Jesus teaches “The teacher of Israel”
John 3:1-21
Nicodemus
John 3:1 A Pharisee and a Ruler
John 3:10 Jesus calls him “The Teacher of Israel”
He comes to Jesus by night
John 1:4-5
Life if light
Darkness does not comprehend it (ignorance/death)T
John 12:46
Jesus came as light,
To believe is to come out of darkness
1 Peter 2:9 – Called out of darkness…into marvelous light
The classical view that he was afraid of the Jews also has merit.
John 19:38 (seen later) – secret disciples for fear of the Jews
Nicodemus comes alone, but he is not alone.
John 3:3 “We know…”
John 7:48-51
When the Temple Guard failed to arrest Jesus they said, “never a man spake like this man”
Nicodemus identifies with Pharisees that that have believed in him and defends Jesus.
Joh 7:48 “No one of the rulers or Pharisees has believed in Him, has he?
Nicodemus is a ruler and a Pharisee.
Joseph of Arimathea is also identified as a ruler.
It is Joseph that begs the body of Jesus from Pilate. (Shows his position)
John 19:38-42 – John places Nicodemus with him.
Nicodemus joins Joseph of Arimathea in preparing the Lord’s body for burial.
This made him ceremonially unclean approaching a high Sabbath.
This is usually done by a close relative and shows great reverence and honor for Jesus.
What did Nicodemus call Jesus?
John 3:2
Rabbi – “My Teacher” A honorable title given to a teacher of the Law of Moses
John 1:38 Used by John’s disciples
John 1:49 Used by Nathaniel
Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
REFERENCE ONLY
To be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi – רבי רבי, i.e.
My teacher! my teacher!
There are three words used among the Jews as titles of dignity, which they apply to their doctors – Rabh, Rabbi, and Rabban; each of these terms has its particular meaning:
rabban implies much more than rabbi, and rabbi much more than rabh.
They may be considered as three degrees of comparison:
rabh great, rabbi greater, and rabban greatest.
These rabbins were looked up to as infallible oracles in religious matters, and usurped not only the place of the law, but of God himself.
What did Nicodemus believe about Jesus?
John 3:2
His opening statement is a confession, “we know that you have come from God”
The miracles of Jesus are signs, authenticating the messenger and message is from God.
Perhaps he saw Jesus as the second Moses, also authenticated by sign miracles.
Deuteronomy 18:18
“The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him.
You must be born again!
From John 3:3-8 Jesus talks about being “born again.”
Nicodemus responds, “how can these things be” (John 3:9)
Jesus answers, “Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things?”
This is the question that I place before you.
What is it that Nicodemus should have understood?
John 3:3 The importance of being born again.
ἀμήν ἀμήν Truly, Truly – Verily Verily
This construction only appears in the words of Christ, only in John, almost always in John (24/25 times)
The synoptics are always singular and the words of Christ.
Amen is a unique word that appears in many languages virtually unchanged.
At the beginning of a discourse means that “it is certainly so”.
Repeated, it is a most solemn oath.
Born Again – let us come back to that…
The Kingdom of God
This is a common expression in all three synoptics, but only appears in John in this chapter.
Mar 1:15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
Matthew 4:17 records this event but changes it to Kingdom of Heaven.
This always refers to God’s reign over His created and redeemed world and its believing inhabitants.
Daniel 7:13-14 / Matthew 24:30
The promise of Messiah who will reign.
John 3:3 The Kingdom can be seen by the born again.
John 3:5 The Kingdom can be entered by the born again.
It has a spiritual aspect,
a present physical aspect,
and a future eternal aspect,
Born Again
ἄνωθεν – From above. Anew
Joh 3:31 “He who comes from above (ἄνωθεν) is above all, he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.
Matthew 27:51 The veil of the Temple was torn top (ἄνωθεν) to bottom.
John 19:11 Jesus responds to Pilate, “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above (ἄνωθεν);
John 3:4-6
Nicodemus asks if this could be a second natural birth (womb).
Jesus responds with “that which is born of the flesh is flesh.”
Jesus offers in contrast, “that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
1) ⠀1 Peter 1:23-25
Natural birth ends in death.
Birth of the Spirit endures forever.
Isaiah 40:6-8
The wind blows…
Genesis 2:7. God blows onto man’s nostrils.
The breath of God brings life,
The puzzle of John 3:8
We cannot see the wind but we can hear it and feel it.
We cannot see the source nor determine the destination of the wind.
So it is with the Spirit of God in the heart of man.
We can only see the effect of the Spirit dwelling in one born from above.
John 3:10 What would Nicodemus have known as the teacher of Israel?
There is very little historical references the ceremony for a Gentile to become a Jew.
This is referred to as becoming a proselyte,
Edersheim describes three types of Jewish proselytes. They are the ‘proselyte of the gate,’ the ‘sojourner,’ settled among Israel, the ‘proselyte of righteousness,’ and the ‘proselyte of the covenant.’ The term ‘stranger’ indicates one of these. Proselytes can be recognized in the New Testament as those who ‘fear God,’ Act_13:16; Act_13:26; are ‘religious,’ Act_13:43; ‘devout,’ Act_13:50; Act_17:4; Act_13:17; ‘worship God,’ Act_16:14; Act_18:7. (Edersheim, 1993, pp. Book 2, Chapter 6, Appendix 12).
“It was indeed a great thing when, in the words of Maimonides, a stranger sought shelter under the wings of the shekhinah (sic), and the change of condition which he underwent was regarded as complete.
The waters of baptism were to him in very truth, though in a far different from the Christian sense, the ‘bath of regeneration’ (Tit_3:5).
As he stepped out of these waters he was considered as ‘born anew’ – in the language of the Rabbis, as if he were ‘a little child just born’ (Yeb. 22a; 48b; 97b), as ‘a child of one day’ (Mass. Ger. c. ii.). But this new birth was not ‘a birth from above’ in the sense of moral or spiritual renovation, but only as implying a new relationship to God, to Israel, and to his own past, present, and future.” (Edersheim, 1993)
Briefly, look at 2 Kings 5:14
So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child and he was clean.
Maimonides was a fourteenth century Rabbinic Scholar.
Compare John 3, the description of proselyte baptism, and the cleansing of Naaman.
These are things that Nicodemus would have known.
Finally, what is process for being born again, anew, and from above?
Jesus answers this in the rest of his dialogue.
3:15 whoever believes in Him will have eternal life
3:16 whoever believes in him will never-no-never perish, but have everlasting life.
The chapter ends with a warning.
The one who rejects Christ accepts the judgment already declared.
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