John 3:1-21 - Nicodemus Encounters Jesus

Hello, people. How are we doing today? I am so glad to be joining you guys at Midweek. My name is KAEO. If it’s your first time here, or your first time in a long time, or maybe you have called this place home for a while, I am so glad that you made it. Also, you guys sound wonderful. I was back there for a little bit, just centering myself, and I thought, “Wow, these are gorgeous voices.” It is good to hear all of you.

As Josh said, over this summer, we as a church are focusing on individuals who had an encounter with Jesus. My prayer is that after our time together, we would walk away with a better understanding and a deeper love for Jesus—that our hearts would be encouraged by the love and grace that God has for us. Today, we’re going to be looking at an encounter between Jesus and Nicodemus in John chapter three. Turn with me there. Before we read, I’m just going to ask that we pray together that our minds would be active. I fully believe that any time we open God’s word, He has something for us. If you’re anything like me, I have many things on my mind that just get in the way of being present. Pray with me that even now, we would fight for attention on Christ.

Jesus, we love you. God, I pray for me and my friends. I don’t know what their day looked like, and I don’t know what they brought into this room, Lord. But I just ask right now for the time that we have together, that we would focus on you, that all our distractions would be at ease. Even as we read your word, Lord, let your peace come and settle in our hearts. We love you. Amen.

I want to start by asking you one question: are you a Christian? And if that’s the case, how do you know? This is a rhetorical question. Every time I ask this to students, I get a thousand answers. I just want you to think about it. If your answer is no, welcome. I’m actually so glad that you made it, and I pray that you continue to be curious about what God has for you here. If your answer is yes, my question is: how do you know? How do you know that you’ve been saved? Go ahead and keep that answer close, because we’re going to come back to it later.

Who is Nicodemus?

Let’s look at John chapter three, verse one.

John 3:1 (NASB)

Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews;

Stop. I know, we have to pause here because first off: who is Nicodemus? If we don’t know who Nicodemus is, we will miss the whole encounter. Clearly, he’s a Pharisee. My buddy Google says that the Pharisees developed the tradition of strict interpretation of the Mosaic Law, designed to maintain religious identity and purity. Surrounded by Greek culture, they felt they had to define what behaviors were acceptable under the law. The Pharisees are mentioned 20 times in the Gospel of John and are nearly always portrayed as antagonistic—except for this one guy.

Nicodemus was not just a Pharisee; it says he was a ruler of the Jews. Many scholars believe he was a member of the Sanhedrin, the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews. Hello money, hello status, and hello power. That is Nicodemus. He’s a pretty important guy with influence, money, and a deep knowledge of the Old Testament.

Before we go on, especially if you’ve grown up in the church, I ask that you leave your judgments of this guy at the feet of Jesus. I promise you, judgment will only get in the way. The Pharisees are no more human than we are. They were moralistic and placed their identity in how others perceived them. They kept the law to look good and righteous. Jesus once described them as whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside, but full of decay on the inside. They were hypocrites.

As much as I hate to say it, we, on a bad day, are just like the Pharisees, believing that we must earn and keep our salvation. When was the last time you rested in God’s grace? Look at your pace of life. In what ways are you seeking control instead of giving it to the Lord? How quickly do you cast judgment on other believers? When was the last time you placed more value in the things you do for God than simply being with God? As much as this is a story about Nicodemus, it could very well be a story about our own encounters with Christ.

Seeking Jesus in the Shadows

Let’s keep reading in verse two.

John 3:2 (NASB)

this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, ‘Rabbi, we know that You have come from God [as] a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.’

The first thing we see is that Nicodemus sought out Jesus. This was very intentional. Calling Jesus a “teacher sent from God” is a Jewish way of saying, “Jesus, I think you might be the Messiah. I think you might be the guy we’ve been waiting for.”

The peculiar part is that he visits Him by night. Scholars believe Nicodemus had gained so much, which meant he had so much to lose. Meeting with Jesus during the day would bring unwanted attention. It could cost him his title, his influence, and his comforts. Hence, a little meeting at night. Nothing good happens past midnight, you know what I mean?

Nicodemus had a personal conviction that there was something unique about Jesus. But as far as his spiritual state, John Piper adds this: “Seeing signs and wonders and being amazed at them, giving the miracle worker credit for them that he is from God, it saves absolutely nobody. You do not need a new heart to be amazed at them. The old fallen human nature is all that’s needed to be amazed at signs and wonders. The devil himself knows that Jesus is the Son of God and works miracles.”

It sounds like Nicodemus is curious about Jesus, but he’s not yet saved. That is where we are starting.

