In this passage, John records an encounter that Jesus had with one of the religious leaders of the Jewish people, a Pharisee called Nicodemus. The Pharisees knew the Old Testament well and had very high standards of ritual purity. They had invented many rules and regulations which people were required to keep. They were very legalistic and did not approve of Jesus' associations with people whom they considered to be “sinners”. They saw themselves as being morally superior to other people. Jesus told Nicodemus that external observance of rules cannot change a person's heart. What we need is a new birth.
| 1) | Why do you think Nicodemus came to see Jesus at night? |
| 2) | In v3, Jesus' reply does not seem to be an answer to what Nicodemus said in v2. Why does Jesus mention “new birth” here? |
| 3) | How does Nicodemus respond to Jesus' statement (v4)? |
| 4) | According to Jesus, what is the only way by which we can enter God's kingdom (vs5-7)? What do you think this means? |
| 5) | Why do you think Jesus uses the illustration of the “wind” here (v8)? |
| 6) | Why was Nicodemus so surprised at Jesus' words (v9), and why is Jesus amazed at his ignorance (vs10-12)? |
| 7) | The story of Moses lifting up the bronze snake in the desert can be found in the Old Testament, in Numbers 21:4-9. How does this incident relate to our need for Jesus to save us? |
| 8) | What do vs16-17 tell us about God? |
| 9) | How do vs18-21 emphasise our need to respond to Jesus? |
| v3 | The picture of new birth is used in the New Testament to illustrate the result when a person comes to believe in Jesus. Jesus brings complete transformation (see 2 Corinthians 5:17). |
| v5 | “Born of water and the spirit”: experiencing spiritual cleansing and renewal from God's Spirit (see Ezekiel 36:25-28, Hebrews 10:22). Becoming a Christian is like being given a “spiritual heart transplant” |
| v8 | The Greek word for “wind” and “spirit” is the same: pneuma (pneuma-). Jesus is saying that when a person is born again, the effects of his transformed life should be very clear to others (just as we know there is wind when branches sway on a tree). |
| v10 | What Jesus is saying here does not contradict Old Testament teaching and yet Nicodemus does not understand. God is not primarily interested in external rituals but in transformed hearts. |
| v13 | “The Son of Man” is an authority figure with an everlasting kingdom mentioned in the Old Testament Daniel 7:13-14. This prophecy is one of many fulfilled in Jesus. |
| v16 | The “so” in this verse means “in this way”, i.e. “This is how God showed his love for the world”. |
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