The one way to present John 3:16.
A conversation between Nicodemus and Jesus. (Jn.3:1-16)
1. Nicodemus was a man of the Pharisees. He is a member
of the Jewish ruling council. (Jn.3:1)
So we know Nicodemus was a high ranking man!
2. Nicodemus came to visit Jesus at night and said to
Jesus-->
Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from
God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs
you are doing if God were not with him.(Jn.3:2)
From this verse we know Nicodemus observed Jesus!
From his observation he had concluded that Jesus
was a teacher from God and God was with him!
For no one could perform the miraculous signs which
he performed!
3. In reply Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, no one
can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
This phrase “In reply Jesus said” tells us Nicodemus
had asked Jesus a question,
but it was not written down!
But from the answer, we know the question!
The answer was --> no one can see the kingdom of God
unless he is born again!
The question which require this answer has to be
what must I do to see the kingdom of God?
--> you must be born again!
4. Nicodemus follow up on Jesus’ answer with this
question--> How can a man be born when he is old?
Nicodemus reasoned with his normal logical thinking
by saying--> Surely he can’t enter a second time
into his mother’s womb to be born a second time!
From this answer we know Nicodemus was thinking
about physical birth! Since he knew the first time
he was born from his mother!
In order to be born the second time, he must enter
into his mother’s womb and be born the second time!
5. Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter
the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the
Spirit!”
Here Jesus declared the condition for man to enter
the kingdom of God-->
“unless he is born of water and the Spirit.”
I hope no one in the world try to explain what this
“born of water and the Spirit” mean!
My dear friends, I know for the last 1500 years
people tried to explain what this mean!
So far not one can explain it correctly!
For we can asked apostle Peter come to explain it
for us!
Because Jesus had baptized him with the Holly Spirit
and he was with Jesus for three years!
6. From verse 6 to 8 Jesus told Nicodemus the
differences between physical birth and spiritual
birth!
(Here we know, Nicodemus may be high ranking in the
society, but he was quite ignorance in matter of the
kingdom of God!)
Nicodemus must know, the kingdom of God is a
spiritual kingdom.
For one to enter he must be born of water and the
Spirit!
Jesus explain to Nicodemus--> Flesh gives birth to
flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.
You should not be surprised at my saying, you must be
born again.
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."
7. Nicodemus follow on Jesus again by asking him this
question--> “How can this be?” (Jn.3:9)
In Nicodemus’ mind he was thinking-->
O.K. it is not going back to my mother’s womb and
be born the second time.
O.K. it is to be born of water and the Spirit!
Now, how and when can this happen to me?
8. Jesus said to himàYou are Israel’s teacher and you
do not understand these things? (Jn.3:10)
I found the following statements from the book of
Acts to be very fascinating-->
a. Paul said: I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia,
but brought up in this city(Jerusalem).
Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law
of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any
of you are today.
I persecuted the followers of this Way to their
death arresting men and women and throwing them into
prison, as also the high priest and all the Council
can testify. I even obtained letters from them to
their brothers in Damascus, and went there to bring
these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be
punished! Ac.22:3-5)
(Yes, we know why Paul and Peter… understand what
Moses said in the law if we study 1 Corinthians
chapter two… they have the mind of Christ!It takes
the mind of Christ to understand what Moses said
in the law!)
b. Teacher of Israel do not understand these things!
(Jn.3:10)
Acts 21:21 They have been informed that you teach
all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn
away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise
their children or live according to our customs.
c. Ac 26:22 But I have had God's help to this very
day, and so I stand here and testify to small and
great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the
prophets and Moses said would happen--
d. Ac 26:23-24--> that the Christ would suffer and,
as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim
light to his own people and to the Gentiles."
At this point Festus interrupted Paul's defense.
"You are out of your mind, Paul!" he shouted.
Your great learning is driving you insane."
Acts 28:23 They arranged to meet Paul on a certain
day, and came in even larger numbers to the place
where he was staying. From morning till evening he
explained and declared to them the kingdom of God
and tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law
of Moses and from the Prophets.
Acts 25:8 Then Paul made his defense: "I have done
nothing wrong against the law of the Jews or against
the temple or against Caesar."
