John 3:1-3

Dr. Ronnie Wolfe

This section of Scripture is one of the most quoted passages in all the Bible (especially verse 3).  This man, Nicodemus, a ruler (teacher) of the Jews, was very knowledgeable and wise in regard to the Jewish law, but he was very ignorant of the truth of God.

He met Jesus by night, no doubt to meet in secret so that his equals in the Jewish society could not see him or know of his meeting with the Messiah.

He seemed to be desiring to be a part of the "Jesus Movement" of that day with a desire to be a part of the kingdom of God and the work that Jesus was doing. I do not know what his plans were, but I do know what Jesus' instructions were.

Jesus wasted no time getting right to the essence of the problem with Nicodemus. In order to see (the word see is Greek eida, which means "to perceive," not the normal word to see with the eyes) the kingdom of God. This impresses upon us the first chapter of John, when John instructed us that "the darkness comprehended (perceived) it not," that is, the Light. We cannot at this time see the kingdom of God with our eyes, but we can comprehend it through the Spirit of God (1 Cor. 2:9).

Jesus pertinently said to Nicodemus "except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." The essence to seeing the kingdom is the new birth "which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:13).

Have you been born again? "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again" (John 3:6-7).

We are born again by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-10; John 3:16; Acts 16:31).