Verse 1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
The religious rulers of the Jews were Pharisees and they were bitter enemies of Jesus and of His followers. Nicodemus was a Pharisee and, as far as is known, a member of the Sanhedrin. His name means “conqueror”. Pharisees were men of high intellect. They were required to have memorized the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, and to be able to quote any part of these books of the Bible. They were also proud men and sought praise from the people for their outward acts.
Verse 2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
Nicodemus did not want to be seen meeting with Jesus as that could mean trouble for him from the rest of the Pharisees. According to the historian Josephus, at the time this meeting between Jesus and Nicodemus took place there were more than 6000 Pharisees in Judea and so Nicodemus came by night so as not to be observed. Notice two things. First, Nicodemus called Jesus “Rabbi” which meant “Master”. He was acknowledging Jesus’ superiority and treating Him with honour. Secondly, Nicodemus stated “we know”. He did not say, “I know”. By his own admission he was saying that all the Pharisees including Caiaphas, Alexander, and the entire Sanhedrin knew Jesus came from God. It was unavoidable knowledge as Jesus was performing right in front of them in real time miraculous acts and fulfilling the Scripture they all had memorized . This is an admission that most readers of Scripture fail to fully grasp. There was no excuse for these Jewish leaders or for the unrepentant Jewish people to reject the promised Messiah, and the judgement that came upon the remnant nation in 70 AD was just and from God Almighty.
Verse 3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Jesus cut to the heart of the matter with the above statement as Jesus knew what Nicodemus was thinking and what the desire of his heart was. Nicodemus was searching for answers, but he did not have time to ask Jesus a question before Jesus gave him the answer.
The Hebrew word translated as “verily” is “amen” and when used at the beginning of a discourse it means firm, surely, truly or of a truth. When used twice, the matter is fixed and cannot be changed. When used at the end of a discourse it means “so be it”. The word, amen, has been used here in the Greek New Testament, in Latin, in English, and in many other languages and so it is almost a universal word.
Application: Every man or woman when born physically has an inner man composed of a spirit and a soul (mind, will, and emotions) both of which are housed in a physical body. God created the body of flesh for the purpose of housing the inner man and therefore one should take care of one’s body. Just as the circulating physical blood is what keeps the body of flesh alive, the spirit is that which keeps the soul “alive”. When a body dies, the spirit/soul leaves and goes either to be with the LORD or to be with the devils. “For as the body without the spirit is dead. . . .” James 2:26 When Jesus was created as an embryo and when He was born, He had a spirit and soul like all of mankind and so He was fully man, but He also had a second Spirit which was/is the Spirit of God so He was fully God at the same time. So Jesus was a man with two spirits. When Mary went to visit her cousin Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, John as a six month infant in the womb leapt at the presence of Mary and the baby in her womb because the presence of God was there. Scripture says John was anointed with the Spirit of God from the womb and so it is reasonable to think that John the Baptist received the Spirit of God as a 6 month unborn child when Jesus in His mother’s womb visited. “For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy ghost, even from his mother’s womb.” Luke 1:15 So to repeat, Jesus was a man with two spirits. John the baptist had two spirits but only one was present at the time of conception. The Spirit of God was given to him when in the womb. Likewise, all converted Christian believers have to be like Jesus and therefore need to have two spirits: the spirit that is common to all of mankind, and the Spirit or Holy Ghost of Jesus. So the first physical birth results in mankind having a soul/spirit, and the second birth is when conversion takes place and mankind receives a second spirit, the Holy Ghost/Spirit of the LORD Jesus Christ.
Verse 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
Nicodemus was an intelligent man, but he did not understand Jesus’ statement in verse 3 above. He knew that no one can physically go back to the womb and go through the birth process again. He was asking the question simply because he did not understand, with all his education and experience, what Jesus was saying. He was looking at the physical and not the spiritual meaning of Jesus’ statement.
Application: When reading Scripture, especially prophetic Scripture such as the book of Revelation, Christian believers do exactly what Nicodemus was doing, trying to understand the Word of God from the aspect of the physical world in which they live and not understanding it from the aspect of the spiritual realm which they and God inhabit. The rule in reading the Bible is “first the natural, and then the spiritual”. In other words, if the Bible verses do not make sense in the natural rendition or application of them, then they are meant to be understood in the spiritual sense. Often this involves metaphor or word pictures. Jesus was not referring to a physical birth in the verses above, but to a spiritual birth.
