1. Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus. Nicodemus is mentioned only by John. His character is marked by prudence amounting almost to timidity. At John 7:50-52 he defends Jesus, but without committing himself as in any interested in him; at John 19:38,39 he brought spices for the body of Jesus, but only after Joseph of Arimathea had secured the body.

    

2. A ruler of the Jews. A member of the Sanhedrin.

    

1. The same came unto him by night. Thus avoiding the hostility of his colleagues, and also obtaining a more personal and uninterrupted interview with Jesus. That his coming by night revealed his character is shown by the fact that John repeats the expression when describing him at John 19:39. But, in justice, it should be said that Nicodemus was the only one of his order who came at all during our Lord's life.

    

2. And said to him, Rabbi, we know. Nicodemus uses the plural, to avoid committing himself too much. Nicodemus would assert nothing but that which was commonly admitted by many. We learn from John 12:42,43 that late in the ministry of Christ, when hostility towards him was most bitter, many of the rulers still believed in him. No doubt, when Nicodemus said "we" he used the word advisedly and conscientiously.

    

3. That thou art a teacher come from God. The rulers knew that Jesus was not the product of any of the rabbinical schools, and his miracles marked him as a prophet and distinguished him from all who were guided merely by reason, no matter how learned.

    

4. For no man can do these signs that thou doest. See John 2:25.

    

5. Except God be with him. These words show the effect of Christ's miracles. Miracles arrest attention and challenge investigation, and prove that he who works them is from God (Acts 10:38).

    

1. Jesus answered. Not the words, but the thoughts of Nicodemus. The answers of Jesus often look rather to the thoughts of the questioner than to the form of the question. Nicodemus came seeking to know something about the kingdom of God, and Jesus opened at once upon the subject.

    

2. Verily, verily. See John 1:51.

    

3. Except one be born again. The Greek word "anothen," translated "anew," may also mean "from above", and some commentators seek to so translate it here, but it is rightly translated "again", for Nicodemus understood it to mean a "second" birth. As to the import of the passage, Luther's words are pertinent: "My doctrine is not of doing, and of leaving undone, but of being and becoming; so that it is not a new work to be done, but the being new created--not the living otherwise, but the being new-born."

    

4. He cannot see the kingdom of God. To "see" the kingdom means to possess or enjoy it (Psalms 16:10; Psalms 90:15; John 8:51; Luke 2:26).

    

1. How can a man be born when he is old? Knowing that a man cannot be literally born a second time, Nicodemus states to Jesus the literal import of his words, hoping thereby to draw from him an explanation of this new, strange metaphor which he was using.

    

2. Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born? So far as he did grasp the meaning of Jesus, Nicodemus saw himself barred forever from the kingdom by an impossible requirement. Many, like him, need to learn that God asks of us nothing that is impossible; that, on the contrary, the yoke is easy and the burden is light (Matthew 11:30).

    

1. Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit:  these are, (twnv) (twlm) , "two words", which express the same thing, as Kimchi observes in many places in his commentaries, and signify the grace of the Spirit of God. The Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions read, "the Holy Spirit", and so Nonnus; and who doubtless is intended: by "water", is not meant material water, or baptismal water; for water baptism is never expressed by water only, without some additional word, which shows, that the ordinance of water baptism is intended: nor has baptism any regenerating influence in it; a person may be baptized, as Simon Magus was, and yet not born again; and it is so far from having any such virtue, that a person ought to be born again, before he is admitted to that ordinance: and though submission to it is necessary, in order to a person's entrance into a Gospel church state; yet it is not necessary to the kingdom of heaven, or to eternal life and salvation: such a mistaken sense of this text, seems to have given the first birth and rise to infant baptism in the African churches; who taking the words in this bad sense, concluded their children must be baptized, or they could not be saved; whereas by "water" is meant, in a figurative and metaphorical sense, the grace of God, as it is elsewhere; see (Ezekiel 36:25) (John 4:14) . Which is the moving cause of this new birth, and according to which God begets men again to, a lively hope, and that by which it is effected; for it is by the grace of God, and not by the power of man's free will, that any are regenerated, or made new creatures: and if Nicodemus was an officer in the temple, that took care to provide water at the feasts, as Dr. Lightfoot thinks, and as it should seem Nicodemon ben Gorion was, by the story before related of him; (See Gill on 3:1); very pertinently does our Lord make mention of water, it being his own element: regeneration is sometimes ascribed to God the Father, as in (1 Peter 1:3) (James 1:18) , and sometimes to the Son, (1 John 2:29) and here to the Spirit, as in (Titus 3:5) , who convinces of sin, sanctifies, renews, works faith, and every other grace; begins and carries on the work of grace, unto perfection;

