1) Jesus cleanses the temple in Jerusalem, driving out money changers and animal sellers. This angers the Jewish leaders who demand a sign from Jesus. 2) Jesus then has a conversation with Nicodemus, a Pharisee leader, telling him that one must be "born again" or "born of water and the Spirit" to see the kingdom of God. When Nicodemus does not understand, Jesus scolds him for not knowing this as a teacher of Israel. 3) Jesus explains that just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up so that all who believe in him may have eternal life. God sent his Son not

1. Visit to Capernaum
Matthew (no reference made)
Mark (no reference made)
Luke (no reference made)
John 2:12
John
2:12 After this he went down to Capernaum 16 miles from Cana
,he, and his
mother, and his brethren, and his disciples:and they continued there not
many days.
Jesus goesto Jerusalem
(Matthew, Mark and Luke do not refer to this
event)
John
2:13 And the Jews' passoverwas at hand, and
Jesus went up to Jerusalem, 85 miles
This is the first of four Passovers mentioned in
John (2:23, 5:1, 6:4, 13:1)
Temple Cleansed(first time)
(Matthew, Mark and Luke do not refer to this
event)

2. John 2:13-25
2:13 And the Jews' passoverwas at hand, and Jesus went up to
Jerusalem,
2:14 And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves,
and the changers of money sitting:
2:15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords,he drove them all
out of the temple,and the sheep,and the oxen; and poured out the
changers' money, and overthrew the tables;
2:16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make
not my Father's house an house of merchandise.
2:17 And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine
house hath eaten me up.
2:18 Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign showest thou
unto us, seeing that thou doestthese things?
2:19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroythis temple,and in three
days I will raise it up.
2:20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building,
and wilt thou rear it up in three days?
2:21 But he spake of the temple of his body.
2:22 When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered
that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the
word which Jesus had said.
2:23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover,in the feast [day],
many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.
2:24 But Jesus did not commithimself unto them, because he knew all
[men],
2:25 And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was
in man.
Two cleansingof the temple:
John’s cleansingis at the beginningof Christ’s ministry; Matthew’s account
deals with a cleansingthat takes place at the end of His ministry.
John 2
16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not
my Father's house an house of merchandise.

3. Matt 21
13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be calledthe house of
prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
John 14
9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast
thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and
how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? 10 Believestthou not that I am
in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I
speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the
works.
This cleansingof the temple made Jesus a hero in the eyes of the multitude.
(John2:23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast [day], many
believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.)
2:24 But Jesus did not commithimself unto them, because he knew
all men,
John 6:15 When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by
force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.
Matt 10:16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore
wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
Matt 10:17 But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will
scourge you in their synagogues;
Jesus taking control of the temple was child’s play compared to the
task for which he came; to die and rise from the dead:
2:19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroythis temple,and in three
days I will raise it up.
2:20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building,
and wilt thou rear it up in three days?
2:21 But he spake of the temple of his body.
2:22 When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered

4. that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the
word which Jesus had said.
Nicodemus
(Matthew, Mark and Luke do not refer to this event)
John 3:1-21
3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees,named Nicodemus,a ruler of the
Jews:
3:2 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,exceptGod be with him.
3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
Excepta man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
3:4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old?
can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of
water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
3:6 That which is born of the fleshis flesh; and that which is born of the
Spirit is spirit.
3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
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.
3:9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
3:10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and
knowest not these things?
3:11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify
that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
3:12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye
believe, if I tell you [of] heavenly things?
3:13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down
from heaven, [even] the Son of man which is in heaven.
3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpentin the wilderness, even so must
the Son of man be lifted up:
3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal
life.

5. 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begottenSon, that
whosoever believethin him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemnthe world; but that
the world through him might be saved.
3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned:but he that believeth not is
condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only
begottenSon of God.
3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and
men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
3:20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither comethto the
light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
3:21 But he that doeth truth comethto the light, that his deeds may be
made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
This man was a ruler of the Jews (but not The Ruler). This is of the same
quality as Paul (Phil 3) He is a master or doctor (Luke 5:17) of the law (Acts
5:34, 22:3). Here we have an encounter with the highest religious class. All
his education and effort still netted the same response from Christas all
men today must face… “ye must be born again”(vs 3,5)
Rom 3
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being
justifiedfreely by his grace through the redemption that is in ChristJesus:
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his
blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past,
through the forbearance of God; 26 To declare, I say, at this time his
righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which
believeth in Jesus.
Ps 39
5 Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; andmine age is as
nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity.
Selah.

6. Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night to hide from his peers. A choice must
be made when you face the one who is the light in whom is no variableness
of darkness. Nicodemus later tries to put in a good word for Christ(John
7:46-51). Those who love darkness rather than light have no abilityto
‘reason’.
Isa 1
16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from
before mine eyes; cease to do evil; 17 Learn to do well; seek judgment,
relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. 18 Come
now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as
scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson,
they shall be as wool. 19 If ye be willingandobedient, ye shall eat the
good of the land:
God’s word is the only thing that can bring clarityto the human mind. (Acts
17:2; Acts 18:4; Acts 24:25)
Jesus is never kind and soft spoken with a man in ignorance. If a man has
had opportunity to have knowledge and not taken it he is as guilty as if he
understood and rejectedit. (Mat 15:13-14; 23:33; John 8:44; 9:41)
Matt 15:13-14 13 But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father
hath not planted, shall be rooted up. 14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the
blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
Matt 23:33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of
hell?
John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was
a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in
him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
John 9:41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say,
We see; therefore your sin remaineth.
“Water” (vs.5)

7. Your first birth is a water birth. All animal life on this earth began in water
(Gen. 1:20) And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving
creature that hath life…
A man’s wife giving him offspring is from a “fountain”
(Pr. 5:16-18)
16 Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.
17 Let them be only thine own, and not strangers'with thee. 18 Let thy
fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.
Your genealogyinvolves “rivers”
(Isa. 48:1)
1 Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel,
and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the name
of the LORD, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor
in righteousness.
Water never a reference to baptism in the Pauline epistles (Rom 6:3; 1Cor
12:13; Gal 3:27; Col 2:12)
The Purewater= Word of God givingsalvation and regeneration:
John 4:14; Isa 12:3; John 7:37-39; John 15:3; Eph 5:26; Jas 1:18; 1Pet
1:23
John 3
3 Jesus answeredand said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a
man be born again, he cannot see the kingdomof God.
Rom 14
17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and
peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Luke 17
20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of
God should come, he answeredthem and said, The kingdom of God

8. cometh not with observation: 21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo
there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
John 3:3 Jesus answeredand said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdomof God.
John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be
born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
In this age you enter something you cannotsee (Eph. 2:5-6). But in the
Millennium, when you return (Rev. 19:14, 21:6-7) you will SEE it, because
both kingdoms are present when Christis on the earth.
Nicodemus is taken back to school:
John 3
9 Nicodemus answeredand said unto him, How can these things be? 10
Jesus answeredand said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and
knowest not these things?
What he should have known from the law and then recognizedwhen
Jesus talked about the second birth was recordedby David.
Ps 22
30 A seed shall serve him; it shall be accountedto the Lord for a
generation.
What is the context of David’s revelation?
Ps 22
1 To My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far
from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
Ps 22
16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed
me: they piercedmy hands and my feet.

9. Ps 22
18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.
John 3
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the
Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not
perish, but have eternal life.
John 3
11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify
that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
Five witness: MosesNum 21:8
, David Ps22
, John the Baptist John 1:29
, God the
Father, Jesus.
John 5
36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the
Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of
me, that the Father hath sent me. 37 And the Father himself, which hath
sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any
time, nor seen his shape. 38 And ye have not his word abidingin you: for
whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.
John 3
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him shouldnot perish, but have everlastinglife.
1Pet 3
18 For Christ also hath once sufferedfor sins, the just for the unjust, that he
might bringus to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickenedby
the Spirit:
If life can be “everlasting” so can Hell.

10. John 3
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is
condemnedalready, because he hath not believed in the name of the only
begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come
into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their
deeds were evil.
After speakingto Nicodemus, Jesus continuedto minister and gather a
multitude of followers in Judea while John the Baptist ministeredin Aenon.
There was some confusion among the people over the simultaneous
ministries of John and Jesus; but John understoodthe relationshipperfectly.
He must increase, but I must decrease”.
John 3
22 After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea;
and there he tarriedwith them, and baptized. 23 And John also was
baptizingin Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and
they came, and were baptized. 24 For John was not yet cast into prison. 25
Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews
about purifying. 26 And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he
that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold,
the same baptizeth, and all men come to him. 27 John answeredand said,
A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. 28 Ye
yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am
sent before him. 29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend
of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly
because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. 30 He
must increase, but I must decrease.