"¹ Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. ² He 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." ³ In 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!" ⁵ Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. ⁶ Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. ⁷ You should not be surprised at my saying, ´You must be born again.´ ⁸ The 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? ¹¹ I 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. ¹² I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? ¹³ No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven-the Son of Man. ¹⁴ Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, ¹⁵ that 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. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."

Introduction: At one time, those who received the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues experienced great agony because people resisted the movement of the Holy Spirit and considered it heresy. They agonized because of a conflict between the persecution which was upon them and their authentic experience of the grace of the Holy Spirit. Nicodemus was a member of the Jewish ruling council, and he believed that Jesus came from God, while other Jews concluded that Jesus was a heretic and greatly criticized him.


1. The first agony of Nicodemus.
    1) The strong resistance of the teachers of the Law (Ro 3:20; Ac 4:12).
    2) They denied the miracles of Jesus Christ even though many people saw them
        (Jn 3:2).
    3) There was lack of understanding about Jesus´ identity (Jn 2:24-25).

2. The second agony of Nicodemus.
    1) He did not realize that he could see the kingdom of God by being born again-not
        by observing the Law (Jn 3:3).
    2) He did not understand the meaning of being born of water and the Spirit
        (Jn 3:4-6).
    3) The mystery of being born again (Jn 3:7-9).

3. Jesus´ teaching to Nicodemus.
    1) Just like Moses lifted up the snake in the desert (Nu 21:7-9).
    2) So the Son of Man must be lifted up (Jn 3:13-15; Heb 12:2).
    3) Everyone who believes may have eternal life (Jn 3:16-17; Eph 2:8-9; Ro 10:9-10).


Conclusion: We are saved by the grace of Jesus Christ-not by observing the Law. All our righteous acts are like filthy rags. But when we repent and believe in Jesus Christ, we can have eternal life through the mysterious work of the Holy Spirit.