John 3:9-15 Bible Study Text and Questions
John 3:9-15 Meditation Part 1
Here we are again. Nicodemus asks the same question. He has obvious not realised that Jesus has already answered his question the first time it was asked. The reason for this misunderstanding is quite simple, they were speaking at cross purposes. They were speaking on different levels and therefore there was no effective communication. Jesus’ answer was ‘what is born of the flesh is flesh and what is born of the Spirit is spirit’. Nicodemus thought exclusively in terms of a biological birth and therefore, from his perspective, his question was not answered. On the other hand, Jesus had in mind a new spiritual birth. Nicodemus was out of his depths. He was disorientated; he could only repeat his question; the conversation was not moving forward. He could not understand Jesus. Here we see the truth expressed by the apostle Paul
The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:14)
We tend to smile at Nicodemus but do we also not find ourselves sometimes in the same situation, that of approaching spiritual things in the flesh? What was Jesus’ reaction? He answered, but not as expected. He answered with a reproach, expressing a sense of surprise. You are a teacher yet do not understand spiritual realities, he says. Nicodemus was an important figure, a rabbi and member of the Sanhedrin. Spiritual people have often come across such a communication barrier. Hence the need to go beyond the intellect in our evangelising efforts. The apostle Paul had his fair share of such experiences and came to realise the truth
no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3)
A miracle is needed for someone to accept Jesus and his message of salvation and this has fundamental implications for our efforts in evangelisation.
Nicodemus was a teacher, with a well-developed intellect, his approach to spiritual things was intellectual, in the flesh and not spiritual, in the spirit. He was in spiritual darkness, symbolised by his having approached Jesus in the darkness of the night.
Jesus uses the first person plural four times in verse 11; ‘we’, three times and ‘our’ once. Then, in verse12, there is an interesting switch from ‘we’ to ‘I’. This has been interpreted in different ways. I see this to mean Jesus, when using ‘we’, includes the Father. I say this on the basis of statements such as
I and the Father are one’ (John 10:30-38)
the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me (John 14:24)
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works (John 14:10)
For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you” (John 17:8).
Just as the Father works in and through Jesus, so he also speaks through Jesus. There is a ‘we’ which is also a ‘oneness’, an ‘I’. Hence the switch from the first person plural to the first person singular, from 'we' to 'I'.
'We speak of what we know'; knowledge here is experiential knowledge, spiritual knowledge, not intellectual. 'Know' and 'see' go together to form the witness. Jesus is emphasising the credibility of what he is saying. Nicodemus realises that Jesus comes from God (v. 3:2), although he is not yet a follower of Jesus but he cannot accept the message. How often do we eperience that non-acceptance of the message during our evangelisation efforts! The solution does not lie in a change of method or the use of some gimmickry. It depends the spirit of the person opening up to the work of the Holy Spirit. When this takes place we go beyond the intellect, beyond the emotions and perceive spiritual things spiritually. There are different levels of listening, seeing, knowing and understanding
Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “‘You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive. (Matthew 13:14)
seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. (Matthew 13:13)
'Do not understand', 'do not receive', 'do not believe'. We are not sure if it is because he doesn’t want to or cannot. The general flow of the text leads us to the conclusion that he cannot. Jesus is unable to communicate effectively with Nicodemus, if I speak to you of earthly things, probably referring to what must take place in us, born again and you do not believe how can you believe the heavenly things, which I have known and seen and left behind to descend from above (see Philippians 2:6-8).
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John 3:9-15 Bible Study Text and Questions
© R W
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