Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a member of the Jewish ruling council (Sanhedrin), comes to Jesus at night. The time of his visit is significant—it could suggest either his desire for privacy due to his social status or his willingness to seek out the truth away from the public eye.
"Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, 'Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.'"
Jesus immediately begins to enlighten Nicodemus' understanding of spiritual rebirth. Jesus speaks of being "born again" or "born from above," a concept that confuses Nicodemus. Jesus explains that this rebirth is not physical but spiritual—through the Holy Spirit.
Jesus answered, "Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit."
Nicodemus continues to be perplexed, asking how these things can be. Jesus responds by revealing that knowledge of these spiritual truths should be accessible to one like Nicodemus, a teacher of Israel. He then moves on to talk about the importance of faith in the Son of Man and references the story of Moses lifting up the serpent in the wilderness as a foreshadowing of His own crucifixion.
Jesus famously declares God's love for the world, stating that God sent His Son not to condemn the world, but to save it. John 3:16 is one of the most quoted verses in Christianity, encapsulating the Gospel message of salvation through faith in Christ. Jesus also explains that light has come into the world, but many prefer darkness because their deeds are evil.
