John 3. Born Again

When you go somewhere, there are often conditions of entry. If you go on a bus or train, you need a ticket. If you go to a wedding, you need to dress nicely. If you go to school, you need to wear a uniform. If you go to the shops, you need money. How do you enter the kingdom of God, thereby receiving eternal life? What are the conditions of entry? Are there better offers available? Can I click on “maybe attending,” and wait to see if there’s something better on offer? That’s what John 3 is all about.

1. Kingdom Entry Come Through New Birth By the Spirit

In verses 3:1-8, we discover that New Birth comes through the Spirit. We’ve already been introduced to the “new birth” idea in 1:12-13. There we read:

12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

In John 3, we learn more about why this is so important and why we need the Spirit.

Nicodemus the Pharisee. The story begins with a Pharisee named Nicodemus visiting Jesus at night. The Pharisees were an influential political and religious group, most famous for their strict obedience to God’s law and their entrenched opposition to Jesus. The fact that a Pharisee would come to visit Jesus would be kind of taboo, which explains why he’s visiting at night—nobody can see him. According to verse 1, Nicodemus was a member of the “Jewish ruling council,” also known as the Sanhedrin. According to Mishnah Sanhedrin 1.6, the Great Sanhedrin (which Nicodemus was a part of) consisted of 71 judges responsible for interpreting and enforcing religious law, conducting trials, and making decisions on criminal cases, disputes, and religious issues. As a member of this group, Nicodemus was a pretty important guy.

He has heard about Jesus’ “signs” and recognises that Jesus has, in some sense “come from God.” He thinks Jesus is someone to be taken seriously, even calling him “Rabbi.” However, given what we just read about people with surface-level faith who only superficially believe in Jesus because of his signs in 2:23-25, we’re supposed to wonder if Nicodemus’ faith is only superficial. In what follows, Jesus, knowing Nicodemus’ heart, will challenge him to move beyond surface-level faith by teaching him that true entry into God’s kingdom requires rebirth by the Spirit.

The Kingdom of God. In verse 3, Jesus explains that you can only enter the kingdom of God if you’re born again. At its most basic level, the kingdom of God refers to God’s people, God’s place and God’s rule. So far, in John’s Gospel, we’ve discovered that Jesus is God’s rule. He has authority as creator, Son of God, Son of Man, and king of Israel. He has replaced God’s place, the temple, with himself. He has started gathering a people for himself, beginning with his first disciples at the end of chapter 1. Now Jesus is telling Nicodemus that if he wants to become a part of this kingdom, he has to be born again.

Born again? In verse 4, we discover that Nicodemus isn’t great with metaphors:

How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!

Born of Water and the Spirit. In verse 5, Jesus begins to explain the metaphor. Nicodemus doesn’t have to hop back inside his mummy’s tummy. Jesus is talking about being “born of water and the Spirit.” What does this mean? The “Spirit” bit is kind of obvious. Jesus is saying that you need the Holy Spirit to work in you so that you can receive new life. In Ephesians 3:16-17, we read that the Holy Spirit enables Jesus to live in our hearts. It’s that kind of idea.

Some people think the “born of water” bit refers to water baptism. I actually think it’s just another way of saying “born of the Spirit.” In John 7:37–39, we read:

37 Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.

So, those who trust in Jesus receive Living Water which will flow from them. The Living Water is the Holy Spirit. So, you can only enter the kingdom of God if the Holy Spirit enables you to enter. It’s all dependent on him.

Flesh and Spirit. In verse 6, Jesus continues: “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” In other words, when it comes to normal birth, their physical mother gives birth to a physical baby, giving fleshly or physical life. But, when it comes to being “born again,” the holy Spirit gives birth to us in a new way, giving us new spiritual life. Jesus clarifies to Nicodemus that he’s using a metaphor. In verse 7, Jesus says that Nicodemus shouldn’t be surprised by this. First, Nicodemus should be smart enough to know that Jesus is using a metaphor. Second, as a Pharisee, Nicodemus should know his Bible back to front. In passages like Ezekiel 36:15-17 and Isaiah 44:3-5, we read of a time that is coming when God will enable people to be reborn by the power of his Spirit. Nicodemus shouldn’t be surprised by the idea of rebirth.

The Wind and the Spirit. In verse 8, knowing that Nicodemus struggles with metaphors, Jesus clarifies that you can’t actually see the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is like the wind. It blows and has an effect, but you can’t actually see the Spirit. You won’t visibly see the Spirit transform, smash someone in the face, and make them born again. But you’ll be able to tell that the Spirit has been at work when you hear how a born-again person speaks, just like you can tell that the wind has been blowing when you hear the wind.

