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Bible Book: John
Bible Book Code: 4300301301
Scene no: 2 of 5

Bible Reference & Cartoon Description

John 3:3-13 (ANIV)
3 In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no-one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” [1]
4 “How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!”
5 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no-one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit [2] gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You [3] must be born again.’
8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11 I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No-one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.” [4]

[1]
Or, born from above; also in John 3:7.

[2]
Or, but spirit.

[3]
The Greek is plural.

[4]
Some manuscripts, Man, who is of heaven.

DRAWING NOTES:

TIME OF DAY:
Verse 2 informs us this scene takes place at night.

LIGHTING NOTES:
Oil lamps hung from the ceiling and on the table and in a wall alcove provide the warm yellow light that illuminates this scene. Shadows are cast below the figures and objects by these light sources.

CHARACTERS PRESENT:
On the left is Jesus the Christ, on the right is the Pharisee Nicodemus.

RESEARCH/ADDITIONAL NOTES:
This picture illustrates the major part of Jesus’s interaction with Nicodemus, his Pharisee visitor at night. I have shown Jesus dropping a feather from his hand as a visual representation of his point regarding the Holy Spirit, who moves unseen, like the wind, in a believer’s life (see verse 8).

I decided to show Jesus sitting on a wooden stool, talking to a confused-looking Nicodemus, who is next to a table laden with oranges, flat breads, a ceramic wine bottle and goblets, etc.

Notice the little mouse poking out of a gap in the wooden skirting board!

Here’s the scene without the figures in the picture.

Background of John 03 – Jesus and Nicodemus – Scene 02 – Spirit wind

Click on the colour bar below to view/buy this Background:
Background of John 03 – Jesus and Nicodemus – Scene 02 – Spirit wind visit

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Bible Doctrine Notes
3:3-5 ORDINANCES, Baptism as New Life (5.21B4)
Jesus’s words “born of water and spirit” (see verse 5) have caused endless debate and confusion regarding the correct interpretation of these mysterious terms. The immediate context shows us the contrast between the physical birth (mentioned by Nicodemus) and the “new birth” (or birth from above) which Jesus said was essential in order to see the kingdom of God. Notice that 2 chapters earlier (John 1,26,33) there is a contrast between John’s water baptism (the physical) and Jesus’s own spirit baptism. It is possible that this is the “background” of Jesus’s phrase “born of water and spirit” but can not refer to Christian baptism at this particular point in Jesus’s ministry because it had yet been given or commanded.
Because Greek has no article (”the”) with Spirit, it would be ungrammatical to separate water from Spirit. Probably both water and wind (spirit) symbolize the powerful activity of the Holy Spirit in the new birth. The main point of Jesus phrase here is very clear: physical birth is insufficient; a person must be born again spiritually in order to enter the kingdom of heaven. The contrast is emphasised in verse 6.

3:5-6 HOLY SPIRIT, Regenerates (1.34C)
(see notes on Ezekiel 37:12-14). Jesus surprised Nicodemus by telling him that (even!) Jewish religious leaders such as the Pharisees must be born again in order to enter the kingdom of heaven. In verse 5-6 above Jesus describes the “new birth” as a work of the Spirit. Other similar ideas include a new age (Colossians 1:26), a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), a new covenant (1 Corinthians 11:25) a new creature (Galatians 5:16), a new man (Ephesians 4:24), and regeneration (Titus 3:5-6). As 2 Corinthians 5:17 points out, “In Christ all things are new”. The Spirit as the giver of life is specifically affirmed in John 6:63 and by the apostle Paul in Romans 8:2.

3:8 HOLY SPIRIT, Freedom (1.35C)
Jesus affirmed two concepts regarding the Holy Spirit here: freedom and mystery. The word “Spirit” in Greek is Pnéuma; the same Greek word refers to “wind”. The Holy Spirit moves about just as freely as the wind. No religious doctrine fully defines, or more importantly, confines Him. Nor does any religious group control Him. The Holy Spirit moves and travels as He sees fit. One of the many tasks of the Holy Spirit is to regenerate ungodly people, even the pious Pharisees! That reminder is still needed in the church today.
Like the unseen, natural wind, the movement of the Holy Spirit is mysterious. We can not see the physical wind, but there is evidence of it’s presence and movement, such as the rustling of leaves, or the movement of tree branches. Similarly we can not see the Holy Spirit or His movement and actions, however we can see the evidence of His actions, such as the changed lives of those who have been born again. Both the freedom and the mystery of the Holy Spirit suggest that He is divine, for only God is utterly free and profoundly mysterious.

3:10 EDUCATION, Scribes and Pharisees (5.72L)
Like countless Pharisees before him, Nicodemus was schooled in the Old Testament scriptures, and became a respected teacher of the Law. Even so, he didn’t comprehend Jesus’s reference to the vital need for new birth, even though the prophet Ezekiel had used similar language in the Old Testament (Ezekiel 36:26: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”). Nicodemus was living proof that a teacher may have a comprehensive knowledge of the Scriptures, yet be lacking in spiritual insight.

3:12-16,36 SALVATION, Belief (4.25C)
Nicodemus had trouble in believing that Jesus was who he claimed to be: the Son of Man; the long-awaited Messiah. Then, as now, whoever truly believes in Jesus as the Son of God has eternal life. Total commitment to Jesus is the one requirement for salvation.

3:13-15 Jesus Christ, Preexistent (1.27A)
(See note of Mark 10:45). Jesus’s home is heaven, not earth. No other human being can claim that. Jesus chose to obey God the Father, come to earth, and be lifted up on the cross for our sins, and to give us eternal life.