Truth Really Matters

buy Lyrica dubai Bonnie’s Notes on Dr. Dave’s Comments – John 3

What an important chapter this is! Probably one of the most quoted verses in the Bible is here – John 3:16 – and the wonderful conversation with Nicodemus. This is a chapter that is very appropriate to go through with a nonbeliever. The chapter tells us of the new birth, presenting perhaps the most concise Gospel message in the Bible, plus insight as to why men reject and hate the truth. We see the close of the ministry of John the Baptist as well.

Matthew Henry’s discourse on the chapter is beautifully stated. “Nicodemus was afraid, or ashamed to be seen with Christ, and therefore came in the night. When religion is out of fashion, there are many like Nicodemus. But though he came by night, Jesus bid him welcome, and thereby taught us to encourage good beginnings, although weak. . . afterward he owned Christ publicly.”

Henry continues to describe the new birth. “Birth is the beginning of life; to be born again, is to begin to live life anew, as those who have lived much amiss, or to little purpose. We must have a new nature, new principles, new affections, new aims. By our first birth we were corrupt, shapen in sin; therefore we must be made new creatures. . . We must be entirely different than we were before, as that which begins to be at any time, is not, and cannot be the same with which it was before. . . It is a great change made in the heart of a sinner, by the power of the Holy Spirit. It means that something is done in us, and for us, which we cannot do for ourselves, and whereby such a life begins as shall last for ever. . . When we consider the holiness of God, the depravity of our nature, and the happiness set before us, we shall not think it strange that so much stress is laid upon this [regeneration]. . . the soul is brought to mourn for sin, and to breathe after Christ.”

v. 1 – Nicodemus is a Pharisee meaning he is a strict theological conservative of his day and Bible believing. He is a member of the Sanhedrin, the religious ruling body of the time. By the end of the Gospel he is a believer in Christ and helps bury Jesus. He comes to see Jesus at night and here we have the example of a one on one conversation – the formula that still works and has worked through the ages. Dr. Dave says there is no evidence that he wants to be sneaky. Many interpret him this way but perhaps he just wanted to see Jesus without great crowds around. Nicodemus thinks of Jesus as a prophet and a teacher. He does not think of Jesus as God in the flesh yet. He addresses him with great respect by using the word Rabbi which was a term reserved for the formally schooled Jewish teachers. Jesus was from rural Galilee so would not have been deserving of the term. However, He was validated by His miracles. Jesus gets right to the point with Nicodemus and says he must be born again.

v. 3 — The use of verily twice makes the point more important. Verily is translated from “amen” which derives directly from the Hebrew word “amen” which means ‘verily,’ ‘truly,’ or ‘so be it.’ When preceding a statement it has the sense “truly.” We could render it as, “Here is the truth!”

This verse could be used as a proof text for people going to hell because they will not see the kingdom of God (on earth). If you aren’t there, you are only in one other place and that would be hell. Only born again people can be there because God cannot dwell with evil.

Sorenson says the word “again” literally means “from above.” So Jesus tells Nicodemus he must be born from above and that is just what the new birth is.

v.4 — We can’t know the inflection of Nicodemus’ voice so it could be that the question is argumentative more than just honest.

v. 5 — There are three basic positions that have formed over the years from this verse. (1) Baptism forms a part of salvation which is definitely not correct because salvation is by repentance and faith only. (2) Water is a veiled reference to the Word of God which has cleansing properties. There is no support for this idea in the context and Nicodemus was familiar with the Old Testament, the only Scripture at the time, in which God’s Word is never thought of as “water.” (3) The water in this verse refers to physical birth and verse 6 proves the meaning. Parents know that a baby is born in a sack of water called the amniotic fluid and the baby is born wet. The physical birth is the proper interpretation.

Why do we baptize in water then? Perhaps because real babies are connected with life by water so the representation of birth, death, and resurrection is done in it. Going down into the water signifies our death, and coming up out of it shows the resurrection to new life. I can’t think of any other element with which to show that as well. Let us not neglect the fact that Jesus Himself gave us the example and that alone should be proof of the proper method of baptism.

Here is a good place to differentiate between the two spellings of the word “spirit.” When written with a small “s,” it means our spirit – the part of us that can connect with God when saved. When written with a capital letter, it means the Holy Spirit.

v. 6 — Here we have the proof of the meaning of verse 5. The birth is spiritual and not physical.
Sorenson says it could be paraphrased as follows: “that which is born of the flesh is physical and that which is born of the Spirit is spiritual.”

V. 7 — Ye must be born again. He is saying, “You shouldn’t be amazed by this.” Many Lutherans that we have spoken to disagree with this because they were baptized as babies and therefore see no need for being born again. Technically, they and the Roman Catholic Church believe that baby baptism washes away original sin. We believe that every person sins of his own free will.

