John 3 - Although You Can't See The Wind You Can See the Effects of the Wind! So it is with the Holy Spirit!

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Jesus Teaches Nicodemus

Nicodemus was a member of the Jewish ruling council, also called the "Sanhedrin". He came to Jesus at night, which is indicative of his apprehension of meeting with Jesus in broad daylight for fear of being associated with him. Nicodemus acknowledged that Jesus was a teacher from God, because of the signs he had performed. The authority he exhibited in his signs and miracles, supported the authority in his teaching. 

Jesus immediately tells Nicodemus that the only way someone can recognize the kingdom of God is if they are "born again". This is language Nicodemus did not understand. It is language that is often misunderstood today as well. Nicodemus takes Jesus literally and wonders how someone can be physically born a second time. He can't figure how he would get back into his mother's womb. 

Jesus describes being "born again" as being born of water and the Spirit. A simple interpretation might be that water represents natural birth, and the Spirit, spiritual birth. The teaching on the Holy Spirit was probably really new to Nicodemus, just as it is for many Christians today. Jesus is referring to the Spirit, as a person of the Trinity. 

Then, Jesus describes a born again person looks like in daily life. A person born of the Spirit is unpredictable just like the wind. The Greek word for "Spirit" also means "wind" or "breath". Though you can't see the wind, you can see the effect of the wind. Though you can't see the wind, you can experience how powerful it is. So it is with a person who is "born again".  

Nicodemus is not understanding what Jesus is saying. Though he is a spiritual leader of God's people, he doesn't understand the purpose or role of the Spirit. Jesus has used the earthly illustration of the power and effect of the wind and Nicodemus is not understanding. Jesus wonders how if he gets stuck in earthly analogies how he can go to the deeper teaching about the Spirit.  

Jesus asserts his authority as the Son of Man. He came from heaven and is going back to heaven. Jesus then used an illustration from the Old Testament when Moses lifted up a serpent on a pole for the Israelites to receive deliverance from their sin. 

In the Numbers 21:4-9 account, the people were saved not by doing anything, but by simply looking to the bronze serpent. They had to trust that something as seemingly foolish as looking at such a thing would be sufficient to save them, and surely, some perished because they thought it too foolish to do such a thing. - Guzik

Jesus uses the analogy that just as there was healing for those who looked up to the serpent, so the Son of Man would be lifted on a cross, and those who looked up and believed in him would be saved. They would not only be saved in this life, but given eternal life. Sometimes we don't understand the full meaning of the term "eternal life". 

The idea behind eternal life means much more than a long or never ending life. Eternal life does not mean that this life goes on forever. Instead, eternal life also has the idea of a certain quality of life, of God’s kind of life. It is the kind of life enjoyed in eternity. - Guzik

This leads us to the most well know and perhaps most important verse in the bible. 

"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." 

Notice for God so loved the "world". God is not willing for anyone to perish, but for all to come to eternal life. Jesus came not just for the Jews, but for all people. Jesus came not to condemn the world but to save it. Though God has given the free gift of His Son, salvation comes for those who believe in him. Without believing in what Jesus did for us on the cross, we stand condemned. On the cross Jesus bore the weight of our sin so we could be set free from the power of sin. 

Jesus is the light of the world, but there are some who love darkness more. For those living in darkness, the light of Christ exposes their deeds. Therefore, they might be tempted to run from the light rather than running to the light.  

John Testifies Again About Jesus

As Jesus was baptizing others with his disciples, apparently John the Baptist continued his ministry of baptizing. Once again John defers to Jesus that he is greater than him. The disciples were alarmed but John wasn't. Jesus was from above, and he was from below. He knew he must decrease so Jesus could increase. 

Many spiritual leaders can get this order mixed up. They can become so enamored with their own success, they forget to keep putting the focus on Jesus. John was a prophet because he faithfully delivered God/'s Word. Jesus was more than a prophet, because He was the WORD!  Our ministries should always be lifting up Jesus. 

Paul says something very similar to the church in Corinth, which by the way was starting to worship their leaders by saying, "I follow Paul", or "I follow Apollos" etc...  Here is what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2

"And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.[a] 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power."

When our ministry becomes about us it will fail. It will bring about unnecessary pressure for us. When we point people to Jesus, it is Jesus who does the heavy lifting. This is why I like the term "ambassador". I am ambassador for Jesus. We are just inviting people to meet the most important dignitary of all time ... Jesus!