How Can This Be? - John 3:9-21

Our Lord brought Nicodemus face to face with the necessity of being born again. This wise man pondered all that Jesus had shared with him.. His final question is most noteworthy, “How can these things be?” (V9) "Teacher, I hear your analogies, but how does this new birth really happen. Where does it spring from?"

Jesus gently chides Nicodemus (V10) Jesus is basically saying, you have all this learning and yet you do not understand? Then in verse 11 He states, "I have spoken to you earthly things, and you do not believe, How will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?"

Have you ever spoken with someone who has gone to Heaven and returned? No one has ever gone into heaven - except the One who came from Heaven So Jesus helps him to understand that His authority comes from the fact that He is the pre-existent One who came to earth from heaven.

Then to help Nicodemus understand, Jesus takes him back to a marvelous illustration of the new birth contained in the Old Testament, Numbers 21:4-9. With these words Nicodemus’ mind spun back thousands of years… he was on very familiar ground.

The picture in Numbers 21 is one of both glory and horror.

First, the horror. The Israelites were beset with venomous snakes. These snakes inflicted a burning fever in the lives of those they bit. The people could not escape, and their bodies were inflamed with fever. They were on the verge of death in fact, many died.

But also note the glorious. God provides a way of escape. Moses was directed to make a bronze snake. This could well have been a moment when Aaron was wondering if Moses was reverting to his old Egyptian ways. The snake was to be a source of healing and life.

Jesus left no doubt about the application! (V14) In fact the analogies are remarkable.
Snakes and serpents remind us of sin. The serpent brought temptation into the garden
The bronze snake represents faith, they had to look at it for it to be of any blessing to them, but, when they did look at it, they were healed and delivered. What an illustration of the new birth.

This great illustration is followed by a marvelous explanation. John 3:16 is the best known and most often quoted verse in all of the Bible. We seldom read it or recite it within its context, but when we do we see that it offers a vivid explanation of the new birth we have in Jesus Christ.

DL Moody said that John 3:16 brought him to an understanding of the love of God.

Dr. R. Kent Hughes has done a marvelous job of dissecting this marvelous verse.

God - The greatest Lover
So loved - To the greatest degree
The world - The greatest company
That He gave - The greatest act
His one and only Son -The greatest gift
That whoever - The greatest opportunity
Believes - The greatest simplicity
In Him -The greatest Attraction
Shall not perish - The greatest Promise
But - The greatest difference
Have - The greatest certainty
Eternal life - The greatest possession

In Jesus we have eternal life and new birth!

As that snake was lifted up in the wilderness, and the people by faith believed and looked at it and were healed, so was the Son of Man, Jesus lifted up... so that those who by faith look to Him for new life.

Have you looked upon our wonderful Lord?