Welcome to Day 2138 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

The Gospel of John – 5 – Brainstorming the New Birth – Daily Wisdom

The Gospel of John – Part 2 Presentation of the Word – Brainstorming the New Birth

Today we continue our Good News series according to John the Apostle. This message is the dialog between Nicodemus and Jesus Christ.  Like last week’s cleansing of the temple, we should note that this episode occurred later in Jesus’s public ministry. However, because it is crucial to John’s overall dialog, he placed it early in his version of the Good News. John 3:1-21 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 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.” Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” “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!” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.  Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 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.” “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 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. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” 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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 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. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 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. 3:1–2 Here we meet a man confused in his religion. If Judaism had an office like the pope, Nicodemus (Greek for “conqueror of the people”) would have been the ideal candidate. As we observe his encounter with Jesus, we discover that he possessed three outstanding qualifications that made him one of the most impressively religious men alive. “Now there was a Pharisee” (3:1). The term “Pharisee” most likely meaning is “separated one.” Many trace their roots to Daniel and his three friends while in exile in Babylon. They refused to partake of their captors’ food (Daniel 1:8–19) or worship the king as a god (Daniel 3:1–30). Having been taken from the Promised Land and cut off from their temple, they clung to the Law to preserve their identity as distant sons of Abraham. But after more than six hundred years, this admirable loyalty to nationalism and devotion to the Law had taken on a life of its own. Pharisees had become a tight-knit brotherhood, a political and religious party that had earned the respect of their fellow Jews. They were meticulous expositors of Scripture and worked tirelessly to apply the general principles of the Law to everyday life. For example, the Law stated that every Israelite set aside the seventh day of the week to rest the body and refresh the soul (Exodus 20:10–11). /So that everyone would know how to apply the Law in their culture and “rest” as they should, the Pharisaic rabbis added a long list of specific prohibitions. Later, this oral tradition of the Pharisees would be preserved in the Mishnah document, which contains twenty-four chapters on how to keep the Sabbath. That’s a bit overboard, I would say. No one rivaled the Pharisees in being religious. No one could! Before the Jews were exiled to Babylon, a king ruled the nation of Israel. After returning to the Promised Land, they were subject to foreign governors, and looked to the high priest for leadership. By the first century, when Rome dominated Israel, the high priest shared power with a council of seventy men who had experienced politicians and notable religious figures. This ruling council of “elders,” called the Sanhedrin, served as Israel’s Parliament/Congress and Supreme Court. Not only was Nicodemus a devoutly religious man, but he was also a leader of religious men. “Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council.” “You are Israel’s teacher” (3:10). John uses the definite article, indicating that Nicodemus was more than merely one teacher among many in Israel. There was no rabbinical position, or political office called “Israel’s teacher,” (A Teacher of teachers). This was the general opinion of his peers. Jesus found irony in the man’s reputation, suggesting Nicodemus was regarded by most to be the preeminent voice of religious teaching in Israel. Since Nicodemus came to see Jesus under the cover of darkness, he was concerned about being seen with Him. In John’s Gospel, the images of night and darkness are menacing (9:4; 11:10; 13:30; 19:39). Previous open confrontations with Jesus in the temple proved to be embarrassing for the religious leaders, so his peers may have sent Nicodemus to negotiate privately. Nevertheless, Nicodemus’s opening lines show all the grace and dignity of a man on a diplomatic mission. 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.” It’s also possible he came in all sincerity to investigate the popular and controversial rabbi from Galilee, perhaps in the spirit of professional courtesy, if not personal curiosity. 3:3 John may have summarized this conversation for brevity while keeping the general flavor of the encounter. However, Jesus quickly bypassed the flattering approach and cut straight to the heart of the matter. Nicodemus was no ordinary Jew sitting before Him; he was a remarkably astute theological mind. And Jesus saw through him with supernatural, spiritual X-ray vision. Jesus put before the teacher a theological proposition, using fresh terminology. This phrase is the first instance of “born again.” This concept was not familiar to scholars of the Hebrew Scriptures.  