Bible Study 2

John 3 Becoming a Christian or being made a Christian? 

Nobody is born by themselves but a mother delivers and the process starts with a fertilised embryo. Similarly God in His love and mercy act on a human being, dead in sins through the effective in working of His Word (Gospel) and the Holy Spirit implanted into that person through his/her willful acceptance of the same; bringing new life in an embryonic form which needs to be cared for in fellowship and delivered to be a baby in the church. That is new birth which Jesus told Nicodemus and he was not able to understand. So we do not make ourselves Christians, we are born anew as Christians by the work of God but with our willful acceptance of God’s work in us through the Word and the Spirit.

Let us look at how Jesus presents this truth in John 3.

3:1-22 Conversation with Nicodemus.
Nicodemus presents himself in a private meeting
He, as a senior teacher expresses his approval of Jesus as a teacher approved of God
Jesus responds with a new concept and dimension of man’s relationship with God
Nicodemus take it in humanistic terms while Jesus pulls him up to go beyond man’s limits of understanding
It is God’s action through His Spirit in willing human beings
The result is a birth, a new life Jn 1:12

Questions for discussion

1. What may have been the intention of Nicodemus paying a visit to Jesus?
2. What are the things Jesus presents before him for him to consider?
3. Why is Nicodemus reluctant to accept that truth?
4. What is God's eternal plan for the redemption of humanity and what is the end product?
Refer Genesis 3:15 and John 10:10

Again think about the time and context of this great meet up of two gurus- of two dispensations, two ages and two cultures. One representing the old covenant, the dispensation of law and effort to obey and the culture of the chosen people and their traditions. The other coming from above, representing the new covenant, dispensation of immeasurable grace and the counter culture of faith and universal acceptance of humanity- reconciliation as explained in 2 Corinthians 5:15-21.

The disciples who had been listening to that conversation in the night must have wondered why our Guru is so inconsiderate to the well respected and elderly Nicodemus, especially as he came to affirm and support their relatively new and young guru. While the Jewish leaders and elders were becoming increasingly suspicious and jealous of Jesus' popularity and authority with supernatural powers, Nicodemus came privately to accept Jesus as a fellow teacher, may be with more divine powers, sent for a purpose. And hence he intended to know him more personally and enquire about his plans and if possible to join teams, maybe he had some other friends among Pharisees who might consider joining etc. His approach was very courteous and approving of what Jesus was doing. As Jesus said elsewhere, His works had given a testimony to who He is but Nicodemus could not make that difference. The popular Jewish expectation of a Kingly Messiah did not fit in with the life and work of Jesus, so Nicodemus wanted to discuss and clarify that with Jesus.

Jesus knew Nicodemus, his line of thinking and intentions hence decided to give him a shock treatment. As per the custom of the Rabbis, Jesus told him an abstract truth challenging him personally for a new birth so that he can perceive, understand and inherit the Kingdom of God. It is no more the Davidic or Jewish Kingdom but the universal Kingdom of God encompassing the whole humanity. This needs a new birth, a new generation brought into existence through the water and the Spirit. It was too much for Nicodemus to catch and hence he asked back, how can he being and old guru get back into his mother's womb and born again- how can God start with a new generation while the Jewish nation is the chosen one? Refer 1 Peter 1:23. As a Rabbi, Nicodemus knew that water was symbolically considered as God's Word through the law and the prophets which can clean and bring life. But a spiritual birth was unknown to him, so Jesus tells him the difference between the natural birth and the spiritual birth. Natural birth is through an action of two human beings- parents while spiritual birth is through the combined effective action of the Word of God (the Gospel) and Holy Spirit on a spiritually dead human being. The combined action of the Word and Spirit become effective in a person through his/her wilful acceptance of God's plan in Jesus Christ for his/her redemption and new status (birth) as the children of God. (See John 1:12, Romans 10:9 etc.)

The person and work of the Holy Spirit were not clear to the Jewish Rabbis as God's Spirit was only the enlightening, empowering presence of God for them. So Jesus explains with the example of the wind and its effect that the Holy Spirit is starting His ministry by giving new birth and bringing a new people into existence with His abiding presence. It is not naturally perceived or explained but accepted in faith and experienced in personal lives. It is a newborn baby who cannot understand or explain his/her life but experiences and expresses that life. This is a phenomenon beyond the realm of human understanding as it is an action of God into a person who is ready to accept. You may consider it as an embryo being planted into a womb after fertilisation. That embryo becomes a baby as the womb accepts and retains it for the period of gestation. Spiritual fertilisation which brings in a new life is the combined action of the Word and the Spirit through hearing (Rom 10:10-18) but it has to be accepted and retained willfully by the person to experience the new birth.

Then the whole eternal plan of redemption is described in the following verses (John 3:14-21). It is action plan brought down from above by the Son of the man who is in heaven (Son of God) and accomplished by His lifting up on the cross and provisioned through faith in Him who came down and lifted up- Jesus who came as a man and died on the cross as a ransom. Also, acceptance and retention of that faith which is activated by the Word and the Spirit are the law of eternal judgment as well. The man is free to accept or reject the Word heard and the action of the Spirit in them but that decides their destiny- not the amount of good or bad works. It is further asserted in John 3:36.

Note verse 16, Jesus did not come down from heaven to give healing, freedom from bondage, blessings and even peace but eternal life. That life of course comes as a package with everything else as abundant life (John 10:10). But physical healing, well-being and even mental peace are not what we look but that new life in us the life in Christ. Don't accept anything less than that life, eternal life which springs in us as a spring of fresh water satisfying our inner life even when our outer life starts degenerating and perishing. Jesus describes this life more vividly in John 15 and Paul in 2 Corinthians 5 as well as in Galatians 2. Today's popular Christianity often brings Jesus as the miracle worker, healer, source of blessings, prosperity, peace, power and a good life without that birth and a growing life within. A lot of nominal Christians live in this delusion and even some of the new generation charismatic Christians. It can be very well the trick deployed by the enemy to keep you happy here and now using the name of Jesus but keeping you away from eating the fruit from the tree of life. Satan tricked Adam and Eve from eating that in the beginning and now many of us who are so-called Christians.

We do not need to be particularly thankful to God for all the blessings, healings and good things we receive as they are our joyful privileges as His children but have to be constantly thankful to Him for giving us this new birth and life and that is why we need to be thankful always and in everything as well as pray for an increase in that life. Listen to your prayers, what are you thanking God for? Stop thanking for things you receive but for the life within, its increasing experience and expression. This may shock some of you but think twice and talk to God. Nicodemus need challenge and insight.

By: PA Thomas