Sunday 05 March 2023
- Bible Book:
- John
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. (v. 16)
Background
John's Gospel in the New Testament was the last of the gospels to be written, in around 100 AD. It differs from those of Matthew, Mark and Luke in that it does not contain parables and instead of using the word 'miracle' John refers to 'signs'. There are several themes in the Gospel, for example, light and darkness, water, life and death. The passage we are studying today is preceded by Jesus cleansing the Temple and the verses following are an expansion of the conversation in verses 1-17.
Nicodemus, whose name means conqueror, was a pharisee – the word means set apart – who would have been familiar with the Hebrew scriptures and who would have observed all the laws and rituals strictly. It is not clear why he visited Jesus at night. Either he was afraid of the Jewish leaders, or he believed, as did many rabbis, that night-time was the best time for study. It is not clear what he was looking for, but he clearly admired Jesus.
The message to Nicodemus was that he needed to be born anew; it was not only about outward observance. Birth was of water and the Holy Spirit, a birth into God’s family. The reference to wind in verse 8 is a play on words, since the word for wind and spirit are the same in Hebrew. The serpent in verse 14 refers to an incident in Numbers 21:5-9. This links to the Cross which, for John, symbolised glorification.
Eternal life in verse 16 means life in all its fullness, not only after death, but also in the present.
To Ponder:
- What significance does John 3:16 have for you, bearing in mind its context?
- Nicodemus was well-versed in the Hebrew scriptures and outward rituals but why did he fail to grasp the new birth?
- To what extent can our 'head knowledge' be a stumbling block when it comes to grasping figurative language?