John 3:2 — “This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, ‘Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.'”
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Scripture is from the Holy Bible — New King James Version (NKJV)
Notes on Scripture (below) by tkbrown
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Lesson Scripture — John 3:1-36
- 1 — “There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.”
- 2 — “This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, ‘Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.'”
- 3 — “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.'”
- 4 — “Nicodemus said to Him, ‘How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?'”
- 5 — “Jesus answered, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.'”
- 6 — “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.'”
- 7 — “‘Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again‘.'”
- 8 — “‘The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.'”
- 9 — “Nicodemus answered and said to Him, ‘How can these things be?'”
- 10 — “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?'”
- 11 — “‘Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.'”
- 12 — “‘If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?'”
- 13 — “‘No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.'”
- 14 — “‘And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,'”
- 15 — “‘that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.'”
- 16 — “‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.'”
- 17 — “‘For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.'”
- 18 — “‘He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.'”
- 19 — “‘And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.'”
- 20 — “‘For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.'”
- 21 — “‘But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.'”
- 22 — “After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.”
- 23 — “Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized.”
- 24 — “For John had not yet been thrown into prison.”
- 25 — “Then there arose a dispute between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purification.”
- 26 — “And they came to John and said to him, Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified–behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!”
- 27 — “John answered and said, ‘A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.'”
- 28 — “‘You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him‘.'”
- 29 — “‘He who has the bride is the bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore, this joy of mine is fulfilled.'”
- 30 — “‘He must increase, but I must decrease.'”
- 31 — “‘He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.'”
- 32 — “‘And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony.'”
- 33 — “‘He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true.'”
- 34 — “For He who God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.'”
- 35 — “‘The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand.'”
- 36 — “‘He who believes in the Son has everlasting life, and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.'”
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Old Testament Prophecy Related to John 3:1-36
v 8 — Ecclesiastes 11:5 — “As you do not know what is the way of the wind, or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, so you do not know the works of God who makes everything.”
v14 — Numbers 21:9 — “So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole, and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.”
v16 — Isaiah 9:6 — “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulder, and His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
v23 — 1 Samuel 9:4 — “So he passed through the mountains of Ephraim and through the land of Shalisha, but they did not find them. “Then they passed through the land of Shaelin, and they were not there. Then he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they did not find them.”
v28 — Malachi 3:1 — “Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming, says the Lord of hosts.’
v29 — Song of Solomon 5:1 — The Beloved: “I have come to my garden, my sister, my spouse; I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk (To His Friends) Eat, O friends! Drink, yes, drink deeply, O beloved ones!”
v30 — Isaiah 9:7 — “Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”
v34 — Deuteronomy 18:18 — “I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him.”
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New Testament Scripture Related to John 3:1-36
v 2 — John 7:50, 51
- 50 — “Nicodemus (he who came to Jesus by night, being one of them) said to them,”
- 51 — “‘Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?'”
v 2 — John 19:39 — “And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds.”
v 2 — John 9:16 — “Therefore some of the Pharisees said, ‘This Man is not from God because He does not keep the Sabbath.’ Others said, ‘How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?’ And there was a division among them.”
v 9 — John 9:33 — “‘If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.'”
v 2 — Acts 10:36-38
- 36 — “The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ–He is Lord of all–“
- 37 — “that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached;:
- 38 — “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”
v 3 — 1 Peter 1:22-25
- 22 — “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,”
- 23 — “having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,”
- 24 — “because ‘All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away,'”
- 25 — “‘but the word of the Lord endures forever,'”
v 5 — Acts 10:36-38
- 36 — “The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ–He is Lord of all–“
- 37 — “that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached;”
- 38 — “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”
v 6 — 1 Corinthians 15:50 — “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.”
v 9 — John 6:52 — “The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, ‘How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?'”
v 9 — John 6:60 — “Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this said, ‘This is a hard saying; who can understand it?'”
v11 — Matthew 11:27 — “‘All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.'”
v11 — John 3:32 — “‘And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony.'”
v11 — John 8:14 — “Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I came from and where I am going.'”
v13 — Ephesians 4:8-10
- 8 — “Therefore He says; ‘When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.'”
- 9 — “(Now this, ‘He ascended’–what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?”
- 10 — “He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)”
v14 — John 8:28 — “Then Jesus said to them, ‘When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself, but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.'”
v14 — John 12:34 — “The people answered Him, ‘We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever; and how can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up?’ Who is this Son of Man?'”
v14 — John 19:17, 18
- 17 — “And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Galgotha,”
- 18 — “where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center.”
v15 — John 6:47 — “‘Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.'”
v15 — John 3:36 — “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he wo does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
v16 — Romans 5:8 — “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
v17 — Luke 9:56 — “‘For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.’ And they went to another village.”
v18 — John 5:24 — “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.'”
v18 — John 6:40 — “‘And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up in that last day.'”
v18 — John 6:47 — “‘Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.'”
v18 — John 20:30, 31
- 30 — “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book;”
- 31 — “but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”
v19 — John 1:4 — “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.”
v19 — John 1:9-11
- 9 — “That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.”
- 10 — “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.”
- 11 — “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.”
v20 — Ephesians 5:11-13
- 11 — “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.”
- 12 — “For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.”
- 13 — “But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.”
v21 — 1 Corinthians 15:10 — “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”
v22 — John 4:1-3
- 1 — “Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John”
- 2 — “(though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples),”
- 3 — “He left Judea and departed again to Galilee.”
v23 — Matthew 3:5, 6
- 5 — “Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him”
- 6 — “and were baptized by Him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.”
v24 — Matthew 4:12 — “Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee.”
v26 — John 1:7 — “This man came for a witness to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.”
v26 — John 1:15 — “John bore witness of Him and cried out saying, ‘This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.‘”
v26 — John 1:27 — “‘It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.'”
v26 — John 1:34 — “‘And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.'”
v26 — Mark 2:2 — “Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door, and He preached the word to him.”
v26 — Mark 3:10 — “For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him.”
v26 — Mark 5:24 — “So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.”
v27 — 1 Corinthians 3:5, 6
- 5 — “Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one?'”
- 6 — “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.”
v27 — 1 Corinthians 4:7 — “For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?”
v28 — John 1:19-27
- 19 — “Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?'”
- 20 — “He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, ‘I am not the Christ.'”
- 21 — “And they asked him, What then? Are you Elijah?’ He said, ‘I am not.’ “Are you the Prophet?’ And he answered, ‘No,'”
- 22 — “Then they said to him, ‘Who are you, that we many give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?'”
- 23 — “He said: ‘I am The voice of one crying in the wilderness; make a straight the way of the Lord.’ As the prophet Isaiah said.'”
- 24 — “Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees.”
- 25 — “And they asked him, saying, ‘Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?'”
- 26 — “John answered them, saying, ‘I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know.'”
- 27 — “It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.'”
v29 — 2 Corinthians 11:2 — “For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”
v31 — John 3:13 — “No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.'”
v31 — John 8:23 — “And He said to them, ‘You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.'”
v31 — 1 Corinthians 15:47 — “The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven.”
v31 — John 6:33 — “‘For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.'”
v32 — John 3:11 — “‘Most assuredly, I say to you, ‘We speak what we know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.””
v32 — John 15:15 — “‘No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.'”
v33 — 1 John 5:10 — “He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself, he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His son.”
v34 — John 7:16 — “Jesus answered them and said, ‘My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.'”
v34 — John 1:16 — “And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.”
v35 — Hebrews 2:6-8
- 6 — “But one testified in a certain place, saying: ‘What is man that You are mindful of him, or the Son of Man that you take care of Him?'”
- 7 — “‘You have made Him a little lower than the angels; You have crowned Him with glory and honor and set Him over the works of Your hands.'”
- 8 — “‘You have put all things in subjection under His feet.’ For in that He put all in subjection under Him; He left nothing that is not put under Him. But now we do not yet see all things put under Him.”
v36 — John 3:16, 17
- 16 — “‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.'”
- 17 — “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.'”
v36 — John 6:47 — “‘Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.'”
v36 — Romans 1:18 — “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.”
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Notes on Scripture: by tkbrown
Nicodemus came to Jesus by night to discuss differences of opinion he had been hearing and to get some clarification on some specific points. Nicodemus is a Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews. He told Jesus they knew He was from God because, if He were not, He would be unable to do the many signs and wonders. He also wanted to find out how he might become a part of the kingdom of God about which Jesus taught. Jesus told him,, “unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” This confused Nicodemus and he asked, “How can one who is old enter his/her mother’s womb and be born again.”