TLDR: We need to be born again through the Spirit to enter the kingdom of God.

We’re entirely dependent on God’s Spirit making us born again. This can freak people out, because they worry about whether they have the Spirit. But really, it should comfort us. At the end of the day, whether or not I’m born again depends on the Spirit. He is much more reliable than I am. If you’re worried, tell God, and ask him to give you assurance that you have the Spirit, and that he is at work in you. If you genuinely ask for this, God will genuinely give you what you ask for.

2. Eternal Life Comes Through the Son

How can this be? In the next section, Nicodemus needs some time to catch up in verse 9. He’s struggling to make sense of this. So, in verse 10 and following, Jesus explains things further. In verse 10, Jesus is thinking, “Are you serious, dude?” He says, “You’re Israel’s teacher and you don’t get this?” This is basic stuff. In verse 11, he adds that Jesus and his growing crew of disciples have been speaking of things they both know about and have seen, but then Nicodemus and others refuse to receive their words.

Earthly and Heavenly Things. In verse 12, Jesus says, “I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?” Everything he’s spoken of with Nicodemus has had a pretty strong spiritual vibe. So, by “earthly” things, I think Jesus is talking about things that happen on earth (that is, being born again), explained using analogies from earth (things like water and wind). How can Jesus explain even more complex things like heaven and eternity when Nicodemus can’t wrap his mind around his basic point (that we need to be born again through the Spirit to enter the kingdom of God)?

Heaven and the Son of Man. Then, in verse 13, Jesus explains his authority to speak about these things, whether earthly or heavenly. “No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.” Jesus is from the realm above. He has been in heaven. He has come from heaven. He is the Son of Man, the ruler of all things spoken of in Daniel 7:13-14. Nicodemus should trust what Jesus is saying.

The Snake in the Wilderness. Then, in verse 14, Jesus tries out another illustration for Nicodemus. He says, “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up.” Back in Numbers 24, God’s people spoke against him and Moses in the desert, whinging about not being given what they need (24:4–5). As a consequence, God sent venomous snakes to bite them (24:6). The Israelites confess their sins (24:7) and Moses tells them to make a snake and put it on a pole (24:8). Then, if they look up at it, they will live.

Basically, Jesus is saying, “Look at the one lifted up and you’ll live.” Just as the Israelites looked up at the lifted-up snake and were able to live, surviving further bites from the snakes, if Nicodemus looks up at the lifted-up Jesus (lifted up at the cross, and then lifted up at his resurrection and ascension), he will live (and, I suppose, be able to survive further bites from sin). As we read in verse 15, “everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

The Reasons. We don’t know whether or not verses 16–21 came directly from Jesus lips (Greek annoyingly doesn’t use speech marks), but what we read in verses 16-21 certainly unpacks what Jesus says in verses 10-15. We know this because verses 16 and 17 start with the word “for,” which suggests that a reason or explanation follows:

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.

17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Verse 15 tells us the result of Jesus being lifted up and us believing in Jesus: eternal life. Verse 16 explains the theological backdrop. This all happens because of God’s love for the world (by “world”, he means the world in opposition to God, consisting of Jewish people, Samaritans and Gentiles). It happens because God the Father made it happen through giving his Son, just as he makes rebirth happen through his Spirit. It also teases out not only the result of what will happen if Nicodemus puts his faith in Jesus (eternal life), but also the result of what will happen if he doesn’t: he’ll perish.

Nicodemus might wonder whether this means that God wants people to perish. It doesn’t. As we see in verse 17, God didn’t send his Son into the world to condemn it—he sent him to save it.

But, as we read in verse 18, there is a certain reality that some will believe and not stand condemned (that is, under God’s judgement), while others will not believe and stand condemned. The reason they will be condemned is introduced with the word “because”: “because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” They do not trust in the name of Jesus alone to save them from their sins.

Why Some People Reject Jesus. Verses 15-18 raise the question: why would someone not believe in Jesus? Why would anyone reject him if he brings eternal life? Verses 19-22 explain the reason: because they want to.

19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.

People reject Jesus, aka the Light, because they love darkness. They love evil. They won’t want their sins exposed and have to come before God and admit what they’ve done. Often people ask why God doesn’t just force them to change their minds. And he’s very powerful, so he could do that. But, the people who reject him can’t complain that God hasn’t done this. They don’t want him to. They want to exist without God. And that’s what God allows them to have. He gives them what they want: darkness. Ironically, although they don’t want their deeds exposed, a day is coming when “it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.” This will take place when Jesus returns at the end of history as we know it.

