John's Gospel

Jesus and Nicodemus

There are three references to Nicodemus in the Gospel of John - John 3:1-21, John 7:45-51 (where Nicodemus asserts the need to apply the Jewish law fairly with Jesus) and finally in John 19:39-42 (here Nicodemus assists in the preparation of the corpse of Jesus). This final scripture leads a number of commentators to claim that he became a follower of Christ. Christian tradition records that Nicodemus became a martyr at some point in the first century.

Nicodemus would have been aware of some of the claims that John the Baptist (a figure respected amongst the Jews) was making about Jesus. Nicodemus, being a Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews (and hence a member of the Sanhedrin) especially needed to check out some of John's Messianic claims about Christ - was he the "Lamb of God" who would take away the sins of the world (John 1:29) as John was claiming?

Christ confronts Nicodemus with a perplexing statement: you can not see the kingdom of God unless you are born again. (John 3:3) Nicodemus then retorts that it is not possible for an old man such as him to be physically "born again". Jesus then qualifies his statement: it is necessary to be born of the water and of the spirit (John 3:5). Some Christian commentators argue that this is a reference to the necessity of water baptism in salvation. However, it is unlikely that Christ is alluding to this here. Notice the next verse - "Flesh gives birth the flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit" (John 3:6). Jesus would appear to be referencing "water" as the first birth (of a mother giving birth to a child). It is the second birth that is crucial for Nicodemus to understand. In John 3:14-16, Jesus makes it clear what this involves - belief and trust in Christ. in Numbers 21, the brass snake that Moses lifted up symbolically represents sin that has been forgiven - the Jews that gazed at the bronze snake lived. Jesus is comparing this work of Moses with his own crucifixion, and the need to respond to him for salvation.

John 3 is further explored in the commentary section down the left hand navigation on this page. In 1555, French theologian and reformer John Calvin (1509-64) finished his commentary on the Acts and the Gospels, and his analysis of John 3 is reproduced here. Calvin divides the chapter into seven sections - with commentary on John 3:1-6, John 3:7-12, exposition on John 3:13-18 an exegesis on John 3:22-28, John 3:29-34, and finally John 3:35-36.

English Presbyterian minister and biblical scholar Matthew Henry (1662-1714) divides John 3 into two sections - the first (John 3:1-21) explains Christ's encounter with Nicodemus, the second section (John 3:22-36) interprets John the Baptist's testimony to Christ.

John Wesley (1703-91), Christian theologian and founder of modern day Methodism, wrote extensive explanatory notes on the scriptures, and the bible notes from John 3 are reproduced here. Also in this section are three sermons from the British Particular Baptist Charles Spurgeon (1834-92), with a sermon on John 3:16, a preach on John 3:3, and another based on John 3:18 entitled "None But Jesus".

There are also links to a number of bible versions of John 3. As well as the traditional King James version, there is also the words of John 3 from the Websters Bible, and the scripture from the American Standard Version. There are also two Catholic versions - one from Catholic Public Domain Version, and the other from the Vulgate in Latin. John 3 is also translated here in Spanish, German and in the original Greek.