John 3:7b-15
Chapter 3
The wind blows wherever it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. It is like that with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Nicodemus asked again:
“How can this be?”
Jesus answered:
“You are a teacher in Israel, and you don’t know these things!
Truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen, but you do not accept our testimony.
If you don’t believe when I talk about earthly things, how will you believe when I talk about heavenly things?
No one has ever gone up to heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.
Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
Commentaries
Jesus and Nicodemus.
Nicodemus trusts Jesus only because of the signs he has seen; he has no faith, only opinions (2). He symbolizes shameful Christians: believers who hide their faith out of fear of losing their comfort and even their own lives.
The Mystery of New Birth (3-9). Jesus explains that being born again is essential to see the kingdom of God. It’s not just a simple change but a new beginning—trusting in him signifies this new birth. It is the Spirit who acts as the agent of this new birth or the birth of faith through his life-giving power.
Revelation of the Redemptive Mystery (10-21). Jesus can speak of these mysteries because He knows them. No one has ascended into heaven; only Jesus, who was in the bosom of the Father, knows those realities and “has descended” to reveal them. Verse 16 is the peak of the entire dialogue, a supreme expression. The Father’s love has set the whole history of salvation in motion. In the light of Jesus Christ, humanity is divided: some prefer darkness, and this existential choice leads to judgment; others accept the truth of Jesus Christ and, as a result, come into communion with Him and receive salvation.