John 3: The New Birth
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.”
John "had said that, when He was at Jerusalem many believed in His Name, when they saw the miracles which He did. Of this number was Nicodemus, of whom we are told; 'There was a man of the Pharisees, Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.'" (Augustine) "This man came to Jesus by night: hoping, that is, by so secret an interview, to learn more of the mysteries of the faith; the late public miracles having given him an elementary knowledge of them." (Bede)
"Or well may it be said that he came in the night, enveloped, as he was, in the darkness of ignorance, and not yet come to the light, i.e. the belief that our Lord was very God. Night in the language of Holy Writ is put for ignorance. And said to him, Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God... he believes Him to be sent from God, but does not see that He is God." (Haymo) Moreover, he was orthodox in his beliefs yet he was relying on his own righteous for entry into that eternal kingdom... "Considering himself as a true descendant of Abraham after the flesh, he concluded, that this gave a legal right to all the promises of God. And in the case of Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, one of the Sanhedrim, and a master in Israel, no doubt he stood among the highest order of that leading class of people."
(Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary)
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?”
Jesus knew what was in Nicodemus (John 2:25); so He cut to the chase. Unless a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God... In order to be saved, you must believe that I am the Son of God. By this knowledge, I will create a new heart in you, making you a new creature "with a new nature, new habits of life, new tastes, new desires, new appetites, new judgments, new opinions, new hopes, and new fears. All this, and nothing less than this is implied, when our Lord declares that we all need a 'new birth.'" (J. C. Ryle)
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness (Numbers 21:4-9), even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should have eternal life. 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... (14-16) Jesus here "introduces the teacher of the Mosaic law, to the spiritual sense of that law; by a passage from the Old Testament history, which was intended to be a figure of His Passion, and of man's salvation." (Bede)
"The bronze serpent, lifted up in the camp of Israel, brought health and cure within the reach of all who were bitten by the snakes. Christ crucified, in like manner, brought eternal life within reach of lost mankind. Christ has been lifted up on the cross, and man looking to Him by faith may be saved.
The truth before us is the very foundation-stone of the Christian religion. Christ's death is the Christian's life. Christ's cross is the Christian's title to heaven. Christ 'lifted up' and put to shame on Calvary is the ladder by which Christians 'enter into the holiest,' and are at length landed in glory. It is true that we are sinners--but Christ has suffered for us. It is true that we deserve death--but Christ has died for us. It is true that we are guilty debtors--but Christ has paid our debts with His own blood. This is the real Gospel! This is the good news! On this let us lean while we live. To this let us cling when we die. Christ has been 'lifted up' on the cross, and has thrown open the gates of heaven to all believers." (Ryle's Expository Thoughts)
John 3: Love of Darknesss
Jesus continues: 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.”
But he who does not believe is condemned already. “He saith not, because he hath committed adultery, murder. There is no righteousness now but of faith; no sin (saith one) but from unbelief; for thy sins against the law are not imputed unto thee, if thou do but believe the gospel. It is unbelief that shuts a man up close prisoner in the law’s dark dungeon, whence faith only can fetch us out, συγκεκλεισμενοι, Galatians 3:23.” (John Trapp)
Personal- “None of us can prevent the sun from shining, but all of us can prevent the sun from shining on us. The great orb of day still floods the earth with undimmed lustre; but we can shut ourselves away from his beams, in caves and holes of the earth. So we may shut ourselves away from that Sun of the soul who lighteth every man that cometh into the world. We cannot make God less loving, less merciful, less gracious than He is; but we can stand apart from that love, that mercy, that grace. 'Behold the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear: but your iniquities have separated--are separating--between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that he will not hear.' Would you have the Sun shine on you? Tear down the wall and roof of separation which you have built between you and him.” (H. C. Trumbull, D D)
Corporate- “At the first Methodist Conference it was asked, 'Should they be afraid of thoroughly debating every question that might arise?' What are we afraid of? Of overturning our first principles? If they axe false, the sooner they are overturned the better. If they are true, they will bear the strictest examination. Let us pray for a willingness to receive light, to know every doctrine whether it be of God.” (R. Stevens)
“That which scares the wicked from, draws the godly unto the Word. The owl flies from the morning light, which other birds welcome.” (J. Dyke)
Many do not come to the Light because “they do evil, and His truth on this account condemns them.” (Justin Edwards) But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God… that is, he that leads an honest life, and is void of all cunning and deceit...” (Geneva Study Bible), as the disciple- Nathaniel- was.
John 3: John’s and Jesus’ Baptisms Compared
22 After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.
Jesus came first to Judea- the land of the remnant. “As the Evangelist says afterwards, that 'Jesus baptized not but His disciples' (John 4:2), it is evident that he means the same here, i.e. that the disciples only baptized…” (Chrysostom) “by His direction and authority…” (Barnes’ Notes) and surely it was in the name of Jesus- Father, Son and Holy Spirit, as commanded.
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.
John seems to have had a specific and particular ministry. He baptized unto repentance only- not in Jesus’ name. And “John still continues baptizing, though Christ has begun; for the shadow remains still, nor must the forerunner cease, till the truth is manifested.” (Bede)
“This perseverance of John... in his vocation to baptize, was by no means in conflict with his divinely received certainty of the Messiahship of Jesus (as Weizsäcker, p. 320, thinks), and the ministry of both of them side by side must not be looked upon as improbable, as ‘in itself a splitting in sunder of the Messianic movement’ (Keim).” (Heinrich Meyer's Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament)
Because there was much water there— “And John also was baptizing in non, near to Salim. non is Hebrew for water; so that the Evangelist gives, as it were, the derivation of the name, when he adds, ‘for there was much water there.’” (Bede) “This is one of the many verses in the New Testament which plainly intimates the mode of baptism. If baptism were by sprinkling or by pouring, ‘much water’ would not be required. The fact that John baptized in Aenon ‘because there was much water there’ strongly implies that the scriptural form of baptism is immersion. But the one who desires to know and carry out God's mind is not left to mere inferences, forceful though they may be. The very word ‘baptized’’ (both in the Greek and in English) signifies ‘to dip or immerse.’ The Greek words for ‘sprinkling’ and ‘pouring’ are entirely different from the one for baptize. Again; the example of our blessed Lord Himself ought to settle all controversy. No unprejudiced mind can read Matthew 3:16 without seeing that the Lord Jesus was immersed. Finally, the testimony of Romans 6 is unequivocal and conclusive. There we read, ‘We are buried with Him by baptism into death’ (verse 3).” (A.W. Pink's Commentary)
And they came and were baptized- “The same kind of benefit which catechumens receive from instruction before they are baptized, the same did John’s baptism convey before Christ’s. As John preached repentance, announced Christ’s baptism, and drew all men to the knowledge of the truth now made manifest to the world: so the ministers of the Church first instruct those who come to the faith, then reprove their sins; and lastly, drawing them to the knowledge and love of the truth, offer them remission by Christ’s baptism.” (Bede) For John had not yet been thrown into prison. (24) Prison ended this particular facet of the ministry of John.
There was not much water in prison.
25 Then there arose a dispute between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purification.
“Purification”, “that is, baptism. They disputed, which they should be baptized by.” (Wesley)
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 whom 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.”
More than repentance is needed. For the record, win some were found, years later, who had only been baptized with John’s baptism unto repentance, they had not yet received the Holy Spirit. They were commanded to be baptized “in Jesus’ name.” And: "When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied." (Acts 19:5-6)