See the Kingdom of God (John 3a)*

John 3:1-21

Key Verse: 14-15

Introduction:

I once asked a Muslim student this question, "You seem to be very firm in your faith, but what will happen to you when you die? Do you think that you will enter the kingdom of God?" He said, "I am not sure. I will have to see what happens. Actually, no one knows until he or she dies". All men are uncertain of the future, and, for many, these doubts are left unanswered. However, there was once a man named Nicodemus, and he was different; he wanted to make sure of his future, in regards to entering the kingdom of God. He was a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin. He was well-versed in the Bible and lived a respectful life as one of the leaders of the nation of Israel. Nevertheless, he had one mind-boggling question that would never die out, "How can I be sure of entering the kingdom of God?" What he needed was not an excellent idea or an explanation, but rather a certainty or some firm evidence that could be provable in his heart.

Many of us share the same question, for we are all searching for the same certainty of our eternal life. Jesus educated Nicodemus and offered him the way to be sure that he one day entered the kingdom of God. As we go through this passage, I pray that we all may be able to see and choose to enter the kingdom of God.

A.  Nicodemus needed to see the kingdom of God [1-2]

“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." (John 3:1-2).

Nicodemus was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He was well-educated in the Scripture and observed every aspect of the Law of Moses. He had power, honor, and riches, but he lacked one thing; he did not know or possess the kingdom of God. Even though many of his peers did not believe Jesus, Nicodemus sensed something different in him, for he had genuinely performed many miraculous signs, the kind of signs that only a man of godly power could accomplish. So, in search of an answer, Nicodemus visited Jesus one night. Up until that point, he had done his best to guarantee his future blessing in the kingdom of God; he served the poor, loved and cared for the needy, studied the law, and observed it to its furthest extent. However, he was never certain of his well-being in God’s eyes or if he would one day enter His kingdom. The more he tried, the more elusive this assurance seemed. While he was struggling with this very serious issue, he heard about Jesus, who had done many miracles; many were impressed by his works, and even followed him, thinking that he might be the Messiah. However, the more he thought about what he had heard of Jesus, the more he felt he needed to see him.

Though most of his peers, the Sanhedrin members, had already discredited him as a man of God, Nicodemus secretly visited Jesus one 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[BJ1] .”

Though he was one of the highest-ranking members of Israel, Nicodemus honored Jesus by calling him Rabbi, because he truly respected Jesus as both a teacher and a man of God; no man could do the things that Jesus had done unless God was with him.

What about you?

Once I heard that Bill Gates has a house that is equipped with all kinds of modern and fancy gadgets. There is no question that a house like this would be a dream house for many. As we suffer in this world, we look for a house that provides us comfort and joy for a long time, like Bill's house; however, we know that no such house in this world can provide us with the kind of joy and peace that we can only find in the kingdom of God. So, we would like to know about it. Once you see it, you know what it is like and how good it is. You will never forget the view that first captured your heart. The information we garner gives us some understanding of the subject, but it does not give us the same certainty in our hearts as if we had seen the object.

Similarly, the uncertainty about and desire for the kingdom of God were at the forefront of the disciples' mind. Near the end of their forty days of walking with Jesus after his resurrection, his disciples asked him this question:

“Then they gathered around him and asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Act 1:5-8 NIV).

For the disciples, the kingdom’s restoration was the most important thing for their lives; they knew that Jesus was to lead the kingdom; however, even after the resurrection, he talked about the kingdom, but did not establish the kind of kingdom that they were expecting. So they asked if this was the time that he would restore the kingdom of God. In some sense, these disciples shared the same ‘uncertainty' about the kingdom of God that Nicodemus had.

If this is possible, all men, no matter how rich or poor, bad or ugly they are, have such a desire. There is an unending quest to find eternal life in the depths of all men; underneath such passion is a drive to find a secure life as one faces the constant struggles of life or finds their true eternal meaning and purpose.

2. To see God’s kingdom of God, Nicodemus needed to be born again. [3]

But instead of receiving assurance from Jesus, Nicodemus was met with a word of thunder:

“Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”” (John 3:3).

