John 3:1-18

Before we continue with Sefer Yochanan - the Book of John, I want to correct a couple of mistakes that I made two weeks ago. I commented on the following passage from Malachi chapter 3: “Behold, I (Adonai - the Lord) am going to send My messenger (I told you that “My messenger referred to Messiah Yeshua, but that’s not true. The Messenger is John the Baptist, who goes before the Messiah), and he will clear the way before Me. And Ha - Adon - the Lord (the Messiah), whom you seek, will suddenly come to His Temple; and the Messenger of the Covenant (Yeshua, the Messiah), in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says the Lord of hosts.

The second mistake that I made is when I mentioned where the city of Kanah is located. I think that I said that it was west of Nazareth. In reality, Kanah is located north of Nazareth, and west of K’far Nachum. When I make a mistake, and it comes to my attention, I want to strive to have the humility to be able to expose and then correct my mistakes.

This morning we are going to look at an important interaction between Yeshua and Rabbi Nicodemus. Remember, John tells us that he wrote this book, especially the miraculous signs, that you may believe that Yeshua is the Messiah, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

It is essential that we believe that Yeshua is the Messiah, the Anointed Ruler sent by God to help us and save us and atone for us. And, we must also believe that Yeshua of Nazareth is the Son of God - that He shares the same nature as God - divine, eternal, uncreated. And we must believe that He is the Messiah, the Anointed Ruler sent by God. “Believe” means than mere mental affirmation. It means following, obeying, becoming a persecuted disciple. Belief results in "life." Unbelief, lack of faith in Yeshua, denial that He is the Messiah and the Son of God, results in death - eternal death, forever separated from God - Ha Makor - the Source of Life.

John will give us the interactions that various people have with Yeshua. Watch if people move towards belief or unbelief. And while you are watching, be asking yourself, “Am I moving toward belief or unbelief? Am I following, obeying, becoming a persecuted disciple?”

So far, we’ve studied what John, the writer of this book, had to tell us about Yeshua. Then, we’ve considered the testimony and witness of Yochanan ha Matbeel - John the Immerser, that great prophet and forerunner of the Messiah, and what he had to tell us about Yeshua. Then, we looked at Yeshua making His first disciples, and what happened at the wedding at Kanah, and Yeshua’s first Passover after being anointed with the Holy Spirit. We saw Him cleansing the Temple for Passover, and the negative reaction of many of the Jewish leaders. They did not move toward faith in Yeshua. Instead, they opposed Him from the beginning.

However, not every Jewish leader opposed Yeshua. There were a few that started moving toward belief, and one of the greatest of these was a Rabbi named Nicodemus. He was a leading teacher, very well respected, and seems to have been a member of the Sanhedrin - Israel’s highest governing body at that time. Roughly, he would be the equivalent of one of our better Senators today.

Yeshua was also a Rabbi, but Rabbi Yeshua wasn’t a Rabbi like Rabbi Nicodemus. Rabbi Yeshua wasn’t trained in any of the rabbinical schools in Jerusalem. Instead, He spent most of his growing up years in a smaller town, Nazareth, and learned the trade of His step-father, who was a carpenter. Then, around age thirty, He started teaching the Torah to others. This carpenter-turned Rabbi was loved and admired by many of the ordinary Jewish people, but He was also seen as a dangerous threat by much of the establishment. Let’s see what happens in this encounter between these two Rabbis.

Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jewish people; this man came to Yeshua by night and said to Him,"Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.''

We need to know several things about Nicodemus. First, he was from the Pharisees, who were the forerunners of Orthodox Judaism. He was a ruler of the Jewish people, so he was definitely a leader among our people. Rabbi Nicodemus had heard about Rabbi Yeshua, and was intrigued, and so he took the initiative and sought out the young Rabbi from Nazareth. He came to Yeshua during the night, mostly likely because Yeshua was already very controversial among Nicodemus’ peers, and Rabbi Nicodemus may not have wanted to be publicly seen with the young Rabbi.

Rabbi Nicodemus begins their encounter by acknowledging that Rabbi Yeshua is a legitimate teacher. "Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher. You are definitely teaching according to the Torah.”

But not only is He teaching faithfully and truly, Rabbi Nicodemus knows that Yeshua has been doing signs - miracles. So, think like a knowledgeable Rabbi like Nicodemus for a minute. You have a young Rabbi who is faithfully teaching the Torah, and He is doing miracles. Recall too that no miracles had taken place in Israel, among the Jewish people, for almost 700 years. Only a few prophets in Israel’s history were ever allowed to a miracle, and suddenly, after 700 years, young Rabbi Yeshua is here, accurately and faithfully teaching the Torah, and truth about God, and doing miracles! So, all you Rabbis here this morning, what would you conclude? Well, Rabbi Nicodemus concluded that God was with Yeshua, and that God had sent Him to Israel to teach us. "Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.''

