John 3

JESUS ATTENDS THE FIRST PASSOVER OF HIS MINISTRY. (Jerusalem, April 9, A.D. 27.) B. JESUS TALKS WITH NICODEMUS. John 3:1-21
1. Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus. Nicodemus is mentioned only by John. His character is marked by prudence amountingalmost to timidity. At John 7:50-52 he defends Jesus, but withoutcommitting himself as in any interested in him; at John 19:38 John 19:39 hebrought spices for the body of Jesus, but only after Joseph ofArimathea had secured the body.

2. A ruler of the Jews. A member of the Sanhedrin.

3:2  the same came unto him by night¹, and said to him, Rabbi, we know² that thou art a teacher come from God³; for no one can do these signs that thou doest, except God be with him⁵.

1. The same came unto him by night. Thus avoiding the hostility of his colleagues, and also obtaining a more personal and uninterruptedinterview with Jesus. That his coming by night revealed his characteris shown by the fact that John repeats the expression when describinghim at John 19:39 . But, in justice, it should be said that Nicodemuswas the only one of his order who came at all during our Lord's life.

2. And said to him, Rabbi, we know. Nicodemus uses the plural, to avoid committing himself too much. Nicodemus would assert nothing but thatwhich was commonly admitted by many. We learn from John 12:42 John 12:43 thatlate in the ministry of Christ, when hostility towards him was mostbitter, many of the rulers still believed in him. No doubt, whenNicodemus said "we" he used the word advisedly and conscientiously.

3. That thou art a teacher come from God. The rulers knew that Jesus was not the product of any of the rabbinical schools, and his miraclesmarked him as a prophet and distinguished him from all who were guidedmerely by reason, no matter how learned.

4. For no man can do these signs that thou doest. See John 2:25 .

5. Except God be with him. These words show the effect of Christ's miracles. Miracles arrest attention and challenge investigation, andprove that he who works them is from God ( Acts 10:38 ).

3:3  Jesus answered¹ and said unto him, Verily, verily², I say unto thee, Except one be born anew³, he cannot see the kingdom of God⁴.

1. Jesus answered. Not the words, but the thoughts of Nicodemus. The answers of Jesus often look rather to the thoughts of the questionerthan to the form of the question. Nicodemus came seeking to knowsomething about the kingdom of God, and Jesus opened at once upon thesubject.

2. Verily, verily. See John 1:51.

3. Except one be born anew. The Greek word "anothen," translated "anew," may also mean "from above", and some commentators seek to sotranslate it here, but it is rightly translated "again", for Nicodemusunderstood it to mean a "second" birth. As to the import of thepassage, Luther's words are pertinent:

   "My doctrine is not of doing, and of leaving undone, but of being and becoming; so that it is not a new work to be done, but the being new created--not the living otherwise, but the being new-born."

4. He cannot see the kingdom of God. To "see" the kingdom means to possess or enjoy it ( Psalms 16:10 ; Psalms 90:15 ; John 8:51 ; Luke 2:26 ).

3:4  Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old¹? can he enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born²?

1. How can a man be born when he is old? Knowing that a man cannot be literally born a second time, Nicodemus states to Jesus the literalimport of his words, hoping thereby to draw from him an explanation ofthis new, strange metaphor which he was using.

2. Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born? So far as he did grasp the meaning of Jesus, Nicodemus saw himself barredforever from the kingdom by an impossible requirement. Many, like him,need to learn that God asks of us nothing that is impossible; that, onthe contrary, the yoke is easy and the burden is light ( Matthew 11:30 ).