John 3

Nicodemus Visits Jesus

1-9 Nicodemus, a Pharisee and Jewish leader, comes to Jesus by night, acknowledging him as a teacher sent from God. He is puzzled by Jesus’ statement about being born from above. Jesus tells him of a birth of water and Spirit, the difference between flesh and spirit, comparing the Spirit to the invisible wind. In Acts 19:1-6, Paul encounters disciples of John the Baptist who haven’t heard of the Holy Spirit. Paul baptizes them again. Teaching about the Holy Spirit seems to be exclusive to Jesus; at least, it didn’t seem to be part of John’s teaching. The Jamieson, Fausset and Brown commentary explains this well:

Already had the symbol of water been embodied in an initiatory ordinance, in the baptism of the Jewish expectants of Messiah by the Baptist, not to speak of the baptism of Gentile proselytes before that; and in the Christian Church it was soon to become the great visible door of entrance into "the kingdom of God," the reality being the sole work of the Holy Ghost (Titus 3:5).

10-16 Jesus is surprised Nicodemus doesn’t understand this. If you (Pharisees) don’t believe me about earthly things, how can you believe me about heavenly things? No one but me, who has descended from heaven, can ascend back to heaven. The Son of Man will be lifted up, just as Moses’ serpent was lifted up. God has shown his love for the world by sending His Son. Everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life. Jesus is chastising Nicodemus as a representative of the Pharisees because they don’t understand the spiritual nature of the kingdom (even though, as I understand it, they believe in resurrection from the dead). From Burton Coffman:

By this answer, Christ did not deny some element of mystery regarding the questions Nicodemus had raised, but was exclaiming at his failure to understand the basic things Christ had commanded him to do. The Lord's words to this ruler of the Jews were the blunt equivalent of "Look, you Pharisees stop rejecting John's baptism; obey God by submitting to it; but that is only part of it; you must allow the Spirit of God to dwell in your heart, and that can come about only by your following me" (Luke 7:30).

17-21 God sent His Son not to condemn, but to save the world. It’s those who do not believe in Him that will be condemned, as they refuse to expose their evil works by coming to the light. The deeds of those who are true will be exposed in the light. Interesting thought from Burton Coffman here:

This verse forever lays to rest the conceit that unbelief is an intellectual problem; on the contrary, it is basically a moral problem.

Jesus and John the Baptist

22-24 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, baptizing, near where John was baptizing at Aenon, where water was abundant. (Necessary, because baptism was an immersion.) Jesus and John had parallel ministries until John was put into prison.

25-30 A discussion of purification causes John’s disciples to remark to John about the popularity of Jesus. John tells them that Jesus’ ministry is from heaven, and that he, John, is not the Messiah, merely the friend of the bridegroom. “My joy has been fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.” John knew his mission – and valued his place – better than his disciples did. Isn’t that sometimes the case with great men? Their followers want their mentor to be the greatest of all, jealous of another one who might seem greater. It speaks to their inflated egos, not to the conceit of their leader. It’s also amazing that though they valued John, they didn’t seem to hear his revelations about the coming Messiah: “The Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.” (John 1:29).

The One Who Comes from Heaven

31-36 John affirms that he is from earth, but Jesus 1) is from heaven; 2) testifies of what [as the Son of God] he has seen and heard; 3)speaks the words of God, having the Spirit without measure; 4) is loved by the Father, who has placed all things in His hands. Believers will have eternal life; the disobedient will receive God’s wrath.