Jesus uses the imagery of the exodus from Egypt to move the unique privilege of being the children of God from Israel to those who believe in His name.

2. John 2:23-25
Now when He was in Jerusalem at the
Passover Feast, many believed in his name
when they saw the signs that He was doing.
But Jesus on His part did not entrust
Himself to them, because He knew all
people and needed no one to bear witness
about man, for He himself knew what was
in man.
www.networkbible.org
ESV, 2016

3. John 3:1-3
Now there was a man of the Pharisees
named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
This man came to Jesus by night and said to
Him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a
teacher come from God, for no one can do
these signs that You do unless God is with
Him.” Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I
say to you, unless one is born again he
cannot see the kingdom of God.”
www.networkbible.org
ESV, 2016

4. John 3:4-6
Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be
born when he is old? Can he enter a second
time into his mother's womb and be born?”
Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you,
unless one is born of water and the Spirit,
he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That
which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that
which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”
www.networkbible.org
ESV, 2016

5. John 3:7-10
“Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must
be born again.’ The wind blows where it
wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do
not know where it comes from or where it
goes. So it is with everyone who is born of
the Spirit.” Nicodemus said to him, “How
can these things be?” Jesus answered him,
“Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you
do not understand these things?”
www.networkbible.org
ESV, 2016

6. John 3:11-13
“Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what
we know, and bear witness to what we
have seen, but you do not receive our
testimony. If I have told you earthly things
and you do not believe, how can you
believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one
has ascended into heaven except He who
descended from heaven, the Son of Man.”
www.networkbible.org
ESV, 2016

7. John 3:14-15
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the
wilderness, so must the Son of Man be
lifted up, that whoever believes in Him may
have eternal life.”
www.networkbible.org
ESV, 2016

11. “We know from John 3:10 that whatever
being born of water was, it should have
been familiar to Nicodemus from the Old
Testament. Some have thought “born of
water” means to be baptized. Some…to
our physical birth. Some…by the Word of
God. Some…by the Holy Spirit [as] living
water. Some…to receive the water of
cleansing prophesied in Ezekiel 36:25-28
as part of the New Covenant.”
͞ Pastor David Guzik
www.enduringword.com

12. Jesus expected Nicodemus to
UNDERSTAND what “being born
of water” meant & Nicodemus
did not ARGUE that.

13. Jesus expected Nicodemus to
UNDERSTAND what “being born
of water” meant & Nicodemus
did not ARGUE that.
There are at least 90 verses across 20
books, including 3 New Testament books
about YHWH bringing Israel out of Egypt.

14. Jesus expected Nicodemus to
UNDERSTAND what “being born
of water” meant & Nicodemus
did not ARGUE that.
There are at least 90 verses across 20
books, including 3 New Testament books
about YHWH bringing Israel out of Egypt.
All of the first PASSOVER, including the
RELEASE of the Israelites, happened at NIGHT.

15. “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you
will see the LORD’s salvation, which He
will accomplish for you today…”
͞ Exodus 14:13 [BSB]

16. “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you
will see the LORD’s salvation, which He
will accomplish for you today…”
͞ Exodus 14:13 [BSB]
Then tell Pharaoh that this is what the
LORD says: ‘Israel is My firstborn son…’
͞ Exodus 4:22 [BSB]

17. “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you
will see the LORD’s salvation, which He
will accomplish for you today…”
͞ Exodus 14:13 [BSB]
Then tell Pharaoh that this is what the
LORD says: ‘Israel is My firstborn son…’
͞ Exodus 4:22 [BSB]
When Israel was a child, I loved him, and
out of Egypt I called My son.
͞ Hosea 11:1 [BSB]

18. Among the NATIONS, Israel was
YHWH’s FIRSTBORN SON.
Exodus 4:22 & Hosea 11:1

19. Now the LORD said to Moses and Aaron
in the land of Egypt, “This month is the
beginning of months for you; it shall be
the first month of your year.”
͞ Exodus 12:1 [BSB]

20. I do not want you to be unaware,
brothers, that our forefathers were all
under the cloud, and that they all passed
through the sea. They were all baptized
into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.
Now the LORD said to Moses and Aaron
in the land of Egypt, “This month is the
beginning of months for you; it shall be
the first month of your year.”
͞ Exodus 12:1 [BSB]
͞ 1 Corinthians 10:1-2 [BSB]

21. Among the NATIONS, Israel was
YHWH’s FIRSTBORN SON.
In 1 COR 10:1-2, Paul states that Moses is now
IMPRINTED & INTERTWINED on Israel including
all that would follow the Red Sea “BIRTHING”.
Exodus 4:22 & Hosea 11:1

22. We shouldn’t be surprised by…the birth theme
just as Israel is about to leave Egypt, the
womb in which it has been growing. After the
contractions of the plagues, the Passover is the
start of labor. In the Red Sea the waters of the
womb are broken and Israel, God’s firstborn
son, passes through a narrow passage into the
light of a new day... The Red Sea crossing is
thus a birth event in which a new people are
created. And in a twist of poetic justice,
Pharaoh, who had once sought to drown the
Hebrew boys, leads the young men of Egypt
into a watery grave.
͞ Alastair Roberts
www.thegospelcoalition.org

