Nicodemus was a "man of the Pharisees" and a member of the ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said to him that they knew he was a teacher who has come from God. He said this because of the miracles he saw Jesus perform. Jesus then said to him, "I tell you the truth no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again". This statement perplexed Nicodemus and he asked how someone could be born again "when he is old". "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born". Jesus then told him that a man must be born of water and spirit. "Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit". Jesus then analogizes the blowing wind and how nobody can tell where it comes from or where it is going, but we can hear it. He says this is the same for everyone born of the Spirit. Again Nicodemus isn't folllowing what Jesus is trying to tell him. Jesus tries explaining that he is telling Nicodemus of earthly things and he still doesn't get it, so then how will he understand when Jesus speaks of heavenly things. Then he says, "No one has gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven - the Son of Man".
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but to have eternal life. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe in him is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only son". Then Jesus told Nicodemus that light has come into the world, but men love the darkness because their deeds are evil. "Everyone who does evil hates the light and will not come into the light for fear of his deeds being exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light so that it may be seen plainly that what he does has been done through God".
The obvious problems I see in this passage comes from misunderstanding from Nicodemus. Not knowing how to be born again in the Spirit and then him not understanding the analogy of the wind to the Spirit. Other problems involve the light that has come into the world, but men would rather stay in the darkness because they do not want their evil deeds exposed. They basically shun God to keep doing what they do.
Parallels:
Acts 2:22; 10:38; Proverbs 30:4; Ephesians 4:8-10; Numbers 21:8,9; Romans 5:8; Ephesians 5:11, 13
The perils in this passage are many and stem from Jesus' telling Nicodemus that "no one will see heaven unless they are born again". This is a new concept for everyone in this time period and hard to grasp. Coaxing men out of the drakness and into the light is another obstacle Jesus has to encounter. If these wicked men do not come out of the darkness and be born again, they will never see the kingdom of heaven. They are condemned already.
Precepts:
The precepts or cammands I see in this passage is that I should believe that God loved me enough to send his one and only Son for my sins. I should believe that, unless I am born again through water and Spirit that I will not see the kingdome of heaven. I should come out of the darkness and into the light, so that everything I do is done through God.
Applications:
I can apply this message in my life today by believing that God sent His one and only Son to die for my sins. I have been born again into the light through water and the Spirit and that everything I do is done through God. I will put God first in my life because when I do this, everything else is taken care of. Praise God!
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