John 3 - NIV Woman's Study Bible

3:1 Nicodemus, a pious and knowledgeable teacher, was a Pharisee and a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin. This highest Jewish court had 70 distinguished members. Nicodemus came from an important aristocratic family in Jerusalem and was an authority on Scripture. His coming at night could have been for any of several reasons: he wanted to speak to Jesus in secret so as not to arouse suspicion or to evoke criticism among his Sanhedrin colleagues; he wanted the privacy that night afforded so as not to be competitive with, nor intimidated by, the daytime crowds that surrounded Jesus; because of the darkness of his own great sins, he may have wanted private counsel with Jesus, the Light (v. 2); or perhaps he simply could not wait until morning. Nicodemus later publicly participated in Jesus’ burial by supplying abundant spices to be folded within the shroud wrapped around Jesus’ body.

3:3–10 Nicodemus was confused by Jesus’ emphasis on rebirth. The word “again” (Gk., anothen) has several meanings: “from conception” or “the very beginning,” “anew” or “a second time,” “from above” or “from God.” Nicodemus knew a physical rebirth was impossible. “Spirit” (Gk., pneuma) can also mean “wind,” depending on the context. Jesus used the word to illustrate the Spirit’s activity. Jesus made the point to Nicodemus that he must be born of the Spirit in order to understand the spiritual things of God.

3:13 Jesus described himself as the One who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. The description “Son of man” appears more than 80 times in the Gospels, but only four times in the NT outside the Gospels. “Son of man” points to Jesus’ special ministry and commission from God; his suffering, death and resurrection; and his return.

3:14–15 John stressed both the shame of the cross and the majesty of the resurrection throughout his Gospel. God punished the Israelites in the wilderness with deadly serpents after they had complained and spoken against God and Moses (see Nu 21:4–9). Many people were bitten and died. When the people repented and begged for mercy, God told Moses to lift a fiery serpent high upon a pole within the camp. God promised that anyone looking at the raised bronze serpent would be healed of the snake’s venomous bite and saved from death. The OT incident pointed to Jesus, who would be lifted up on a cross as the sacrifice necessary for salvation.