John 3:16
Theme: How do you receive eternal life?
Some powerful men were afraid of Jesus. They thought he might take away their power. One of these men was named Nicodemus. He was more afraid of the other powerful men than of Jesus, so he snuck out at night to meet Jesus. He asked a lot of questions.
Jesus told Nicodemus not to be afraid. Jesus said he came to give people eternal life in heaven, with God, after they die on earth. Nicodemus asked “How can these things be?”
Day 1 – Secret Visit in the Dark of Night
Passage
John 3:1-2
He came to Jesus at night and said, “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.”
Key verse: 2
Observations
- An important man named Nicodemus visited Jesus at night.
- Nicodemus had important friends who didn’t like Jesus. They were mad because people liked Jesus more than them.
- So Nicodemus went to see Jesus in secret.
- “I’ve heard about your miracles,” Nicodemus said with wonder in his eyes. “My friends say it’s all just tricks. How do you do it?”
- Nicodemus also asked: “Are you from God? Are you God?”
Discussion
- What question would you ask Jesus if he was sitting in front of you right now?
- Think of somebody your friends don’t like. Can you think of something nice to say to them? Would you talk to them in secret or in front of your friends?
Day 2 – Born again? Can you go back into Mom’s Belly?
Passage
John 3:3-4
“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
Key verse: 4
Observations
- Jesus says “You must be born again.”
- Nicodemus can’t understand what Jesus means by born again.
- Nicodemus asks Jesus to explain what it means (which you will learn tomorrow!)
Discussion
- If you were Nicodemus, would you have been confused too? What would you have said to Jesus?
- Would you rather go back to being a little baby again, or become a grown-up with a job?
- What do you think it means to be born again?
Day 3 – The Secret of the Wind
Passage
John 3:5-8
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.”
Key verse: 8
Observations
- Jesus says, “We can’t see the second birth; it’s like the wind.”
- Even if we can’t see the wind, we know it is there.
- We can see the birds riding up and down on moving tree branches.
- We can hear the wind whistling around us.
- We can feel it cooling our skin on a hot day.
- Sometimes we can even smell its freshness, especially if it’s raining.
- We don’t know where the wind comes from. We don’t know where it is going.
- It is the same for God’s spirit!
- IMPORTANT – Being born again does not mean we become a baby again. It means our heart is washed clean by the Spirit of God.
Discussion
- What are some things we can’t see, but we know they’re real?
- Madness – Can we see anger?
- No. But we show it’s real by yelling at someone or stomping our feet.
- What do you act like when you are mad? How does Dad act?
- Sadness – Can we see sadness?
- Sort of. How do we know if someone is mad?
- Love – Can we see love?
- How does Mom show that she loves you?
- Humor – Can we see the funny?
- What’s the funniest thing that ever happened to you? How did you know it was funny?
- Madness – Can we see anger?
- Can you see God’s Spirit? Is it real?
Day 4 – How to get to Heaven
Passage
John 3:16-18
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Key verse: John 3:16
Observations
- Finally, Jesus explained to Nicodemus how to have eternal life (this means to live forever).
- Jesus says, “If you believe in me and make me your king, you can come to Heaven to be with me — forever.”
Discussion
- When we tell Jesus we believe in Him, and love Him and want to be born again, will we be able to see it happen, or is it like the wind that we can’t see?
- If you wanted to tell a friend how to get eternal life, what would you say?
- Do you want to be born again? Would you like to tell Jesus right now that you believe in Him, and you want to be with Him always?
Bible study methodology adapted from Searching the Scriptures with permission from Tyndale House:
Swindoll, Charles, Searching the Scriptures. Tyndale House Publishers, 2016.
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