John 3:1-21 - "Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 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.” Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
“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!” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 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.” “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
“You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 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. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 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. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 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."
What is the context that this verse is in? Jesus is talking with a pharisee named Nicodemus and teaching him that no one can see the Kingdom of God without being born again. What is Jesus answering? Jesus is transforming Nicodemus' view of the OT especially of Number 21:4-9, where Moses lift the snake in the wilderness so that all who saw the serpent of bronze would be healed. Who is Jesus even talking to? Jesus is talking to one of the most respected Pharisee's Nicodemus. Why is this all important? When Jesus tells Nicodemus that God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son (John 3:16)...We know that Jesus is giving a parallel example of His life on the cross to Moses lifting up the bronze serpent. Just as God gave mercy to Israel through the serpent of bronze that Moses lifted up. God would also give mercy to the world by lifting up Jesus Christ as the atoning sacrifice. I hope that this paints a picture that we are all deserving of death but that through Jesus we have a second chance at life.
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