John 3:1-21

Link to text: John 3:1-21

Crushed Ice
1. What interesting stories have you heard about your birth?

Discussion
1. To see all the Nicodemus sightings, check out John 19:39-40, then work backwards, to 7:50-52, then to John 3. For each passage, what relationship does it seem Nicodemus has in relation to Jesus?
2. Why did Nicodemus come at night? (v 2, v 19-20)
3. What is your understanding of “kingdom of God”? (v 3)
4. Compare/contrast citizenship in a world’s kingdom versus the kingdom of God.
5. What is the significance, if any, of the difference in v 1:12-13 (“..born of God”) and 3:5 (“…born of water and the Spirit”)
6. What does it mean that “spirit gives birth to spirit” (v 6)?
7. What does Jesus have to do with Moses’ snake? (v 14, Numbers 21:5-9) What are the parallels in the Old Testament scene in the dessert and what Jesus is talking about here?
8. What point is Jesus making in comparing spiritual birth to the wind? (ie. What is wind like?)
9. How does Jesus account for Nicodemus’ lack of understanding?
10. Compare/contrast a newborn baby to a newborn Christian.
11. What does Jesus claim about himself in v 13-15?
12. From v 16-18, what stands out to you about God? About what he wants to do? About how a person is condemned? How will belief show itself (v 15-21)?
13. How is Jesus’ use of the words “born again” similar to and different from the way it is used today?
14. How would you define “born again” in your own words?
15. What is “eternal life”? (v 16)
16. Why did God send Jesus into the world? (v 17)
17. What does “believe in him” mean? (v 16, 17)
18. Before talking to Jesus, what was Nicodemus’ likely understanding of who would see the kingdom of God? Who does Jesus say has the opportunity to see the kingdom of God?
19. What are the practical truths in v 19-21? Ie. Are there real world examples of this?
20. Given the other two passages about Nicodemus later in the New Testament, what practical insights do you gather regarding evangelism?
21. If there are other ways to see the kingdom of God, then is Jesus lying?

Bottom Line Point(s):
1. God loved. God gave. We believe. We receive.
2. Faith is a journey.

How can you apply what you’ve learned here?
1. Live in the light – above reproach.
2. Don’t rush pre-Christians.
3. Believe in Jesus and you will be born again, and will see the kingdom of God.

Bibliography
1. Barton & others, "Life Application Bible Commentary: John"
2. MacArthur, "John – Jesus, the Word, the Messiah, the Son of God"
3. "Serendipity Study Bible for Groups"
4. “Life Application Study Bible, NIV”
5. Mears, “What the Bible is All About – Bible Handbook”
6. Bible Study Fellowship International, “The Gospel of John”
7. Grudem, “Systematic Theology”