The Gospel of John: John 3.1-10

Read and meditate on John 3.3.
Jesus does not try to satisfy Nicodemus’ intellectual curiosity. He simply cuts to the chase and puts the truth right in front of him.

      ³And Jesus said, “I say to you,
assuredly, no one will ever see
the Kingdom of the Lord except he be
born from above.”

- John 3.3

Reflect
1.  Jesus connects being born again (literally, “born from above”) with the Kingdom of God. What’s the significance of this? Can you see the Kingdom without being saved? Can you be saved and not see the Kingdom? Complete this prayer: I am a citizen and ambassador of Your Kingdom, Lord. You have saved me to…

2.  Can you see that Jesus did not feel compelled to try to fit Himself into Nicodemus thought framework or experience? What did He do instead? Would this have been immediately clear to Nicodemus? Explain. Show me Your truth, Lord, every day, and help me to…

3.  Jesus’ language was clearly foreign to Nicodemus. He had no idea what this Man from God was saying. But Jesus said it anyway. Why? Lord, I know that many things about the Gospel are hard to understand, especially for those who don’t know you. But I…

4.  The mention of being “born from above” ties Jesus’ message with John’s theme, which he invoked at the beginning and end of chapter 1. As Jesus came “from above” to earth, to bring light and life to people, and as He is the “ladder” which connects what is above with what is on the earth, how should we understand this idea of being “born from above”? What happens to someone who is thus born? Thank You, Lord, that I have been born from above. Help me to live…

5.  Jesus says we can see the Kingdom if we are born from above. What does that mean? What does the Kingdom look like? Can we seek the Kingdom if we don’t in some sense see it? Explain. Bring together into one prayer the prayers you wrote from questions 1-4.

Summary
“In other words: Unless you are born again and receive the right instruction, you are wandering somewhere out there far away from the kingdom of heaven…Now, some take the expression ‘again’ to mean ‘from heaven’; others think it means ‘from the beginning.’ Either way, it is impossible, Christ says, for someone who is not born in this way to see the kingdom of God.” John Chrysostom (344-407 AD)

These are hard words, and Nicodemus does not understand them. But do we? Do we understand all the mystery involved in being born from above? But do we believe it? What’s the difference?

Closing Prayer
Teach me Your way, O LORD,
And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.
Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries;
For false witnesses have risen against me,
And such as breathe out violence.
I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the LORD
In the land of the living.
Wait on the LORD;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the LORD!

Psalm 27.11-14

Psalm 27.11-14 (Joanna: Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise)
Lord, teach us; Lord, lead us because of our foes!
Hear, Lord, when we plead for release from their woes.
Had we not believed all Your goodness to see,
Our hearts sorely grieved and in turmoil would be.

Wait, wait on the Lord, persevere in His grace.
Hold fast to His Word, seek His radiant face.
Be strong, set your heart to abide in His Word;
His grace He imparts; therefore, wait on the Lord.

T. M. Moore

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series IV a and b: John, edited by Joel C. Elowsky, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006. Verse translation of John by T. M. Moore.