“Beyond This There Be Dragons”



“Nic at Night – Eternal Life”

Isaiah 55, John 3:1-36; by Charlie Winkelman, ©10/4/2009

Most common sign – John 3:16

It’s there in the background as the TV camera pans the crowd at the sports event. Some guy holding a sign. The sign always says the same thing. You’ve all seen it. What does it say? Let’s say it together… John 3:16!

Why is that? What’s so special about John 3:16? What would motivate someone, perhaps many people, to spend the money, stand in line for tickets, and brave the insults, the mocking laughter, the ridicule, just to get John 3:16 on national TV? Well, I’m glad you asked!

It’s because John 3:16, more than any other single verse, captures the essence of Christianity, the core of the Good News of Jesus Christ! It’s the best known, most popular, most memorized Bible verse in the world!

If we could get the world to accept the truth spoken in John 3:16, the whole world would become Christians! Let’s say it together: For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. That’s the central belief of Christianity, and all of Scripture.

But what does it mean? What is the context of this verse that gives us deeper insight into all that this verse implies?

John 3

It comes as the climax to a discussion between Jesus and a Pharisee named Nicodemus, who comes to visit Jesus at night. Besides being a Pharisee, Nicodemus is a member of the 70-man Jewish high council, the Sanhedrin. He is also one of the most prominent teachers of God’s law in Israel

In order to understand this passage, we need to understand the different Jewish religious groups in first century Israel. There were four basic groups: the Sadducees, the Zealots, the Essenes, and the Pharisees.

The Sadducees were the rich and powerful priestly aristocracy. They included the high priest and other priests. They controlled the Temple offerings, and had a majority on the Sanhedrin. They cooperated with the Romans and King Herod to keep the peace. They did not believe in miracles, angels, demons, or resurrection. In reality, their gods were money and power. This group disappeared after the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD.

At the opposite end of the spectrum were the Zealots. They were a more political group of revolutionaries who wanted to overthrow Roman rule by force. It was this group whose acts of violence provoked the Romans into destroying the Temple and Jerusalem.

The Essenes were religious purists who felt the Temple system was totally corrupt. They withdrew into their own community in the desert near the Dead Sea. It was the Essenes who created the Dead Sea scrolls that were discovered in the late 1940’s and 50’s.

The Pharisees were the minority party in the Sanhedrin, but they had a lot of influence among the people. They were teachers of the law and guardians of the Jewish faith. They founded the synagogues, and enforced the laws of Moses and the religious traditions. They were admired for their strict observance of the law, and their ethical practices of fasting twice a week, tithing, and giving alms to the poor. Unlike the Sadducees, they did believe in miracles, angels, demons, and the coming Messiah and resurrection. Of all the groups, the Pharisees were theologically actually the closest to the teachings of Jesus. Their main fault was spiritual pride, and the hypocrisy that came from legalistic obedience to the letter of the law instead of its spirit. The Pharisees with their synagogues were the main reason that Judaism survived as a religion after the destruction of the Temple.

As the Bible Scholars of their day, the Pharisees took Jesus seriously and investigated His movement. But they reacted defensively to His criticism of their hypocrisy, and His claims to be the divine Son of God. Jesus upset them also by ignoring their many rules for keeping the sabbath, which went far beyond the inspired Old Testament law.

Nicodemus, as one of their leaders, was sincerely seeking the truth. But he probably came to see Jesus at night to avoid being seen in the company of this radical young Teacher. In verse 2 he pays tribute to Jesus as a “teacher come from God” because of the signs Jesus has done. He probably saw and actually approved of Jesus cleansing the Temple. He may also have heard of His changing water into wine. He acknowledges that God must be with Jesus in order for Him to do these signs.

In verse 3, Jesus doesn’t actually wait for Nicodemus to ask a question. Jesus sees his sincere searching and cuts right to the heart of the matter. He knows Nicodemus honestly wants to know and do the will of God, that he is actively awaiting God’s coming kingdom, and that he sincerely wants to know how Jesus fits in to all this.

Jesus says to Nicodemus: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” The word translated “anew” or “again” in some translations, can also mean “from above”. This had to be a shocking statement to Nicodemus. Jesus is saying that in order for Nicodemus to even see the kingdom of God, he must be born again, he must start over! This rebirth, this experience of a new start, must come from above – from God. Here is this Pharisee, a dedicated and renowned teacher of the law, who has risen to the highest place of being a teacher of all Israel and sitting on the Sanhedrin, and Jesus tells him he can’t even see the kingdom of God without starting over so completely that it is like being born a second time!

