There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 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."
Jesus answered him: "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:1–3).
Nicodemus asked 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?" Jesus answered:
"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter 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 marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." (John 3:4–8).
Nicodemus asked him: "How can these things be?" Jesus answered him:
"Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into Heaven except he who descended from Heaven, the
Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the
Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only
Son of God. And this is the judgement: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God." (John 3:9–21).
Nicodemus was not only a Pharisee, he was also a member of the Jewish ruling council, the Sanhedrin. Only 71 elders were members of Sanhedrin. He believed
in all of the Old Testament's Scriptures. He believed in the resurrection of the dead, in angels and demons, and in the coming of Messiah.
Jesus denounced most of these Jewish religious leaders, see
Jesus Denouncement of the Jewish Religious Leaders.
Nicodemus came to Jesus at night (John 3:2a) to not risk his reputation. But he understood that Jesus was from God because of the miracles that Jesus did
(John 3:2b), see Miracles of Jesus. Jesus told Nicodemus that he must be
born again to enter the kingdom of God (John 3:3, 5–8), see The Book of Peter. Jesus didn't say to Nicodemus that he had to keep the Law or their traditions.
Nicodemus is then referring to physical rebirth, but Jesus is talking about spiritual rebirth (John 3:4–5). We can't see the work of the Holy Spirit in someone's heart,
we can only see the result of it, the changed life (John 3:8).
Jesus then said that no one had been able to go to Heaven based on his own good works, or to Heaven at all except Jesus himself (John 3:13), see
The Rich Man and Lazarus and Elijah's Ascension to Heaven. That was before Jesus' crucifixion. After Jesus death and resurrection, people can go to Heaven when they die, but not based on keeping the Law (Rom 3:20), see Jesus and the Law.
Jesus then said: "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the
Son of Man be lifted up that whoever believes in him may have eternal life."
Jesus is using this picture to point on his crucifixion, see 7. The Bronze Snake in
Moses; Part 13: Rebellion and Paganism. He would give his life on the cross as a payment for our sin (John 3:16–18), see Faith in Faith, Hope, and Agape Love.
Jesus is the light that has come into the world (John 3:19a, 1 John 1:5). The darkness describes the environment of evil, it speaks of the condition of a person's heart (John 3:19b). Darkness quiets the conscience. Evil hates to be exposed.
(John 3:20). Jesus exposes sin in our lives through his word (Eph 5:11–13). We should live by the truth that we are all sinners (Rom 3:23, 1 John 1:8, 10, Jer 17:9). When we understand that, we can walk in the light (John 3:21). The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin when we confess our sin for him (1 John 1:6–10), see also Sanctification.
Nicodemus together with Joseph of Arimathea would later at Jesus burial, bring a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight, to anoint Jesus’ dead body (John 19:38–42), see The Resurrection of Jesus.
See also Some stories in the gospels at the bottom of The Four Gospels.