23. And the angel of God, who had gone before
the camp of Israel, withdrew and went behind
them. The pillar of cloud also moved from
before them and stood behind them, so that it
came between the camps of Egypt and Israel.
The cloud was there in the darkness, but it lit
up the night. So all night long neither camp
went near the other. Then Moses stretched out
his hand over the sea, and all that night the
LORD drove back the sea with a strong east
wind that turned it into dry land. So the waters
were divided, and the Israelites went through
the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on
their right and on their left.
͞ Exodus 14:19-22 [BSB]

24. Among the NATIONS, Israel was
YHWH’s FIRSTBORN SON.
In 1 COR 10:1-2, Paul states that Moses is now
IMPRINTED & INTERTWINED on Israel including
all that would follow the Red Sea “BIRTHING”.
Gazing upon the Bronze Serpent was an act of
FAITH given to a FAITHLESS people that allowed
them to ENTER the Promised Land.
Exodus 4:22 & Hosea 11:1

25. “While commentators frequently link this
reference to night to the Johannine theme of
darkness (“skotia”), the use of “nux” (night)
makes this link somewhat tenuous. However,
“nux” has significance within the exodus
account where the plague of the firstborn was
unleashed at midnight (Exodus 11:4). In the
Septuagint, “nux” is found eight times in
Exodus 11 and 12, including once in each of
the climactic verses narrating the death of the
firstborn and the departure [exodus] from
Egypt (Exodus 12:29-31) & twice in 12:42 which
speaks of the Passover festival [at night].”
͞ Timothy Foster

26. Nicodemus’ night time visit
is intended to PARALLEL the
timing of the EVENTS that
began the EXODUS.

27. Nicodemus’ night time visit
is intended to PARALLEL the
timing of the EVENTS that
began the EXODUS.
When Nicodemus says “How can these
things be?” it is likely his last resistance
to the TRUTH - and not of REJECTION
- of what Jesus is TELLING him.

28. “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the
wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted
up, that everyone who believes in Him may
have eternal life.”
͞ John 3:14-15 [BSB]

29. “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the
wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted
up, that everyone who believes in Him may
have eternal life.”
͞ John 3:14-15 [BSB]
“Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the
kingdom of God unless he is born of water and
the Spirit.”
͞ John 3:5 [BSB]

30. “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the
wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted
up, that everyone who believes in Him may
have eternal life.”
͞ John 3:14-15 [BSB]
“Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the
kingdom of God unless he is born of water and
the Spirit.”
͞ John 3:5 [BSB]
“Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher who
has come from God. For no one could perform
the signs You are doing if God were not with
him.”
͞ John 3:2b [BSB]

31. The LORD your God will raise up for you
a prophet like me from among your
brothers. You must listen to him. This is
what you asked of the LORD your God at
Horeb on the day of the assembly…Then
the LORD said to me, “They have spoken
well. I will raise up for them a prophet
like you from among their brothers. I will
put My words in his mouth, and he will
tell them everything I command him.
͞ Deuteronomy 18:15-18 [BSB]

32. Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one
can see the kingdom of God unless he is born
again.” “How can a man be born when he is
old?” Nicodemus asked. “Can he enter his
mother’s womb a second time to be born?”
Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one
can enter the kingdom of God unless he is
born of water and the Spirit.”
͞ John 3:3-5 [BSB]

33. But to all who did receive Him
[Jesus], to those who believed in His
name, He gave the right to become
children of God—children born not of
blood, nor of the desire or will of
man, but born of God.
͞ John 1:12-13 [BSB]

34. “To interpret ‘born of water’ as
baptism is nonsensical, because of
verse 10. … It is little short of
ridiculous to imagine Jesus
reprimanding Nicodemus … for his
failure to understand the necessity
of a rite yet to be instituted.”
͞ Linda Belleville

35. “Jesus' demand that Nicodemus must be born
again does not concern personal regeneration,
rather it points to a shift in the locus of salvation
from Israel to the Messiah in the coming age. The
numerous references…to the exodus suggest that
“born of water” alludes to the birth of Israel at the
exodus. Jesus' demand to be born of water and
spirit (v. 5) points to the inadequacy, in the
coming age, of belonging to national Israel and
the ensuing need for those born into Israel to now
be born of spirit, or for Jews like Nicodemus to be
“born again” (v. 3). This approach resolves several
difficulties and the passage better fits the wider
context.”
͞ Timothy Foster

36. For God so loved the world that He
gave His only begotten Son, that
whomsoever believeth in Him shall
not perish, but have everlasting life.
͞ John 3:16 [KJV]

37. “Israel has enjoyed the unique
privilege of being children of God,
but this privilege now belongs not to
Israel but to those who believe in
Jesus' name.”
͞ Timothy Foster

38. Nicodemus’ night time visit
is intended to PARALLEL the
timing of the EVENTS that
began the EXODUS.
When Nicodemus says “How can these
things be?” it is likely his last resistance
to the TRUTH - and not of REJECTION
- of what Jesus is TELLING him.
Jesus uses the imagery of the exodus from
Egypt to move the UNIQUE PRIVILEGE of
being the children of God from ISRAEL to
those who BELIEVE in HIS NAME.

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