John 3 - NIV Quest Study Bible

To enter God’s kingdom requires something impossible by human standards: rebirth. Jesus was referring to the work of the Holy Spirit, who breathes life into our sinful and dead spiritual nature. When we are born again, we become new creations (2Co 5:17), our sins are forgiven (Ac 10:43), and we are reconciled to God — we have peace with him and are granted an intimate relationship with him (Jn 1:12 – 13; Ro 5:1 – 2; Eph 2:13 – 18; Col 1:21 – 22).This could refer to physical birth (accompanied by “water breaking”) and spiritual birth (the dawning of spiritual awareness). It may also refer to baptism (repentance symbolized by water) and life in the Spirit (awakening to the reality of God’s Spirit working in a person’s life).As Numbers 21:8 – 9recounts, when poisonous snakes infested the Israelites’ camp, Moses made a bronze snake, attached it to a pole and lifted it up. Those who looked to it with faith were healed. In a similar way, Jesus said he would be lifted up on a cross, and those who turn in faith to him will be saved from their sins.This verse appears on bumper stickers, T-shirts and placards at sporting events. Perhaps its popularity comes from the succinct summation it provides of the gospel message. It quickly recaps the story of salvation: God’s love for humanity, the Son’s coming to Earth to die, and the opportunity we have to respond in faith and receive eternal life.To “believe” in Jesus involves more than just agreeing that Jesus’ words are true. In fact, John’s writings characterize this exercising of faith as believing into Jesus. It means trusting in Jesus alone for your salvation. It is deciding to place your fate in the hands of Jesus; it is trusting him to be your Lord and his Word to be your command.The word baptism means “to dip.” The way John the Baptist prepared people for the coming of the Messiah is similar to the Jewish custom of purifying people for worship. To make people ceremonially clean, the Jews poured water over them or dipped them in a body of water.John explained that God had called him to point people to the Messiah. That calling never changed. While Jesus called others to follow him (1:43) and be his disciples, John’s role was to go ahead of him (3:28). See Why was John the Baptist so important? (1:6).John understood the significant role he was playing in God’s plan. Before Jesus became publicly known as the Messiah, John was to be the focus of attention as he preached, baptized and called the nation to repentance. All of John’s work was preparatory; it paved the way for Jesus (Mal 3:1; Mt 11:10; Lk 3:16). After Jesus began his public ministry, the focus naturally turned to him, and John received less attention.