that man was not permitted to speak of such things when recording his vision of being caught up into Heaven (2 Corinthians 12:1-4). After Jesus ascended back to Heaven, the Apostle John was allowed to write the Revelation given to him of Heaven, but this was after the time that Jesus was speaking to Nicodemus. Of course, one has to be listening with ears of faith to understand that Jesus is the Son of God and also the Son of Man.

14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

Reformation Study Bible

3:14 Moses. Num. 21:4–9 records the story of the rebellious Israelites, who murmured and complained. God sent fiery serpents into their midst to punish them. Then God told Moses to put a bronze serpent on a pole, with the promise that whoever looked at it would live.

must . . . be lifted up. Here is a key term in this Gospel (8:28; 12:32, 34) which carries the double meaning of crucifixion and exaltation. Christ’s death on the cross, His resurrection, and His glorification together reveal the glory of God. The word “must” points to God’s sovereign purpose. The crucifixion was the keystone of God’s eternal plan to save His people (Acts 4:27, 28).

Jesus’ crucifixion was not some cosmic tragedy but was God’s plan for salvation all along. When Jesus says He must be “lifted up,” the phrase has a layered meaning. It refers to Jesus’ ultimate suffering of being displayed naked on the cross for all to see, the worst humiliation for a Jew since Deuteronomy 21:23 says that one who is hanged on a tree is “accursed of God.” The second layer of the term “lifted up” is that Jesus must be exalted. He must be recognized as fully equal with God and given all the glory due Him.

Webster’s 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language:

EXALT'ED, pp. Raised to a lofty height; elevated; honored with office or rank; extolled; magnified; refined; dignified; sublime.

Philippians 2:8-11 (ESV) 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Now for the verse you memorized in Sunday School when you were a wee lass or lad. That is, if you lived in Scotland. My heritage is coming out.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Let’s take a look at this extremely familiar verse (probably the one most likely to be committed to memory) in the Amplified version:

John 3:16 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.

The world in this instance means all kinds of people in the world, Jews and Gentiles, from all over the world, living under the fallen “world system.” In other words, sinners of all kinds. God gave His “only begotten Son.” We as Christians are adopted into God’s family, but Jesus was actually God’s Son born of the virgin Mary, conceived in her by the Holy Spirit. Believing in Jesus is much more than intellectually acknowledging His existence. It is a complete understanding that we must lean into, depend upon, Jesus for all that we are, all that we have, and all that we ever will be.  It is a total surrender of our lives to His care by faith that He is the only way to the Father as we will see Him clarify in John chapter 14.

John 15:5 (ESV) I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Jesus is the source and sustainer of our lives both now and forever when we trust in Him.

John 3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

Reformation Study Bible:

Jesus comes into a world that is already condemned because of its rejection of God’s self-revelation (Rom. 1:18–32).

Jesus did not come to condemn the world because it was already condemned due to rejecting God’s revelation in nature and perpetually giving in to the sin nature within them. The point is that He came to bring them the only offer of salvation they would receive from God. Jesus’ purpose was not to condemn but to redeem. To redeem is to buy back as from slavery. We were slaves to sin. The price of our redemption was His death on the cross. God was willing to give His pride and joy to redeem those unworthy of His love in order to adopt them into His forever family to enjoy His presence eternally. Believing in the saving power of Jesus transforms us from hopeless sinners into precious saints, something we could never do on our own.

John 3:19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

According to Webster, one definition of verdict is “Decision; judgment; opinion pronounced; as, to be condemned by the verdict of the public.” We love to think of Jesus as the One who saves the world, but He is also the only one qualified to pronounce a verdict on its sin since He Himself was sinless. Jesus is the One who shines a light on the true motives of people. He did not come to actively condemn people because they had already condemned themselves due to their unbelief and actions. He puts a spotlight on our hearts which will enable those who believe to see their true condition and their need of Jesus to rescue them from it. Those who do not believe and trust in the saving grace of Jesus’ death on the cross in their place fear self-disclosure and especially the exposure of the Light of Christ. In contrast, those who have surrendered their lives to Jesus, have no reason to fear because Jesus has paid the price in full for their wrongdoing. Substitutionary atonement is a big word for Jesus died in their place to pay their debt. When God looks at those of us who believe, He does not see our thick file of bad stuff, but instead sees the righteousness of His Son.

Philippians 3:9 (NIV) …and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

“What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus!” This old hymn says it well. Jesus is the only One who can enable us to stand in the light without fear.

Q – Does the Light of Jesus make you feel naked and exposed? Jesus died literally naked on the cross to save you from the wrath of God and remove that guilt and shame from you. Have you accepted His free gift of salvation? If so, you are covered in His righteousness and enabled by Him to turn from sin to an intimate relationship with the God who created everything!

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John Chapter 3 – Lesson 3

John the Baptist, “He must increase, but I must decrease”

John 3:22 After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized.