Now it’s Rabbi Yeshua’s turn to respond. Knowing Rabbi Nicodemus’ greatest area of need, which is also our greatest need, Yeshua answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God.''

“Rabbi Nicodemus, my dear respected colleague, truly truly, and I repeat truly to emphasize that what I am about to say is of the utmost veracity, human beings need to have a spiritual rebirth to see Malchut Eloheem - God’s glorious Kingdom.

Nicodemus, we Jews know about the Kingdom of God. It has been revealed by our prophets to our Jewish people, so that we know for sure that a time is coming when God will visibly rule over a transformed humanity, and His government will last forever. Nicodemus, you need a spiritual rebirth to see God’s Kingdom, and without it you will not be able to see it. You need to be born again.”

Let’s see how Nicodemus responds: Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?''

Understandably so, Rabbi Nicodemus is confused by Yeshua’s statement. “Born again? What in the world are you talking about Rabbi Yeshua? How can any human being be born a second time after he grows up? It’s rather difficult to crawl back up the birth canal, and then be born again, wouldn’t You say?”

Rabbi Yeshua responds to Rabbi Nicodemus’ confusion: Yeshua answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.''

My dear Nicodemus, truly truly, and you know that I’m repeating truly because when I do that I emphasizing that what I am about to say is of the utmost veracity and reliability, the kind of second birth I am talking about is a spiritual birth - not another physical birth! You are right - I am not talking about a literal rebirth, but a spiritual rebirth, because if the literal sense makes sense, seek no other sense, but if the literal sense doesn’t make sense, then seek another sense - and obviously the literal sense doesn’t make sense.

Humans beings who are only born once are mere human beings - flesh - not spirit. Sin has alienated them from God, and they are in a state of spiritual death. All sons of Adam no longer have a proper spiritual connection to HaMakor - the Source of their life and being. It was ruined by the Fall. So, the secret is to be born of the Spirit - to have a spiritual rebirth that comes only from God.

This spiritual rebirth is rather mysterious, like the wind. You can hear the effects that a good strong wind makes, but where the wind is coming from and where it is going next are really hard to discover. Human beings who have had a spiritual rebirth are much the same - the wind of God’s Spirit is blowing upon them and directing them, but it can be hard to see - but’s it’s very real none-the-less.

This explanation sounds rather unusual to Rabbi Nicodemus - spiritual rebirths, mysterious winds, so Nicodemus said to Him, "How can these things be?'' “Rabbi Yeshua, Judaism as understood and taught by the Pharisees doesn’t stress the need for a spiritual rebirth. We emphasize keeping Torah, and praying, and the Temple, and doing the commandments; but mysterious winds and spiritual rebirths? Are You sure you know what you talking about?”

Yeshua answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things? Rabbi Nicodemus, frankly I am a little disappointed with you! You are one of the leading Sages of our people, and you don’t know about the need for radical spiritual transformation?

Are you not familiar with the words of the prophet Ezekiel, when God, speaking through him, made quite clear: I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.

Nicodemus, God’s prophet told us about the need for our people to have a spiritual rebirth. This is the promise of spiritual regeneration, new life that comes from the Spirit of God, with the result that we have a new ability to love and serve God that comes from a soft, tender heart.

Teacher of Israel, don’t you know that so many of our people have a heart of stone? That they are tough, hard-hearted toward God, that so many worship Him externally, with ceremonies and rituals, but their hearts are really far from Him? But when we are born again, the heart of our people will finally and truly be soft, malleable, tender towards the Lord our God, and when the Spirit of God dwells within us, we will find ourselves with a new desire to please God, a new desire to serve God, a new awareness that we need to be careful to observe all of God's ordinances. Nicodemus, you should already know these things!

“Dear Rabbi Nicodemus, truly, truly, I say to you, and I’m repeating truly once again to emphasize that what I am about to say is of the utmost veracity, utterly reliable and conforms to reality - we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony. If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? I know what I am talking about here! I am testifying about things that I have first hand knowledge! Accept my testimony! Please believe Me!

Nicodemus, can I share a little secret with you? No one has ascended into Heaven, but He who descended from Heaven: the Son of Man. I am Ben Adam, the Son of Man, the ultimate Human Being. And I have come down from Heaven, so I understand both earthly and heavenly realms and realities.

