The third chapter of John combines the story about Nicodemus and how John the Baptist handled Christ’s ministry overshadowing his own. Both deal with how the current Jewish establishment dealt the world around them

"There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Being a "ruler of the Jews" meant that Nicodemus was a member of the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin was Israel’s highest ecclesiastical court and yet he came at night to avoid being observed. His greeting acknowledged Jesus’ miracles and assumed He must be from God. Nicodemus is considered to be representative of the Sanhedrin who are so spiritually dead, they will not approach spiritual issues in the light of day. Jesus basically ignored his greeting and instead answered with what Nicodemus really needed to know. Nicodemus showed no understanding of anything in a spiritual sense. To him, Jesus’ words were nonsense.

"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." Nicodemus referred to a birth of the flesh. Jesus is talking about a birth of the Spirit. The spiritual state of the Sanhedrin was such that Jesus had to explain about the need for Spirit before one can see the Kingdom of God. A fleshly birth gives us some part of our parent’s nature. A spiritual birth gives us some part of God’s nature. Being born of water was not in reference to Baptism. Water was used emblematically to refer to Jesus. Jesus told the woman at the well, that she would never thirst again. That is because he gave her the living water of the "word" of God. The Spirit resembles the wind because it is irresponsible, irresistible, irregular, invisible, inscrutable, indispensible and invigorating. The person born again knows that he has a new life, and enjoys the evidences of it, but how the Holy Spirit operates upon the soul, subdues the will, creates new life within us, belongs to the deep things of God.

"Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up." Nicodemus acknowledged he did not understand how these things could be. Jesus asked how Nicodemus could not know these things if he was a master of Israel. That is why Jesus insisted that rebirth was an absolute necessity even for a member of the Sanhedrin. Nicodemus was an educated man and apparently one of exemplary moral character. Those attributes do not keep a person from being blind to the spiritual world. Even religious teachers can be blind and we should put no confidence in any man. The reason man does not know the things of God, is because he does not receive God’s witness. First we must receive the witness and then we can begin to understand. God will not reveal to us a higher truth until we have thoroughly apprehended the simpler ones first. "Earthly things" are evident and in measure comprehensible, but "heavenly things" are invisible and altogether beyond our grasp until Divinely revealed to us.

Jesus said no man hath ascended up to heaven except he that came down from heaven. What about Enoch and Elijah? Enoch "was translated that he should not see death." Elijah "went up by a whirlwind into heaven." Others had entered heaven, but no others had ascended up to heaven and penetrated the hidden counsels of God. That is impossible for fallen man.

Numbers 21:1-9 relates the story of the Israelites whining in the desert until God sent serpents among them to destroy those who were murmuring. When they repented of their sins and begged for mercy, God had Moses form a brass serpent on a staff. Those who looked on the brass serpent with faith were healed. A serpent was used to symbolize the cause of their suffering. Christ came as a man to show how to avoid human temptations. The Israelites were saved by looking with faith on the brass serpent. Mankind is saved by looking with faith upon the sacrifice Christ made for all of us. Brass is the emblem of divine judgment. It is stronger than iron, silver and gold. It is symbolic of the strength Christ displayed in his ministry.

We now return to John the Baptist. The point here is much the same as the discussion about Nicodemus. It shows the sad condition of spiritual life of the Jewish leaders. They were occupied with the externals of religion. They were envious of the results of Jesus’ ministry. And, they rejected the testimony of the Saviour.

"After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized. And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized. For John was not yet cast into prison. Then there arose a question between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purifying. Ant they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him." The first two verses in the fourth chapter of John explicitly state that Jesus did not baptize anyone, but his disciples did so in his name. Actions taken in Christ’s name are attributed to him. Note that Jesus’ disciples are baptizing in the same place that John continues to baptize unto repentance. John did not quit preparing people for Christ when Jesus came on the scene. He continued knowing that his part would diminish while Christ’s influence grew. The Jews attempt to find envy in John’s heart because those who once came to John are now going to Christ instead.

John could not be roused to jealousy over Christ’s success. He reminded the Jews that we receive nothing except it be given us from heaven. John knew the Jews must first receive the witness of God before they could begin to understand spiritual things. It is a reminder that we should not be impressed with our knowledge of things of this world. We know very little of what is available to be known. Even more overwhelming is the knowledge of the world to come which, like the spirit, remains irresponsible, irresistible, irregular, invisible, inscrutable, indispensible and invigorating.

John reminds them that he was sent before Christ. In verse 29, he calls himself the friend of the bridegroom. A friend of the bridegroom would not be jealous of the disciples who are beginning to form the church that would become the bride of Christ. Although it has not happened yet, John’s joy is fulfilled. John asks why men reject Christ’s testimony. In verse 33, he points out that those who do receive Christ’s testimony have certified and ratified that God is real. They make the new life their own and allow nothing to create a doubt about what he teaches. Even those things they cannot thoroughly understand and those things that seem unreasonable they accept without question.

John points out that Jesus was more than a messenger or witness for God. He describes Jesus as God the Son. God the Father gave all things into the hands of God the Son for his ministry in this world. This declares the absolute Deity of Christ. The Father could only give "all things" into the hands of someone equal to himself.