Devotional Questions
John 3:3-4
- Why is it that “no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again?” Why is being “born again” an apt metaphor for becoming a Christian? How have I experienced this to be true in my life?
John 3:1-14
“Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the ruling council (called the Sanhedrin). The Pharisees were a group of religious leaders whom Jesus and John the Baptist often criticized for being hypocrites. Most Pharisees were intensely jealous of Jesus because he undermined their authority and challenged their views.”[1]
- How must Nicodemus have felt upon hearing that he must put aside all his past religious accomplishments and start over (be “born again”)? What might be some things I want to hold onto, even while seeking to draw near to God?
John 3:16
- Reflect on each word of this verse. How does this verse speak to me today?
- What is God’s greatest act of love towards me according to this verse? How does this compare with my view of love?
John 3:19-21
- According to vv. 19-21, what is the main difference between those who believe and those who do not in terms of their relationship with the light?
- Is there some way in which I avoid the light because of some deeds I do not want to give up, or deal with?
Additional Questions:
John 3:22-31
- Contrast the response of John the Baptist and that of his disciples to Jesus’ ministry. What might have been the reason for such a discrepancy in their responses? How do my own motives affect the way I respond to God’s work taking place around me?
- How is v. 30 contrary to the value system of this world? Has there been this kind of fundamental change in my value system as I come to accept that Jesus “is above all?”
[1] The Life Application Bible, study notes (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1991) 1876.
Commentary
v. 1 “Nicodemus is introduced as a man of the upper class, conservative in his beliefs, and definitely interested in Jesus’ teaching. As a Pharisee he belonged to the strict religious sect of Judaism in contrast to the Sadducees, who were less rigid in their beliefs and were more politically minded. As a member of the ‘ruling council’ or Sanhedrin, he was sensitive to the prevailing doctrinal trends of the time. His interest in Jesus had been prompted by the miracles he had witnessed, and he came for an interview to obtain more information. His approach shows that he was cautious, open-minded, and ready to receive a new revelation from God if he was sure of its genuineness.”[1]
v. 3 “Jesus’ reply was cryptic and abrupt. He informed Nicodemus that no man could even see the kingdom of God without a spiritual rebirth. Birth is our mode of entrance into the world and brings with it the potential equipment for adjustment to the world. To be born again, or ‘born from above,’ means a transformation of a person so that he is able to enter another world and adapt to its conditions. Anothen, which NIV and many others translate as ‘again,’ in the Johannine writings normally means ‘from above,’ and it should be rendered thus here. To belong to the heavenly kingdom, one must be born into it.”[2]
vv. 3-6 “This discussion of the need for spiritual rebirth further develops the earlier reference to the ‘children of God’ who are ‘born of God’ (1:12–13; cf. 8:39–58; 11:51–52). The phrase born of water and the Spirit in 3:5 refers to spiritual birth, which cleanses from sin and brings spiritual transformation and renewal. Water here does not refer to the water of physical birth, nor is it likely that it refers to baptism. The background is probably Ezek. 36:25–27, where God promises, ‘I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean. . . . And I will give you a new heart. . . . And I will put my Spirit within you.’ ”[3]
vv. 7-8 “Nicodemus was driven back on another defense. In effect he said: ‘?This rebirth about which you talk may be possible; but I can’t understand how it works.?’ The answer of Jesus depends for its point on the fact that the Greek word for spirit, pneuma, has two meanings. It is the word for spirit, but it is also the regular word for wind. The same is true of the Hebrew word ruach; it too means both spirit and wind. So Jesus said to Nicodemus: ‘?You can hear and see and feel the wind (pneuma); but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going to. You may not understand how and why the wind blows; but you can see what it does. You may not understand where a gale came from or where it is going to, but you can see the trail of flattened fields and uprooted trees that it leaves behind it. There are many things about the wind you may not understand; but its effect is plain for all to see.?’ He went on, ‘?the Spirit (pneuma) is exactly the same. You may not know how the Spirit works; but you can see the effect of the Spirit in human lives.?’ ”[4]
v. 14 “The reference to the Son of Man being lifted up is the first of three ‘lifted up’ sayings in John’s Gospel (cf. 8:28; 12:32). All three sayings speak of the future ‘lifting up’ of the Son of Man in a typical Johannine double meaning (see notes on 4:10; 8:24; 11:50–51; 19:19; cf. also 3:7–8), so that it refers to both Jesus’ death and his resurrection and exaltation to glory in heaven (cf. Acts 2:33; 5:31).”
v. 16 “Here is the most famous summary of the gospel in the entire Bible. For connects to v. 15 and explains what happened to make it possible that someone can ‘have eternal life’ (v. 15), that is, through believing in Christ. God so loved the world was an astounding statement in that context because the OT and other Jewish writings had spoken only of God’s love for his people Israel. God’s love for ‘the world’ made it possible for ‘whoever’ (v. 15) believes in Christ, not Jews alone, to have eternal life. God’s love for the world was not mere sentiment but led to a specific action: he gave his only Son, which John elsewhere explains as sending him to earth as a man (v. 17) to suffer and die and thereby to bear the penalty for sins (see note on 1 John 2:2; cf. Rom. 3:25). On ‘only Son,’ see note on John 1:14, which contains the same Greek phrase. The purpose of giving his Son was to make God’s great gift of eternal life available to anyone—to whoever believes in him, that is, whoever personally trusts in him (see note on 11:25). Not perish means not perish in eternal judgment, in contrast to having eternal life, the life of abundant joy and immeasurable blessing in the presence of God forever. Those who ‘believe in’ Christ have that ‘eternal life’ and already experience its blessings in this present time, not yet fully, but in some significant measure.”[5]
v. 17 “send his Son. John’s favorite designation of Jesus is that of the Son ‘sent’ by the Father (see also vv. 34–36; 5:19–26; 6:40; 8:35–36; 14:13; 17:1). There was a familiar concept in Jewish life that the messenger is like the sender himself (Mishnah, Berakoth 5.5; cf. John 13:16, 20). Jesus is that Sent One par excellence (cf. 9:7), and in 20:21–22 he in turn sends his disciples (see note there). Being sent (in the case of both Jesus and his followers) implies that the commission, charge, and message are issued by the sender rather than originating with the one who is sent. This verse refers to Christ’s first coming. He will return to judge the world at his second coming (5:27–29).”[6]
v. 18 “Those who do not believe and trust in Christ have neither a positive nor a neutral standing before God. They stand condemned already before God for their sins because they have not trusted God’s solution for guilt, the only Son of God. This verse also refutes the assertion that a sincere person following any religion can have eternal life with God (cf. 14:6; Acts 4:12; Rom. 10:13–17; 1 Tim. 2:5–6; regarding OT believers who looked forward to Christ, see John 8:56; Rom. 4:1–24; Heb. 11:13, 26).”[7]
v. 29 “John used a very vivid picture which every Jew would recognize, for it was part of the heritage of Jewish thought. He called Jesus the bridegroom and himself the friend of the bridegroom. One of the great pictures of the Old Testament is of Israel as the bride of God and God as the bridegroom of Israel. The union between God and Israel was so close that it could be likened only to a wedding. When Israel went after strange gods it was as if she were guilty of infidelity to the marriage bond. The New Testament took this picture over and spoke of the church as the bride of Christ (?2 Corinthians 11:2?; ?Ephesians 5:22–32?). It was this picture that was in John’s mind. Jesus had come from God; he was the Son of God, Israel was his rightful bride and he was Israel’s bridegroom. But one place John did claim for himself, that of the friend of the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, the shoshben, had a unique place at a Jewish wedding. […] And he had one special duty. It was his duty to guard the bridal chamber and to let no false lover in. […] He did not grudge the bridegroom the bride. He knew that his only task had been to bring bride and bridegroom together. And when that task was done he willingly and gladly faded out of the centre of the picture. John’s task had been to bring Israel and Jesus together; to arrange the marriage between Christ the bridegroom and Israel the bride. That task completed he was happy to fade into obscurity for his work was done. It was not with envy that he said that Jesus must increase and he must decrease; it was with joy. It may be that sometimes we would do well to remember that it is not to ourselves we must try to attach people; it is to Jesus Christ. It is not for ourselves we seek the loyalty of men; it is for him.”[8]
[1] Frank E. Gaebelein, Gen. Ed. Expositor’s Bible Commentary CD, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1992) notes for chapter 3.
[2] Frank E. Gaebelein, Gen. Ed. Expositor’s Bible Commentary CD, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1992) notes for chapter 3.
[3] ESV Study Bible, Notes for Galatians (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008) 2024.
[4] William Barclay, “The Gospel of John,” The New Daily Study Bible (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2001) 153-54.
[5] ESV Study Bible, Notes for Galatians (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008) 2025.
[6] ESV Study Bible, Notes for Galatians (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008) 2025.
[7] ESV Study Bible, Notes for Galatians (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008) 2025.
[8] William Barclay, “The Gospel of John,” The New Daily Study Bible (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2001) 167-68.