The Greek word anōthen, translated as “again,” can have several meanings, but the most common rendering is “from above.” Similarly, I might say to someone, “I received help from above,” meaning God helped me. However, it likely has an intended double meaning, bringing both “from above” and “again” together to illustrate a profound truth. Physical birth is our mode of entrance into the world and brings the potential equipment for adjustment to the world. It passes from one kind of life and from one environment to another. “To be born again,” or “born from above,” means a transformation of a person so that he is able to enter another world and adapt to its conditions. To belong to the heavenly kingdom, one must be born into it. Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God. Moreover, our own physical birth is not something we can accomplish ourselves. We cannot conceive ourselves, and we cannot become ready for birth independently. Physical birth results from two people deciding to procreate and joining their bodies as God designed. Spiritual birth is similar in that the newborn is not able to bring about their own birth; it must be done on their behalf. But, unlike physical birth, spiritual birth is strictly the work of God, as John wrote in his prolog (1:12–13). But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. Jesus made this different kind of birth a requirement for citizenship in the “kingdom of God,” a phrase rarely used in John’s Gospel. As a politician, Nicodemus cared about the crisis in Israel; God’s kingdom had been reduced to a province of Rome. Furthermore, he expected the Messiah to be a military commander and political ruler, transforming Israel into a dominant world and economic powerhouse. This new requirement grabbed his attention, and his demeanor shifted dramatically. He dropped his flattering facade and engaged Jesus in thoughtful debate. 3:4–5 When Nicodemus heard the new requirement, “must be born anōthen,” he deliberately focused on the “again” nuance of the phrase. Perhaps with tongue in cheek, Nicodemus stretched the image out of shape. Don’t forget; this is no imbecile sitting across from Jesus. Nicodemus is a brilliant theologian, skilled in debate, addressing what he undoubtedly saw as a young upstart. His question said, in effect, “‘What a ludicrous proposition!’’What do you mean?’ exclaimed Nicodemus. ‘How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?’” Of course, this was not Jesus’ point at all. Nicodemus’ perspective was limited to the earthly plane, the physical dimension. To help the old theologian see, Jesus offered two illustrations (3:6–8 – wind, and 3:14–15 - snake). To twenty-first-century Westerners, both appear more cryptic than those living in the first. Nevertheless, the concepts would have been very familiar to Nicodemus. Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. The ministry of John the Baptizer was well-known to everyone in Jerusalem, including this rabbi, Nicodemus. John called Jews to a “baptism of repentance” in which Jews were to come to God as if for the first time, as Gentile converts. But remember—John’s baptism was only a symbol of new life (1:31–33); the baptism of Jesus is a baptism of actual life … abundant life, spiritual life, made possible only through the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, connecting the concepts “born anōthen” and “born of water and the Spirit” should have sparked the rabbi’s memory of a familiar Old Testament promise in Ezekiel 36:24–28. Unless one is born “from above” through the cleansing work of the Spirit of God within, one cannot enter God’s kingdom. 3:6–8 Jesus’ first illustration reveals a radical difference between religion and regeneration. His second illustration (3:14–15) explains how regeneration works. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.” Religion is man-made. Regeneration is God-made. 3:9–13 Let’s give Nicodemus credit. While many rejected Jesus outright, Nicodemus tried to understand Jesus’ message and wrestled with the issue of His identity. The smooth-talking statesman had become a stammering pupil. On the surface, his problem appeared to be a lack of understanding, but Jesus dug deep to find the real source of his struggle. Note the progression: “[You] … do not understand…” (3:10), “You do not accept…” (3:11), “How will you believe…?” (3:12). First, Jesus was incredulous that spiritual matters would be so foreign to the mind of Israel’s leading spiritual teacher. If the shepherd is blind, the flock is doomed! Second, the real struggle for Nicodemus and the people he represented was their refusal to affirm the truth of eyewitness testimony. There was no stronger evidence in the ancient world than the corroborating testimony of multiple witnesses. Third, Jesus acknowledged that spiritual realities are more difficult to believe than truths that can be perceived with the senses; nevertheless, credibility is the heart of the matter. Who are you going to trust? Finally, Jesus claimed to be an eyewitness to heavenly truths, seeing what physical eyes cannot see. A human cannot physically ascend to heaven to witness spiritual realities, but God can descend physically to testify to humanity. Not only can God come to earth as a man, but He did also come to earth as a man. Jesus used the familiar Old Testament idiom “Son of Man” to refer to Himself.