In verse 4, Nicodemus wonders if Jesus means that literally. He asks: “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” Jesus must have smiled patiently to see this great teacher of Israel so confused. In verses 5-8, He explains, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.” Born of water could refer to the symbolism of baptism cleansing us from our sins. Or it could refer to our first birth which is physical and involves water. But Jesus does explain being “born of the Spirit”. He says, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born anew.' The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit."

The word for spirit in both Hebrew and Greek is literally the same word for “wind”. Just as the wind blows wherever it will, and we only hear the sound without seeing it, so also God’s Spirit blows where it will, and brings spiritual rebirth.

Our first birth is of the flesh, and makes us children of man. Our second is of the Spirit, and makes us children of God. John’s prologue has already said that most of the Jews rejected Jesus as their Messiah and Savior, “but to all who received Him, who believed in His name, He gave power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. Born of God!

In verse 9 we see Nicodemus still doesn’t get it. Perhaps the thought of starting over is too much for this accomplished teacher. Perhaps the Pharisees’ obsession with the letter of the law has blinded him to God’s Spirit. In any case, he sighs, and says, “How can this be?”

In verses 10-12 Jesus is somewhat dismayed that someone so grounded in God’s Word doesn’t get it. As a foremost teacher of the law, Nicodemus knew well Jeremiah’s prophecy about the new covenant for God’s people, when God said: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts… And no longer shall each man teach his neighbor and brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Nicodemus also knew Ezekiel’s prophecy, where God said, “A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will take out of your flesh the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes...

In verses 13-15, Jesus patiently explains exactly what it means to be born again of the Spirit of God: Jesus Himself is the Son of man who descended from Heaven. Long before, when Israel had rebelled against God in the wilderness, God judged them by sending poisonous snakes among them. Yet when they cried out for mercy, God had Moses make a bronze serpent to lift up so that anyone looking at it would be saved. Likewise, Jesus Himself will also be lifted up, on the cross, so that whoever looks to Him, whoever believes in Him may have eternal life! These are two of most frequent themes in John’s Gospel: Eternal Life is mentioned 64 times, and Believing 96 times! John says his whole purpose for writing is that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing we may have life – eternal life – in His name.

There are no quotation marks in ancient Greek, so we don’t know whether verses 16-21 continue Jesus’ speech to Nicodemus, or are the theological reflections of John the author. But many scholars believe these verses continue the words of Jesus, and they certainly fit the context of what He has just told Nicodemus. He further explains what it means to be “born again” “born from above” “born of the Spirit” and how to receive this spiritual new birth! Here we come to the climax, John 3:16. Jesus explains to Nicodemus that the key to receiving this new, spiritual, eternal life is belief. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Today, the words “born again” have been misused and abused by society and the media, but every true believer in Jesus Christ is in fact born again, born of God’s Spirit!

Note that it is God’s love that comes first in John 3:16, even before the problem of our sin. A lot of people don’t like the perishing part of this verse. They don’t see how a loving God could ever send people to hell. Well here’s the truth: God doesn’t force anyone to go to hell! It’s not His desire that anyone should perish! His word says He wants everyone to be saved! But He does let people go to hell, if they refuse to accept His “Get-out-of-Hell-Free” Card through Jesus Christ! Because of His great love for all of us, His desire that we should be with Him and enjoy Him forever, God sent His Son into the world that the world might be saved through Him! In fact, all of us are condemned already, all of us are sinners separated from God, all of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and all of us stand condemned to death for our sin.

Sin separates us from a holy God. That is spiritual death. If we die that way, we end up separated from Christ forever, which is hell! God is love. He is a loving God. But this means there has to be a hell, because a loving God wants a loving relationship with us, and love requires choice, or it’s not love! The basic choice we are free and empowered by God to make, is toward God or away from Him. If we choose away from Him, He allows us to choose that.

As Jesus told Nicodemus, the light came into the world, but men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. They didn’t want to come to the light where they would be seen. The way that God has made for us to choose toward Him is to believe in His Son.

The encounter with Nicodemus is left without a conclusion. He is faced with a hard choice. Choice #1: believe in Jesus as Israel’s Messiah and Savior, completely starting over in his understanding and relationship with God. If he does this, he knows he will be rejected by the Sanhedrin and many of his fellow Pharisees.

Choice #2: hang on to his old life and comfortable teaching job. If he does this, he risks turning away from One who appears to be the Messiah pointed to in the Scriptures. But His even deeper choice is between eternal life and eternal death.