Nicodemus wanted to see the kingdom of God so that he might never doubt its goodness and would be fully assured of God's blessing. He had many ideas, theologies, and opinions. He had gone through all of them, and yet none were convincing or satisfying to his need. If he could see proof even once, it would suffice his need, and he would know with certainty what to do.

But according to Jesus, there was only one way for him to see; he must be born again. He had never heard of such things before and had never seen anything like this in the scriptures. He had never imagined that rebirth was a necessary part of entering the kingdom of God. Actually, he thought that he was very close to the kingdom, or might already be in it; the only thing he thought he needed was firm assurance or certainty. Also, if one has to go through the rebirthing process in order to see the kingdom, then it would be impossible for them to see it in their current condition; rebirth is a recreation or remaking, not a change or improvement of the old form. Further, if this was possible only when one is born again, then, in Nicodemus’ current situation, he had no chance of finding a way to enter or even see the kingdom, no matter how hard he tried.

Many have made various efforts to see or enter God’s kingdom. In Buddhism, in order for someone to enter the state of nirvana, one must pray or meditate long and hard. For the Jews, they needed to memorize and keep the entire Law of Moses, to the letter. Even with such efforts, they could neither see nor enter the kingdom. By saying this, Jesus denounced any possibility for men to enter the kingdom by his or her own efforts. Not knowing this, almost everyone has made or are making many efforts to find or make a way to enter the kingdom of God. When one becomes keenly aware of this, he or she gives up hope and is thrown into a catatonic state of mind; or out of their utter frustration and hopelessness, they often become skeptics of life. Like Nicodemus, they face a deadlock in life and can find no remedy. Have you ever felt that "I cannot do anything to make my life better"? It saps our lives, and yet, Jesus was throwing Nicodemus into this doubtful mindset. Why? Unless he gave up any hope in himself, he could not or would not see the hope that God provided. What was the hope that God was providing?

3. One must be born of water and the Spirit [John 3:4-13].

According to what Jesus said, the kingdom of God was not even close to Nicodemus; to make things worse, it looked impossible for him to ever enter it because he did not know how his spirit could become reborn.

“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!” (John 3:4).

How could this be possible? No one in his right mind would think that they would have to go back into their mother's womb and be born again. If they did think this way, then one might understand life along the lines of the Hindu belief that you die and come back to life again in a new form. Nicodemus knew that no one could enter the mother's womb again to be born, and Jesus did not mean it in this way. Nicodemus was beginning to look for a way that he had never imagined. What was this way?

“Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.” (John 3:5).

ere, regarding exclusion or absolute limits, Jesus again said: "unless." This was the only way to be born of water and Spirit; there is no other. What does this mean?

“Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” (John 3:6).

Salvation is possible by being born of water and the Spirit. When we were born, we were born in the flesh for our parents were flesh. Flesh can give birth only to flesh; it cannot give birth to spirit, because they are inherently different. Here, flesh does not mean that we are just flesh, or just a being made of a material that we can see and touch. This means that our being, as a whole, includes the flesh and the spirit, and is constrained by the limitations of the flesh. We have fallible, temporal, and finite bodies, and the spirit in it cannot overcome these weaknesses (Romans 8:6-8). God made it this way because we have sinned against Him; when we come to know and accept our finite nature, we will begin to seek something beyond what we have. "Flesh gives birth only to the flesh"; Adam bore two sons, Cain and Abel. Just as Adam died, so did his children. No one can overcome the weakness and sins of the flesh, born as we are under Adam’s sin.

In order to overcome the flesh’s finite nature, as well as that of the spirit contained in it, we must be reborn of water and the Spirit. "Of water and the Spirit" is a process apart from the flesh with which we were born. So, this birth must come, not from within ourselves, but from God’s Spirit. Is this possible? If so, then how does one know this, since we cannot see or feel the spirit? How can the fact that our spirit is born again be proved or discerned? Since our birth by our parents, we have been oblivious to such a concept as a new birth in the Spirit; we (along with Nicodemus) need not only an explanation but also proof of its existence.

