The following record is a continuation of the events which began in John 2:23 while Jesus was in Jerusalem in the Passover in the feast. Even though at that time many people believed into his name viewing-with-attention the signs that Jesus was doing, Jesus himself did not trust himself to them because he knew all-people and because he did not have a need in order that someone may witness concerning man, for he knew what was in man.
However, in this chapter we will read about one man who was genuinely wanting to know more information from Jesus, and in response Jesus trusted him with particular details regarding God's kingdom and that God by means of Jesus himself would make it available at a future time to receive holy spirit-life on a permanent basis.
John 3:1 and 2:
3:1But there was a man from the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Judeans; .2this (man) went towards him of night and said to him, "Rabbi, we knew2 that from God you came2 - a teacher, for not-one-person is able to do these signs which you do except God may be with him."
During that past time there was a man from among the Pharisees, and the name given to/for him was Nicodemus. He was a ruler over Judeans (a chief, he was in a dignified hierarchical or first-placed position relative to other Judeans).
Nicodemus was a member of the Sanhedrin, which was the supreme or ruling religious council of the Judean/Israeli nation located at that time in Jerusalem. It was composed of 70 members (including Pharisees and Sadducees), besides the chief/high priest(s), which were selected from former chief/high priests and the heads of the 24 courses of priests.
This man, Nicodemus, approached Jesus during the nighttime and said to him...
[Reference: John 1:38, 2:23, 7:50, 19:39; Acts 2:22, 10:38.]
Verses 3-12:
.3Jesus answered and said to him, "With-certainty, with-certainty I say to you, except someone may be born from-the-top he is not able to know the kingdom of God."
.4Nicodemus says towards him, "How is a man able to be born being old? He is not able to go into the womb of his mother and to be born a second-time, is he?" .5Jesus answered, "With-certainty, with-certainty I say to you, except someone may be born from water and spirit he is not able to go into the kingdom of God; .6the-thing having been born2 from the flesh is flesh, and the-thing having been born2 from the Spirit is spirit; .7you must not marvel that I said to you it is necessary (for) you to be born from-the-top; .8the Spirit blows where He intends, and you hear its sound but you did not know2 from-where it comes and where it goes - thus is every-person having been born2 from the Spirit."
.9Nicodemus answered and said to him, "How are these-things able to come-to-pass?" .10Jesus answered and said to him, "You are the teacher of Israel and you do not know these-things! .11With-certainty, with-certainty I say to you that that-which we knew2 we utter-forth and that-which we saw2 we witness, and you do not receive our witness; .12if I said the earthly-things to you and you do not believe - how if-ever I may say to you the heavenly-things will you believe?"
Jesus judicially replied to Nicodemus' statement recorded in verse 2 above because Nicodemus wanted to know the full extent of his mission, what he was in the process of accomplishing, his purpose, his objective. Jesus said to him...
The kingdom of God refers to God's spirit realm, which of course is holy and spiritual because God is Holy and He is Spirit - Holy Spirit. The kingdom of God includes all that is contained within God's sovereignty, His kingly or royal dominion and government and rule and territory and power, etc - it is the kingdom belonging to God.
At that time Jesus was living within the sphere of action of God's spirit realm with its ability and signs being evidenced among the people in the physical realm - because God had given spirit to Jesus (refer to John 1:32 and 33).
Nicodemus' next questions show that he wanted to know more details about what he would need to do so that he could definitely know (see, perceive) the kingdom of God.
His questions also show that he understood what Jesus said to mean that above all else someone must be born - the start or commencement of this process is to be born. Nicodemus had been born many years previously and he was now an old man, and he continued trying to understand what Jesus was talking about - which seemed to him to indicate that he must be born all over again - the commencement of his life for a second time. He says towards him (with a purposed reference to Jesus)...
Jesus did not give the expected answer, but instead he judicially replied to the questions by further explaining to Nicodemus about going into the kingdom of God and specifying 2 different kinds of birth with their associated kinds of life - he answered...
Jesus is referring to the future availability for a member of mankind (a human-being) to be able to receive holy spirit-life on a permanent basis from God (which occurred on the day of Pentecost recorded in Acts chapter 2).
Every person who will become born from God by receiving spirit life within him/her on a permanent basis will not be able to see it, but will be able to know (see, perceive) the evidence of the spirit in the physical realm. That person will know the truth that he/she is definitely alive in the spirit category, because of hearing the manifestation or evidence from the spirit within him/her. However, that person will not know all the details concerning the spirit but that it works very effectively, just as breathing does in the physical category which evidences soul/breath life.
[Note: verbs with a superscript 2 (2) immediately following them indicate the "perfect" tense - details are provided in the "Relevant Notes" link of this study.]
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