NIV Life Application Study Bible, Third Edition - Flipbook - Page 26
J ohn 3 : 4
•
page 1802
4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus a
sked. “Surely they
cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless
they are born of water and the Spirit. o 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit a gives
birth to spirit. p 7You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You b must be born again.’
8The 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.” c
9 “How can this be?” q Nicodemus asked.
10“You are Israel’s teacher,” r said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things?
11Very truly I tell you, we s
peak of what we know, s and we testify to what we have seen,
but still you people do not accept our testimony. t 12I have spoken to you of earthly things
and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly t hings? 13No one
has ever gone into heaven u except the one who came from heaven v — the Son of Man. d
14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, w so the Son of Man must be lifted
up, e x 15that everyone who believes y may have eternal life in him.” f
16 For God so l oved z the w
orld that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes
in him shall not perish but have eternal life. a 17For God did not send his Son into the
a
6 Or but spirit b 7 The Greek is plural. c 8 The Greek for Spirit is the same as that for wind. d 13 Some
manuscripts Man, who is in heaven e 14 The Greek for lifted up also means exalted. f 15 Some interpreters
end the quotation with verse 21.
he knew it would be ruled by God, it would be restored on earth, and it
would incorporate God’s people. Jesus revealed to this devout Pharisee
that the kingdom would come to the whole world (3:16), not just the
Jews, and that Nicodemus wouldn’t be a part of it unless he was personally born again (3:5). This was a revolutionary concept: Jesus’ kingdom
is personal, not national or ethnic, and his entrance requirements are
repentance and spiritual rebirth. Jesus later taught that God’s kingdom
has already begun in the hearts of believers (Luke 17:21). It will be fully
realized when Jesus returns again to judge the world and abolish evil
forever (Revelation 21–22).
3:5-6 “Born of water and the Spirit” could refer to (1) the contrast between physical birth (water) and spiritual birth (Spirit) or (2) being regenerated by the Spirit, a rebirth signified through Christian baptism. The water
may also represent the cleansing action of God’s Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5).
Nicodemus undoubtedly would have been familiar with God’s promise
to give a new heart and a new spirit to the faithful (Ezekiel 36:25-26).
Jesus was explaining the importance of a spiritual rebirth, saying that
people enter the kingdom not by living a better life but by receiving a
new life from God.
3:6 Who is the Holy Spirit? God is three persons in one—the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit. God became a human in Jesus so that Jesus
could die for our sins. Jesus rose from the dead to offer salvation to all
people through spiritual renewal and rebirth. When Jesus ascended into
heaven, his physical presence left the earth, but he promised to send the
Holy Spirit so that his spiritual presence would still be among humankind
(see Luke 24:49). The Holy Spirit first became available to all believers
at Pentecost (Acts 2). Whereas in Old Testament days the Holy Spirit
empowered specific individuals for specific purposes at specific times,
now all believers have the power of the Holy Spirit available to them all
the time. (For more on the Holy Spirit, see John 14:16-28; Romans 8:9;
1 Corinthians 12:13; and 2 Corinthians 1:22.)
3:8 Jesus explained that we cannot control the work of the Holy Spirit.
He works in ways we cannot predict or understand. Just as you did not
control your physical birth, you cannot control your spiritual birth. It is a
gift from God through the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:16; 1 Corinthians 2:1012; 1 Thessalonians 1:5-6).
3:9 No one is beyond the touch of God’s Spirit. Are there people you
disregard, thinking they could never be brought to God—a world leader
you have never prayed for or a difficult person you have never shared
the Good News with? Don’t ever assume that a certain person will never
respond to the gospel. God, through his Holy Spirit, can reach anyone,
and you should pray diligently for whomever he brings to your mind.
Be a witness and an example to everyone you are in contact with. God
3:5
oTitus 3:5
3:6
pJn 1:13; 1Co 15:50
3:9
qJn 6:52,60
3:10
rLk 2:46
3:11
1:18; 7:16,17
32
sJn
tver
3:13
30:4; Ac 2:34
6:38,42
uPr
vJn
3:14
wNu 21:8,9
xJn 8:28; 12:32
3:15
yver
16,36
3:16
zRo 5:8; Eph 2:4
aver 36; Jn 6:29,40
may touch those you consider most u nreachable—and he may use
you to do it.
3:10-11 This Jewish teacher of the Bible knew the Old Testament
thoroughly, but he didn’t understand what it said about the Messiah.
Intellectual knowledge does not guarantee true understanding or salvation. You should know the Bible, but even more important, you need a
relationship with the God whom the Bible reveals so you can receive the
salvation that he offers.
3:14-15 When the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness, God
sent a plague of snakes to punish them for their rebellious attitudes.
Those doomed to die from snake bites could be healed by obeying God’s
command to look up at the elevated bronze snake and believing that God
would heal them if they did (see Numbers 21:8-9). Similarly, our salvation
happens when we look up to Jesus, believing he will save us. God has
provided this way for us to be healed of sin’s deadly bite.
3:16 The entire gospel comes to a focus in this verse. God’s love is not
static or s elf-centered; it reaches out and draws others in. Here God sets
the pattern of true love, the basis for all love relationships—when you
love someone dearly, you are willing to give to them freely, to the point
of self-sacrifice. God paid dearly with the life of his Son, the highest price
he could pay. Jesus accepted our punishment, paid the price for our
sins, and then offered us the new life that he had bought for us. When
we share the gospel with others, our love must be like Jesus’—willing
to give up our own comfort and security so that others might join us in
receiving God’s love.
3:16 Some people are not interested in the idea of eternal life because
their lives are miserable. They wouldn’t want them to go on forever. But
eternal life is not an extension of a person’s mortal life. In eternal life,
there is no death, sickness, enemy, evil, or sin. When we don’t know
Jesus, we make choices as though this life is all there is, and we can’t
imagine the bad being eliminated or redeemed into something good and
wonderful. In reality, eternal life can be entirely different from the life you
are living now. But you will need to ask Jesus for the new life he offers
and follow him in order to receive it. Then you will begin to evaluate all
that happens to you from an eternal perspective, and you will begin to
truly look forward to eternity.
3:16 To believe is more than to give intellectual agreement that Jesus
is God. It means to put our trust and confidence in him that he alone
can save us. It is to put Jesus in charge of our present plans and eternal
destiny. Believing is both trusting his words as reliable and relying on him
for the power to change. If you have never trusted Jesus with your whole
life, let this promise of everlasting life be yours—believe.