“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." (John 3:6-8).

When our parents bore us in the flesh, it was obvious to all, because people could see, touch, and hear about the new birth; however, since our spirits cannot be seen, touched, or heard, neither can its rebirth by the Spirit. Yet, since both God’s Spirit and our spirit are invisible, spiritual rebirth is discerned by the spirit. It is like the wind, which we cannot see, but rather we feel it. Whether or not one has been born of the Spirit can easily be sensed or discerned by those who have been spiritually reborn, for the spirit born of the Spirit can easily identify the Spirit living in others. It is not discernible by those who have not been born of the Spirit. The only thing one must do is to believe and open his heart to this truth. However, to Nicodemus, this was all too fuzzy to accept; so he raised a serious question in doubt:

"How can this be?" Nicodemus asked.” (John 3:9).

Since Nicodemus had never known or heard of such thing as being born of the Spirit, it was natural for him to raise such a question. Yet, Jesus rebuked him like this:

"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.” (John 3:10-11).

Here, Jesus used the plural form of “you” (v7, 11). He was talking not just to Nicodemus, but also to everyone like him. In other words, Israel, as a whole, had not opened their hearts to God’s word or accepted His demand for faith. Was Jesus talking about something specific of which Nicodemus was ignorant?

First, as he was talking about being born of water and the Spirit, Jesus was pointing to the arrival of the time for Israel’s renewal, according to Ezekiel’s and Joel’s prophecies (Ezekiel 36:25-25;(Joel 2:28-29).

“I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” (Ezekiel 36:25-27).

Even though Israel had profaned the Lord’s name among the nations of the world, God would restore them for the sake of His holy name (Ezekiel 36:22-23). How He would accomplish this is described in v25-27. God would bring about Israel’s renewal by the sprinkling of clean water and give them a new heart and a new spirit. Only after this, would they be God’s people (Ezekiel 36:28).

So when Jesus spoke about being born of water and the Spirit, he was indicating the time of Israel’s renewal, and he was also telling Nicodemus that he himself was the one who was foretold, the Lord and Messiah. In addition to this, the original meaning of being born of water and the Spirit is found in this passage.

Second, as God indicated through Ezekiel’s prophecy, entering the kingdom is only possible through being born of water and the Spirit. In these verses, God said proclaimed His promise five times, by saying “I will”:

·         I will sprinkle clean water;

·         I will cleanse you.

·         I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you;

·         I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

·         And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

This promise was given against the backdrop of Israel’s utter failure to honor the Lord (Ezekiel 36:20-21). This all meant one thing; salvation must come from God and is only by His grace and mercy. This is grounded in God’s acknowledgment and sympathy towards the fact that we have frail, temporal, and finite bodies and the spirit within it cannot overcome these weaknesses of the fles, since it is constrained by the power of sin and death. God made it clear why He offered such a solution:

“This is what the Sovereign LORD says: It is not for your sake, people of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone.” (Ezekiel 36:22).

Thirdly, Nicodemus did not accept Jesus as the Son of Man. Instead, he raised question after question out of his doubt and skepticism, because he did not accept Jesus as the Lord, the one from heaven. Since none of what Jesus had said was matching with Nicodemus’ beliefs and thoughts, it was not a matter of understanding, but rather of faith in the one who said these things, i.e. Jesus. Jesus sharply pointed out his unbelief. Why was such a demand for faith justified?

“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.” (John 3:12-13).

Nicodemus took Jesus’ word as another human idea or conjecture; however, Jesus gave this truth, not because he had an ingenious idea that no other men could figure out, but rather he said this in confidence because he was there, and had seen and knew everything that happens in heaven. Was there proof of this?