Verse 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Once again Jesus uses the word “amen” translated as “verily” and He uses it twice to show that the above statement is true and fixed and cannot be changed. Unfortunately today many church denominations teach doctrines of men that are contrary to Jesus’ words above. To be born of water and of the Spirit means water baptism and the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Water baptism is not an option but is required in order to enter into the kingdom of God. So churches that teach baptism is optional and merely an outward show of conversion may be keeping believers out of the kingdom of God according to the very words of Jesus. This writer is not saying this. Jesus who is God manifested in the flesh said it. This is serious error and can affect one’s eternal destiny. The teaching that to be born of water means amniotic fluid when physically born is so illogical and stupid it really should not have to be addressed here as Nicodemus in verse 4 put this doctrine to rest when he clearly expressed that grown people cannot assume infancy and be physically born again in order to access the kingdom of Heaven. And Jesus destroys this doctrine in verse 6 below.
Verse 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Being physically born from a mother’s womb with amniotic fluid is of the flesh. It has nothing to do with being “born again”, the key word being “again”. All of mankind only have one physical birth and then one physical death. To be born again requires an intervention of the Spirit of God, plain and simple, and it is in the realm of the Spirit. All people when born as babies have one spirit (lower case s). When born again spiritually, all converted people then have two spirits, the one they were physically born with (spirit) and the one from the LORD Jesus Christ (Spirit).
Verses 7-8 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
Remember that Nicodemus was a very learned man. Yet with all of his Bible knowledge he just didn’t get what Jesus was saying. Now Jesus uses an analogy in which He compares the Holy Spirit with the wind. No one knows where the origin of the wind is and where the destination of that wind will be. It can be felt or experienced, but from whence it came and to where it goes is a mystery. Likewise the Spirit of God comes and goes and it can and should be experienced but it is a mystery of God and a gift. It is through the Spirit of God that power is given to mankind to go forth and benefit others through the gifts of the Spirit which are listed in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11. “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit. To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues. But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.” Just as the wind is an invisible fact yet one that cannot be manipulated by mankind, so the Holy Spirit is a fact and invisible yet received by faith and controlled by God and not manipulated by mankind.
Verses 9-10 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? 10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?
Jesus is being kind here and asking Nicodemus why he does not grasp these spiritual things as he is a teacher of religion to the people and in a position of authority.
Application: Unfortunately in today’s mainstream organized evangelical establishment churches there are many pastors and teachers that are in positions of authority and yet who have absolutely no idea about what they are teaching to their congregations and they are leading their people into doctrines of devils and on pathways that lead to Hell. No one should sit in a church and absorb the information coming from the pulpit or from a Sunday school teacher without searching the Scripture themselves to see if they are receiving the truth of the Gospel or lies. Seriously, ingesting spiritual doctrine that is not of God can result in spiritual death and eternal life in Hell. God has given everyone a brain and He has given everyone who will read it His Word. The individual believer is ultimately responsible for his/her salvation and failure to check to see if the sermon is accurate or the church doctrine is Scriptural will not fly as an excuse on judgement day when standing before the LORD Jesus Christ.
Verses 11-12 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
Once again Jesus uses two times the word verily making the verse above a proof text which is true and cannot be altered. The “we” in the verses above can be referring to Jesus and the Holy Spirit and/or to Jesus and the disciples who are following Him and teaching what they have learned. Both Jesus and those following Him were being rejected by the religious elite in Judah because of what they were teaching the people. Basically Jesus is telling Nicodemus that if he cannot believe or understand what Jesus is saying about the natural world then he will not understand Heavenly things either. Just as one has to accept the wind by faith, one has to accept the Holy Spirit by faith.
