The One Year Bible Club with Teaching
Commentary by Nick Boork
May 3
John 3:1-21
Commentary by Nick Boork
May 3
John 3:1-21
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May 3 - John 3:1-21
There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? 11 Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
OKAY, HERE'S MY TEACHING COMMENTARY
Today we're going to look at the most important interview of all time! I say that this is the most important interview of all time because in it Jesus Christ reveals the secret of entering the Kingdom of Heaven! A man named Nicodemus who was a high-ranking Jewish Rabbi, a Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin came to Jesus by night to interview him. Nicodemus was sincere as he approached Jesus wanting to understand his teachings. We know this because he addressed Jesus as Rabbi and from the beginning confessed his belief that Jesus was sent from God because of all the miracles that were happening through him. When Jesus saw how open and hungry Nicodemus was for the truth he didn't waste any time but got straight to the most important teaching about the Kingdom of God and how a person enters it. Jesus declared to Nicodemus “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Nicodemus replied to Jesus by asking how a man could be born again especially when he was already in middle age. To Nicodemus the idea of being born again just didn't make any sense at all. Jesus said unless a person is born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Then Jesus further explained, whatever is born of the flesh is flesh but whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. In other words, being born of water signifies the first natural birth because whenever someone is born into this world they're surrounded by water for nine months in their mothers womb. So, being born again is a spiritual birth. The source of this new birth is not natural but supernatural from God the Holy Spirit.
This is why Jesus gave illustration about the wind in the process of being born again. He said the wind blows wherever it wishes and you don't know where it comes from or where it goes and this is how it is with people that are born again. What does this mean? Jesus was trying to explain spiritual realities that are invisible and intangible to Nicodemus. Just like the wind, the Holy Spirit is real. You can't see it with your natural eye but you can see the effects of that wind when it blows! You see plants and trees moving back and forth. This is how it is with people that are born again by the Holy Spirit!
The Holy Spirit is in the process of causing people to be born again as children of God. I remember when I was born again in 1982. I felt great conviction for my sins. I called out to God in simple prayer will all my heart. I remember the prayer that I prayed. I said; “God if you can forgive my sins, put my life back together and get me out of jail I will do whatever you want me to do in my life.” I remember the tears flowing from my eyes as I prayed. When I woke up the next morning immediately I felt something different on the inside of me. I felt God's love, peace and joy on the inside of me. I felt God’s presence in me. I asked for a Bible and began to read the New Testament. I was so hungry for God. I could hear God speaking to me as I read the Bible. I didn't know what to call it at the time but now I realize what happened, I was born again by the Holy Spirit. My life completely changed from that point on. Sure, I had my ups and downs as a young Christian but just like the wind blows and you can see the effects of the wind so you could see the effects of God's presence in my life changing me, setting me free from old habits and transforming my life to become more like Jesus from the inside out!
Jesus teaching about being born again by the Holy Spirit is to be understood in the context of the most popular verse in the Bible, John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Another verse in the Bible that talks about being born from God is John 1:12-13 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
According to these Scriptures, there are two things a person must do to be born again by the Holy Spirit. BELIEVE and RECEIVE.
BELIEVE – Jesus Christ is the Son of God the Savior of our sins.
RECEIVE – Jesus Christ into our lives as our Savior.
We know that believing has to do with our mind and heart. Receiving Jesus Christ is through prayer by asking him to save you. This is confessing Jesus Christ as Lord. It means you believe He died on the cross to pay for your sins and that God raised Jesus from the dead the third day and that you're now going to follow Him. The Bible gives very clear instructions on how a person is saved.
Romans 10:9-10, 13 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
What's the bottom line?
1. The greatest interview of all time was Nicodemus interviewing Jesus Christ.
2. Being born again is a requirement to be saved and go to heaven.
3. To be Born Again, a person must BELIEVE on Jesus Christ as Savior and RECEIVE Him personally into their lives.
4. The Holy Spirit causes people to be Born Again when they believe on Jesus Christ as their Savior and receive him into their lives through prayer, confessing Him as Lord.