The prophet, Daniel, saw a vision (Daniel 7). This was the second revelation he had received from God, concerning the kingdoms of the world, after King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. In this vision, Daniel saw four beasts, one after another; one was like a lion, one like a bear, one like a leopard, and the fourth was a great beast (Daniel 7:1-8). Soon after this, he saw a vision of the Ancient of Days (God Almighty). And while the fourth beast’s boastful words loomed large, he saw a vision of one like a son of man. As the one like a son of man approached the Ancient of Days, and there, from Him, he received power and dominion that will last forever.

Jesus, the Son of Man, was the one who was foretold, and he was there in heaven, receiving the full authority and power over all of the world’s kingdoms. This is what Jesus knew; he knew the Lord Almighty, he knew God’s plan, he knew God’s will, and he knew the power that had been entrusted to him from God the Father for the purpose of establishing the kingdom. Who else could speak about God’s kingdom better than His own Son? The signs of which Nicodemus had heard spoke of one thing; Jesus was not great because he was of man, but because he was of God, able to perform the signs of the Son of Man. Yet, Nicodemus did not accept Jesus as the one about whom Daniel had prophesied, or the one who had come to fulfill Ezekiel’s prophecy (Ezekiel 36:25-26). He did not believe Jesus and would not give him the credit of which he was worthy. Rejecting his word is the same as rejecting his authority and power. What would be the consequences of this?

Nicodemus wanted to have certainty about the kingdom of God. If he truly wanted to do so, then he must believe the word of the one from heaven. No one in human history had come down from heaven. Not Mohamed, Moses, Buddha, Confucius, or Zoroaster had had any real experience with heaven; all were born of women and their ideas are utterly of the earth. Many spoke about the heavens or the universe, but all that they were talking about was from the earth, and their brilliant ideas were of men at best; they had no credentials to speak about the kingdom of God. There was only one who had that credential: Jesus, the Son of Man, who had come down from heaven. We must listen to him and believe and accept him. Then what did Nicodemus believe about Jesus?

4. The Son must be lifted up [14-18]

Then what would Jesus do to bring Israel a rebirth by water and the Spirit?

“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." (John 3:14-15).

One must believe that Jesus was lifted up for the purpose of bringing them rebirth by water and the Spirit. The implication of this is found in what God did through Moses in the desert. Near the end of Israel’s forty years in the wilderness, just before they were heading to the land of His promise, the second generation of Israelites complained about the lack of water and poor quality of food. This is why God sent them snakes that bit them. As they were dying of the snake poison, they repented of their unbelief and asked God for help. They were not much different from their fathers, who had died in the desert because of their unbelief. Unless God did something for them, then the second generation would also face the same fate as their fathers, having no chance to enter the land of God’s promise. In this crisis, God told Moses to create a bronze snake and put it on a pole, so that all those who looked at it would not die. The snakes were the due punishment for their sin, leading to death, but the bronze snake on the pole was symbolic of death of the snake. God provided the bronze snake for the people to look at and not die; they all survived. This was because God delivered them from sin and death when they looked at the bronze snake, having faith in His grace.

When Scripture says ‘so’ or ‘likewise’, it means that the context surrounding the time of Moses’ bronze snake was the same as that of the time of Jesus’ crucifixion. It is important to identify a few things about the contexts that these two events share – God’s common will and purpose.

1. The bronze snake was created in order to solve the power of death that had come upon Israel because of their sins. The root of this judgment was their unbelief in the Lord’s provision for their life.
2. The bronze snake was God’s provision for the sake of those who were dying because of their unbelief and sin. 
3. This happened just as Israel began their journey to the Promised Land.

As we noted, all of the symbolism with the bronze snake had to do with the real issues of sin, death, and salvation that Israel was facing. Nicodemus thought that he could see the kingdom of God on his own, or work out a solution himself for how to enter the kingdom. However, the real issue that stood tall in his mind was his sin. Unless one’s sin is resolved, he cannot see the kingdom of God; it will remain as just an elusive idea or hope. They cannot experience rebirth in the Spirit. As much as the bronze snake was God’s provision for them to enter the Promised Land, so also Jesus’ crucifixion was His provision for all mankind to enter His kingdom. At the same time, to see the kingdom is to be certain of the resolution of one’s sin. These two are inseparable, concurrent events in life. What was God’s purpose in Jesus’ crucifixion? How would He impart His grace through this?

