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Scott's Reference Library
John 3:1 through John 3:17 (NIV)
1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the
Jewish ruling council. 2He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you
are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous
signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
3In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of
God unless he is born again.”
4“How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot
enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!”
5Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God
unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the
Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You
must be born again.’ 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound,
but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with
everyone born of the Spirit.”
9“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
10“You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these
things? 11I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what
we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12I have spoken
to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I
speak of heavenly things? 13No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who
came from heaven—the Son of Man. 14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the
desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in him
may have eternal life.
16“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever
believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send
his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
VERSES 1-8
Nicodemus was afraid, or ashamed to be seen with Christ, therefore came in the
night. When religion is out of fashion, there are many Nicodemites. But though
he came by night, Jesus bid him welcome, and hereby taught us to encourage good
beginnings, although weak. And though now he came by night, yet afterward he
owned Christ publicly. He did not talk with Christ about state affairs, though
he was a ruler, but about the concerns of his own soul and its salvation, and
went at once to them. Our Saviour spoke of the necessity and nature of
regeneration or the new birth, and at once directed Nicodemus to the source of
holiness of the heart. Birth is the beginning of life; to be born again, is to
begin to live anew, as those who have lived much amiss, or to little purpose. We
must have a new nature, new principles, new affections, new aims. By our first
birth we were corrupt, shapen in sin; therefore we must be made new creatures.
No stronger expression could have been chosen to signify a great and most
remarkable change of state and character. We must be entirely different from
what we were before, as that which begins to be at any time, is not, and cannot
be the same with that which was before. This new birth is from heaven, vs. 1:13,
and its tendency is to heaven. It is a great change made in the heart of a
sinner, by the power of the Holy Spirit. It means that something is done in us,
and for us, which we cannot do for ourselves. Something is wrong, whereby such a
life begins as shall last for ever. We cannot otherwise expect any benefit by
Christ; it is necessary to our happiness here and hereafter. What Christ speak,
Nicodemus misunderstood, as if there had been no other way of regenerating and
new-moulding an immortal soul, than by new-framing the body. But he acknowledged
his ignorance, which shows a desire to be better informed. It is then further
explained by the Lord Jesus. He shows the Author of this blessed change. It is
not wrought by any wisdom or power of our own, but by the power of the blessed
Spirit. We are shapen in iniquity, which makes it necessary that our nature be
changed. We are not to marvel at this; for, when we consider the holiness of
God, the depravity of our nature, and the happiness set before us, we shall not
think it strange that so much stress is laid upon this. The regenerating work of
the Holy Spirit is compared to water. It is also probable that Christ had
reference to the ordinance of baptism. Not that all those, and those only, that
are baptized, are saved; but without that new birth which is wrought by the
Spirit, and signified by baptism, none shall be subjects of the kingdom of
heaven. The same word signifies both the wind and the Spirit. The wind bloweth
where it listeth for us; God directs it. The Spirit sends his influences where,
and when, on whom, and in what measure and degree, he pleases. Though the causes
are hidden, the effects are plain, when the soul is brought to mourn for sin,
and to breathe after Christ.
VERSES 9-13
Christ’s stating of the doctrine and the necessity of regeneration, it should
seem, made it not clearer to Nicodemus. Thus the things of the Spirit of God are
foolishness to the natural man. Many think that cannot be proved, which they
cannot believe. Christ’s discourse of gospel truths, vs. 11-13, shows the folly
of those who make these things strange unto them; and it recommends us to search
them out. Jesus Christ is every way able to reveal the will of God to us; for he
came down from heaven, and yet is in heaven. We have here a notice of Christ’s
two distinct natures in one person, so that while he is the Son of man, yet he
is in heaven. God is the “HE THAT IS,” and heaven is the dwelling-place of his
holiness. The knowledge of this must be from above, and can be received by faith
alone.
VERSES 14-18
Jesus Christ came to save us by healing us, as the children of Israel, stung
with fiery serpents, were cured and lived by looking up to the brazen serpent,
Numbers 21:6-9. In this observe the deadly and destructive nature of sin. Ask
awakened consciences, ask damned sinners, they will tell you, that how charming
soever the allurements of sin may be, at the last it bites like a serpent. See
the powerful remedy against this fatal malady. Christ is plainly set forth to us
in the gospel. He whom we offended is our Peace, and the way of applying for a
cure is by believing. If any so far slight either their disease by sin, or the
method of cure by Christ, as not to receive Christ upon his own terms, their
ruin is upon their own heads. He has said, Look and be saved, look and live;
lift up the eyes of your faith to Christ crucified. And until we have grace to
do this, we shall not be cured, but still are wounded with the stings of Satan,
and in a dying state. Jesus Christ came to save us by pardoning us, that we
might not die by the sentence of the law. Here is gospel, good news indeed. Here
is God’s love in giving his Son for the world. God so loved the world; so
really, so richly. Behold and wonder, that the great God should love such a
worthless world! Here, also, is the great gospel duty, to believe in Jesus
Christ. God having given him to be our Prophet, Priest, and King, we must give
up ourselves to be ruled, and taught, and saved by him. And here is the great
gospel benefit, that whoever believes in Christ, shall not perish, but shall
have everlasting life. God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, and
so saving it. It could not be saved, but through him; there is no salvation in
any other. From all this is shown the happiness of true believers; he that
believeth in Christ is not condemned. Though he has been a great sinner, yet he
is not dealt with according to what his sins deserve.