Verses 13-15 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
Jesus points out that no man in the history of the Earth has ever ascended up to heaven and returned to tell about it. But He, Jesus, has come down from Heaven and therefore His witness is true. Then Jesus prophesied His death as written hundreds of years before by the Prophet Moses. Remember that the Jews reverence Moses and so they paid attention to the mention of his name. Nicodemus could relate to what Jesus was saying about Moses as he had the book of Numbers memorized and knew the history of the Hebrew people. The replica of a serpent which represents Satan and the evil he causes was held up by Moses between Heaven and Earth to stop the death of the rebellious Hebrew people when in the wilderness. See Numbers 21:4-9. Likewise, Jesus was going to be suspended between Heaven and Earth on a wooden pole to provide life to rebellious people everywhere. Jesus was using an earthly analogy of the serpent and Moses to aid Nicodemus in understanding the spiritual implications of what His death would mean.
Verse 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
This verse is probably the most memorized verse in the Bible. It sums up the Gospel message and the way to eternal life in a single sentence.
Verses 17-18 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
The only way to receive condemnation is to reject the Son of God, the LORD Jesus Christ.
Verses 19-20 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
Jesus is the “light”. He came and both showed and taught people how to live righteously and in harmony with God Almighty, but people wanted to keep and enjoy their sin and to live in spiritual darkness. It was and is always a choice on the part of mankind: to serve the Devil or to serve the LORD. All those who engage in evil do so in secret as they do not want their evil exposed.
Verse 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
People who want to follow and obey the commandments of God and to live righteously do not hide their deeds as they are not ashamed of what they do because they are guided by the Gospel of which they are also not ashamed. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” Romans 1:16
Verses 22-24 After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized. 23 And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized. 24 For John was not yet cast into prison.
Jesus and His disciples left Jerusalem and traveled in Judaea somewhere near where John the Baptist was preaching, teaching and baptizing. The name “Salim” means “springs”.
Verses 25-26 Then there arose a question between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purifying. 26 And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.
Washing was a big deal to the Jews. Jesus and His disciples were criticized for not washing before they ate a meal. Here the Jews are arguing with the disciples of John over washing which was a ritual with them. The Greek word translated as “purifying” is “katharismos” which means cleansing or purifying. John’s disciples were also concerned about Jesus and His disciples as they were apparently baptizing more people.
Verses 27-29 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. 28 Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. 29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.
John the Baptist reassures them that Jesus or any man receives all things from Heaven and that if Jesus was receiving more attention or was more popular it was because God was doing a work through Jesus, that he, John, was not the Christ or Messiah but was in the role of a friend of both Jesus and of the ministry, and that he, John, was happy for Jesus’ following.
Verses 30-31 He must increase, but I must decrease. 31 He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.
At this point John the Baptist realized that the ministry of Jesus must take precedence over the ministry God had given him from birth. He knew he was the forerunner of the coming Messiah and in his heart he knew Jesus was that coming Messiah, the Christ.
Verses 32-35 And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony. 33 He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. 34 For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. 35 The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.
John the Baptist was stating that Jesus, because He came from Heaven, testifieth of things that no man could possibly testify of as no man had been to Heaven and returned to Earth to tell what he had seen or heard. Therefore, Jesus who had received His testimony from above, could prove that God was righteous and true and therefore spoke words given to Him by the Spirit of God. Jesus could perform miracles and tell of the Kingdom of God because the Father who is Spirit was dwelling in His body. Jesus, because He was to be the final blood sacrifice for the sins of mankind, was given “all things” both in this world and in Heaven.
Verse 36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3)
John the Baptist understood the Gospel and he was now pointing his disciples to Jesus Christ.
Application: Most unbelievers do not understand that God gets angry. The Greek word translated as “wrath” is “orge” and it means anger, temper, indignation, and anger resulting in punishment. The word abideth is “meno” in the Greek and it means to remain or to continue to be present. Any verb in the King James Bible that ends in “eth” means that the action of the verb is ongoing and not just a one time thing. So this verse states clearly that God’s anger continually remains on the one who rejects His Son and Savior, Jesus Christ. “God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.” Psalm 7:11 “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Hebrews 10:31
The takeaway message of the verse above is that if one wants to have eternity in Heaven and not eternity in Hell, one has to believe on the LORD Jesus Christ. This does not mean to just acknowledge that Jesus exists and that He walked the Earth, but it means to believe so intensely that conversion takes place and one is born again and becomes a new creature, turning away from the things of this world and living for Christ Jesus and obeying His commandments.