As we can see their greatest teacher Gamaliel did
not understand the law of Moses correctly!
A thoroughly trained Pharisee did not understand the
Law of Moses correctly!
No wonder Jesus said to Nicodemus--> You are
Israel’s teacher and you do not understand these
things?
9. Jn.3:11-13--> Jesus had to explain to them in
this way-->
I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know,
and we testify to what have seen, but still you
people do not accept our testimony.
I have spoken to you of earthly things and you
do not believe; how then will you believe if I
speak of heavenly things?
No one has ever gone into heaven except the one
who came from heavenàthe Son of Man.
It takes the one who came from heaven to understand!
The Son of Man is here from heaven to tell you the
correct meaning of the Law of Moses!
10. Anyone in the world understand Jn.3:14 and 15 mean?
Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so
the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who
believes in him may have eternal life.
This is a story recorded in Moses’ law, the place is
Number 21:4-9à They traveled from Mount Hor along
the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom.
But the people grew impatient on the way; they
spoke against God and against Moses, and said,
"Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in
the desert?
There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest
this miserable food!"
Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them;
they bit the people and many Israelites died.
The people came to Moses and said, "We sinned when
we spoke against the LORD and against you.
Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from
us." So Moses prayed for the people. The LORD said
to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole;
anyone who is bitten can look at it and live."
Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole.
Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked
at the bronze snake, he was saved.
What does this story mean?
No one knows until Jesus explained it!
a. Please remember, Jesus quoted this story in
answer to Nicodemus question-->
How can born again from water and the Spirit be?
b. Again please let no one explain this for us!
I hope no one is foolish enough to try!
Who ever tried are all wrong!
It takes Jesus’ disciples like Peter and Paul!
For a sinner to be born of water and the Spirit,
he must first believe Jesus, the Son of Man as
himself said, the Christ, the Son of God.
Then repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of
sins and then receive the gift of the Holy Spirit!
When can the Jews and anyone on earth believe Jesus
is the Christ, repent and be baptized for the
forgiveness of sins?
It has to be after Jesus’ death on the cross, being
buried in the tomb and be resurrected from the tomb.
Matt.27:51-54--> At the time when Jesus died on the
cross, tombs were opened, dead people came out…
earthquake…
It was at this time the centurion and they that were
with him watching Jesus, when they saw the
earthquake, and the things that were done, feared
exceedingly, sayingà truly this was the Son of God.
Jesus was saying that in order for Nicodemus to be
able to believe and have a chance to be born of
water and the Spirit, he had to wait until after his
death on the Cross!
For him to be born of water and the Spirit, he had to
believe Jesus is the Son of God, the Christ, and
according to what Moses said in Nu.21:4-9 he has to
wait until Jesus’ death on Cross!
It is then he can repent and be baptized in the name
of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and
receive the gift of the Holy Spirit!
11. Then at the conclusion of the conversation,
Jesus said in Jn.3:16à
Jn.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.
This is in answer to another unwritten questionà
Why did God send His Son to die on the cross for us?
The answer, Jn.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.
I believe this is the only biblical correct
preaching of Jn.3:16!
Any other ways would be wrong and we know all those
for the last 1500 years, anyone does not present
Jn.3:16 this way would be wrong!
12. Therefore, the subject of the conversation between
Jesus and Nicodemus should be:
What must I do to enter the kingdom of God to have
eternal life?
Jesus lay out the steps for him to do so!
First in order to see the kingdom of God you must be
born again!
How can a man who is old be born the second time?
Obviously not as the physical body enter one’s
mother’s womb and be born the second time.
Born again is born of water and the Spirit!
Then Jesus quoted the story from the book of Moses
Number 21:4-9 and told him he had to wait until he
died on the cross for them!
Peter and Paul were qualified to explain what that
mean to us!
From Acts 2: and 22: we know exactly what born of
water and the Spirit mean!
And the last question Jesus had to answer is why did
God send Jesus to die on the cross for us?
And the answer is Jn.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.
May the Lord bless you and keep you!
Revised by John Chan himself on June 28, 2008.