Now listen carefully, because I am about to tell you how undergo this spiritual transformation that enables a human being to enter God’s glorious and real and everlasting government over humanity and the universe. I’ll give you a hint Nicodemus, and it will take place within the next couple of years: As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.

Rabbi Nicodemus, of course you know very well the incident recorded in our divinely inspired Torah, when our people, afer being saved from Egyptian slavery, were in the wilderness. I don’t need to remind you that the majority of our people became impatient because of the journey, and the people spoke against God and Moses, accusing them of bringing us into the wilderness in order to kill us. And besides, there was only just enough food and water, and they were sick of that miserable manna!

You know what happened next Nicodemus. The Lord didn’t appreciate their faithless, ungrateful, rebellious attitude, and so He sent many poisonous snakes among us, who bit many of the people, who then died. But when the people were sufficiently chastened, they came to Moses, and apologized. Then the Lord offered a remedy - if we would make the image of a poisonous snake, and put it on a pole, anyone who was bitten, but who had the faith to come and see the snake made out of brass on that pole, would be miraculously healed. Their lives would be saved! And Moses records that it actually happened. If a poisonous snake bit anyone, if they came and saw the brass snake, they lived.

Nicodemus, the point is that the solution must be related to the problem! The cure must be related to the disease. Poisonous snakes bit the people, and so the people had to look at a snake. Now here’s the clincher Nicodemus. Every human being has been bitten by ha Nachash, the great Serpent, Satan, and deadly poison is flowing in each one of us. If we do nothing, we will surely die. But I have come, and I have become a Man, to save sinful men and women, and if anyone comes to Me, and sees Me, and believes that I am the Messiah and Savior sent by God, they will not die - they will surely live!

And by the way Nicodemus, here’s a hint how I will accomplish this - it’s going to cost Me a lot. This means My death. I know that it’s coming, and I am willing to give up My life to make atonement possible for the world. What is going to happen is that I am going to be lifted up, like the bronze snake was lifted up on a pole. Get it? Remember this, and trust God and believe in Me when it happens just like I said, a few years from now.”

Let me summarize what’s really happening, because it’s something utterly fantastic Nicodemus! For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. What is happening with Me Rabbi Nicodemus, is the greatest revelation of the love of God. The God of Israel is a Person. He has mind, will, emotions, and He knew that the world, made up of human beings, is in such big trouble - alienated from Him, Ha Makor - the Source of Life, Goodness and Blessing. Human beings are fallen, entangled in sin, headed toward Hell and the Second Death.

The God of Israel knew that in order to save mankind, a spiritual rebirth needed to take place, but for that spiritual rebirth to be possible, I would have to leave the glories of Heaven, become a Man, and make Myself the Perfect and Final Sacrifice. My Father, God, loves Me beyond human comprehension, since I am His unique Son, sharing His name His nature, His character, His deity, but in spite of that, He was willing to offer Me as a Sacrifice, and I was willing to come and pay the price, to rescue the world of mixed up, sinful screwed up human beings.

The only thing that any human being, Jew or Gentile, needs to do Nicodemus, is believe in God, and believe also in Me, and they will not perish - like a rotten piece of fruit. Instead, they will live, and live forever, with God, with Me, in our everlasting Kingdom filled with unending bliss. Nicodemus, it’s really possible for human beings not to perish, but to live forever. Simply believe in Me, trust Me, have confidence in Me, be faithful to God and to Me, no matter what the consequences, no matter what the world may do, no mater the persecution that may come.

And let me tell you a couple of other things, so you won’t misunderstand, my dear colleague: For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of God.

Nicodemus, don’t think that I’m here to make things worse, to condemn the world, to bring down God’s righteous judgement on the world. O no - things can’t be any worse! The world is already condemned. Everyone on Earth has already been declared guilty, and is awaiting the sentence of death. You are all dead men walking. Every human being who is born into this world is not moving toward God, toward life and blessing, but they are headed inevitably toward darkness, judgement, perdition, Gehenna, Hell, the Lake of Fire, the Second Death. I did not come to judge the world - that’s already a reality. I cam to bring salvation and restore life to human beings.

Believe in Me, Nicodemus, believe in my Name, that I am the Messiah, and the Savior, and the Son of God, and you won’t be condemned to death. Don’t believe in Me, Rabbi Nicodemus, and you are already condemned, since I am the one and only Messiah and Savior and Son of God that God has sent into this world.