The Mystery of the New Birth

Walk with me through verses three through seven. It’s going to get a little crazy, but it’s beautiful when we see what Jesus does here.

John 3:3-7 (NASB)

Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ Nicodemus said to Him, ‘How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?’ Jesus answered, ’Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. ’That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. ’Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

I read this and I literally wrote “LOL” in my notes at this section. Jesus completely ignores Nicodemus’s flattery. Nicodemus says, “Hey, Rabbi, you’re the guy,” and Jesus immediately says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you’re born again, you will not see the kingdom of God.”

There was no question in verse two; it was just a statement. And yet, Jesus answers a question that wasn’t asked. That’s our guy Jesus! He knew what Nicodemus sought. He knew his heart before the question was even on his lips. Jesus cuts to the heart. His answer indicates the discontent within Nicodemus. The “Kingdom of God” is a topic someone like Nicodemus should be an expert in. So why is he asking Jesus, who the Pharisees considered an unqualified source?

Eugene Peterson writes that Nicodemus wasn’t looking for more theological information; he was looking for a way in. He wanted a spirit-filled life. Nicodemus has kept the law, yet he still feels like he is lacking something. And Jesus answers: “The answer to your question, Nicodemus, is that you need to be born again.”

Nicodemus responds with, “Hello, I’m sorry? That’s not possible.” But I also feel like he’s asking, “Why is this even necessary? My first birth should have been enough. I was born a Jew. I’m already promised into God’s kingdom. Why isn’t that enough?”

Water and Spirit

Jesus explains that to enter the kingdom, we must be born of water and the Spirit. I spent so much time researching this because there has been a lot of debate over the centuries about what “water” means here. To be clear, He is not saying that salvation is dependent on water baptism. I believe “water and spirit” is one expression referring to spiritual rebirth.

The text seems to be pointing to an Old Testament reference in Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 36:25-28 (NASB)

’Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. ’Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. ’I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. ’You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God.

This was a passage Nicodemus should have been intimately familiar with. He should have known the Old Testament like the back of his hand. That’s why Jesus adds, “Do not marvel that I said you must be born again.”

Nicodemus is asking, “What must I do? What do my hands need to do to get there?” Jesus is emphasizing that to be born from above is to be born of God. It has nothing to do with you and everything to do with God. That is why Jesus uses the metaphor of birth. There was nothing you did to be born physically. No contribution of your own hands brought you into existence. Your spiritual birth is the same way.

The Wind of God

To emphasize that it’s not up to man, Jesus uses another metaphor in verse eight.

John 3:8 (NASB)

‘The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.’

Wind, spirit, and breath are all the same word in the ancient languages—pneuma in Greek and ruach in Aramaic. Think of Ezekiel’s dry bones filled with the breath of life, or the wind of the Spirit parting the Red Sea. Jesus is making a point: “I am sorry, Nicodemus. Contrary to your belief, it is not you who holds the keys to this kingdom. You are not the gatekeeper just because you follow the law. Stop striving. Your good works will not save you, nor will your birthright. Salvation is the work of God through the Holy Spirit.”

Titus puts it so well:

Titus 3:4-7 (NASB)

But when the kindness of God our Savior and [His] love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to [the] hope of eternal life.

Nicodemus says it is impossible to be born again, and Jesus replies that the Spirit makes the impossible possible.

A Question of Identity

Nicodemus is still struggling. If you have kids, you know how this goes. They just keep saying, “I don’t understand!”

John 3:9-12 (NASB)

Nicodemus said to Him, ‘How can these things be?’ Jesus answered and said to him, ’Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things? ’Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony. ’If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

Nicodemus is baffled. Jesus is essentially saying, “You are a teacher among teachers! What is getting in the way of your understanding?” Paul writes about this in Second Corinthians, saying that a veil lies over the hearts of those who read the old covenant without Christ.

2 Corinthians 3:14-18 (NASB)

But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, [there] is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

Transformation comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. It has nothing to do with us and everything to do with Jesus.

I have so much compassion for Nicodemus in this moment. I wonder: Nicodemus, is it your own heart getting in the way? Is it the robes you wear? The identity you’ve made for yourself? The safety of your own knowledge? He so desperately wants to get it, but in his mind, he’s thinking, “If I look like a Christian, talk like a Christian, and dress like a Christian, surely I am one.”

The Weight of Sin

Before we throw stones at Nicodemus, isn’t this us? We are lost and separated from God, making our homes in the dark. We are a people of high ideals and weak wills.