God places before all of us today the same choice: life, or death. In verse 27, John the Baptist talks to those who are concerned that Jesus’ disciples are baptizing more people than John is. He reminds them that he himself told them he was not the Messiah, just the one who prepared His way. Like the best man at a wedding, he is happy for the groom. He humbly realizes his own role will decrease as Jesus increases.

Here too, I think the quotation continues to the end of the chap. John has testified that Jesus is the Son of God. Now he presents the choice we all have. He says: whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him. The choice for us is the same: Believe in Christ and receive eternal life, or turn away, and perish.

Physical and Spiritual Birth and Life

As physical birth gives us physical life, so spiritual birth gives us spiritual life. Unless you are born again, born from above, born of the Spirit, you are spiritually dead in your sins! Have you been born again?

In case you’re not sure, here’s how you can know! Jesus says it all comes down to faith: believing and receiving Him (John 1:12) as your Savior and Lord. Trusting in Him for your salvation. Confessing with your lips “Jesus is Lord” and believing in your heart that God raised Him from the dead. Opening the door to your heart and inviting Him in as Master. Committing your life to Him. Calling on His name. Genuinely praying the sinner’s prayer. Surrendering to God. These are all ways of saying the same thing.

Christ died to pay the penalty for our sins on the cross. He earned our salvation which He offers us as a free gift. It is up to us whether we choose to receive that gift or not, but it does no good for us unless we do. If you receive Christ by putting your trust in Him alone to save you, then He gives you eternal life. You then have a personal relationship with Him. You are then a born-again child of God.

Notice I haven’t said anything about feelings. The fact is, when you believe and receive Christ, you are born again. You may or may not feel anything. Some babies come into the world kicking and screaming. Some come rather quietly. Either way, they’ve been born! Some people have a dramatic conversion experience with lots of emotion and they remember the exact day and hour. For others it is a quiet decision without any big emotions. That was the case for me. For others, they can’t remember how or when it happened, but they know they love Jesus now and have a relationship with Him. Jesus approaches each one of us in exactly the way that is right for us. But in each case we must respond by trusting in Him if we want Eternal Life.

Trust Jesus

Sometimes people don’t want to think about this till they are old and dying. But none of us knows when we will die. I saw a bumper sticker once: “Some people who plan to get saved at the 11th hour die at 10:30.” But it’s foolish to wait to trust in Jesus! He loves you. He won’t take something good away from you – He will give you something better than you can possibly imagine! Eternal Life is knowing Jesus and the Father, not just after we die, but right now! Eternal life begins in this life, when we are born again! As Paul said (Galatians 2:20) “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.”

Are you born again? Do you want to be? Then trust Jesus. Trust Jesus. Trust Jesus.

Let us pray: As your eyes are closed, let give you a choice of how to pray along with me in your hearts. If you haven’t been born again by believing and receiving Jesus as your Savior and Lord, and you aren’t ready yet to do that, please join me silently in this prayer: Dear Jesus, I know this is a big step, and I just don’t think I’m ready yet. I want to believe in you and go to heaven when I die, but I’m confused about what to believe. I’m afraid I might have to give up some things I like to do. Please help me to know the truth about you and God and sin and death and eternal life. Give me more faith so I can trust you and turn my life over to you. Keep me safe from death until I’m able to believe and receive you as my Savior and Lord. I ask this in your name.

Now, still in a spirit of prayer, if you haven’t been born again by believing and receiving Jesus, but you want to be, please join me silently in this prayer: Lord Jesus, I know I’m a sinner. I believe that you died in my place on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins. I believe that you rose from the dead to show me that I too can have eternal life. I now repent and turn away from sin. I surrender my life to you. I ask you to come into my heart and fill me with your Holy Spirit, enabling me to be born again as a child of God. I receive you as my Savior and Lord. Thank you for coming in and saving me and being my Lord. I pray this in your name.

And finally, if you have been born again by believing and receiving Jesus, please join me silently in this prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for saving me and enabling me to be “born again” into eternal life as a child of God. Help me to know you better, love you more, and put every part of my life under your control. Show me the sins you still need to remove from my life, and cleanse me. I ask this in your name. Amen.

Note to the reader: If you just prayed the first prayer above, and would like to know more about Jesus before receiving Him as your Lord, I suggest you read the book, The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel. You may also contact me (Charlie Winkelman) at the church (570-398-1909) and I would be happy to talk with you more about this. There are also trained counselors to call at 1-888-NEEDHIM (1-888-633-3446).

If you prayed the second prayer above for the first time, praise the Lord! We would love to know about it so we can pray for you and your new life in Christ – please send me an email or call me at the church. And please also look for a Bible-believing, Christ-centered church to attend where they can help you grow in your faith. God bless you as you follow Jesus!

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