The Entrance – John 3:1-17
Nicodemus comes to Jesus “by night;” perhaps afraid of what others would say. He is, after all, from the Pharisees, among the strictest of the Jewish denominations and a “ruler” at that.
Observe that Nicodemus drew the logical conclusion of Jesus’ miracles based on the evidence. The Gospel of John (20:30-31) was written to create faith in Jesus Christ. Nicodemus says to Jesus that he knows that Jesus was “come from God as a teacher” and he knows that because “no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”
“Truly, truly” – a way to emphasize what He is going to say, “unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” It is interesting that Jesus jumps right to a discussion of the “kingdom of God.” This is the first time the “kingdom” is mentioned in the Gospel of John. Other than this text, the “kingdom” is only mentioned in the Gospel of John in 18:36.
But Jesus knew Nicodemus’ heart and his question – How do you get to God? How do you get into that kingdom – the heavenly kingdom? That was Nicodemus’ question. And he knew that Jesus had the answer.
Now, the question we want to ask (and answer) is: What is this “new birth?” What is the entrance requirements to heaven? To see God? To be with Christ?
When we examine the passages in John’s writings on the new birth, those verses all presume the “new birth” – they give consequences of the new birth. So, we have to broaden our study to 1 Peter 1:3, 23; 1 Corinthians 4:15; James 1:18.
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So, we are born of God through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead and through the Gospel message, the “living and abiding word of God.”
But, still, where does the “water” and the “Spirit” fit in? There can be no doubt that Nicodemus could have and should have understood the “water” to be immersion in water (1:25, 26, 28, 31, 33).
Just like we have seen that we are born of the living and abiding word of truth, Jesus here says that He has been teaching and testifying to the word of truth. The problem with the other Jews and Pharisees, but not really with Nicodemus, is that they were not accepting Jesus’ testimony. Nicodemus was on the path to salvation because he could draw the conclusion based on Jesus’ miracles. Other Jews were not believing that testimony.
In one sense, these two verses (1:13-14) are the key to understanding how we are “born again.” It is through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Now, it is up to the Holy Spirit to tell us what to do with that information – how to respond to it.
So, the Holy Spirit informs us through His word that Jesus is the Christ and the Spirit testifies to this fact through the miracles Jesus performed. The Holy Spirit creates faith in us through this word (Romans 10:17). This word leads us to obey Jesus Christ, being baptized for the forgiveness of our sins. So, the entrance into heaven is opened to us through the death and resurrection of Christ. When we accept the testimony of the Spirit about that sacrifice and we obey Jesus Christ through obeying the Gospel, we are born again, made fit for the spiritual kingdom.
–Paul Holland
