3 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!”
Questions
Why do you suppose Nicodemus came to Jesus at night?
Does Jesus provide any other way to enter the kingdom of God, apart from being born again?
Do you think Nicodemus understood what Jesus meant when He spoke about being ‘born again’?
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.”
Questions
Do the verses in John 3:5—where Jesus says we must be ‘born of water and the Spirit’—refer to water baptism, or is He speaking about the water in a woman’s womb during physical birth?
Does John 3:6, where Jesus says ‘flesh gives birth to flesh,’ help clarify whether the ‘water’ in verse 5 refers to physical birth (the water in a woman’s womb) or to water baptism?
According to John 3:7, does this leave any room for other ways to enter the kingdom of God, or is being born again the only way?
Questions
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.”
Questions
Why do you think Nicodemus, as a teacher of Israel, struggled to understand Jesus’ teaching about being ‘born again’? What might this reveal about the nature of spiritual understanding?
What do you think Jesus means by ‘earthly things,’ and why is it so difficult for Nicodemus to believe these basic truths?
In verse 13, Jesus says that no one has gone into heaven except the Son of Man. What is the significance of this statement, and how does it point to Jesus’ unique authority and divine nature?
What is Jesus referring to when he says “the Son of Man must be lifted up”?
What is the result in believing that Jesus rose from the dead? See Romans 10:9
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.
Questions
What was the result of Adam’s disobedience? See Romans 5:12
If all people are born spiritually dead and in need of new life, what do you think the phrase ‘will not perish’ in John 3:16 refers to? And what is the result of believing in Jesus’ resurrection from the dead?
What do you think Jesus means when He says that ‘whoever does not believe stands condemned already’ in John 3:18?
Given that Jesus says those who do not believe are ‘condemned already,’ how can a person move from this state of condemnation to eternal life?
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.”
Questions
Was Jesus himself actually baptizing people? See John 4:2
In Acts 1:4-5, Jesus contrasts John’s water baptism with the coming baptism of the Holy Spirit. Does this suggest that water baptism alone does not save us, but rather, it’s the baptism of the Holy Spirit that brings spiritual transformation?
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.”
Questions
John the Baptist clearly states that he is not the Messiah but has been sent ahead of Him (John 3:28). What does this reveal about John’s humility and his understanding of his mission in relation to Jesus?
Why do you think John the Baptist found complete joy in seeing Jesus increase and himself decrease? What does this reveal about true discipleship and the nature of God’s kingdom?
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.
Questions
In verse 32, John says that ‘no one accepts his testimony.’ Why do you think people struggled to accept Jesus’ testimony, even though He spoke with divine authority?
What does it mean to accept Jesus’ testimony, and how does it affirm God’s truth? What is God’s testimony according to 1 John 5:9-12?
Do you have the Son? If you said “yes” what else do you have?