I had a student named Jake Flippo who wanted to be a rapper. He and his best friend Jack are very dear to me. We were at Raising Cane’s—the best chicken, God’s chicken (unless it’s Sunday, then it’s Chick-fil-A). Jake says to me, “Hey, KAEO, sin carries weight, right?” I said, “Yeah, I think it does.”

Jack, who was in eighth grade, goes, “How much? Like 145 pounds? I could bench that.”

I asked, “I don’t know, how much does it feel like to you?”

Jack said, “I don’t know. My friends don’t feel the weight of their sin at all.”

Then Jake said something I’ll never forget: “Spiritually dead people don’t feel anything. We feel it because we are spiritually alive.”

If you are callous to your sins, I have to wonder if maybe you are spiritually dead too. You might say you’re living for Jesus, but you aren’t. Maybe you have missed the point. Maybe you are no different than the Pharisees. Please evaluate your own heart. Do you believe in the saving work of Christ, or is your “saving work” the fact that you memorize scripture, go to church, and went to summer camp?

Jesus is clear: we need a new heart. To be born of the Spirit is a divine operation—a moment of heart transformation that changes everything.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NASB)

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, [he is] a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

The Remedy for the Bite

Jesus tries one more time to help Nicodemus understand by using the Torah.

John 3:13-15 (NASB)

’No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man. ’As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.

Jesus brings up a passage from Numbers 21. The Israelites were complaining against God, so God sent snakes among them. The remedy? A bronze snake on a pole. If the people looked up at the snake, they were healed. Jesus is saying, “Just like that, the Son of Man must be lifted up. The remedy for sinners to be rescued from death is Christ crucified.” One more time, He’s telling Nicodemus: “It’s not you who saves you; it’s what I’m going to do for you.”

The Heart of the Gospel

Then Jesus delivers the home run.

John 3:16-21 (NASB)

’For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. ’For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. ’He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. ’This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. ’For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. ‘But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.’

That is the good news. At this point, the conversation ends. We don’t see an immediate answer as to whether Nicodemus was saved. It’s a cliffhanger! So, I kept reading. The next time we see Nicodemus is in John chapter seven.

John 7:50-52 (NASB)

Nicodemus (he who came to Him before, being one of them) said to them, ‘Our Law does not judge a man unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?’ They answered him, ‘You are not also from Galilee, are you? Search, and see that no prophet arises out of Galilee.’

Nicodemus defends Jesus before the Pharisees, arguing that He deserves a fair trial. He’s starting to go against the grain, but he’s still a bit quiet about it. But then we see him one last time in John chapter 19.

John 19:38-42 (NASB)

After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret [one] for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body. Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds [weight]. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

Nicodemus made it! He brings 75 pounds of myrrh and aloes to prepare Jesus’ body. That amount of spice was used only for a king. On the darkest day, when Peter denied Jesus, Nicodemus was there to bury his King. We see the fruit of an inward transformation. He is no longer acting like a Pharisee; he is acting like a disciple.

Rediscovering the Wonder

I started by asking: how do you know you are saved? Is your answer based on what you’ve done, or what He’s done? For those of you who have followed Jesus for a long time, have you lost your awe of the Gospel? Has it become like your drive home—where you arrive but don’t even remember the journey because you were on autopilot?

Recently, our students went to the Dominican Republic. We were in a brick chapel doing worship, and some students were singing a bit off-key with morning voices. I was sitting there thinking, “This is good, I’m proud of them.” Then there was a pause, and all you could hear was creation singing outside—birds joining in the praise. I started crying. I realized God was reminding me of the wonder of who He is. He reminded me of the things I so easily forget.

Maybe you’re still trying to earn your salvation. Jesus is already proud of you. He doesn’t need more from you. To try to “do more” is to say His sacrifice wasn’t enough. Rest in His grace. Your identity is sealed as a beloved child of God.

And if you’re here for the first time, I pray you stay curious like Nicodemus. The longing in your heart isn’t for more “good things” to do; it’s for a new heart. It’s for Jesus.

My prayer is that we wouldn’t just embrace the Gospel, but that we would finally experience being embraced by the Gospel. May you be in awe of the God who saves you and calls you by name.

Pray with me.

Jesus, I ask right now, would you remind us of your goodness? I pray for my friends, wherever they landed in the room today. Remind us to continue to be in awe of you. If this is someone’s first time discovering these things, God, let them ask the big questions. We recognize that our salvation is not on us, but completely on you. As your word says in Romans:

Romans 10:9 (NASB)

that if you confess with your mouth Jesus [as] Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;

God, as we get ready to worship, may we recognize that we have encountered the Divine. We love you. Amen.