5. Have you been born again by the Holy Spirit?
There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? 11 Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
OKAY, HERE'S MY TEACHING COMMENTARY
Today we're going to look at the most important interview of all time! I say that this is the most important interview of all time because in it Jesus Christ reveals the secret of entering the Kingdom of Heaven! A man named Nicodemus who was a high-ranking Jewish Rabbi, a Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin came to Jesus by night to interview him. Nicodemus was sincere as he approached Jesus wanting to understand his teachings. We know this because he addressed Jesus as Rabbi and from the beginning confessed his belief that Jesus was sent from God because of all the miracles that were happening through him. When Jesus saw how open and hungry Nicodemus was for the truth he didn't waste any time but got straight to the most important teaching about the Kingdom of God and how a person enters it. Jesus declared to Nicodemus “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Nicodemus replied to Jesus by asking how a man could be born again especially when he was already in middle age. To Nicodemus the idea of being born again just didn't make any sense at all. Jesus said unless a person is born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Then Jesus further explained, whatever is born of the flesh is flesh but whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. In other words, being born of water signifies the first natural birth because whenever someone is born into this world they're surrounded by water for nine months in their mothers womb. So, being born again is a spiritual birth. The source of this new birth is not natural but supernatural from God the Holy Spirit.
This is why Jesus gave illustration about the wind in the process of being born again. He said the wind blows wherever it wishes and you don't know where it comes from or where it goes and this is how it is with people that are born again. What does this mean? Jesus was trying to explain spiritual realities that are invisible and intangible to Nicodemus. Just like the wind, the Holy Spirit is real. You can't see it with your natural eye but you can see the effects of that wind when it blows! You see plants and trees moving back and forth. This is how it is with people that are born again by the Holy Spirit!
The Holy Spirit is in the process of causing people to be born again as children of God. I remember when I was born again in 1982. I felt great conviction for my sins. I called out to God in simple prayer will all my heart. I remember the prayer that I prayed. I said; “God if you can forgive my sins, put my life back together and get me out of jail I will do whatever you want me to do in my life.” I remember the tears flowing from my eyes as I prayed. When I woke up the next morning immediately I felt something different on the inside of me. I felt God's love, peace and joy on the inside of me. I felt God’s presence in me. I asked for a Bible and began to read the New Testament. I was so hungry for God. I could hear God speaking to me as I read the Bible. I didn't know what to call it at the time but now I realize what happened, I was born again by the Holy Spirit. My life completely changed from that point on. Sure, I had my ups and downs as a young Christian but just like the wind blows and you can see the effects of the wind so you could see the effects of God's presence in my life changing me, setting me free from old habits and transforming my life to become more like Jesus from the inside out!
Jesus teaching about being born again by the Holy Spirit is to be understood in the context of the most popular verse in the Bible, John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Another verse in the Bible that talks about being born from God is John 1:12-13 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
According to these Scriptures, there are two things a person must do to be born again by the Holy Spirit. BELIEVE and RECEIVE.
BELIEVE – Jesus Christ is the Son of God the Savior of our sins.
RECEIVE – Jesus Christ into our lives as our Savior.
We know that believing has to do with our mind and heart. Receiving Jesus Christ is through prayer by asking him to save you. This is confessing Jesus Christ as Lord. It means you believe He died on the cross to pay for your sins and that God raised Jesus from the dead the third day and that you're now going to follow Him. The Bible gives very clear instructions on how a person is saved.
Romans 10:9-10, 13 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
What's the bottom line?
1. The greatest interview of all time was Nicodemus interviewing Jesus Christ.
2. Being born again is a requirement to be saved and go to heaven.
3. To be Born Again, a person must BELIEVE on Jesus Christ as Savior and RECEIVE Him personally into their lives.
4. The Holy Spirit causes people to be Born Again when they believe on Jesus Christ as their Savior and receive him into their lives through prayer, confessing Him as Lord.
5. Have you been born again by the Holy Spirit?
ORDINATION
We provide Ministry Credentials and Ordination through Diamond Ministerial Association. Click to learn more and apply! http://www.diamondinstitute.org/ordination
ONLINE COURSES
For Bible courses and ministry resources see our online school Diamond Institute. Enroll free today and get access to our free and pay as you go courses. http://www.diamondinstitute.org/enroll
We provide Ministry Credentials and Ordination through Diamond Ministerial Association. Click to learn more and apply! http://www.diamondinstitute.org/ordination
ONLINE COURSES
For Bible courses and ministry resources see our online school Diamond Institute. Enroll free today and get access to our free and pay as you go courses. http://www.diamondinstitute.org/enroll
