John Chapter 3

John – Chapter 3  
Distributed by: KJV Bible Studies
Website: www.KjvBibleStudies.net 
                 
Introduction: In the last part of Chapter 2 we saw Jesus drive out the moneychangers from the temple. Jesus had been sent from God to save those who would believe, and Jesus was very much against the way that organized religion had turned the Lord’s House into a place of profit.
 
Overview of John 3: The first portion of John 3, Jesus explained the new birth to Nicodemus. He then proceeded to present clearly the gospel. John sets forth one of the clearest most concise summaries of the gospel to be found in the Bible. He concludes this section with piercing insight as to why unsaved men reject and even hate the truth.
 
I. The New Birth
 
John 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
John 3:2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
 
Several things should be noted about Nicodemus. First, he was a very religious man. Nicodemus was a leader of Israel. He was a member of the Sanhedrin, the ruling body of the land. His name is of Greek origin, meaning ‘conqueror.’ and he was a member of the Pharisees which was a ‘party’ of Judaism. As a rule, they were the theological conservatives of the day.
 
Though they were doctrinally orthodox, they were steeped in pride, self- righteousness, and practical legalism. One of the Pharisees, one of the strongest religious groups that were very serious about religion. I think this is highly important, in that this man would seek out our Lord. The average man on the street many times does not have a lot of theological training, so he might believe something that was not of God as truth.
 
But a man who had much training, one that was a ruler of the Jews, this man saw that Jesus was no ordinary teacher. He calls him “Rabbi”, showing respect, and states that “Thou art a teacher come from God; for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.” Nicodemus was right … Jesus was far more than a man, He was the Messiah.  
 
Is it not true that sometimes those most trained in religious matters can become entangled in the worst snares. The Pharisees boasted that they were the only interpreters of the law as if they possessed the marrow and hidden meaning of Scripture. If anyone claims to be the only one who can interpret the Word of the Lord, know that they are not teaching the truth. The Holy Spirit will open our eyes to the truth if we but let Him work in our lives.
 
2 Pet 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
2 Pet 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
 
It is also important to note that Nicodemus came to Jesus by night, probably fearing the reproach of the other religious leaders if they say him talking to Jesus. It has been speculated that he came at night to avoid being recognized by others. That being presumed, he evidently was more concerned with the respect of men than of God. Though it is not noted in John 3, he evidently was born again. In John 7:50, he is found defending Jesus before the attacks of the high priest and other Pharisees. Moreover, when Jesus was crucified, Nicodemus participated in the burial, along with Joseph of Arimathea, (John 19:39).
 
John 19:39 And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.
John 19:40 Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.
 
His address of Jesus as Rabbi is also significant. It was a term reserved for the formally schooled Jewish teachers, which Jesus from rural Galilee was not.  Nicodemus realized Jesus’ teaching was accredited by the miracles he had recently witnessed. They validated him as a “teacher come from God. For no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.”
 
Those that fear to be seen in the light with Christ fear reproach, or they are more concerned with the praise of man. You can always tell preachers who are concerned about the praise of man, they do not preach with Power of the Lord. They are tentative and fear man. We should fear God, not man.
 
John 12:42 Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:
John 12:43 For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
 
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
 
Here Jesus tells one of the elite religious leaders of the day that not only will he not enter into the kingdom of God, he will not even see it if he is not born again. Give Nicodemus credit, he had dropped the false mask of the Pharisees and came straight to Jesus to find the truth. He hears about something that he has never heard before “Be born again.”
 
The words “Verily, Verily” are translated from the, at times, non-translated word (amhn) amen. The Greek word amen derives directly from the Hebrew (Nma) amen which means ‘verily,’ ‘truly,’ or ‘so be it.’ When preceding a statement, it has the sense of ‘truly.’ Jesus set forth the exclusivity of the new birth. “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John used the term “kingdom of God” only twice in all of his writings. Both are found in John 3:3 and 3:5. 

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