By Pater Inutilis

We are still, in this chapter (Jn. 3), early in the Public Life of Our Lord, with St. John the Baptist not yet cast into prison and still baptizing (1:23f), when Nicodemus comes to Jesus by night. In our bibles he is mentioned only by St. John (chs. 3, 7 & 19), but his true glory is to be written in the Book of Life (Apoc. 20, 12 & 15), having his feast on August 3 (Roman Martyrology). Nicodemus comes as to a teacher sent by God (Jn. 3:1f). This he very correctly deduces from Our Lord’s working of miracles, now multiplied since that at Cana (2:23). Nicodemus himself is a “ruler of the Jews” (3:1), a member of that “Council” (11:47 etc.) known to us as the Sanhedrin, and a “teacher in Israel” in his own right (3:10). He was also a Pharisee (3:1), and so a believer (unlike the Sadducees) in the spiritual (Acts 23:8). To him Our Lord should be able to speak of the “Spirit.” [By way of aside: some overly stress nomenclature—Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit. But English often has two names for the same, derived as it is from Latin and Anglo-Saxon roots. “Spirit” is merely from the Latin, whereas “Ghost” is from the Germanic, and both are used in our Rheims translation (cf vs. 5 & 6; Lk. 23:46)]. “Spirit,” though, in its first use, but not second, in vs. 8 should rather be understood of the “wind”—another meaning for the Latin spiritus, for Christ is definitely making a comparison between the doings of the invisible wind (personified) and those of the transcendent Spirit. Thus too do St. John Chrysostom and all the Greek Fathers understand this verse. And Our Lord’s teaching on the “Spirit” and our need to be born of Him is indeed lofty, although of “earthly things” (3:12), escaping Nicodemus’ grasp. The Greek of the “again” in vs. 3 & 5 (“unless a man be born again”) could be translated either by “again” or “from above,” and both give excellent readings: our birth in this world (“of the flesh”) needs another (“of the Spirit”)—3:6; 1:13.

This new birth, this regeneration, comes about by the baptism of Christ. On this mystery Our Lord is speaking very solemnly. We note Christ’s “Amen, amen” (“most truly”) thrice in this passage (vs. 3:5 & 11); and that, of the gospels, this expression is found only in the fourth. It is a way of Our Lord to emphasize a point, as He wants to do here. This being “born again of water and the Holy Ghost” (vs. 5) refers to the sacrament of baptism. This is De Fide (Tradition & Trent). The Fathers of the Church are not so unanimous though when it comes to calling the baptism already administered by Our Lord (3:26) “Christian baptism,” the sacrament of baptism. (We note that John’s disciples are speaking generically—Our Lord is not Himself doing these baptisms—4:1f). John’s baptism had rather been what we would call a “sacramental,” disposing recipients to Christ’s baptism (much as exorcisms etc. in the rite of baptism to the actual grace of the sacrament.) This being so, and Christian baptism not yet being promulgated, John could still continue his ministry—vs. 23. Was Christ’s a “sacramental” or already the “sacrament”? St. Thomas Aquinas, for his part, having considered the different Patristic explanations as was his wont, thinks it already to be the sacrament, water having been sanctified for this ministry by Jesus having been baptized by John in the Jordan —1:31-33. The water already had now this efficacy, though its promulgation and necessity for eternal life would wait until after His resurrection (Mt. 28:19; Mk. 16:16).

The umbrage taken by John’s disciples at Jesus’ growing popularity affords the Baptist the chance to make another testimony of Him. It is given Him from heaven; He is the Christ; He is the bridegroom (already that illustrative metaphor explaining the relationship of Christ with His mystical body, the Church, to which St. John—as well as St. Paul (e.g. Eph. 5:22-29)—will return (Apoc. 21:2 & 9)); He comes from above; He is the Son the Father loves (3:27-36). The Forerunner’s mission is coming to a close, as is the Old Testament. “He must increase, but I must decrease.” His mission—it is He Whom God has “sent” (vs. 34)—is beginning, mine is ending. [Some extrapolate prettily: He must be raised up on the cross (vs. 14), but I must be beheaded.]

Modern commentators discuss willingly whether the Baptist’s words to his disciples do not end with verse 30, vs. 31-36 being rather the (inspired) reflections of the Evangelist, just as they do for Our Lord’s: do not His words to Nicodemus end with verse l5, vs. 16-21 being those of St. John?

The ancients had no such scruples, being more interested in the substance of what was being said. A similar question will be asked with regard to all the rather long discourses of Our Lord we shall meet in this Gospel. But this disciple whom Jesus loved had much opportunity to ponder at length the Master’s words; and had He not promised that “the Paraclete... will teach you all things, and bring all things to your mind, whatsoever I shall have said to you” (14:26)?

Let us not finish our brief look at this third chapter without noting the beautiful passage in verses 14–17. This is a resume of the whole gospel of Christ and the economy of salvation. The motive for the work of redemption is the love of God (vs. 16). This love will ordain the giving, the sending, of His Son (vs. 16 & 17). The end will be the salvation of men (vs. 15, 16 & 17); and the means will be Christ’s crucifixion (vs. 14). This is what Our Lord means by His “exaltation,” as He will also in 8:28; & 12:32 & 34. “The Old Serpent,” as St. John calls him, “which is the devil and Satan” (Apoc. 20:2), brought sin and death into this world. The sinful Israelites were punished with death by fiery serpents in the desert (Num. 21), but Moses was commanded to make a brazen serpent—one therefore, in the likeness of a serpent, but without venom. It was to be raised up for a sign, that any bitten, gazing upon it, might be healed. So Jesus Christ, sent in the likeness of sinful flesh (Rom. 8:3) and raised up, exalted, on the cross, would be the salvation of those who look upon, and to, Him; “that whosoever believeth in him may not perish, but may have life everlasting” (vs. 16).