{"id":14308,"date":"2011-01-30T17:40:45","date_gmt":"2011-01-30T22:40:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/?p=14308"},"modified":"2011-01-30T17:40:45","modified_gmt":"2011-01-30T22:40:45","slug":"nt-sunday-school-lesson-5-john-3-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/2011\/01\/nt-sunday-school-lesson-5-john-3-4\/","title":{"rendered":"NT Sunday School Lesson 5: John 3-4"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

\"Ms\"There is a tremendous amount of material in this lesson, more than I can deal with in a few pages. So I have shortened my study questions by focusing on John 3:1-10.<\/p>\n

Verse 1: The name \u201cNicodemus\u201d means \u201cconqueror,\u201d and it was a common name. We know little about Nicodemus. We know that he was a Pharisee because this verse tells that he was. We know that he was some kind of ruler, though we don\u2019t know what kind, because this verse tell us that he was. Many have speculated that Nicodemus was a member of the Sanhedrin, but we have little evidence for that speculation and we know little about the Sanhedrin. If he was a member of the Sanhedrin, then he was a member of the ruling body of Jerusalem, a Pharisee, and a teacher (scribe). He was the height of what most people would have taken to be a good Jew, and he probably would be one of those referred to in John 12:42. How these facts relevant to what we are taught by this story?<\/p>\n

Verse 2: Why might Nicodemus have come to Jesus by night? Is Jesus doing something during the day that might have made it easier for Nicodemus to come at night? Is Nicodemus doing something during the day that might have made it easier for him to come at night? Might he have been trying to protect himself? Might he have been trying to protect Jesus? Is there any symbolic significance to the fact that Nicodemus came to Jesus out of the night. (Think about other ways that John uses the night in his gospel.)<\/p>\n

Why does Nicodemus call Jesus \u201cRabbi\u201d? The word \u201crabbi\u201d is a transliteration of a Hebrew term meaning \u201cgreat.\u201d In Jesus\u2019 time it was used as a term of respect and it was primarily applied to the scribes\u2014those who taught from and interpreted the scriptures\u2014by their followers. Thus, \u201crabbi\u201d was a term of respect that one used for one\u2019s teacher. What is Nicodemus saying by calling Jesus a teacher? Why does Nicodemus us the plural, \u201cwe,\u201d rather than the singular, \u201cI\u201d?<\/p>\n

How does Nicodemus claim to know that Jesus has come from God? Do miracles prove that the person who works them has a divine origin? Is it relevant that, during the temptation in the desert, Jesus refused to work miracles as a proof of his divinity and power? Does Nicodemus\u2019s confession help us understand him any better than we might without it?<\/p>\n

What does Nicodemus mean when he says that Jesus has come from God? How does Jesus give him a different understanding of what it means to come from God?<\/p>\n

Verse 3: How do you explain the disconnect between Nicodemus\u2019s greeting in verse 2 and Jesus\u2019 response in this verse? Is he rebuking Nicodemus for misunderstanding Christ\u2019s mission, admiring Christ\u2019s miracles but not seeing that he himself must be born again? Or, is Jesus responding to an unuttered question in Nicodemus\u2019s heart?<\/p>\n

Why does Jesus begin what he says with \u201cverily, verily,\u201d or\u2014literally \u201camen, amen\u201d? The word \u201camen\u201d is used by both individuals and the community as a whole in the Old Testament, and it is used to confirm the acceptance of a task given to human beings by God (e.g., 1 Kings 1:36), to confirm the application of a divine curse (e.g., Numbers 5:22; Deuteronomy 27:15ff.; Jeremiah 11:5; and Neheniah 5:13), and to verify the praise of God (e.g., 1 Chronicles 16:36 and Nehemiah 8:6). Thus \u201camen\u201d means \u201cthat which is sure and valid\u201d (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament<\/em>, 1:335).<\/p>\n

The Greek word translated \u201cagain\u201d could have been translated \u201cfrom above.\u201d It is an ambiguous word. How does that ambiguity effect the conversation that follows? In other words, what if we read the word as \u201cfrom above\u201d rather than \u201cagain.\u201d Does it change the meaning of what Jesus says?<\/p>\n