“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.” (John 3:16-18).

How can God impart the Spirit into sinful men’s hearts? First, the importance of this purpose was to reveal the Spirit that God wanted to impart to His people. So, from what God revealed, the Spirit must be easily discernible without any ambiguity, because He wanted all human races, regardless of their level of education, intellectual ability, or psychological derangements, to be able to capture the Spirit. In addition to this, there must be a power great enough to penetrate the depths of every sinfully calloused mind (God called this ‘a heart of stone’ in Ezekiel 36:26). How can He fully reveal His righteousness and love in one message?

God’s choice was His one and only begotten son; in and through Him, God wanted to convey His righteous judgment in His holiness and unreserved love for all sinners. So, God speaks through Jesus’ crucifixion:

“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.” (John 3:16).

The death of His only begotten son was the full revelation of man’s sins. In His grace, God let these sins exert their full power on His Son in order to reveal how sinful mankind was and to show His Spirit of life-sacrificing love. Furthermore, in His outstretched love, He offered forgiveness and a way to enter His kingdom for those who believed in His Son, Jesus, who came as a further extension of His Spirit. This Spirit came from the Father, was revealed in the Son, and was demanded from all men before they were able to enter God’s kingdom. What should Nicodemus/people/ do? They were to believe in the One whom they had condemned and crucified. This is unreasonable and unthinkable to the ordinary human mind, but God mandated this belief by raising him from the dead. To believe this is to be born again through the Spirit; this is rebirth, being born again of water and the Spirit.

5. Live by the truth and enter into the light [19-21]

Nicodemus needed to learn how he could see the kingdom of God: by believing in the Son of God, the one who would be condemned to death. Did he have any other alternative? If he chose not to accept Jesus’ word, what would happen to him?

“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. After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them and baptized.” (John 3:19-22).

Nicodemus’ decision depended on whether he accepted the light, the light that God revealed through the cross of Jesus. The light of the cross is this truth: you killed the Son of God out of your sin and evil desires, but God made him the Lord of all by raising him from the dead. When one’s heart is evil, he will not accept that he did wrong by killing Jesus, the Son of God; instead, he will remain as he was, insisting on his own goodness. He chooses this way because his heart and deeds are evil.

On the other hand, those who love the light will come to the light that illuminates the truth about himself: previously stained with so many sins and suffering under death’s power, and then raised to hope in Jesus, the one who was lifted up on the cross for his sins.

This is not just for Nicodemus or those who participated in sentencing Jesus to crucifixion;  Jesus’ death on the cross was God’s provision for the whole human race since the sins of the rest of the world were the same as those of the Jews who had participated in sentencing him to death.

Jesus was the light then and is now, for all who are living in the darkness of sin and death. God’s verdict was entrusted to Jesus, the one who gave himself over to sinners for their redemption. Those who reject Jesus as their Lord, the true light, will suffer death, and the kingdom of God is hidden from them. However, those who accept Jesus as their Lord will receive the Spirit and experience spiritual rebirth; their spirit, work, and life are discerned by the Spirit.

**The meaning of “born of water”: There are quite a few explanations about what this phrase means. The most plausible one is that this referred to John’s baptism of repentance. From this perspective, a water baptism in repentance was an essential part of being born again; however, this is not as likely, if the idea of ‘being born of water’ is rooted in Ezekiel 36:25.

“I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols.” (Ezekiel 36:25).

It is more of the Holy Spirit’s work to purge away our sinfulness.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9).

This is further supported by God’s demand for us to be holy in order to enter His kingdom.

“for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." (1 Peter 1:16 ).

The Holy Spirit works in us toward our sanctification, reaching to the kind of holiness that is acceptable to the Lord (2 Peter 1:2-11).

Such an idea is found in these verses as well:

“Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14).

“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.” (Ephesians 1:4).