John 17 Nicodemus
Nicodemus (Part 1)
#17
John 3:1-21
“1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 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. 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. 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? 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. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 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.
9 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? 11 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? 13 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. 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. 17 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. 19 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. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”
The Conversation that Changes Everything.
A prominent older man, a respected leader in society and high-ranking religious ruler of the people stands alone out in the shadows late one night, waiting for a clandestine meeting with a young, controversial, and rebellious new teacher who just came to town. He intends to covertly pass on a dangerous but important bit of information.
Nicodemus begins the conversation. "Good evening, sir. I'm here to inform you that even though you may not see it publicly, you do have some influential and powerful supporters in these parts. Several colleagues and I have seen what you are doing. You're speaking truth, and your signs simply cannot be explained away. You must be a teacher from God because nobody else is doing the types of things you are."
Jesus: "This truth is for you, unless a man is born in a radically new way, he will never be able to really see the powerful reign of God taking place."
Nicodemus: "Rebirth? What, you expect him to crawl back into his mother's womb and start life over?
Jesus: "This truth is for you, unless a man is born in a radically new way, unless his whole life begins anew with water and God's Holy Spirit, he will never enter God's powerful reign. Flesh comes from flesh, but spiritual people come from God's Spirit, and there's no way to control God's Spirit. Just like this wind you hear blowing tonight, it blows wherever it wishes. You can't control or predict from where it comes or where it goes, and that's exactly how it is with people who have been reborn from above by God's Spirit."
Nicodemus: "How is this rebirth possible?"
Jesus: "You're a Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin. I thought you were supposed to be a great teacher of Israel? But you don't understand? Listen closely; this is for you, people know and talk about the things they have seen. Fleshly people talk about fleshly things because that's all they see and all they understand, but I have descended from heaven. I have seen God's powerful reign at its fullest. I am the ultimate authority on the things of God. I am the very presence of God. When I speak of heavenly things, fleshly people do not understand. That's why you need to be born again, born of God and His Spirit, born anew from heaven itself. Otherwise, you'll never understand.
"No one who is fleshly has gone up to heaven, but I have. And I've come down out of heaven. I am the Son of Man, the One who comes riding on the clouds of heaven. Just as Moses lifted up that bronze serpent back in the wilderness, so I will be lifted up. Just as those who looked to that serpent were saved from venomous serpents, so anyone who looks to My death will be saved from death. The one who believes in me will be saved from the condemnation of this world and enjoy eternal life, life as it was always intended to be. This is how God's love for the whole world is seen! He sent His only Son so that anyone who believes in Him can have eternal life with God Himself.
"I'm not here to judge or condemn the world, the world has already done that on its own. I'm here to bring salvation. When God created the world, there was only darkness, but God said, "Let there be Light!" Something new and remarkable happened in that moment, and through Me, it's happening again. In a few hours, the sun will rise, and the darkness will flee. I am like that light. The light of new creation, of a new day, of a new way of life, of new hope, of new birth, but many in the world will just keep trudging along in darkness, hating the light because it reveals what is truly there. It reveals the sickness, the sin, the dirt, and the death that has taken over. Anyone who lives in my truth comes to the light. That is rebirth, and it becomes clear he is now seeing and living and doing the things that come from God."
Born Again
"Are you a born-again Christian?" I've been asked this before. It's an interesting question. The phrase "born again" has taken a life of its own in modern evangelical Christianity. When thinking of a person who needs a completely new life, to restart everything, to hit the reset button, it may be tempting to think about those we reach through prison ministry or drug rehabilitation. We hear the phrase "born again" and immediately picture someone whose life is spiraling out of control, who is recklessly destroying their future, but Jesus uses this phrase and pictures someone altogether different. It's not the drug addict who has lost control of his life; it's not the inmate who longs for redemption; it's not even the Samaritan woman who has been married five times that Jesus meets in the next chapter. It's the wealthy, respected, important teacher of Israel. It's the man who has all things in order. His life is the envy of others. He has success and prominence. He has done well since his birth. This is not the person most would think needs to start his life over, but Jesus does. Jesus sees through the success, the power, and the wealth to a man just like any other: a man in need.
Beginning to See
The story of Nicodemus doesn't go as far as I'd like it to. We don't get to see how it ends but we do get to see a little farther than this conversation. This late-night conversation plants a seed which develops a little further in John 7 where Nicodemus defends Jesus, telling the other members of the council to at least meet with Him and talk to Him before condemning Him. His objection is dismissed, but the seed is still germinating.
Following the crucifixion of Jesus, another disciple, a secret one named Joseph, takes the body of Jesus down from the cross to give it a proper burial. This is where Nicodemus shows up with 100 pounds of myrrh and aloe to prepare and honor the body of Jesus (Some versions may say 75 pounds. The Greek text uses the word 100, but a Roman pound weighs about a fourth less than a modern pound, so a literal reading would be 100 pounds, but an accurate modern reading would be 75 pounds) 75 pounds! That is a burial for a king, not some crucified rebel. Not some failed Messiah, but a king. Perhaps Nicodemus is beginning to see. Perhaps as day breaks on that world-changing Sunday morning, Nicodemus will no longer need to meet Jesus in darkness but will walk in the light of life.
