Welcome and thank you for taking a bible break to test your knowledge of God's word.
This week's question:

To John chapter three we go to find Jesus being approached during the night by a ruler of the Jews, who is a member of the sect of the Pharisees. Now the Pharisees believe in the resurrection of the dead, angels and spirits while the Sadducees do not (Acts 23:8). Now this Pharisee recognized that the signs that Jesus did proved that He walked with God (John 3:2). Many of the Jewish rulers charged that Jesus broke the Sabbath when He healed others on that day (John 9:16) while others charged that He did these works through Beelzebul which is Satan (Matthew 12:22-28).

Jesus tells him that unless one is born again he cannot enter the kingdom of God. This Pharisee thinks Jesus is speaking in physical terms and asks Him how one can reenter his mother's womb to be born again. Jesus corrects him by saying one must be born of the water and the spirit to enter the kingdom of God.

John 3:5-7 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he

cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of

the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, 'you must be born again.'

Jesus explains the physical being bears a physical offspring. But if this same physical individual wants to enter into the kingdom of heaven, they must be born anew of the water and the spirit. Our Pharisee friend asks,

John 3:9 …"How can these things be?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel

and Do not understand these things?"

The words Jesus speaks and the miracles He performed before them bear witness of who He truly is
(John 3:11). Yes, we must hear the word of God, but more than that, we must act upon them to please Him (Matthew 7:24).

So, how are we born again? Jesus has told us it is by the water and the spirit, and only by this can we enter into His heavenly home (John 3:5).

In Acts 8:26-39 a court official of the Queen of Ethiopia was traveling in his chariot and Philip was invited up to explain the verses he was reading out of Isaiah. Philip began from there to "preach Jesus" to him and after a while they came upon some water and he asks "Look! Water! What prevents me from being Baptized?" And Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him.

They both went down into the water because as Romans 6:1-6 shows that baptism is a burial in the likeness of Jesus' death and if we become united with Him in the likeness of His death we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection.

Acts 22:16 shows us that baptism will "wash away" our sins and I Peter 3:21 tells us that baptism is a part of salvation.

So, back to this Pharisee and the answer to our question of who he was that traveled to Jesus by night. For he is a ruler that spoke to Jesus privately to question Him so he could decide for himself if Jesus truly was the Son of God. Before the council this same brave man questioned the others if they had spoken to Him (John 7:40-53) so they too could make a proper decision. And then again it was he who helped Joseph of Arimathea in preparing the body of Jesus for burial and providing myrrh and aloes while wrapping the body with linen. Our answer is none other than, Nicodemus!

May we too be as brave and honest as Nicodemus to listen to the words of our Lord and act upon them by obeying them into that watery grave to the newness of life, being "born of the water and the spirit" so we too may have opportunity for that heavenly home.