John 3:1-21 | Food for Thought
LISTEN: CONTEXT > CONTENT > QUESTIONS > VISION FOR DISCIPLES
Context
“Born of water and the Spirit.” Lots of folks have different thoughts on this, and while it may not seem to matter much, it does! Jesus links this to our entrance into the kingdom, so we should care about what he means here. Options:
1) He’s referring to natural birth and supernatural new birth. This isn’t supported by the Greek construction or by historical understandings of the text, though.
2) He’s referring to water baptism and a subsequent spirit baptism. This likely isn’t the case, though, because the phrase seems to want to unify water and spirit, not contrast / split them into separate things. Additionally, while water baptism is commanded later in the Great Commission, it’s not required entrance into the kingdom; faith alone is! Lastly, Jesus seems to assume that Nicodemus should know what this means, but Christian baptism as a reflection of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus couldn’t be known before his crucifixion.
3) He’s referring to purification (being made clean) and new life (spiritual rebirth). This is the most likely meaning. Not only has water already been connected with purification in the wedding at Cana, but it will be mentioned as much again right after this focal passage in John 3:25. There’s also a clear link to water and the Spirit as it relates to “new life” in Ezekiel 36:25-27, just before Ezekiel’s vision of the Valley of the Dry Bones. Here, God sprinkles his people with water to make them clean, and he places his Spirit within them in order to cause them to walk in his ways.
“Son of Man.” This phrase isn’t merely speaking of Jesus’ humanity. It’s a specific title from Daniel 7:9-22 that attaches authority to judge and reign at the right hand of God. The fact that Jesus is also referred to as the Son of God is not merely a commentary on Jesus’ dual natures (both fully God and fully man), but on the fact that the awaited “Son of Man” would be God himself.
Moses and the serpent. Read Numbers 21:4-9 to get this reference. John compares Jesus to the snake who needed to be lifted up on a pole and looked upon for life!
Nicodemus in the dark. It’s easy to detach Jesus’ words here from the fact that he’s talking to a particular person: Nicodemus, who has come to Jesus in the dark of night, curious about this kingdom that he’s seen signs of but hasn’t entered yet. Jesus’ words are TO him, as much as they are FOR us today.
Content
The kingdom of God is supernatural.
Anybody can see Jesus’ signs and acknowledge that they’re from God, but seeing and entering the kingdom of God itself requires something more!
Nicodemus (and others!) clearly see the signs, but Jesus is telling him that’s not enough.
This supernatural nature of the kingdom / requirement to enter shouldn’t be a surprise, according to Jesus!
We need to be supernaturally reborn.
“Naturally,” judgment and condemnation are already on us because the world is born into a state of sin.
Evidence for this: there are things we’d rather keep in the dark and flinch (guilt, shame, fear, etc.) when we think about things being brought to light. (We love the dark and hate the light!)
We need to love the light and let it be proved that our works have been carried out by God! …but how can we do that if what will be exposed is evil and/or works that have been merely carried out in our own strength?
This supernatural rebirth isn’t something we can just “will” into existence; the Spirit gives life as he wills, and we can’t predict it or control it (just like we can’t control the wind!).
Supernatural rebirth comes through Jesus, the Son of Man and Son of God who was lifted up to give us life!
Jesus’ earthly ministry had nothing to do with bringing judgment or condemnation into the world, because those already exist apart from him showing up! While the Son of Man will one day rule and judge over all (Daniel reference), this same Son of Man will also seek to save by offering eternal life through faith in his name.
This kind of life can only come through Jesus, because he’s the only one who has come from heaven. He alone has seen / can reveal “heavenly” things.
Through Jesus, we can be “born of water and Spirit.” We’re made clean by him when he gives us his righteousness in exchange for our sin. And it’s from him that the Spirit is sent into every believer now made clean by faith in the gospel.
This is a rebirth that not only changes where we will live forever (with God and his people!), but how we live today as a new creation who LOVES the light and is carried along by God! God so (“in this way”) love the world, that he brought LIGHT and LIFE into the world through Jesus.
Questions
How are we prone to “coming to Jesus by night?” Are there things you’re embarrassed of about yourself or Jesus that keep you from being open and honest with him, yourself, others? How does that play out?
What’s it mean to be born again / born of water and the spirit? If it’s like the wind blowing wherever it will, then how can we “obey” in being born again? How is “looking upon” the Son of Man connected to being born again?
Why did God send his Son? How will people respond? How have you seen this play out in real life? And how does this shape what our ministry should be about in this life?
How can we learn to love the light more than the darkness? What has to happen (not just when we “first believe,” but every day after)? How can we help one another learn to love the light?
Vision
Disciples are ministers of good news of eternal life through the name of Jesus! We go into the world knowing that judgment and condmenation are already here, that sin, Satan, and the world will hate the light the gospel shines, and that we get to keep our own eyes fixed on the Jesus who was lifted up - both on the cross and to the right hand of God!
Gospel communities get to be places where the light is LOVED, and we get to help one another learn to love the light and distrust the darkness that often seems safe (but is actually deadly!).