Jesus had spoken with Nicodemus in Jerusalem which was in Judea, but this indicates Jesus and his disciples had moved into a more rural area. They left the city to minister in the country. Jesus could not individually invest in the masses, so He particularly chose these twelve disciples (students, learners) to pour Himself into them and teach what the Father had instructed Him. According to John 4:2, Jesus did not baptize people Himself but entrusted that work to His disciples.

John 3:23 Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptized. 24 (This was before John was put in prison.)

Aenon (translated springs) near Salim was close to Samaria. Even though John the Baptist points to Jesus as his superior, people still seek out John to be baptized. This appears to be after the baptism and temptation of Christ but before John’s imprisonment by Herod Antipas. Herod would eventually have John beheaded at the request of his wife’s daughter as a reward for her dancing before him. He unwisely swore an oath in front of his guests to give her what she asked. Of course, her mother was the one who told her to ask for John’s head on a platter because he had preached against her adulterous relationship with Herod Antipas as she was originally married to his brother Philip. (Found in Matthew 14:1-12 as well as in Luke and Mark).

John 3:25 An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing.

Amplified Version footnote on verse 25:

John 3:25 An immersion baptism was one of the requirements for a convert to Judaism, and John the Baptist had most likely taken over the ritual, giving it new meaning in his own ministry. Jewish tradition specified that there had to be enough water to completely cover a person, and that it had to be collected naturally.

This controversy may have been over the fact that immersion was used for Gentile converts to Judaism and John was baptizing Jews. The Bible does not make completely clear what issue they were debating. Baptizing was a hot button topic of the day whether it was John the Baptist doing it or the disciples of Jesus.

3:26 They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.”

The disciples of John the Baptist were jealous that Jesus was drawing bigger crowds than John. They were upset that Jesus was apparently gaining followers while John was losing them even though John spoke of this happening himself, knew this day was coming, and was glad for it. As you may remember, John had even suggested that some of his disciples follow Jesus or had at least pointed Andrew and John in His direction referring to Him as the Lamb of God.

John 3:27 To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’ 29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. 30 He must become greater; I must become less.”

John’s directive from Heaven, from God, was to prepare the way for the Messiah. According to Merriam-Webster, Messiah means “the expected king and deliverer of the Jews.” However, we know from Scripture that Jesus the Messiah is truly a deliverer of all people who believe no matter what nationality. This was not the time for Jesus to function as an earthly king, but He will come again as the victorious Lamb and deliverer. His first visit was to deliver those who would believe from sin and the wrath of God, so He did not meet the Jews expectation of the Messiah. They did not understand that He first must suffer, die, and be resurrected.

Once again John makes it clear that he is NOT the Messiah.  He explains this in terms of a familiar occurrence, a wedding, to enable the people to relate. John the Baptist was the Best Man, but Jesus was the Groom. The bride belongs to the Groom, not the Best Man. The church is often referred to as the “bride of Christ,” so it was time for His bride (believers) to follow Him rather than anyone else. The Best Man’s job was done when the Bridegroom arrived and everything was going as planned. John’s joy was complete because he knew he had fulfilled his God-given purpose, that for which he was born, of making the path straight for the Bridegroom/King. John the Baptist is exceedingly content to humbly disappear into the background as Jesus takes His rightful position on center stage by the authority bestowed on Him by God the Father.

John 3:31 The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 33 Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. 34 For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. 35 The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.

We believe John MacArthur explains verses 31-35 far better than we can.

The MacArthur Bible Commentary:

3:31-36 “In these verses, John the Baptist gave five reasons for Christ’s superiority to him: (1) Christ had a heavenly origin (v. 31); (2) Christ knew what was true by firsthand experience (v.32); (3) Christ’s testimony always agreed with God (v. 33); (4) Christ experienced the Holy Spirit in an unlimited manner (v. 34); and (5) Christ was supreme because the Father sovereignly had granted that status to Him (v. 35).”

John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

Recently a friend posed this question on his Facebook page: “If you are saved… As a Christian, what are you saved from?” According to John 3:36, we are saved from the wrath of God. All human beings are going to live forever. The question is “Are you going to live forever with God in His light, love, and joy; or are you going to live forever under His wrath?”

Luke 12:4-6 (AMP) “I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will point out to you whom you should fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority and power to hurl [you] into hell; yes, I say to you, [stand in great awe of God and] fear Him!

Heaven is eternal, but so is Hell. All deserve God’s wrath, and there is only one way to escape it. God graciously offers the escape plan to all who believe and trust in the saving power of Jesus Christ.

Romans 3:21-24 (ESV) 21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

We will see in John chapter 14, that Jesus explains, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Q – We keep reiterating this like a broken record, but it is of the utmost importance. Do you know where you will spend eternity? Have you heeded the Spirit’s call and surrendered your all to Jesus? If not, we are praying you do so ASAP!