2 "The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him." Commentary: As a man and not a Pharisee he approaches Jesus. As we have seen in the past the Pharisees usually approach Jesus with guile and hatred always trying to trap Jesus. Nicodemus knew Jesus was from God and saw the miracles so he knew he was special. This meeting happened about a year after Jesus started His ministry time is needed for the harvest to ripen. Jesus saw this in Nicodemus.
3 "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Commentary: A double imperative, "Verily verily" which means there is no other way or the only way something can happen; John 12:24. Only those born of the Spirit can truly "see" (understand) what Jesus was saying about the kingdom. In the Greek Jesus said, except a man be birthed (born from heaven) from above he cannot see the kingdom of God. "The natural man receives not the things of God nor can they know them because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 1:14) We know the kingdom of God is a heart condition that is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Roman 14:17) The people (like today) were not looking for the kingdom of God. The kingdom of Heaven is only used by Matthew in the NT 52 times.
4 "Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?" Commentary: Nicodemus is confused by Jesus' analogy and reveals the darkness still in him, but darkness can be dispelled by revelation of which Jesus gives him. It is better being way off track and asking stupid questions, but have a love for the truth.
5 "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." Commentary: Another double imperative here. This time Jesus uses born of the water lifting us from the physical to the spiritual realm and drawing a difference between the two. The birth Jesus refers to is a birth into something not a birth out of something. Jesus was not talking about water baptism. Man stands outside of God's power and authority and lacks the ability to enter unless he is born of the "water" (water is used to designate the Holy Spirit. Water is used as the source and substance of Spiritual life. The Samaritan Woman in John 4:10) and of the "Spirit." "Water" and "Spirit" are one in meaning in the Greek. In Galatians 4:29 the birth is according to the "Spirit." So our new birth is out from and according to the realm of the Spirit. Spirit begets Spirit and so because we are birthed out from and according to the Spirit we are birthed into the Spiritual realm.
6 "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." Commentary: Jesus was telling Nicodemus his thinking is flesh and it can only produce flesh . Flesh produces flesh have it be a new born baby or a new born idea. Flesh produces beautiful products so there is a huge market for fleshly things. There is much spirit produced by the satanic spiritual realm. So, if you want to enter the kingdom of God and you are going to produce something it must be from the spiritual realm. No matter how correct, religious, and beautiful our corruptible flesh is it will not function in the kingdom of God.
7 "Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." Commentary: Jesus encourages Nicodemus not to try to figure it out and reduce it down to a human understanding. "Born again" (birthed from above) is beyond the natural man's intellect and cannot be understood by the natural man.
8 "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit." Commentary: Another mystery is introduced that of a person who has experienced this new birth from above. The mystery of the wind and mystery of the Spirit are similar. He now moves and lives as the spirit moves. He is characterized by the realm of the Spirit. In the presence of a natural man he is not understood because the wisdom in him is from above. The natural does not understand the spiritual so he persecutes it.
9 "Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?" Commentary: Nicodemus salvation lies in the fact that he knows he is still in the darkness and admits his ignorance. Still in darkness he tries to logically figure things out. Instead of receiving it with a child-like faith he stays on an intellectual level trying to understand eternal truths. Most Pharisees would never admit their ignorance.
10 "Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?" Commentary: Nicodemus had the responsibility to open up truth to many, but could not because he was not operating in the realm of the Spirit. It is amazing how religious leaders are so plugged into tradition and such limited spiritual insight many have. The Pharisees were no wrapped into tradition and function they could not get to God. So too today.
11 "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness." Commentary: Yet again another (third) double imperative. Jesus is really laying it all out to Nicodemus. Here Jesus addresses Nicodemus, but ascribes the fault of not receiving the testimony of the truth to the whole body of Jewish leaders. The "we" does not speak of people, but of the Father, the Son (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit. Also Jesus could be including the perception of the prophets of the OT and the perception of the Scriptures themselves. What we have seen applies to the witnesses: The Father, the Holy Spirit, John the Baptist and thus applies to all the witnesses who have the ability to see. The Pharisees have not received them.
12 "If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?" Commentary: Jesus tells Nicodemus the believing is in the truth He (Jesus) portrays and not to the lack Jesus is objecting. Jesus speaks in earthly terms every day parables. It was not they did not understand the parables, but they did not want to and resisted in believing what they understood. Jesus concludes by saying if they did not want to believe the earthly realm (pictures and images) how would it be possible for them to believe the heavenly realm?
13 "And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven." Commentary: We must remember the ascension of Jesus is in the future. Jesus was not talking about people who have ascended into heaven like Enoch or Elijah. Nor is He talking about Jesus (Himself) in an incarnation, nor is He talking about the Son of God leaving Heaven to be born of a virgin. Jesus was talking about God (in the person of Jesus) descending down to earth to commune with man. And as we ascend up into the heavenly in spiritually understanding we can descend with the things of God and give them to men. For Nicodemus to come out of His darkness he must ascend and then descend.
14 "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:" Commentary: Jesus was telling Nicodemus He (Jesus) must die on the cross. If there is to be a birth from above in him (or anyone else) He (Jesus) must die. "Lifted up" was a Roman way to describe crucifixion. So too in our lives. The way up is down. If we desire to go up into the heavenly spiritually we must die to our natural earthly fleshly realm.
15 "That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life." Commentary: The two track rail Jesus presents is His death and our faith. "Whosoever believeth in him" only those people who believe in the Gospel: the death, the burial, and the resurrection (all in the future) will receive eternal life. Salvation is for everyone, yet not everyone will receive salvation. By Him we live and are made righteous He had to be lifted up on the cross.
16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Commentary: Here Jesus tells Nicodemus faith lays hold of eternal life just as it lays hold of everything else in God's provision for us. We must understand God wants us to have this eternal life now and not wait till we die. John 17:3 tells us life eternal is not living forever, but knowing God. The more we come to know God the more eternal life we will have. Our believing is to be alive and progressive. It is towards a person not a doctrine nor a benefit or denomination. All progressive faith is towards Jesus.
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