John 3:1-8

Jesus Teaches Nicodemus

1 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” 3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” 4 “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!” 5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

1: Pharisee is a Jewish group . They lived in the way that bible said in very serious. They believed resurrection, angels , and spirits. Many of them actes as teacher. Refer Acts 23:8 (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees believe all these things.)
2: Nicodemus may not want others seeing him visit Jesus, since most Pharisee treated Jesus is a potential threat to their authority. Nicodemus came to visit Jesus, because he knew that he performanced some miracles. And he treated this is a linkage to GOD.
3: Jesus did not answer or confirm Nicodemus's question: He is from GOD; Jesus answered him a question: how a human can enter the kingdom of God ?
4: Nicodemus's reborn is from human's understanding; Jesus's reborn is God's perspective: a channel to reach GOD.
5: Jesus explain what are needed to reborn: water and spirit. water means repent; spirit is the Holy Spirit.
6: Flesh points to Nicodemus's reborn; the Spirit means the Holy Spirit from GOD.
7: Jesus's reborn is a solution from GOD. It is beyond what human can understanding. So, Jesus knew that human will get suprised; and he told Nicodemus does not supprise.
8: Jesus tooks wind blowing as an example. Human can feel that, but human don't know where it from and to.



John 3:9-21

9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. 10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” 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. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 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. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

9: Nicodemus is very hard to believe it.
10: Jesus had a higher expectation for Nicodemus. He represents Israel’s teacher. And even a teacher did not understand, this implyed most of Israel do not understand this.
11: Jesus represents those whom had been in haven and in earth. And Nicodemus and other Israel only been on earth. So the Jesus's understanding is much larger than Nicodemus and other Israel. They can only do is to accept or reject. They cannot verify.
12: Jesus said the earth thing because this is the common ground for Jesus and them. But they still not believe. So, Jesus said, they wont believe him when he talked about the heavenly things.
13: Beside Jesus from Heaven, no one had been there. This explain why only 'believe' is the key.
14: Both the snake that Moses lifted up and Jesus implyed the hope from God. Refer Numbers 21:5 they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!” 6 Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8 The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.
15: To believe Jesus, the hope God set, will lead to external life.
16: Love is the reason that GOD send Jesus to earth to redeem his people. For those who believe him will get external life.
17: The motivation of God to send Jesus is to save the world, not condemn. Because the world already in sin.
18: Before Jesus came, the sin and condem already there. But Jesus will lead in salvation. For those whom don't response Jesus's call, their sin will get deeper, because their rejection.
19: The condemnation is not from Jesus; but from the evil of desire: love to darness, not the light
20: The evil one have the fear: the deeds will be exposed. They do not want to give up what the evil desire or behaviors they have. They are not looking for a change: to pursue the light.
21: For those who have the desire to live in righteous , they love the light. Because the light will lead them to the source of truth: GOD. Refer Romans 10:9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.



John 3:22-36

John Testifies Again About Jesus

22 After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. 23 Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptized. 24 (This was before John was put in prison.) 25 An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. 26 They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.” 27 To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’ 29 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. 30 He must become greater; I must become less.”[h] 31 The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 33 Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. 34 For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God[i] gives the Spirit without limit. 35 The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

22: Judean is in the south of Israel.
23: Aenon is close to Jordan river.
24: John was in jail, and eventually died there. Refer Matthew 14:3-10 Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, 4 for John had been saying to him: “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5 Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered John a prophet. 6 On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so much 7 that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. 8 Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” 9 The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted 10 and had John beheaded in the prison.
25: Jew expected John is an prophet, but not totally agree on him. This relfect the challenge of the Jew to face the gospel.
26: John’s disciples told John a fact: people were attracted by Jesus.
27-28: John replyed the question in God's pespective to address himself. And tell his disciples that his role is to preare Jesus's road.
29: John use bride and groom to describe the relationship between him and Jesus.
30: John's mindset is a great sample for Christian to follow. He is humble under GOD and GOD's plan
31: The one from above points to Jesus; the one from the earth means all of people. So, the earth one is limited, and the above one is above all. This verse is the same concept with the verse 12-13. The difference here is the verse 31 is said by John. And verse 12-13 is said by Jesus.
32 - 33: GOD did his part to save those people he love by sending Jesus to deliver His message, but only few accepted this gift. The verse 32-33 is the same meaning with John 1:11-12 John 1:11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—
34: Jesus is the image of the invisible GOD. Refer Colossians 1:15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
35: Jesus's authority is from GOD. And the relationship is LOVE. GOD loves the son, and give him this mission. And son loves GOD, so the son carry this mission.
36: This verse is the similar with verse 18. The sin lead to death, because GOD's wrath remains on them.



[Bible study:John]