How much I don't know

John 3:10-15

How much I don’t know

Show of hands how many how many of you have heard the saying “ The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know? It’s attributed to Albert Einstein. A man whose name is synonymous with intelligence. As sinners, it is incredibly hard to admit we are wrong about something. The longer we have thought something to be true the harder it becomes to admit it to be wrong. The reality is that we are wrong all the time. 


When I still had my Information Technology job for the bank I was at a site working on a printer. I was trying to make it work a certain way and that way wasn’t working. A customer, a retired gentlemen said “Sonny, you are doing that all wrong.” I at least semi-sarcastically backed up from the printer, gestured towards it as if to say “Be my guest.” What does this guy know right? He then proceeds to solve my problem in a matter of seconds. After I closed my mouth I thanked the man repeatedly. The other bank employees got a huge kick out of seeing the know-it-all IT guy humbled by that man. Lesson learned.

Tonight, Nicodemus comes face to face with how much he doesn’t know. 


¹⁰ Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?


Last time we see that Nicodemus, pharisees, Sanhedrin member, has approached Jesus at night because he had questions for him. He had heard about Jesus, that he taught like no one else taught and that he performed miracles. Is he a prophet? Is he a false prophet? Is he just misunderstood? What was all that business with table flipping at the temple the other day? He wants to know so he goes right to the source and asks. 

Jesus explains that no one works or earns there way into the kingdom of heaven. That they must be born again. All over the Bible this idea of rebirth, occurs. 

1 Peter speaks of being born anew by God’s great mercy (1 Peter 1:3)  1 Peter speaks of being born anew from an imperishable seed (1 Peter 1:22-23)  James speaks of God bringing us forth by the word of truth (James 1:18)Titus speaks to us of the washing of regeneration (Titus 3:5)  Romans speaks of dying with Jesus and rising anew (Romans 6:1-11)  1 Corinthians speaks of new believers as new-born babes (1 Corinthians 3:1-2) 2 Corinthians speaks of us being a new creation in Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17) Galatians says that in Jesus we are a new creation (Galatians 6:15)  Ezekiel 36 talks about God’s promises that a time is coming when there will be a transformative new beginning, characterized by spectacular cleansing symbolized by water that washes away all impurities and idols, and by the powerful gift of the Spirit that transforms the hearts of people. That is what is required if people are to see and enter the kingdom of God. 

Nicodemus just had his entire world flipped upside down. He realizes the truth of Jesus words but he also realizes the implications that it implies. His entire life has to change and it will cost him everything he has worked his entire life to build. “How can these things be?” He says. 

Jesus answers his question with a question. He picks at him a little even, showing that our Lord has a sense of humor. Are you the teacher of Israel? Here was Nicodemus, the Pharisee experts in the law, Sanhedrin member best of the best. They were considered the teachers of all of Israel. There’s some studies that suggest Nicodemus was at least in the top three teachers in Israel, if not considered the highest ranking teacher of all Israel. 

Before we get on Nicodemus to much for being stubborn and taking so long to come around lets look at two things 1) He did come around, and 2) He actually was open to having a discussion with Jesus. How many other Pharisees or Sadducees took the time to have an actual conversation with Jesus? How many were just trying to prove him wrong?  

How much conflict could we remove from our lives if we took the time to talk to and understand someone vs. just trying to prove them wrong? Think about that for a minute the next time you want to reply to someone on social media.

Jesus continues, are you THE teacher and you don’t know? It’s hard to admit when we don’t know something. No matter how much evidence is presented to us that shows that we are wrong. A lot of our self-worth is tied up in being right. Here Nicodemus THE teacher, is being schooled by a humble carpenter. He’s being faced with an increasing mountain of irrefutable evidence. He does the wisest thing he could do in this scenario. He stays quiet and listens. 

11 Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.  12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe; how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man [a]who is in heaven

Jesus uses the word We here. You see that in some of his conversations and illustrations as well. Some view this as a reference to the trinity, others are think he might be referencing all the people after Him that will proclaim the gospel. Some think it’s an editorial “we”. This is a common concept in languages all over the world.

Why use the we at all? Deut 19 lets us know that at the mouth of two or three witnesses facts are legally established. This could easily tie into We as a trinity reference as well.

“That is a really stunning statement because what Jesus is saying is, I am telling you what I know and what I have personally experienced. I’m not giving you second-hand information. You’re not getting second-hand information from Me. It’s not like a prophet came to you; it’s not like a preacher came to you; it’s not like an apostle came to you to give you what he had received from God, I am speaking to you what I eternally know and what I have eternally experienced firsthand” – John MacArthur


You have ignored our witness. You have heard my words. You have seen my works. You know what the scriptures say about me. Yet, you pharisees, you Sanhedrin, you reject my testimony. If you don’t believe the things that I have already told you why would you believe when I tell you more? You buried under the weight of the truth I’ve already given you. Adding to that pile is not going to help. Nicodemus just tried to get his cup filled by a firehose.



. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should [b]not perish but have eternal life


Jesus then gives him an analogy. Another Old Testament reference for the old testament scholar. He says as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so the Son of Man must be lifted up. 


What is Jesus talking about? Why was Moses handling snakes? How could that possibly help anyone? 


This is a reference to Numbers 21. Israel is wandering the wilderness after being freed from Egypt. Due to their own stubbornness and sin it has not been a smooth journey.

Numbers 21:4-9

Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very ^[b]discouraged on the way. ⁵ And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul ^[c]loathes this worthless bread.” ⁶ So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.

⁷ Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.

⁸ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” ⁹ So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

It was faith that healed the Israelites in that. They repented, then they believed the words of the Lord through Moses. They were saved. Jesus says the same thing to Nicodemus. You don’t have to understand it all, you don’t have to know it all, you just have to look to me, just like the Israelites did with that bronze snake, just look to me in faith and you will be healed. 

The same thing applies to us today that we just have to look to Him in faith, and there is salvation. The people were saved not by doing anything, but by simply looking to the bronze serpent. They had to trust that something as seemingly foolish as looking at such a thing would be sufficient to save them, and surely, some perished because they thought it too foolish to do such a thing. We are no different today. No willing to admit how much we don’t know and to place our faith in God instead of our own intellect. 


Isaiah 45:22: Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. We might be willing to do a hundred things to earn our salvation, but God commands us to only trust in Him – to look to Him.