Born Again Through Jesus: John 3:1-21. Gospel of John Study 4.
Read John 3:1-21
Feel free to use the Gospel of John study guide on John 3 as a way of thinking more deeply about the scripture before reading the following reflections.
John 3:1-21 Reflections:
In John 3, Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night to have a conversation with him about religion and spirituality. Jesus challenges him and makes claims about faith that were bound to make both Nicodemus and us uncomfortable. Jesus uproots Nicodemus' understanding of a faith based in good works and instead asserts that faith comes through belief.
Nicodemus was a Pharisee. Pharisees were an elite religious group who often rejected Jesus because they deemed him to be blasphemous. Jesus openly speaks out against the Pharisees for misunderstanding the teachings of the law and speaking falsely in the name of God. The Pharisees were intimidated by Jesus’ presence as a teacher and a leader because He had so much authority and was gaining a large following, but also because He actively opposed their teachings. We should keep in mind that the Pharisees were religious leaders who believed that they were doing the will of God and yet, their pride and continual clinging to their own self-righteousness prevented them from seeing the ways that God was at work right in front of their eyes through Jesus Christ. Nicodemus was part of this group and would have been repudiated by other Pharisees for associating with Jesus which is why He comes to Jesus at night—he didn’t want to be seen associating with Jesus. Have there been times in your life where you were hesitant to associate with Jesus for fear of what other people may think or say about you? Is your relationship with Jesus a hidden one? Why or why not?
Remember, Nicodemus comes from a group of people who believe that they were righteous and good on their own terms. They believed that they could earn God’s favor through their good works and that it was these good deeds that made them righteous, or holy and blameless, before God. As a result of their pride, the Pharisees did not see the ways in which their faith relied more on themselves as individuals and the works of their hands rather than on God. This is the reason why Jesus wastes no time in letting Nicodemus know upfront that in order to see the Kingdom of God, one must be born again. Nicodemus is confused by Jesus’ claim that one must be born again to see the Kingdom of heaven. Nicodemus thinks that Jesus is referencing a physical birth and questions how it is that one can re-enter into their mother’s womb. Has there ever been a time where you heard a spiritual teaching or read one in the Bible that left you confused? This is the situation that Nicodemus is in. He has heard a new teaching that he doesn’t fully understand. At this point, Nicodemus has the option of brushing off Jesus’ teaching as ludicrous, irrelevant, or too confusing to engage with or he can probe more deeply into the subject matter by asking more questions and further engaging. Instead of disengaging, Nicodemus chooses the latter. Nicodemus’ confusion leads him to engage more deeply with Jesus and to ask a follow-up question as a way of seeking further understanding. Having seen Jesus in action and having witnessed his miracles, Nicodemus is so convinced that Jesus is worth paying attention to and learning from, so he continues to engage. Like Nicodemus, whenever we are confronted with a spiritual truth that doesn’t make sense to us, we can either disengage, for reasons of being frustrated and challenged; we may write the teaching off as foolish; or we can further engage by wrestling with what has been presented to us, asking questions, and enter into a deeper conversation with Jesus. Has there ever been a time where a Biblical teaching left you frustrated or confused? What did you do about it? Did you seek out answers to your questions? How so?
Jesus answers Nicodemus’ question in responding, “flesh gives birth to flesh and spirit gives birth to spirit.” This is to say that there is a natural birth that we all experience just by nature of having come from the womb of a woman, but there is also a spiritual birth that we must undergo if we are to belong to God. Underlying this teaching is the spiritual reality that we are spirit-beings with physical bodies instead of the contrary; we are physical bodies with a spirit. In other words, if God is spirit and not flesh, then our inner spirit-beings must be born again, rejuvenated, or made new by the spirit of God if we are to belong to Him and enter into His kingdom. The kingdom of God is not merely a matter of the works of the flesh but rather it is one of the spirit. This may be why King David in the Psalms prays for God to create in him a clean heart and renew a right spirit within him.