There is no proof that we have a so called “sin nature” and so can use that to excuse our behavior. We sin because we want to and it is direct rebellion against God. Psalm 51:5 is most often used as a proof text for the concept of sin nature, but beware. It is not proper to take a metaphor and use it for a proof text. The meaning in the verse is that sin is everywhere and in every one of us and all around us. The mother did not sin in the conception, but she is a sinner just as every human being is a sinner. It doesn’t take long for even little infants to exhibit their self-will. Although they are helpless, they are quite demanding and self absorbed. They are born apart from the presence of God and so start making choices on their own, rarely in a righteous manner. In the garden, Adam and Eve walked in the presence of God until they sinned. God withdrew His presence, and men/women/children have been making choices apart from the will of God ever since. That’s what sin – willful sin – is all about.

Mary the mother of Jesus recognizes her need for a Saviour as noted in Luke 1:46-47. And Mary said, “My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.” She has just been told she will bear the baby Jesus and He will save His people from their sin. The Catholics are wrong to say she is without sin and to pray to her as an intermediary or redemptrix.

V. 8 — The word “listeth” means “leans or inclines.” We can see the effects of the wind and so can we see the effects of regeneration but not the process itself. Sometimes we may not be aware of the exact moment of regeneration but time will reveal whether it occurred or not. The Lord uses a subtle example of repentance here. You see the “change” but not the invisible work of the Holy Spirit.

Sorenson adds that the Spirit of God is invisible but powerful. To anyone having experienced the new birth, its effect is obvious. The new birth is a spiritual transaction, not physical. It does not produce physical feelings. It is not sensational in the sense that our physical senses are stimulated. But it is very real nevertheless and like the wind in that we can’t see it but can know that it’s genuine.

v. 9 — Nicodemus is admitting he is clueless and not arguing. He is knowledgeable about the Scripture. Take for example, Ezekiel 36:24-27, 27:1-28, which connects the re-gathering of Israel to the salvation of Israel. Nicodemus should be familiar with the concept of new birth. When Jesus came the first time, in principle the Jews could have received Him as their Messiah and been born again. Since they rejected Him, individuals can be born again, but the salvation of the nation must wait for the second coming. Look at Isaiah 44:3, a promise of the spirit and salvation. Nicodemus knew much extra-biblical writing, plus the rules and regulations of the religious leaders, but seems to have lost the real substance. He is stuck like so many others in thinking or working out his own righteousness rather than understanding grace and faith.

v. 11 — The “we” is Jesus and John the Baptist and perhaps a prophetic look toward us and all Christians who “preach” the Gospel to the lost.

v. 12 — Jesus counts new birth as an earthly thing because it happens here. This is the simple earthly stuff but many more amazing heavenly things will come. Trust Him now on the simple and then be “wowed” later with things we couldn’t even conceive.

v. 13 — Enoch was snatched from this life and never died. Elijah was carried off in a chariot of fire. These were taken and not ascended. Jesus is on earth and in heaven at the same time. We didn’t come from heaven but Jesus had to come down from there to be born. See Num. 21:4 . . .The people are complaining against God so the fiery serpents were sent to punish them. They got the message and repented. Those who chose to look at the fiery serpent were “saved.” This is a type of Jesus on the cross. It reminds us of the old hymn, “Look and live, my brother, live. Look to Jesus now and live.” The “red” fiery serpent is a type or picture of Jesus’ blood. We can take Jesus at His word because He was in heaven and knows what He is talking about. We cannot ascend there as He can but we can become born again in the proper Biblical way and then taken to heaven upon our death.

Sorenson says in each case, the words “lifted up” are translated as referring to Christ on the cross (8:28, 12:32, 34). Perish means lost. The phrase “eternal life” is used 16 times in John’s Gospel and 6 times in his first epistle. It has the sense of “ageless life,” beginning now, and continuing on forever. It is entering into and sharing with the life of God through Christ.

v. 14 — Here is the fulfillment of the type of the serpent of 1500 years before.

v. 15 — Whosoever means anybody and believeth is a willful act which includes taking Him at His Word. In John 12, Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead with a word. Many witnesses saw it and yet they did not believe in Him.

v. 16 — You could write volumes on this one verse! In the narrative, it seems the conversation with Nicodemus is at its climax. Perish means the second death. It is eternal, a parallel to everlasting life. So is the great love that Jesus has for people. It’s not just great love but so great that He is willing to take our sins on Himself and die in our place. “So loved” means a giving of one’s self for another. “He gave.” Salvation is a gift, not earned by works. “Begotten” refers to the incarnation (when Jesus became a man). “Whosoever” is an all inclusive word meaning any individual that comes to Christ in the Biblical way will be received by Him. It is heretical for Calvinist to teach that only a predetermined elect can be saved. If God did not offer salvation to all, I would not be a Christian. He is ultimately just and fair and merciful. The Calvinist false god is arbitrary, cruel, and unjust.

Sorenson puts it this way. The key to eternal life is believing, which means relying exclusively on Jesus Christ – total dependence on Him. There are lesser degrees of faith such as “head knowledge,” but that is not sufficient to save. There is a temporal faith in seeking God’s help in a time of crisis but that does not save. Only total reliance on Christ as the only hope of salvation saves an individual.

v. 17 — His first coming was for salvation. He will judge the next time. He didn’t come to heal or to rule or to fix social injustice. Those he raised from the dead died again physically.

v. 18, 19 — We start out condemned – “dead men walking.” There is only one sensible choice. Get out of condemnation. The name Jehovah means “God is Salvation” – See Is 12:2-3.