I’ve come to save the world - to deliver this sorry world of fallen human beings from all these terrible realities, and help to be reconciled to God, who will forgive them for all the things that they have done wrong, who will end the estrangement and alienation that they have with Him, who will give them His very own Spirit to indwell them, and transform them, so that they can attain wholeness, completeness, peace, resurrection, eternal joy and everlasting life.

And, I have a few last things to say to you Nicodemus. So let me continue: This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

Why will God wind up judging, finding guilty, and condemning most of humanity? It’s because most people wilfully reject the Light. Light stands for truth, knowledge, victory, salvation, life. Yeshua is the ultimate Wisdom, the Highest Truth, the greatest Victory, and final Salvation. Yeshua is the Light sent from God into this world of sin, darkness, confusion and death. So, if you want light - wisdom, truth, victory, salvation, life, you must come to Him, turn to Him, believe in Him, join yourself by faith to Him.

Unbelief, rejecting the Light, not believing in Yeshua, is self-condemnation. If you were bit and refused to look at the serpent you would die. If you refuse to take the proper medicine, you will die. If you offer a man who is on the verge of starving to death some food, and he refuses to take and eat, whose fault is that? If you throw a drowning man a life-jacket and he rejects it and drown, who is to blame? If you offer a hand to a man who is hanging on to the edge of a building, and he slaps you hand away and falls, who is responsible? If men reject Yeshua, the true Light and only Savior, and remain part of the darkness, the chaos, the sin, the death, the alienation, the estrangement, that majority of sinful humanity which is at war with the Light, with God, with His Word, who is to blame when they are judged and condemned to Gehenna? God? Yeshua?

Have you ever wondered why don’t most people come to Yeshua, believe in Him, and be saved? Why don’t more people believe in Yeshua? Isn’t the evidence sufficient? All the amazing prophecies, and the reliable eyewitnesses who attested to His resurrection? Yes, there is plenty of evidence - that’s not the problem.

Is it that salvation is too difficult? No, because salvation is so easy. All you have to do is see the Light - Yeshua, embrace the Light, and you will be rescued out of the darkness. Why won’t most people do that? Yeshua tells us that the problem is the fallen, sinful, sick, perverse, wicked human heart. Yeshua tells us that the sad reality is that most humans being love darkness. They prefer their evil deeds, because getting rid of them is painful. It’s like the man who has been held in complete darkness for a long time, and suddenly comes out into a bright, sunny day, and his eyes hurt.

So, why won’t most people come to Yeshua, believe in Him, and be saved? The Son of God tells us that most human beings hate the Light. Yeshua is too bright, too good, too much to live up to, too high a calling to live by. It’s more comfortable, more soothing to self, more convenient, easier on pride and pleasure to avoid the Light.

Not only do most hate the Light, but sadly, regrettably, most people love the darkness. They want to continue doing what they are doing, when they are doing, how they are doing it, with whom and to whom they are doing it.

Coming to the Light means exposure, and most people dislike exposure. Coming to the Light means admitting that you have been involved in darkness. It means exposing your bad attitudes, wrong practices, false beliefs, that many of the things you have been doing, and the attitudes that you have maintained, and the beliefs you have held, and the practices you have been engaged in doing, are wrong. That’s painful, and most humans beings won’t do it.

But - and thank God there is a but - but he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God. But someone whose heart is tender towards God, like Nicodemus, who is really concerned about the truth, and trying to live a righteous life, when he hears about the truth, he will investigate.

He dares not merely take some bland assurances from his rabbi, Temple, pastor, priest, father or mother, grandfather or grandmother, about essential religious matters that affect the salvation of his soul. It’s too important to be entrusted to fallible men. And so, he will be very careful to investigate for himself. He will come to the Synagogue. He will start reading the Bible. He will read other good books. He will start praying, “God, show me the Truth. Yeshua, if You are there, reveal Yourself to me.”

When he catches a glimpse of the Light, he will move toward the Light. He knows some truth, but he wants to know more truth. He wants to make sure that he is truly serving God, blessed by God, pleasing to God, acceptable to an infinitely holy God forever ever and ever. He wants to be absolutely sure that he gains the approval of God, and that his goods deeds are truly good deeds in the sight of the Almighty, done with the blessing of God.

May each one of us attain to the Kingdom of God, by means of the spiritual rebirth that comes through Israel’s Messiah, as we believe that God sent His Unique Son, who died on the cross, and came back to life, and overcame sin and death, so that all who truly believe in Him may have everlasting life!