A Pharisee named Nicodemus came to Jesus at night with three questions, all reflecting his desire to have eternal life, but quickly revealing his spiritual confusion.
Question 1 (implied from v.3) – "How can I see the Kingdom of God?" Actually, Nicodemus was beating around the bush, but Jesus knew his heart and cut to the chase! Our Lord asked the Pharisee's question for him, and gave the world's most important instruction: "You must be born again!" Which lead the aging Jewish leader to ask his next question…
Question 2 (v.4) – "How can a man be born when he is old?" Three times in four verses Jesus stresses that rebirth is spiritual birth: * v. 5 – "unless one is born of water and the Spirit" * v. 6 – "that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" * v.8 – "The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from or where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit." And in the midst of His answer, Jesus returned to His most important instruction (7): "You must be born again!"
Then in John 3:9-15 Nicodemus asks his third and final question (v.9).
Nicodemus is struggling to keep up! But he shouldn't be! He is "the teacher of Israel (10)" and these things are basic truths previewed in the Law and the Prophets. Any serious Jewish teacher should get that! Yet he doesn't get it! And Jesus says so! Let's unpack their conversation like this:
The greatest teacher in Israel asks his final question of the greatest teacher in the world. In vv.9-12 we hear Nicodemus' third question and Jesus rebuke. In vv.13-15 we hear Jesus' illustrated final explanation.
Featuring a sermon puts it on the front page of the site and is the most effective way to bring this sermon to the attention of thousands including all mobile platforms + newsletter.
Text-Featuring a sermon is a less expensive way to bring this sermon to the attention of thousands on the right bar with optional newsletter inclusion. As low as $30/day.