TLDR: We need to have faith in the Son to receive eternal life. Just as we can only be reborn by the power of the Spirit, we can only receive eternal life because God “gave” Jesus (3:16), who was “lifted up” (3:15) at the cross, resurrection, and ascension, to “save the world through him.” The appropriate response is to believe or trust in Jesus alone to save us.

3. This is Better Than Anything Man Can Give

So, new birth comes through the Spirit. Eternal life comes through the Son. In verses 23-36, John helps us see that this is better than anything he can give. In fact, it’s better than anything any man or woman can provide.

Setting the scene. After this conversation, John the Baptist is hanging out with his disciples, baptising at a place called Aenon, maybe up near the border of Samaria and the Decapolis.

Source: ESV Study Bible

John’s Disciples Arguing. An argument then breaks out between John the Baptist’s disciples and an unidentified Jewish man concerning ceremonial washing. One way or another, this argument seems to lead John’s disciples to ask him about Jesus in verse 36: “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—look, he is baptising, and everyone is going to him.” It seems that they are worried about the future of John’s baptism ministry. They’ve already lost some disciples to Jesus’ ministry. Are their jobs at risk?

Not the Messiah. In response, John reminds them (as he has said before) that he is not the Messiah (verse 28). Rather, he was sent ahead of him to point people to him. That guy on the other side of the Jordan—he is the Messiah.

Bridge and Bridegroom. In verse 29, John adds:

The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.

John is filled with joy and is feeling complete. John was the friend, the best man, waiting and listening for the bridegroom. Now he has heard the voice of the bridegroom. The bridegroom is Jesus. The bride is Jesus’ followers. The bride belongs with the bridegroom. Jesus’ followers belong with Jesus. John isn’t jealous or worried about his future job prospects. He’s filled with joy.

Greater and Less. The best man should never steal the show at a wedding. So, John then adds in verse 30 that Jesus must become greater and he must become less. Once we understand how truly great Jesus is, we’ll have the same mindset, and keep growing in this mindset.

Above and Below. In verse 31, John (we’re not sure if it’s John the Gospeller or John the Baptist) goes on to unpack this further. Jesus is above everyone. He’s from above. Jesus is from heaven. John is from earth and speaks as one from earth. In other words, “Why on earth would you want to stick with a man from earth when you can be with Jesus? He speaks as one from heaven!”

Speaking by the Spirit without limit. Moreover, when Jesus speaks and testifies, he does so as someone empowered by the Holy Spirit. In verse 34, Jesus “speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit.” Listening to Jesus’ words is better than listening to anyone else. Who wants to listen to John the Baptist’s earthly words when you have Jesus’ heavenly, Spirit-filled words?

Love and authority. Next, we’re told that Jesus has authority to speak these words and do these things because “the Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands” (verse 35). There is no one else on earth who is loved like the Son in this way, nor is there anyone else who can say that everything is in their hands. Jesus is more loved than anyone else and has more power than anyone else. Why would you want to follow John the Baptist or any other man?

Two Ways to Live. And then, in verse 36, we’re left with two ways to go: believe the Son or reject the Son. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.” If we believe the Son, we receive eternal life. This is much greater than anything any man can give. If we reject the Son, God’s righteous wrath or anger will remain on them forever. We have to make a decision. Who will we follow? The Son? Or someone else?

Surely, it makes more sense to believe Jesus and receive eternal life he offers, and receive the new birth the Spirit provides. There’s no point clicking “maybe attending,” and waiting for a better offer. There is nothing better on offer.

TLDR: New birth and eternal life is better than anything man can offer.

Discussion Questions

Pray and Get Going.

1. Think of all the different places you go each week. What are the conditions of entry?

Read John 3:1-8.

2. According to Jesus, how do we enter the kingdom of God?

3. How much does being born again depend on the Spirit and how much does it depend on us?

Read John 3:9-22.

3. How does Jesus contribute to us receiving eternal life? What’s the deal with the snake stuff?

Read John 3:23-36.

4. John says, “He [Jesus] must become greater; I must become less.” Why do you think he’s so happy to say this? What would it look like for us to have the same attitude?

5. What are the two responses to Jesus in verse 36? Which makes more sense to you? How have you responded to Jesus?

Pray and Give Thanks