NICODEMUS AT NIGHT
Bible Reading
John 3:1-16
“1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 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. 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. 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? 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. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 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.
9 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? 11 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? 13 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. 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.”
A Visit at Night
It is not unimportant that Nicodemus comes to Jesus "by night." Little details like that are rarely insignificant. They help shape the story.
When Nicodemus is mentioned again after the crucifixion, he is described as "Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night" (John 19:39).
That passage links him to Joseph of Arimathaea, who is described as "a secret disciple." Joseph was like Nicodemus in many ways; Joseph was a wealthy, powerful man who was also a member of the Sanhedrin and opposed the decision to crucify Jesus (Luke 23:50- 51).
He was also unwilling to publicly put his faith in Jesus. Nicodemus put his faith in Jesus, but only at night. Joseph put his faith in Jesus, but only in secret. Following the crucifixion, however, they find themselves together, coming forward to honor Jesus as a king, regardless of what the public thinks.
They weren't alone in their secrecy. John 12:42-43 explains, “42 Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: 43 for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.”
Their silence is explained by two things: what they feared and what they loved. They feared reprimand. They feared expulsion from the synagogue, which would include loss of status, respect, and community.
This is the same thing the blind man's parents feared (John 9:23). This is the same thing many in the early church feared, and thus, they clung to passages that were reminders not to be motivated by fear but by love.
“17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love” (1 John 4:17-18).
Not love for the approval of men; that love makes you a slave, encompasses you with fear, and keeps you silent about Jesus. They needed love for the approval of God. No hatred, persecution, or fear could ever take that away.
Perhaps the cross was exactly what Nicodemus and Joseph needed to move beyond fear and begin to show their love of Christ openly.
Born from Above
One of the famous misunderstandings in the Gospel of John centers on the Greek phrase “gennethe anothen”, "be born again." The multiple meanings of the word “anothen” become the main source of confusion.
The word could mean "again," which is certainly how Nicodemus hears it. However, the word could also mean "from above" or "from heaven," which we think is how Jesus actually means it.
In John 3:31, Jesus says, “He that cometh from above is above all … he that cometh from heaven is above all.” Guess what that phrase "from above" is in Greek: “anothen.” It's the exact same word.
There is a theme in John about ascending and descending, up and down, above and below. Jesus comes from above, from heaven, so He brings a heavenly perspective to all His teachings. Those who come from below fail to grasp it.
“12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? 13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven” (John 3:12-13).
There is a difference between earthly things and heavenly things spoken by Jesus. The misunderstandings in John occur when people hear the earthly thing instead of the heavenly.
That's why Nicodemus doesn't hear the heavenly message about being born of God from above. He hears the earthly message that sounds like he should enter again into his mother's womb.
To be born from above is the same thing as being born "not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:13).
God is above; God is Spirit (John 4:24). The one who is born from above, and is born of water and Spirit, is born of God.
Being born from above is synonymous with being born of God and the Spirit, but surprisingly also water. Water doesn't seem to fit well with these other descriptions.
Water is not God, Spirit, or from above. Water is not divine but is a created substance down below. Yet water does take on a significant spiritual role in the Gospel of John.
Immediately following this conversation with Nicodemus, water is linked to baptism. “22 After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judæa; and there he tarried with them, and baptized. 23 And John also was baptizing in Ænon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized” (John 3:22-23).
The phrase "because there was much water there" (John 3:23) seems like a peculiar detail to add, which means it probably shouldn't be glossed over. There is no way the early church didn't see baptism when they read John 3:5. In fact, we know they saw teaching about baptism in this text. Scholars say that John 3:5 is the most commonly used baptismal text in the second century.
Water is also connected to eternal life (John 4:10-14), sight for the blind (John 9:7), washing that gives you a part with Jesus (John 13:8), and the blood of Jesus (John 19:34).
Most significantly, for this passage, it is linked directly to the Holy Spirit: “37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) [John 7:37-39].
Spirit and Wind
Jesus then uses another word that has multiple meanings: pneuma. This word means "wind" or "Spirit," and Jesus employs both meanings in the same verse! "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” (John 3:8).
Imagine Jesus and Nicodemus talking late into the evening on a gusty night. They can hear the wind but cannot predict where it has come from or where it will end up, nor can they control it.
Nicodemus is a man who is used to authority: making decisions, having control, and running his own life. Jesus telling him to be born of the Spirit is telling him to give up control. You have as much control over the Spirit as you do the wind.
Author's Note: We should always be a little cautious when some teacher or preacher tries to tell us exactly what the Spirit can and cannot do or will and will not do. There is a lot of ambiguity in the work of the Spirit in the Bible, and we believe that's intentional. To truly grasp the Spirit is like nailing down the wind.