    

2. He cannot enter into the kingdom of God; and unless a man has this work of his wrought on his soul, as he will never understand divine and spiritual things, so he can have no right to Gospel ordinances, or things appertaining to the kingdom of God; nor can he be thought to have passed from death to life, and to have entered into an open state of grace, and the kingdom of it; or that living and dying so, he shall ever enter into the kingdom of heaven; for unless a man is regenerated, he is not born heir apparent to it; and without internal holiness, shall not enter into it, enjoy it, or see God.

1. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Jesus here draws the distinction between fleshly birth and spiritual birth. He did this to prepare Nicodemus to understand that it is the "spirit" and not the flesh which undergoes the change called the new birth. Regeneration is no slight, superficial change, but a radical one, and one which we cannot work for ourselves.

    

1. Ye must be born again. Jesus here plainly declares that none are exempt from this gospel requirement. Man must obtain more than his fleshly nature if he would inherit eternal life.

    

1. Art thou the teacher of Israel, and understandest not these things? The Jewish teachers or doctors of the law made very arrogant claims to knowledge, but it often happens that the professedly learned are remarkably unacquainted with the first principles of their religion. It was so with the Jewish teachers (Matthew 15:14). Nicodemus should have understood that such a change as Jesus was speaking of would be necessary, for (1) It was foreshadowed in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 10:16 1 Samuel 10:9; 1 Samuel 16:13; Psalms 51:10; Ezekiel 18:31; Jeremiah 4:4). (2) John the Baptist suggested the need of some such change when he attacked the Jewish trust in their descent from Abraham (Matthew 3:9; Luke 3:8).

    

1. I say unto thee, We. A rhetorical plural. See Mark 4:30.

    

2. Speak that which we know, and bear witness of that which we have seen. His words were not founded upon reasonings, speculations, and guesses, but were the plain testimony of an eyewitness, who was able to see and had seen things which to us are invisible.

    

3. And ye receive not our witness. Ye teachers of Israel, who, above all men, should receive our guidance, are the very last to follow us. As the Jewish rulers would not receive Christ's testimony, let us not be surprised if many of our day refuse to listen to the gospel which we preach.

    

1. If I have told you. Jesus here divides religious phenomena into two divisions--earthly and heavenly.

    

2. Earthly things and ye believe not. The earthly phenomena are those which have their sphere in this world. In this sense regeneration is an earthly thing; for though it has a heavenly origin, its manifestations are among the daily sights and experiences of our earthly life.

    

3. How shall ye believe. These things have their sphere far removed from earth, and transcended the comprehension of Nicodemus. Now, if Nicodemus would not believe Jesus when he told him of things which he himself partially knew, how would he believe when Jesus spoke of that which was utterly unknown to him?

    

4. If I tell you heavenly things? Religion has also its heavenly phenomena, such as the ordering of God's celestial household; the experiences of those who pass into the divine presence; the propitiation, or the changes wrought in the attitude of God toward man by the sacrifice of Christ; the powers and limitations of Christ's priestly intercession, etc.

    

1. And no one hath ascended into heaven, but he that descended out of heaven. Nicodemus is here informed that Christ alone can teach concerning heavenly things. Jesus can so teach, for he did not begin on earth and ascend to heaven, but he came from heaven to earth, and returned thence (afterwards) to heaven.

    

2. [Even] the Son of man, who is in heaven. Jesus speaks of himself as being present in heaven, because his divine nature was in constant communication with the powers of heaven. If we conceive of heaven as a locality (a proper conception), Jesus was upon the earth; but if we conceive of it as a present communion with the presence of God (also a proper conception), then Christ was in heaven as he talked with Nicodemus (John 8:29).