The Greek word translated \u201csee\u201d could also be translated \u201cknow.\u201d As in Matthew 3:2, the word translated \u201ckingdom\u201d could also be translated \u201creign.\u201d So another way to understand what Jesus says is \u201cExcept a man be born again \/ from above, he cannot know the reign of God.\u201d Would understanding the sentence in that way change how you understand what Jesus says? If so what would it mean? What could \u201cknow the reign of God\u201d mean? How do we know it? Must we wait for death or the Second Coming? What are the types and shadows on this earth of that reign? What does Jesus tell us must happen for us to know the reign of God?<\/p>\n

Nicodemus has seen Christ\u2019s miracles (verse 2), but he has\u00a0not<\/em> seen the Kingdom of God (verse 3). What does that teach us.<\/p>\n

Verse 4: How does Nicodemus misunderstand what Jesus has said to him? Does the ambiguity of \u201cborn again\u201d in verse 3 help explain Nicodemus\u2019s response? What does the sheer grotesqueness of Nicodemus\u2019s interpretation of Jesus\u2019 remark tell us about Nicodemus?<\/p>\n

Did Nicodemus believe that his first birth had conveyed spiritual advantages on him? What have the Pharisees said to John the Baptist about their birth? (Compare Matthew 3:7, Luke 3:8, and the JST version of Luke 3:8.) Might that explain Nicodemus\u2019s misunderstanding? If Nicodemus does believe that his first birth gave him a spiritual advantage over others, why would Jesus\u2019 teaching have been shocking?<\/p>\n

Verse 5: Are the differences between what Jesus says here and what he said in verse 3 important? Does he say something new here?<\/p>\n

We understand \u201cborn of the water\u201d to refer to baptism. To what else might it refer? How would we decide between these possible meanings? Does the fact that what the King James version translates \u201cagain\u201d in verse 3 could also have been translated \u201cfrom above\u201d help us decide? Do we need to decide between them? How is the teaching of this verse connected to John the Baptist\u2019s teaching (Matthew 3:11, Mark 1:8, and Luke 3:16)?<\/p>\n

The word \u201cborn\u201d can also be translated \u201cbegotten\u201d: \u201cExcept a man be begotten of water and of the Spirit.\u201d What does it mean to be begotten of the water? of the Spirit? Does Psalms 2:7 shed any light on what Jesus is saying to Nicodemus?<\/p>\n

\u201cHe cannot enter\u201d translates a Greek phrase that means \u201che has no power to enter.\u201d By what power do we enter the kingdom of God?<\/p>\n

What does it mean to \u201center the kingdom of God\u201d? Is there more than one meaning? If you can think of more than one possible meaning, consider each meaning and ask yourself when, according to each meaning, one enters the kingdom or reign of God.<\/p>\n

Verse 6: How do you relate John 1:14 to what Jesus says here? What about John 6:63? Does Genesis 2:7 have anything to do with what Jesus is teaching here? 2 Corinthians 4:18? (See also Job 10:9-12 and 33:4.)<\/p>\n

Verses 7-8: Why does Jesus use the plural of \u201cyou\u201d rather than its singular in verse 7: \u201cYe (plural) must be born again\u201d? (We don\u2019t distinguish the two, but King James English and Greek do.) Why does he switch back to the singular \u201cyou\u201d in verse 8? How are the ideas of these two verses connected? We can understand the phrase \u201cbe born again\u201d to mean \u201cget a new lineage or genealogy.\u201d What is the genealogy of one born of the Spirit?<\/p>\n

In both Aramaic (the everyday language of Palestine during Jesus\u2019 time) and Greek (the language in which the gospel of John was written), the word translated \u201cSpirit\u201d can also be translated \u201cbreath\u201d or \u201cwind.\u201d It can refer to the breath of God, given to Adam (Genesis 2:7). What does it mean to say that the wind \/ Spirit \/ breath goes where it desires or wills? How does the desire of the Spirit differ from the desire of the flesh? How is the nature of the Spirit\u2019s desire relevant to the rebirth that Jesus says must occur?<\/p>\n

