DAY 1 – UNDERSTANDING HISTORY

The Bible comes to life when we get to know the people of the biblical world and walk around in their sandals by understanding who the passage was written to, how the original audience would have heard the message, and what cultural factors shaped their world. This week we’ll look at how HISTORY can bring richness and clarity to our understanding of God’s Word – even to the world’s most famous Bible verse.

If you’re familiar with just one Bible verse, there’s a good chance it’s John 3:16. But how many of you know what Jesus said right before this? Read John 3:14-15. Are you familiar with this? If not, why do you think that is?

Jesus said these things back-to-back on purpose, as if one spoke to the other. In fact, some of His words are repeated. Read John 3:14-16. What part of these two sentences is the same? 

Verse 14 points to two events in HISTORY, one involving Moses and the other, Jesus. Understanding how they relate powerfully illustrates what it means to “believe in him,” that is Jesus. Read John 3:16 in a couple Bible translations. How is Jesus’ relationship to God described? 

In Greek, the word used here is monogenēs and means the only one of its kind, unique. If Jesus is the unique one-of-a-kind Son of the Father, that means that no one exists like Him and no one has a relationship with the Father like Jesus does. Read John 3:12-18. When it comes to believing in Jesus, do you think Jesus would say that it’s important to know who He is?

DIGGING DEEPER (optional): The same Greek Word, monogenēs, is used in John 1:14. Read John 1:1-3, 14, 18. What else do you learn about the uniqueness of Christ, referred to here as the Word? 

DAY 2 – GET TO KNOW THEIR WORLD

WHO WAS IT WRITTEN TO? 

When we look at HISTORY in the Bible, one of the questions we should ask is who was it written to? As we study John 3:14-16 this week, go to the beginning of Jesus’ conversation in John chapter 3. Who was Jesus talking to? What do you learn about this man from verses 1 and 10?

Study Tip: If you have a study Bible, does it add any insight about his designation?

The Pharisees were strict religious leaders with considerable influence. They were zealous about even the finest detail of the law and saw themselves as the appointed guardians of its interpretation and observance. The Pharisees were often harshly criticized by Jesus for being hypocrites and adding on to God’s Word with extra traditions.

However, not all Pharisees were hypocrites. Jesus didn’t respond harshly to Nicodemus. Why? Read John 2:23-25. What do you learn about Jesus? 

Jesus responded to Nicodemus’ greeting as if the man had asked Him a question. Which he hadn’t. Read John 3:1-3. What does Jesus’ response to Nicodemus suggest that Jesus knew about him? 

Nicodemus greeted Jesus with respect by calling Him Rabbi, meaning teacher, but He didn’t know who Jesus truly was. He was well versed in the Old Testament and from what we know about Nicodemus he was a man of good moral character, but in his conversation with Jesus, it’s clear that Jesus knew Nicodemus was missing something.

DIGGING DEEPER (optional): To say the Pharisees and Jesus didn’t alway see eye-to-eye is an understatement. Why is this?

• • • • • Read Mark 7:1-23 – The pharisees placed “tradition of the elders” above the word of God (vs.5). What did the pharisees focus on? What does Jesus focus on?

• • • • • Read Matthew 23:1-36 – Jesus doesn’t take hypocrisy lightly. What does Jesus accuse the scribes and Pharisees of and why?

DAY 3 – HOW DID THE ORIGINAL AUDIENCE HEAR THIS? 

The key to understanding HISTORY in the Bible is to hear the message how the original hearers would have heard it. For example, whatever it was that Jesus wanted Nicodumus to understand in John 3, it’s clear by his response that Nicodemus didn’t get it. Read John 3:3-9. What is Nicodumus’ response to Jesus (vs. 4, 9)?

Born again may be better understood as born from above, which is how the NET (New English Translation) Bible translates it. Jesus was talking about a spiritual birth, but Nicodemus was thinking in terms of a physical birth.

As a Jew, Nicodemus likely believed that being a part of God’s kingdom was his birthright (Romans 9:4-5). And here Jesus was saying he had to be born again? This made no sense!

As a Pharisee, Nicodemus likely believed that salvation came from perfect obedience to the law – something he probably thought he was particularly good at. When it came to righteousness, Nicodemus had checked everything off his list!

But in true Jesus fashion – Jesus was about to turn everything upside down.

Which is exactly what happened to the Apostle Paul, who had similar credentials as Nicodemus – Hebrew ancestry and a Pharisee. When Paul came to believe in Jesus, what he once considered a gain, became a loss. Read Philippians 3:3-11. Where did Paul learn righteousness came from?

To help Nicodemus understand, Jesus referenced something Nicodemus knew well – Jewish HISTORY, which we’ll dive into tomorrow. Looking at cross references or study notes in your Bible, can you find where in the Bible you can read about this event? 

DAY 4 – LOOKING BACK THROUGHOUT HISTORY

Sometimes we complain about God’s provision, until something worse comes along and we realize just how good we truly had it.

We have seen this throughout HISTORY. In fact, for the passage we’re studying this week, over 1400 years before Jesus and Nicodemus’ conversation about Moses and the snake (John 3:14), we find the Israelites nearing the end of their 40 years in the wilderness, ready to enter the land God had promised them, when they were forced to take a detour. They received resistance from the kings of Edom and Arad from traveling through their land, so the Israelites took a longer route, bypassing their land, to get to the promised land (Numbers 20:14-21, 21:1-4). When their strenuous journey was extended, the Isralites complained against God and Moses yet again. Read Numbers 21:4-5. What was their complaint? 

God had miraculously rescued His people from salvery in Egypt and mercifully provided for them and led them during their time in the wilderness. Yet Israel rebelled against God and the judgement for their sin came in the form of poisonous snakes. Many died and when the Israelties saw their sin they turned back to God. The Lord in His mercy provided a remedy so they would live. Read Numbers 21:6-9. How did God provide deliverance? What did the people need to do to be saved?

The HISTORY of his people was familiar to Nicodemus. Jesus used this to open Nicodemus’ eyes to the most significant event in HISTORY, which we’ll discuss tomorrow.

DAY 5 – THE ANTIDOTE

As we study John 3:14-16 this week, we must go back in HISTORY to a time where all the Israelites had to do was to look on the serpent in faith (the antidote) and they would be instantly healed, their life saved. That’s the powerful illustration Jesus gave Nicodemus in John 3, but how does that relate to what Jesus said next? Read John 3:14. What do you think “so the Son of Man must be lifted up” means (CSB)?

Jesus’ language should not have been entirely unfamiliar to Nicodumus. Afterall, Isaiah prophesied about a servant, the Messiah, who would be “raised and lifted up and greatly exalted” (Isaiah 52:13 CSB, emphasis added). But he also prophesied this same servant would suffer: “pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities,” (Isaiah 53:5, 12, CSB). Which is it? Was the Messiah to be exalted or crushed? Turns out it’s both.

The term lifted up has a double meaning. Jesus would be both physically lifted up and spiritually lifted up.

1. Jesus said the Son of Man would be lifted up three times (John 3:14, 8:28, 12:32-34). According to these verses what do you think lifted up means? Hint: verse 12:33

2. Through His death (and resurrection) Jesus would also be spiritually lifted up. Read John 12:23 and Acts 2:33. What does this mean?   

When Jesus was lifted up on the cross and crucified, He would be glorified, and Nicodemus would know that Jesus had become the uplifted serpent. Do you see how these two events in HISTORY relate?

Looking at the serpent lifted up on the pole brought physical life.

Looking to Jesus lifted up on the cross brings spiritual life.

The serpent, like the cross, brought death, but they also brought life. In His great mercy and because of His great love, God once again provided the remedy, the antidote. He sent Jesus. And just as the Israelites didn’t have to climb the pole, kill the snakes, make laws, or create an antidote to be saved, neither do we. Read John 3:14-18. What must one do to have eternal life and how does that relate to the Israelites? 

How does looking at HISTORY, and hearing Jesus’ words like Nicodemus would have heard them, enrich your understanding of what it means to believe?

Interested in the full CHARA Bible Study Method? It is a FREE resource that will help you learn how to study the Bible.