Nick at Nite

This is the outline of the lesson I taught on 2013-09-22 on John 3. Sorry for the cute title. I don’t know what came over me …

Preliminary: Signs

• ASK What are signs for? (to point to something else)
• ASK Is there such a thing as a sign for the sake of a sign?
• In chapter 2, in the water-to-wine miracle, John referred to the miracle as “the first his signs.”
• John tells us in chapter 20 that Jesus did a lot of miracles. John just picked out a few to tell us about.
• John calls the ones he picked out “signs”.
• With water into wine, the point seems to me to be that the new is better than the old.

The scripture

• READ 3:1–4
• READ 3:5–8
• READ 3:9–12
• READ 3:13–15
• SAY TOGETHER 3:16
• READ 3:17–19
• READ 3:20–21

Born

• Nicodemus recognized that the signs Jesus did could only come from God.
• John has only told us about 1 sign so far, so Jesus is doing more.
• “Born again” vs. “born from above”: Original language can mean either. Nicodemus takes it one way, but Jesus apparently meant it the other way.
• ASK What does Nicodemus think he means by “born”?
• ASK What about born? What is Jesus getting at?
• ASK What does the wind have to do with it? What’s with “blows where it wishes”? (“wind” and “spirit” are the same in Greek)

Incredulity

• Obviously, Nicodemus doesn’t get it.
• ASK Why does Jesus seem to expect Nicodemus to get it?
• READ Ezekiel 37:1–10 (This seems to cover both “born” and “wind”)

Why did it have to be snakes?

• ASK What’s with the bit about snakes in v. 14? (Numbers 21)
  • The people grumble.
  • God sends fiery snakes.
  • God commands Moses to make a bronze snake.
  • Everyone who looks to the snake lives.
• That is the context for 3:15–16
  • Jesus will be lifted up on the cross.
  • Everyone who looks to him is saved.
• ASK In v. 17, why didn’t God have to condemn the world? (v. 18: it’s condemned already).
• ASK Why is the world condemned already? (Hasn’t believed.)
• ASK Why hasn’t it believed? (Loves darkness/evil)