    

1. And as Moses. Jesus here indicates the prophetical character of the Old Testament. The extent of Christ's endorsement of the Old Testament becomes apparent when we consider on how many occasions he revealed himself under the same symbolism which the Old Testament used to reveal him. At John 2:19 he revealed his resurrection under the symbolism of the destroyed and restored temple. At Matthew 12:40 the same event is revealed under the symbolism of Jonah and the whale. And here his crucifixion is likewise partially veiled and partially disclosed under a symbolic reference to the brazen serpent.

    

2. Lifted up the serpent in the wilderness. The account of the brazen serpent will be found at Numbers 21:4-9. The lesson of the brazen serpent will be found in its main points of the crucifixion of Christ. When the people were bitten by fiery serpents, something made to resemble a serpent was hung upon a pole, and the people who looked to it in faith through it healing and life. Such is the epitome of Christ's gospel.

    

1. That whosoever believeth may in him have eternal life. When the world was perishing because of sin, Jesus, made to resemble sin (Romans 8:3; 2 Corinthians 5:21) was hung upon the cross, that those who look unto him in faith (Isaiah 45:22) may find life through him (1 John 5:11-13).

    

1. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish. Luther calls this verse "the Bible in miniature". It is a lesson as to God's love: (1) Its magnitude--he gave his only begotten Son. (2) Its reach--he gave it to a sinful world (Romans 5:8). (3) Its impartiality--he gives it to whoever; that is, to all alike (Matthew 5:45; Revelation 22:17). (4) Its beneficial richness --it blesses with life eternal. (5) Its limitations--it is nowhere said that God so loves that he will save unbelievers. Love is the mutual and binding grace between God and man; it may also be said that in Christ is made God human and man divine.

    

2. But have eternal life. John uses the word "eternal" ("ainios" in Greek) seventeen times in his Gospel (John 3:15,16,36; John 4:14,36; John 5:24,39 John 6:27,40,47,54,68; John 10:28; John 12:25,50; John 17:2,3) and six times in his First Epistle (1 John 1:2; 1 John 2:25; 1 John 3:15; 1 John 5:11,13,20). He always applies it to life. The synoptists use it eight times (Matthew 18:8; Matthew 19:16,29; Matthew 25:41,46; Mark 3:29; Mark 10:17,30; Luke 10:25; Luke 16:9; Luke 18:18,30), applying it to life, and also to fire, punishment, damnation, and habitation.

    

1. For God sent not the Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world should be saved through him. Christ's first mission to the world was for salvation rather than for judgment. His second mission was for judgment, but a judgment-hour wherein he will be able to save those who have accepted the means of grace which he established by his first coming. But the first coming of Christ incidentally involved judgment (John 9:39), and John the Baptist emphasized the judgment of Christ. This judgment, however, was not the principal object of Christ's coming, but was an inevitable result of it. Jesus here speaks of it as a self-executed judgment. It was a necessary result of the revealed presence of Christ (Luke 2:35). That Christ is at present a Savior, and not a judge, is a truth which needs to be emphasized. Catholics are taught to fear Christ and flee to the Virgin; and many ignorant Protestants are disposed to look upon him as a prosecutor rather than as an advocate.

    

1. He that believeth on him is not judged. The name Jesus means "Savior"; to disbelieve this name is to reject Christ as Savior. The verses at John 3:14,15 require belief in Jesus as the Son of man. This verse requires belief in him as the Son of God. Belief in this dual nature of Jesus is essential to salvation.

    

2. He that believeth not hath been judged already, because he hath not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God. Unbelief is the world's crowning sin; and belief is, humanly speaking, the source of its justification. This verse teaches that God's judgments are in a state of perpetually present enactment. The believer is saved now (Acts 13:39), and the unbeliever rests already under that condemnation which he fears the Son of God may some day pronounce against him.

    

John 3:19-21

1. And this is the judgment, etc. These verses show that when God judges a man by his faith, the judgment is not arbitrary and irrational. Men "believe" according to the secret aspirations and desires of their nature. Christ, as the example and model of life, shines out as the light of the world; those who approve and love such a life are drawn to him and constrained to believe in him. Spiritually, they abide in his presence, that they may compare their lives with his, and that they may be assured that their works are wrought under the renewing and sanctifying influence of the Holy Spirit, who is sent of Christ. But one whose desires are evil shrinks from Christ, and struggles to disbelieve in him; he seeks to know as little of Christ as possible, because such knowledge exposes the wickedness and depravity of his own sinful nature.

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