John 3:1-15 - Born from Above

1/25/2021

Background on Nicodemus: Pharisees and the Sanhedrin New types of political and religious leaders arose because of all these changes. By Jesus' day, Pharisees were one of the leading groups. Pharisees were scholars who tried hard to obey the laws in the Old Testament and a dizzying array of man-made laws which they added to the Old Testament. The Jews respected them and gave them great social, religious and political influence. Pharisees usually took great pride in their positions. Nicodemus, (in this passage), is also called a "Ruler of the Jews." That means he was also one of the elite 70 members of the Sanhedrin, the political / religious body that ruled Israel. The Sanhedrin ruled under the supervision of Herod, who reported directly to the Roman emperor. A Roman governor and legion were also stationed in the area.

What do we know about Nicodemus according to these verses?
What did it mean that he was a Pharisee?
Why did he come to see Jesus? Why did he come at night?
How did Nicodemus address Jesus? Was he correct or not?
If you were to walk up to Jesus today, how would you greet him?
How might you summarize Jesus' response in verse 3? Does it seem weird at first? What does the image of birth convey?
How did Nicodemus respond in verses 4 and 9? Did he understand what Jesus said?
What did Jesus mean by verse 5?
Have you ever had a friend or family member who began a new relationship with God? How would you describe the difference God made in their life?
One of the marks of being born again is that you have a new identity and a new sight. How have you seen this evidenced in your own life? Did your priorities change? Do you see the bible differently now? etc.
We see from Nicodemus’ life at the end of the gospel that he had an incredible boldness and humility. He was no longer ashamed of his association with Jesus and he did the job of a servant even though he was of the highest standing in society. In what way can your life be more bold for Jesus this week? How can you exercise greater humility this week?