Greetings my friends. We are spending a few weeks in the Gospel of John. Jesus went to Jerusalem with his disciples to celebrate the first Passover after he began his ministry. After Jesus revealed his glory to his disciples when he turned water to wine. And then he may have done some miracles in Capernaum.
Then to Jerusalem where he performed his second recorded sign. He cleansed the temple.
Driving out the animals. Disrupting the money changers. And Jesus did many other signs, perhaps even healing miracles. And many people believed in Jesus’ name. They believed in him. And he knew what was in their hearts. (2:23-25)
[1:22] Nicodemus.
Today we are in John 3:1-5.
One of those believers was Nicodemus. A very important man. A Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin Council. The Council of 70 men in Jerusalem who ruled over the affairs of the Jews. And Jesus will call him “the teacher in Israel.” (3:10)
And here is a side note you may find interesting. Some of you will be familiar with the first century Jewish historian Josephus. And extremely important work for historical backgrounds of the New Testament. Anyway, to keep this brief, there is very good evidence that Nicodemus was the brother of Josephus. You can research that on your own.
Well, “The teacher in Israel” comes to Jesus at night and says: “Rabbi. We know that you are a teacher who has come from God. Only a man sent by God could do the things that you are doing.”
The Jewish Council had been talking about the signs Jesus was doing. And the conclusion of the Council—not just Nicodemus himself—but the conclusion of the Council was that Jesus was a teacher who had been sent by God. “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher sent by God.”
People were expecting the Messiah and his kingdom to come at any day. And Jesus is doing signs and probably miracles in Jerusalem. And John is in the wilderness preaching: “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near.” (Matt. 3:2)
Malachi said that the Messiah would appear in the temple, and Jesus has just purified it.
Isaiah said the Messiah would heal, and Jesus has probably been doing some healing.
And so the conclusion of the Council is that Jesus is at least a teacher who has been sent by God.
And so, Nicodemus comes by night.
[4:27] You Must be Born Again
Well, Nicodemus does not even get to ask the question before Jesus gives his answer. Remember, Jesus knows what was in the hearts of all men. (2:24)
The answer to the question which Nicodemus never got to ask was, “No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born from above.” Or, “born again.” One of those Greek words which has more than one meaning. “Born from above,” or, “Born again.” A second birth. A new birth.What we miss in the English is that after that Jesus uses the plural “you.” “Do not be surprised at my saying, [All of] you must be born again.” The entire Council wants to know about their place in the kingdom, not just Nicodemus. (verse 7)
Nicodemus must have been stunned. To think that with all of his learning and teaching in Israel—the teacher of Israel—would have to undergo a spiritual rebirth to see the kingdom of God. No different than a prostitute or a tax collector. You must be born again.
And, it was not enough that Nicodemus believed in Jesus! Nicodemus comes as a believer. The believer must be born again. Today many Protestants make no distinction between a person who believes in Jesus and one who has been born again.
In the Protestant world man has been born again the instant he believes. For Jesus, Nicodemus, who believes, must be born again. Born of water and spirit.
A very power text on this is John 1:12. To all who did receive Jesus, to all of those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
Let that sink in. Those who believed in his name had the right to become children of God.
That is future tense for the believer. First a believer. Then a child of God. The believer must be born again. Born of water and spirit. Like Saul, who came to believe in Jesus on the road to Damascus, but Jesus sent Ananias to Saul three days later to tell him to wash away his sins. Saul, the unforgiven believer.
[8:15] Water and Spirit
And what does it mean to be born of water and spirit? The spirit is the Holy Spirit. But what is the water? A lot of discussion about that. Does water refer to baptism in water, or is water used as a symbol for something else? That is a very complex topic.