What is Jesus teaching Nicodemus? How does that teaching compare to what Nicodemus, as a Pharisee, believed? How does that teaching apply to us? Compare what Jesus says in verse 8 with Ecclesiastes 11:5.<\/p>\n

Verses 9-10: When Nicodemus says \u201cHow can these things be?\u201d he is asking \u201cHow can this happen?\u201d or \u201cHow are these things possible?\u201d What does he find astonishing?<\/p>\n

The word translated \u201cmaster\u201d might be better translated \u201cteacher.\u201d It is a form of the same word translated \u201cdisciple.\u201d The relation between the two words in Greek is comparable to \u201cteacher\u201d and \u201cteachee\u201d in English. Nicodemus has addressed Jesus as a teacher, taking the part of a disciple. Is Jesus doing the same thing here? If not, why does he point out that Nicodemus is a teacher? If he is, why and what does he mean? Where does Jesus suppose that Nicodemus would have learned the things that Jesus is teaching? Does Jesus believe that the teachings he has just rehearsed to Nicodemus are hidden or new? What criticism is Jesus making of Nicodemus by calling him a teacher and asking the question of verse 10? To what does \u201cthese things\u201d refer?<\/p>\n

The idea that the metaphor of birth describes conversion seems to have been part of Jewish thinking at the time of Jesus, as these two sayings from first- or second-century Judaism show:<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen someone brings a man under the wings of the Shekinah [i.e., converts him to Judaism], it is counted as though he had created and fashioned and formed him\u201d (from\u00a0Midrash on the Song of Solomon<\/em>)<\/p>\n

and<\/p>\n

\u201cA proselyte just converted is like a child just born\u201d (from the Babylonian Talmud).<\/p>\n

(See\u00a0Theological Dictionary of the New Testament<\/em> 1:666.)<\/p>\n

Nicodemus would surely have known that. So what would he have found surprising in Jesus\u2019 teaching? Is it the same thing that the Pharisees who went to John the Baptist found surprising (Matthew 3:7, Luke 3:8, Luke 3:8)?<\/p>\n

We can infer from verse 2 that Nicodemus marveled at\u2014was astonished at\u2014the miracles that Jesus performed (cf. Matthew 8:27; 9:8, 33; 15:31; 21:20; Mark 2:12; Luke 5:26, 9:43), but Jesus said nothing about that. Here, however, he tells Nicodemus not to marvel: don\u2019t marvel at the teaching that you must be born again. Why shouldn\u2019t he be astonished at that teaching? Does the story of the tempation of Christ (Matthew 4) perhaps help explain why Jesus has nothing to say about Nicodemus\u2019s astonishment at the miracles but responds to his astonishment at the teaching about spiritual rebirth?<\/p>\n

To comment on this post, go to Feast upon the Word<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There is a tremendous amount of material in this lesson, more than I can deal with in a few pages. So I have shortened my study questions by focusing on John 3:1-10. Verse 1: The name \u201cNicodemus\u201d means \u201cconqueror,\u201d and it was a common name. We know little about Nicodemus. We know that he was a Pharisee because this verse tells that he was. We know that he was some kind of ruler, though we don\u2019t know what kind, because this verse tell us that he was. Many have speculated that Nicodemus was a member of the Sanhedrin, but we have little evidence for that speculation and we know little about the Sanhedrin. If he was a member of the Sanhedrin, then he was a member of the ruling body of Jerusalem, a Pharisee, and a teacher (scribe). He was the height of what most people would have taken to be a good Jew, and he probably would be one of those referred to in John 12:42. How these facts relevant to what we are taught by this story? Verse 2: Why might Nicodemus have come to Jesus by night? Is Jesus doing something during the day that might have […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":14310,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,1671],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14308","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-corn","category-sunday-school-lesson-new-testament"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/Ms3.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14308","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14308"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14308\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14311,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14308\/revisions\/14311"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14310"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14308"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14308"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14308"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}