Sep. 26, 2024

Nicodemus came to Jesus by night. Nicodemus was a leader of the Jewish people. The natural man cannot understand the things of the spiritual man. (John 3, There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: ² The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him).

Jesus used nature to illustrate a spiritual truth--wind. (John 3, ⁸ The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit).

People cannot go to heaven in their sin. 

John 3, ¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up.

Numbers 21, ⁴ And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. ⁵ And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. ⁶ And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. ⁷ Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. ⁸ And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. ⁹ And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

Brass in the Bible speaks of judgment. We are saved by looking to Him in faith. 

They became discouraged and spoke against God and Moses. 

John 3, ¹⁵ That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. ¹⁶ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Jesus was made sin for us. His love is shown by giving His only begotten Son. 

Jesus did not come to condemn the world.  (John 3, ¹⁷ For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved).