God demonstrated his love for us by giving Jesus to die on the cross!
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 at the time!
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 was a observed man!
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.î
This phrase ìn reply Jesus said I tell you to Nicodemus was in reply to a question which he had asked Jesus a question.
But the question was not written down!
But from the answer, we know the question!
The answer is --> 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 again 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--> ìunless 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!
Actually we can simply asked apostle Peter to explain it for us!
Because Jesus had baptized him with the Holy Spirit and he was personally with Jesus for three years!
From Acts 2:36-38 we know born again from water and the Spirit is this-->
After a man had believed Jesus is Lord and Christ, he must repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for forgiveness of his sins!
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 up 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 can I be born of water and the Spirit?
8. Jesus said to him--> You 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 Corinthian 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 heaven--> the 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 correctly meaning of the Law of Moses!
10. Does 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 in Number 21:4-9-->
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." So 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 this 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!
From a sinner to be born of water and the Spirit, he must first believe Jesus, the Son of Man as himself said about himself,
is 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 Jesusí 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 open, dead people came out, earth quake.
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, saying--> 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!
Because 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 Jesusí 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.3:16-->
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 question--> Why did God willing to send his Son to die on the cross for us?
Or Why did God willing to send his one and only Son to die on the cross so that we can believe he is the Christ, the Son of God and
repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins?
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!
Therefore, the question of the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus should be:
What must I do to enter the kingdom of God to have eternal life?
Jesus told him the steps of doing so-->
First in order to see the kingdom of God one 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 motherís 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 chapter 2 and chapter 22 we know exactly what born of water and the Spirit mean!
And the last question Jesus had to answer is why was God willing to send Jesus to die on the cross for them?
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! (June 10, 2007 N.Y.C. America corrected in September 20, 2013.)