The Gospel of John: John 3.11-21

Read and meditate on John 3.11, 12.
It wasn’t that Nicodemus didn’t believe. Everyone believes in something. The issue in life is not faith. It’s the object of faith – what, not whether, a person believes.

                                                   ¹¹“I say to you,
We speak the things We know, and testify
what We have seen, and you prefer a lie
and choose not to believe Our witness.¹²So
if I have told you earthly things, yet no
such things have led you to believe in Me,
if heavenly things I speak, how will it be
that you should come to faith by these?

- John 3.11, 12

Reflect
1.  Jesus said that Nicodemus did “not believe” (v. 12). Did not believe what? How could Jesus tell that he did not believe this? Complete this prayer: Lord, how do people know what I believe? How should they be able to tell that…

2.  Meditate on verse 11. Who is the “We” to whom Jesus refers? What is the role of each of the Persons of the divine Trinity in testifying and bearing witness to Jesus? Father, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit, today, make me more aware of…

3.  Jesus used two verbs to assert His authority (v. 11): “know” and “have seen.” How should these verbs factor into your testimony and witness for Christ? Lord, help me to know You better and to see You more clearly and consistently, so that…

4.  The duty of a witness is to “tell.” Jesus said that Nicodemus did not believe His witness when He used an earthly metaphor – birth – to refer to a spiritual reality. Why did this not lead to Nicodemus believing in Jesus? What was Nicodemus believing that kept him from believing in Jesus? Help me, Lord, to get to know the people around me, so that I understand what they believe and can…

5.  What is the answer to the question Jesus posed in verse 12? Hint: Jesus has already answered His own question in verses 6-8. How should knowing this affect our testifying and bearing witness to Jesus? Bring together into one the prayers you composed for questions 1-4.

Summary
“He advises Nicodemus to accept in simple faith what he cannot understand. Jesus testifies that he himself knows clearly what he says because of who he is, and to doubt what he says is a very dangerous thing. For it was not likely that Nicodemus would forget that he had earlier affirmed that our Savior Christ was a ‘teacher who had come from God.’ But to resist one who is both from God, and God, is terribly fraught with peril since one is clearly fighting with God.” Cyril of Alexandria (375-444 AD)

Before people will believe in Jesus, they may need to see that what they are believing is not adequate. Nicodemus had faith, but it was placed in tradition and reason, and these were not sufficient to explain Jesus. Jesus did not try to explain Himself in terms of Nicodemus’ belief system; instead, He further confounded Nicodemus by launching the conversation to a new and higher level. But by being firm in His testimony, and pointing to the Holy Spirit, Jesus laid the groundwork for Nicodemus to come to faith in Him. In other words, Jesus challenged Nicodemus’ faith in tradition and reason by declaring the Word and pointing to the Spirit of God. How does this counsel us as witnesses?

Closing Prayer
Oh, sing to the LORD a new song!
Sing to the LORD, all the earth.
Sing to the LORD, bless His name;
Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
Declare His glory among the nations,
His wonders among all peoples.
For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised;
He is to be feared above all gods.

Psalm 96.1-4

Psalm 96.1-4 (Mit Freuden Zart: All Praise to God, Who Reigns Above)
Sing to the Lord! O, bless His Name!
All nations tell His glory!
Salvation’s tidings loud proclaim;
Let earth rehearse His story!
For God is greatly to be praised;
His throne above all gods is raised –
Fear Him, and sing His glory!

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.