Jesus tells Nicodemus that He is the “Son of Man.” The title “Son of Man” is a reference to Daniel 7:14, in which the “son of man”, an apocalyptic (something that is apocalyptic is something that refers to the end time) figure comes down from heaven on the clouds and is worshipped. It seems very counter-intuitive because the phrase son of man may be thought to be a reference to Jesus’ humanity, but instead, based on the prophecy in Daniel 7:14, the son of man is an emphasis on Jesus’ Divinity. So yes, Jesus is a teacher from God as Nicodemus has already acknowledged in the beginning of his encounter with Jesus, but He is also the son of man, a divine being who has come down to earth to teach the world that the proper way to enter the Kingdom of God and to know eternal life is through belonging to Jesus. In verse 14, Jesus references an incident in Israel’s history where the Israelites were condemned because of their sin, idolatry, and grumbling against God. And yet, in His grace, God made a way for the people to be saved by looking at the snake that Moses lifts up. As a Pharisee who was trained in the teachings of the law and Jewish history, Nicodemus would have recognized this reference to Israel’s history where Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness. In this saying, Jesus is completely turning Nicodemus’ understanding of righteousness and salvation on its head. Jesus is saying that eternal life comes by knowing Him. Underneath Jesus’ assertions is the implication that humanity’s nature is broken—that humanity needs to be cleansed and made new and it’s through His work in being lifted up on the cross that this cleansing comes. How does Jesus’ understanding of what one must do to receive eternal life/salvation compare with what is often taught in popular culture? How do you feel about Jesus’ insistence that it is in his being “lifted up” that humanity receives eternal life?
Scholars have argued about whether verses 16-21 are Jesus continuing his monologue or whether the person speaking in these verses is the apostle John. Some say that the apostle John in verses 16-21 goes on to further elaborate on Jesus’ purpose here on Earth. They argue that it is the apostle John speaking in these verses because Jesus is referred to in the third person, but other scholars say that this is not enough reason to believe that Jesus is not the one speaking in these verses. Regardless, verses 16-21 seem to highlight the parallel that Jesus is making to Moses in the preceding verses. In the incident with Moses, the people were condemned because of their sin, idolatry, and grumbling against God. And yet, in His grace, God made a way for the people to be saved by looking at the snake that Moses lifts up. In the same way, though humanity should stand condemned because of our sinful nature, God makes a way for us, by grace, to be saved in the lifting up of His Son. When is the Son lifted up? This seems to be a reference to the crucifixion. Here, we see that God is a God of love and compassion—though humanity’s sin separates us from a Holy God, God still wills for everyone to be saved and makes a way to do so selflessly in sacrificing His son. Here, God’s love is linked to a deeply personal act of sacrifice. What does it mean to you that God’s demonstration of love is one that is costly and requires sacrifice? How does this challenge our notions or understandings of love? When has love cost you something? What was that like? How does it compare to God’s sacrifice.
John the apostle calls Jesus the light that has come into the world. He is making very strong statements about the people who come and the people who do not come to Jesus. He says that the deeds of those who do not come to Jesus are evil. This is especially challenging when we live in a culture of people who think that they are good based on their actions, but this passage is teaching us that true righteousness—the highest form of goodness—comes from knowing Jesus. This teaching would have been difficult for a Pharisee like Nicodemus. Remember, Pharisees believed themselves to be righteous based on their good deeds and they would never consider their actions or themselves to be evil, but the apostle Paul is further emphasizing Jesus’ teaching that righteousness and goodness are not just about one’s deeds, but rather true righteousness is dependent upon coming to Jesus as the true light. Jesus’ teachings are radical because He points to Himself as the bearer of truth and the one through whom righteousness is attained—apart from Him (according to this passage) there is darkness. Again, this speaks to a darkness within human nature that needs to be cleansed and made new. In what ways do you find this teaching challenging personally? In the midst of religious diversity and a relativistic culture that often argues that all religions are just different paths up the same mountain, what other challenges may this passage present? Again, how do you feel about this teaching that Jesus is the way to salvation? How does it feel to come before Jesus and hear Him say that the humanity’s eternity resets on Him as the Son of God who God the Father sacrificed for the sake of freeing humanity from their condemnation? Why does it make you feel this way? Is this good news or bad news, in your opinion?
