The Gospel of John: John 3.1-10

Read and meditate on John 3.4.
Jesus’ bold statement of the truth seems to have startled Nicodemus, and thrown him into even more confusion. I don’t sense any tone of mocking here, as is often the case when Pharisees confront Jesus. Nicodemus is just still trapped in his time-and-logic-and-experience paradigm, and he can’t fit Jesus’ message into his mindset.

                                         ⁴Said Nicodemus to
Him, “How, when he is old, can a man do
this thing? Can he his mother’s womb begin
to occupy a second time, again
to be born?”

- John 3.4

Reflect
1.  In a very real sense, the Gospel does not make sense. At least, not to those who insist that everything must fit into their time-and-logic-and-experience frame of reference. Does this mean the Gospel isn’t true? Explain.  Complete this prayer: Lord, Paul says the Gospel is the power of God for salvation, and I’m beginning to see…

2.  Bless his heart, Nicodemus is doing his best to process Jesus’ words. He carries out the implications of Jesus’ statement to what seems to him its logical – albeit absurd – conclusion. Is there some value to his pursuing this argumentum ad absurdum at this point? Explain. Lord, I’m seeing that sometimes unbelievers, before they will hear the Gospel, need to see…

3.  Is Jesus taunting Nicodemus? Is He dissing him? What is He doing? Lord, help me to wait on You while I wait on my unbelieving friends to…

4.  Nicodemus makes a suggestion about what Jesus might have meant by being “born again” or “born from above.” But he’s pretty sure his suggestion is not the answer (in the Greek, his second question begins with a negative particle which means, “no way”). Can you see that what Jesus is doing is beginning to stretch and unsettle Nicodemus’ thinking? Is there value to doing this? Why or why not? Lord, how can you use me to stretch the minds of…

5. Jesus does not rush the Gospel on Nicodemus. He gives him time to think, to process Jesus’ remarks, and to get a little unsettled in his worldview. He knows Jesus is sent from God, and that’s threatening enough. But not being able to figure Him out suggests to Nicodemus that his own worldview, his time-and-logic-and-experience way of seeing the world, may not be adequate to fathom Jesus. Jesus has him right where He wants him. Evangelism is a process, not an event. Explain. Bring together into one prayer the prayers you wrote for questions 1-4.

Summary
“[Nicodemus] coming to Jesus, as to a man, is confused and startled and perplexed on learning greater things than any human being could speak, things no one had ever heard before. For a while, he is impressed by the sublime character of the sayings, but his mind is darkened and unstable, borne about in every direction and on the point of falling away from the faith. Therefore he objects to what he has heard as being impossible in order to bring out a fuller explanation from Jesus.” John Chrysostom (344-407 AD)

The fact is, people who don’t know the Lord, and whose minds are not subject to divine revelation, do not see the world or life truly. And sometimes we have to help them discover the limits and shortcomings of their worldview. For only when they have become unsettled in their thinking will they be ready to hear the astonishing Good News of a Man who rose from the dead. Should we have a role in their unsettling?

Closing Prayer
Show me Your ways, O LORD;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day.

Psalm 25.4, 5

Psalm 25.4, 5 (Festal Song: Revive Thy Work, O Lord)
Make me to know Your ways, teach me Your paths, O Lord!
My Savior, all day long I wait and seek You in Your Word.

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.