Sorenson clarifies this by saying that unsaved people are condemned “now” — present tense. Not only unsaved, they are, even as we speak, under the condemnation of God. They need do nothing else. They are already condemned.

Why? They willfully love darkness. Evil deeds are done in the dark so they can’t be seen. It is a willful act to choose works of darkness. Jesus is connected to light. Light reveals, shows things, chases away darkness. Believing in means agreeing with Him. Believing about Him does not mean agreeing and is head knowledge. Demons believe too but they are not born again and going to heaven. In fact they were cast out of heaven because they rebelled. Hell was made for them but condemned men who do not believe in Christ will join them there in their place of torment. There are only two teams and you decide which one you are on.

Sorenson points out that light is the antithesis of darkness. In physics, darkness is the absence of light. Throughout Scripture, darkness is a metaphor for evil. As God’s light entered the world, men comprehended it not (John 1:5). They want nothing to do with the light. In fact, sinful humanity loves darkness because of their evil deeds.

v. 20 — Even our politicians do evil and try to hide it because they have a conscience. God does the reproving. No one wants correction so they hide what they are doing. “Doeth truth” – if you believe in Christ it changes what you do and what you want to do. Look at Luke 8:17 and Ecc. 12:12-14. Sin avoids light, but those desiring righteousness and truth look for more light for further guidance and encouragement.

v. 22 — John’s baptisms that he conducted were Christian too. Those who were baptized by John were identifying with his message of the Saviour. Those who were baptized by Jesus’ disciples identified with the Saviour. All are Christians.

v. 23 — Much water shows that the proper form of baptism is immersion. John went to a place that had much water which is difficult to find in the dry season of Israel. He shows the importance of the entire dipping of the individual, not sprinkling. Sprinkling is not substantiated anywhere in Scripture.

v. 25 — Ceremonial washings were big in Judaism. They were usually associated with purification. The disciples may have been asking questions like, “How does it fit in?” or “Is theirs better than ours?” The debate may have been over whose baptism was right. Christian baptism doesn’t include the idea of purifying or cleansing from sin but to the Jewish mind it may have seemed that way.

v. 26 — The disciples here don’t even mention the name of Jesus but they are obviously jealous and concerned about His ministry.

v. 27-29 — John is saying that anything of any real, spiritual value comes from the Lord. John knew his ministry would decrease. Think of the best man who organizes everything for the wedding and the groom. He gathers everyone together and gets the bride for the ceremony. The bride is the church and the bridegroom is Christ. John the Baptist is a type for us too. We are to bring people into the family. Our work is important and essential, but the real work of changing the life of a sinner so that he is re-born is done by the Lord. How wonderful of Him to let us help in the ministry of reconciliation!
John’s ministry was to bring people to Christ and so it is our ministry as well. John knew that his own work would fade as Jesus Christ came into His ministry. We should point only to Christ and not to any man or church facility or religion.

v. 30 — Look at 1 Thess. 2:19,20. The Thessalonian believers are Paul’s glory and joy.

v. 31-36 — John the Baptist continues and says in exaggerated fashion that Jesus testifies of what is in heaven and no man receives it. Eyewitnesses are usually considered the best source for any report. In this case, there is a spiritual battle going on for the souls of men. Even today, people do not want to hear of spiritual things. All humans have a difficult time admitting they are wrong and humbling themselves. A broken spirit and a contrite heart are the requirements for salvation (Ps. 51).

v. 33 — Sorenson describes the practice of seals thus: “In ancient times, a seal usually was placing hot wax on a document and then placing a signet ring into the still plastic wax, leaving the ‘signature’ of the ring. It essentially was a mark of ownership. In the case of official government matters and the Roman seal, it conveyed the power and authority of the government. It also could have the sense of a stamp or mark of approval. That is the sense here. Those who received John’s testimony of Jesus had placed their stamp of approval upon God’s truth concerning Him. They had placed their seal as truth upon the testimony that Jesus was the Messiah.”

v. 34 — “By measure” means there was no partial filling. Jesus had the total fullness of the Holy Spirit upon Him.

v. 36 — A wonderful verse of eternal security. Christianity is binary. There are only two teams. You are in or out, there is no in between. Notice the present tense here. Those of us who are saved are already starting our eternal life and those who are not are already under God’s condemnation.

Sorenson says it this way, “. . .for those who will not turn to Christ, God’s righteous wrath is already operative. It is already impending. The word abideth has the literal sense of remaining, dwelling, or continuing. Unsaved people usually do not realize how precarious their situation is. They are literally a heartbeat away from the righteous wrath of Almighty God. It is already above them as a great thundercloud. They need not do anything else. They already are under the wrath of God. They are already lost. They are already on their way to hell. “

~~Bonnie