Water is used in some places as a symbol for the Holy Spirit. Like when Jesus was talking to the Samaritan woman; he told here whoever drinks the water he gives will never thirst. (John 4:13, 14)
Or in John chapter 7. “Jesus invited every one who was thirsty to come to him and drink. Everyone who believes in me will have streams of water flowing from him. By this he means the Spirit...” (John 7:37-39)
So, yes water can be a symbol word for the Holy Spirit. But that would have Jesus saying that no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born of water—that is spirit—and spirit. That just doesn’t work. Why would Jesus say no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born of spirit and spirit? That is what you would wind up with.
And there are interpretations which connect with the prophecies of Ezekiel chapter 36.
[10:18] The Church Fathers
There were a lot of church fathers who wrote about the importance of water baptism. They go all the way back to the second century. And they all, without exception, connect baptism in water with salvation. And every one who mentions Jesus’ words––“born of water and spirit”––indicate that Jesus is telling Nicodemus the new birth requires water baptism.
Justyn Martyr, Tertullian, Origen, Ambrose, Augustine, and a lot of other church fathers.
Every single church father who said anything about baptism connected it directly to salvation. And everyone who wrote about Jesus’ words to Nicodemus connected them to baptism.
[11:41] Justyn Martyr
Let me share a couple. Justyn Martyr. Justyn lived from 100 through 165 A.D. The greatest apologist of the second century. I will paraphrase some of this.
Here is what he had to say: He writes about those seeking salvation and how they went about it.
He talks about fasting and praying. And then he says: “they are brought by us where there is water, and are regenerated in the same manner in which we were ourselves were regenerated...For Christ also said, ‘Except ye be born again, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." (First Apology, “Christian Baptism”)
[12:47] Irenaeus
And Irenaeus, who was a contemporary of Justyn Martyr.
For as we are lepers in sin, we are made clean, by means of the sacred water and the invocation of the Lord, from our old transgressions; being spiritually regenerated as new-born babes, even as the Lord has declared: ‘Except a man be born through water and the Spirit, he shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven’" (“Fragments from the Lost Writings of Irenaeus,” 34).
That is the way Jesus’ words were understood—for 1,600 years—until the Reformation.
[13:46] Nicodemus at Feast of Tabernacles
Well, later in his ministry Jesus went to the Feast of Tabernacles. The rulers of the Jews had been trying to take Jesus into custody and put him to death because he had healed on the Sabbath.
And all of a sudden, we have Nicodemus. He raises a legal question: Does our law allow us to put a man to death without giving him a chance to defend himself? (John 7:50, 51)
[ 14:37] Spices to Bury the King
Jesus was not arrested and he continued his ministry. But when the Passover came a few months later, he would not be so fortunate. You already know the story so well. Arrested, Tried. Flogged. Crucified.
And who came to claim Jesus’ body? Who offered his tomb, and who came with spices for Jesus’ body? Two members of the Jewish Council. Joseph of Arimathea, who was a prominent member of the Council (Mark 15:43) claimed Jesus’ body and buried him in his own tomb.
And, Nicodemus. Nicodemus brought 75 pounds of spices to wrap up with Jesus’ body.
There is a very interesting text in the Talmud about the death and burial of Gamaliel. When Gamaliel died in the first century, a Jewish scholar named Onkelos brought 75 pounds of spices for his burial. To be wrapped up with his body.
And someone was very surprised that he brought 75 pounds for Gamaliel. And someone asked, “Is Gamaliel also among the kings?” (Onkelos, Yuchasin, 5; Sem. viii.; 'Ab. Zarah 11a). other words, 75 pounds of spices would be brought when a king died. Why would someone bring 75 pounds for Gamaliel? He is a rabbi. He is not a king!
So, why did Nicodemus bring 75 pounds for Jesus? Was it because Jesus is the king of Israel? Maybe. Very interesting.
After that we don’t hear any more about this mysterious man. We really know nothing more about the man than what we have talked about today. But we know how the early church understood Jesus’ teaching: you must be born of water and spirit. Understood to be baptism in water and receiving the Holy Spirit. The only interpretation for more than sixteen hundred years.
