If you recall, Nicodemus, a prominent Pharisee and religious leader, had some questions for Jesus. Realizing that Jesus had surely come from God, Nicodemus wanted to know if there was more to this Rabbi than just being a great teacher and worker of miracles (Jn. 3:1-2). Jesus, knowing his sincerity, wanted to get right to the heart of the issue, and said to Nicodemus, 

“Truly, truly, I say unto you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (Jn. 3:3).

And, as we saw last week, Jesus had to explain to Nicodemus what this meant, and so He said,  

“Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (Jn. 3:5).

Jesus was telling Nicodemus that while everyone is born physically, it’s ones spiritual birth that makes all the difference. In fact, without being “born again” spiritually, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 

But Jesus had more to say to Nicodemus, and so He provided two important “history lessons” for him, both from the Old Testament, which Nicodemus was very familiar with. The first lesson was for Nicodemus to look back toward the end of Moses’ life, as God made a promise to him about the people entering the Promised Land. However, this promise was what we call, a “conditional promise,” that is, a promise with conditions attached. The conditional promise had to do with “prosperity” upon entering the Land, but only if,  

“…you obey the LORD your God to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this book of the Law, if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and soul. For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach” (Deut. 30:10-11).

And then, God wanted to make sure that Moses knew that the Law,

“…is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us to get it and make us hear it, that we may observe it’…But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it” (Deut. 30:12-14).

Jesus wanted Moses to realize that although the Law originated in heaven, it “descended” and was given to Moses on the Mountain. Likewise, Jesus, the Living Word, also descended from heaven and had come down to earth as the “Word made flesh” to dwell among us. Here is what Jesus told Nicodemus,

“No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven, even the Son of Man” (John 3:13). 

I’m pretty sure that Nicodemus was beginning to connect the dots as to the identity of Jesus. No one needed to ascend to heaven to receive the Law, but it descended from heaven and was received by Moses on the mountain. Likewise, Jesus is the One who has “descended” from heaven so that the Living Word could dwell among us. That was the first “history lesson” for Nicodemus. 

The second comes from an incident also recorded in the Old Testament. As the Israelites continued to disobey the Law, God sent fiery serpents to bite the people, and many of those who were bitten died. Moses cried out to God to provide a solution, and the LORD responded, 

“Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he shall live” (Num. 21:8). 

Nicodemus knew the story well, the story of his own people. And then Jesus said to him,

“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so shall the Son of Man be lifted up; that whoever believes may in Him have eternal life” (John 3:14-15).

Nicodemus heard these words of Jesus near the beginning of Jesus ministry. Three years later, Nicodemus would realize Jesus’ prediction regarding Himself, that He would be lifted up on the cross, and that if he would “look to Him” for the forgiveness of sins, he would have eternal life. 

After this encounter with Nicodemus (later in the Gospel of John), Jesus said,

“The Son of Man must be lifted up” (John 12:34); and “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He…” (John 8:28).

I’m sure that Nicodemus realized that this Jesus was indeed the Son of Man and the Son of God. And, of course, the same goes for you and for me. When we look to Jesus, realizing that He died on the cross for our sins, and confessing to Him those sins, then we will have eternal life. And that’s exactly what Jesus told Nicodemus in the following verse, a verse that we have already looked at,

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

That’s it! That’s the plan of salvation and the way to eternal life. Believe in and “look upon” the Son who died for our sins. If you’ve never done it, then it’s never too late. Just ask, and He will respond with life that lasts into eternity.