Jesus explained, one must be born of both water and the Spirit to enter the kingdom. He differentiated the fleshly birth from the Spiritual birth. He and John had been baptizing with water; so, this indicates one must be baptized of water and the Spirit. Nicodemus struggled to understand.
Using the example of wind blowing and the inability to “know” from whence it comes or where it goes, Jesus told Nicodemus it is not something one can fully understand. “It just is.” Still confused, Nicodemus said, “How can these things be?” Jesus referenced Nicodemus’ position in the Jewish community–teacher of Israel,”–and pointed out that he should know these things. He said, “I have told you earthly things which you do not understand; so, how are you going to understand heavenly things.”
Jesus proceeded to discuss His coming down from heaven as the same Son of Man who was then in heaven–meaning He was both places. He discussed the need to be ‘lifted up’–crucified–because God is not willing that any should perish but that all might have everlasting life. He explained, “God loves the world so much He sent Jesus to earth to die for every man/woman so their sins did not have to keep them from heaven. Everyone who believes He is the Son of God might, thus, enter the kingdom. Anyone who does not believe He is the Son of God has already condemned himself, or herself.” Then He repeated, “God’s desire is that every person be saved, so His coming to earth was never to condemn anyone– that condemnation is fully completed by every man or woman who does not go to heaven. The love of darkness and evil keeps the sinful from the light. Those who believe and adhere to truth live in the light. Their deeds are clearly seen–not hidden as those of persons preferring darkness.
After His meeting with Nicodemus, Jesus and His disciples went to Judea and remained there teaching and baptizing. Jesus taught; His disciples baptized. John was also teaching and baptizing not far away. He had not yet been imprisoned. The Pharisees were confused by the need for both John and Jesus to be teaching and baptizing. A dispute arose among them and some of John’s disciples who then took the matter to John for answers. John reminded them he had always told them there was One who came after him who was before him– whose sandal strap he was unworthy to loose. Finally, they specifically asked him if he was the Christ. John replied he was not. They asked if he was a prophet, or Elijah. Each time, John responded in the negative. They ultimately asked him, “Then just who are you that we might tell the true answer to those who sent us?”
John, using the example of the bride and the bridegroom, stated it is the bridegroom who has the bride, and the one who stands with the bridegroom is his friend. The friend is happy for the bridegroom, but once the bride belongs to the bridegroom, his friend must discreetly disappear. They mentioned that Jesus was now baptizing more than John. This, John explained as being God’s plan in that Jesus, having the testimony of God via direct contact, had certified that God is real and true. Thus, He would continue to increase in followers and John would steadily decrease and fade from the picture.
John then reiterated what Jesus had told Nicodemus. God sent His Son into the world to save everyone from their sins. God desired that every man and woman be saved and have an eternal home in heaven. Therefore, everyone who believes Jesus Christ is God’s Son has the opportunity to be saved. Those who do not believe He is the Son of God have already condemned themselves.
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- Lesson One: Zacharias to Have Son
- Lesson Two: Jesus Birth Foretold
- Lesson Three: Zacharias’ Son, John, is Born
- Lesson Four: Jesus is Born
- Lesson Five: And Jesus Grew . . .
- Lesson Six: John Begins His Ministry
- Lesson Seven: Jesus is Introduced to the World
- Lesson Eight: Jesus’ Ancestral Lineage
- Lesson Nine: Jesus is Tempted by Satan
- Lesson Ten: Jesus Begins His Ministry (Part 1)
- Lesson Eleven: Jesus Begins His Ministry (Part 2) — Sermon on the Mount (Part 1)
- Lesson Twelve: Jesus Begins His Ministry (Part 3) — Sermon on the Mount (Part 2)
- Lesson Thirteen: Jesus Begins His Ministry (Part 4) — Sermon on the Mount (Part 3)
- Lesson Fourteen: Jesus Begins His Ministry (Part 5) — Sermon on the Mount (Part 4 — Conclusion)
- Lesson Fifteen: Jesus Turns Water to Wine — The Wedding at Cana
- Lesson Sixteen: Jesus Heals the Sick, Casts Out Demons
- Lesson Seventeen: Jesus Talks With Nicodemus
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Photo Above: by en.wikipedia.org.
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by tkbrown 