Help! I Need a New Life!
March 5, 2017
John 3:1-17 (ESV)
3 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
The Source: Help! I Need a New Life
John 3:1-17
The set up: (John 2:23-3:2)
- Impossible! (John 3:3-4; Philippians 3:4-9)
Impossible = incapable of being done, attained or fulfilled. Extremely undesirable: unacceptable. Extremely awkward or difficult to deal with.
- Incredible! (John 1:26, 33; 3:5-13; Titus 3:4-6; Ezekiel 36:25-27)
Incredible = too extraordinary and improbable to be believed
- Inconceivable!
(John 3:14-17; Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:9-10)
Inconceivable = impossible to comprehend
Going Deeper: For further study
The account of Nicodemus in John chapter three is preceded by these verses:
Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name. 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. 25 He did not need man’s testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man. (John 2:23-25 NIV)
While it says that many believed in Jesus’ name because they saw his miracles, did they really have saving faith?
Verse 24 says Jesus would not entrust himself to them. There is a word play here in the Greek that does not translate into English. The word for believed in verse 23 and entrust in verse 24 are the same word. So it could be translated, many . . . believed in his name. But Jesus did not believe in them. That is to say because Jesus knew their hearts, he knew he could not trust their superficial faith.
Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus is the first of many conversations Jesus has with people throughout the gospel of John about what it really means to believe.
Nicodemus was one of those who believed Jesus because of the miracles (John 3:2). But what did he truly believe? Jesus challenged Nicodemus to go deeper and Jesus challenges us to go deeper about what we believe.
What is the basis of our faith in Jesus? Is it on what God can do for you (miracles) or on God’s amazing love and goodness?
What is God asking you to do that you think is impossible?
What is God trying to reveal to you that you have a hard time believing?
In what ways does the radical love of God, and the sheer goodness of God, seem inconceivable to you?
Leave a Reply