NICODEMUS AND SNAKES
Bible Reading
John 3:8-21
“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.
9 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? 11 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? 13 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. 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. 17 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. 19 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. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”
Snakes and the Cross
Snakes and humans seem to be natural enemies. Snakes are creepy and make good companions for a villain (see Voldemort from the Harry Potter book series).
They certainly aren't the hero of the story. That's why Numbers 21 and John 3 work together in a fantastically ironic and beautiful way.
Jesus draws an incredible parallel between a snake and the crucifixion: “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” (John 3:14-15).
Read Numbers 21:4-9. The children of Israel begin to complain against God ... again. This is a constant problem after the Exodus. They long to go back to Egypt. They desired to return to slavery, where they were miserable, cried and wept for deliverance, hopelessly labored without end, and had their children murdered and thrown into the Nile. You know, the good ol' days, or so they thought.
During the complaining in Numbers 21, a plague of venomous serpents swarmed the camp, and people started dying.
They cried out to God, and He heard them and prepared a means of salvation. Moses was to fashion a serpent made of bronze and put it high on a pole, and all who were bitten could look up to the bronze serpent and miraculously be saved.
God did not, by the way, rescue them by removing the snakes. Instead, he allowed them to coexist with the snakes but gave them a means of deliverance through it.
The serpent on a pole has long been a symbol of healing power, from Moses to Asclepius, the god Hermes, and even to the modern field of medicine. Jesus sees this symbol from Numbers 21 as the prefiguration of a different kind of healing.
Just like that rod with the bronze serpent was lifted up, so will the Son of Man be lifted up. Ironically, serpents were the cause of death in Numbers 21, but a savior lifted high was the means of salvation.
In our lives, death is the problem we all face, but a death lifted high is the means of salvation. It is to this beautiful, life-giving death of Jesus that we must all look.
Just like those venomous snakes still existed to bite and spread death in Numbers 21, sin and its lethal bite still exist in our world. Thankfully, a means of salvation exists right alongside.
This sacrificial means of salvation is the clearest image of the love of God that can be seen: “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” (John 3:16).
Before the bronze serpent was made, the people were already bitten and dying. The bronze serpent had one purpose: to bring about salvation. Condemnation was already part of the story.
So it is with the coming of Jesus. The world condemned itself on its own without Jesus' help. He came not to condemn but to provide a way out of condemnation to the hope of eternal life and salvation (John 3:17-18). He came as a focal point of deliverance and the love of God.
Light and Darkness
The conversation with Nicodemus shifts again to a major talking point in the Gospel of John: light and darkness. In John, "night," "darkness," and "blindness" are all representative of a spiritual condition without Christ.
Jesus came as a Light to shine in the darkness (John 1:4-5, 9). He twice describes Himself as the "Light of the World."
The first time is a call to leave darkness and to have "the Light of Life" (John 8:12). The second is a description of His role in the world right before He heals a blind man. (John 9:5). Giving sight to the blind, one who sees only darkness, is done by the Light of the World.
Those who are in darkness need this light. Those who are blind need this light. Nicodemus, who came to Jesus "at night," needed this light.
In Genesis 1, light is the first thing God sends to the world of chaotic water and darkness. In John 1, Light is what God sends to the chaotic world of sin and darkness. Jesus came to enlighten the world, not to condemn it.
Tragically, the world preferred darkness. Imagine in Genesis 1 the world rejecting God's act of creation. In John, we see the world actively rejecting God's work of New Creation.
Some get on board, though. Some actually are born from above. Some see the kingdom as it truly is. Some come out of darkness into His marvelous Light. Some, Mr. Nicodemus, find eternal life.
Summarizing the Conversation
This conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus has a lot of twists and turns, but we think the key to it all is in the first words Jesus says: "Unless one is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). Jesus is bringing a kingdom. This kingdom is "not of this world" (John 18:36). It's easy enough to see a worldly kingdom. The Roman Empire was so visible that no one could miss it; Jesus' kingdom could be missed if you didn't look carefully.
Remember when Jesus was arrested, beaten, and paraded before the Jews with a purple robe and a crown of thorns on His head? He stood there, alone, bloodied in weakness and anguish, while Pilate said, "Behold, your King!" That's a kingdom moment.
Most people who look don't see the sacrificial love of God, don't see the Light of the world, and certainly don't see a king. They see weakness and failure as a fool getting what He deserves. They see a false Messiah, a failed rebellion, a criminal who lost to the mighty Roman Empire. The kingdom of God appears right in front of them, and they walk by, wagging their heads.
But those who have been born from above have eyes that see. They see the kingdom, and they behold their King. We wish we knew more, but the story of Nicodemus ends with a "perhaps." Perhaps Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathaea gave Jesus the burial worthy of a king (John 19:38-42) because their eyes were opened.
Perhaps birth from above is causing them to see things they previously missed. Perhaps an entirely new life awaits them. Maybe the same could be said of you. Perhaps.