“Son of Man” John 3:13–14 Jesus frequently referred to Himself as “Son of Man,” a significant title with roots deep in the soil of Israel’s Scriptures. More significantly, “Son of Man” is the title given by Daniel to the messianic figure in his vision. He was “One like a Son of Man,” who received from the “Ancient of Days” everlasting dominion over all the earth, to rule as its king (Daniel 7:13).  By no coincidence then, the title “Son of Man” appears thirteen times in John’s Gospel (John 1:51; 3:13–14; 5:27; 6:27, 53, 62; 8:28; 9:35; 12:23, 34; 13:31) and consistently in conjunction with Jesus’ claim to deity. It was Jesus’ way of identifying Himself as the sole Messiah.

3:14–15 Jesus drew upon a familiar episode in Israel’s history (recorded in Numbers 21:4–9) to illustrate how regeneration occurs. When this episode occurred, the Israelites had experienced God’s miraculous deliverance from slavery in Egypt: ten plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, a pillar of cloud, and a pillar of fire to lead them. Yet they began to grumble and complain. Eventually, God decided to discipline His disbelieving, disobedient people with an affliction of venomous snakes. As people started to die, Moses interceded. In response, the Lord instructed him to fashion a bronze snake and set it on a pole so that those bitten could look up at it. He then promised that the venom would lose effectiveness when a person looked upon the bronze representation of their affliction (Numbers 21:8–9). Just as God had promised, the plan worked. Not only did the people survive the affliction, but they also gained a powerful object lesson in repentance. The Israelites’ experience in the desert foreshadowed what Jesus did for everyone when He was “lifted up” on the cross. When we acknowledge our sin, take complete responsibility for our guilt, and come to the Lord for healing, the poison of evil (sin) loses its power to kill. 3:16–17 Because Nicodemus was thoroughly familiar with Old Testament Scripture and knew Israel’s history of disbelief well, this brief allusion prepared him to see the spiritual truth he had been missing all his life. It was not a new truth; it had been plainly visible for any who desired to see: Regeneration occurs through belief. John 3:16 is perhaps the most well-known verse in all of Scripture, and for a good reason. The truths contained in this summary statement are life-altering, even for earnestly religious ones. So let me examine the verse phrase by phrase from the NLT. I have labeled this The Good News on Five Fingers. “For this is how God loved the world.” While a holy God must punish sin in accordance with justice, He does not delight in destroying what He created and crafted with such care. God is the Author of life; sin is the cause of destruction. “He gave his one and only Son.” The Greek phrase translated “one and only” is monogenēs, which was an idiom based on an ancient custom called “primo/gen/iture.” Put simply, the eldest son in a family, the “firstborn,” was entitled to receive the greatest share of the inheritance. But He received everything if he was the only son, “the only-born” (monogenēs). As often happens in language, a familiar expression gradually loses its literal meaning as it becomes more common in legal or technical circles. For example, a “writ of habeas corpus” is a legal document that says the government must have evidence of a crime before arresting someone. Habeas corpus is Latin for “you have a body.” While the expression originally applied to murder cases, it eventually became a general principle for any alleged crime. In the same way, the term monogenēs lost its literal connotation in favor of the legal meaning: “sole heir.” So, monogenēs is best translated as “one and only.” “So that everyone who believes in him.” The Greek term is pisteuō, “to believe as true, to trust, to place confidence in.” Eternal life flows like water when one trusts in God’s gift rather than merit. What simplicity! To Nicodemus, a man who spent most of his life honing his religious skills, meticulously fulfilling every perceived expectation of goodness and righteousness, this news could have come as either a tremendous relief or an exasperating disappointment. Pride is the determining factor. “Will not perish.” “Perish” is translated from the passive form of the Greek word apollumi, meaning “to be destroyed, to be utterly lost.” Trusting in the Son of God saves the believer from the penalty of sin. This is a promise. Good deeds cannot secure the promise, and moral failure cannot nullify it. God’s grace saves us through faith alone. What security!...