Answer to a Question People Seldom Ask
*John 3:9-15*

9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

The Problem
• Nicodemus, the teacher of Israel, didn’t understand the basic lesson.
• He was a Pharisee, a scholar, a member of the ruling council
• He came to Jesus to find the source of power of Jesus’ miracles - “signs that you do” (only 1 recorded so far)
Jn 20:31 “many other signs not written, but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name
• Jesus read Nicodemus’ heart and spoke to the very core of his problem.
o To him, pleasing God meant trying to be a better Pharisee.
• Then Jesus proceeded to answer a question that Nicodemus didn’t ask.

The Question Nicodemus should have asked
• What does God require, what are His terms to gain entrance to His Kingdom?
• There was a communication challenge - he struggled to understand.
• More than that, it was unbelief

The Need for an answer from Heaven
• Only Jesus had His primary residence in heaven prior to His incarnation and, therefore, only He has the true knowledge regarding heavenly wisdom.

The Provision from Heaven
• 3:14 the Son of Man lifted up (Num. 21:5–9)
• Key word in these verses is “believe” - used 7 times.
• The new birth must be appropriated by an act of faith.,

The Sequel - Did Nicodemus ever get it?
• Jn 7:50; Jn 19:38-40