There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that
thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou
doest, except God be with him.

3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a
man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Who this Nicodemus was.

 A person of the name of Nicodemus, the son of Gorion, is mentioned in the
Jewish writings, who lived in the time of Vespasian, and was reputed to be so
rich that he could support all the inhabitants of Jerusalem for ten years. But
this is said in their usual extravagant mode of talking.
 e was religious (of the Pharisees), educated (Nicodemus is a Greek
name), influential (a ruler), and earnest enough to come by night.
 Not many mighty and noble are called;
 yet some are, and here was one.
 Not many of the rulers, or of the Pharisees; yet.
1. This was a man of the Pharisees, bred to learning, a scholar.
2. Let it not be said that all Christ's followers are unlearned and ignorant men.
3. high thoughts were cast down and brought into obedience to Christ.
4. He was a ruler of the Jews, a member of the great sanhedrim, a senator, a
privy-counsellor, a man of authority
5. Police some are good yet do little good because the stream was so strong
against them;
6. hey were over-ruled by the majority, and yoked with those that were
corrupt,

He came to Jesus by night

 did not think it enough to hear his public discourses.
 Personal converse with skilful faithful ministers about the affairs of our
souls would be of great use to us,
 He observed Christ's hour
 When others were sleeping, he was getting knowledge Ps. 63:6, and
119:148.,
 As an act of fear and cowardice. He was afraid, or ashamed, to
be seen with Christ,
 Though now he came by night, yet afterwards, when there was occasion,
he owned Christ publicly, ch. 7:50; 19:39. The grace which is at first but a
grain of mustard-seed may grow to be a great tree.

His quest
 He did not come to talk with Christ about politics (proesy who will
elections) and state-affairs (though he was a ruler)
 but about the concerns of his own soul and its salvation, and, without
circumlocution, comes immediately to the business;
 without circumlocution,

We know
 Not I alone but all of us
 So plain, so evident
 not educated nor ordained by men
 not educated nor ordained by men
 were divers of the Pharisees and rulers with whom he conversed that
were under the same convictions, but had not the grace to own it

Thou art a teacher come from God;

 not educated nor ordained by men
 He is teacher for He will rule with reason
 and ot rigour.
 Not by sword
 The miracles speak it
 Here was Nicodemus, a judicious, sensible, inquisitive man, one that had
all the reason and opportunity imaginable to examine them, so fully
satisfied that they were real miracles that he was wrought upon by them
to go contrary to his interest, and to the stream of those of his own rank,
who were prejudiced against Christ.
 The course of nature could not be altered but by the power of the God of
nature, who, we are sure, is the God of truth and goodness, and would
never set his seal to a lie or a cheat.

From God
 the father of mercy to the darkened world,
 light and truth

Jesus Anwered
 The repetition of amen, or verily, verily, among the Jewish writers, was
considered of equal important with the most solemn oath.
 A rebuke of whathe saw defective
 It is not enough to admire the Jesus and His miracles, he must be born
again
 He must have also a change of theh eart
 Just as the principles and dispositions, equivalent to a new birth
 Nicodemus came by night: "But this will not do," saith Christ. His religion
must be owned before men
 The matter is settled irreversibly that except a man be born again he
cannot see the kingdom of God. "I say it to thee, though a Pharisee, though
a master in Israel.

Born Again
 Born from above
 To take the image of heavenelies.
 Has its tendency towards heaven
 Birth is the beginning of life; to be born again is to begin anew,
 We must not think to patch up the old building, but begin from the
foundation.
 We must have a new nature, new principles, new affections, new aims
 by our first birth we are corrupt, shapen in sin and iniquity; we must
therefore undergo a second birth;
 Every man must have two births, one from heaven, the other from earth-one of
his body, the other of his soul: without the first he cannot see nor enjoy this
world, without the last he can not see nor enjoy the kingdom of God.
 As there is an absolute necessity that a child should be born into the world, that
he may see its light, contemplate its glories, and enjoy its good, so there is an
absolute necessity that the soul should be brought out of its state of darkness
and sin, through the light and power of the grace of Christ, that it may be able
to see, ιδειν, or, to discern, the glories and excellencies of the kingdom of Christ
here, and be prepared for the enjoyment of the kingdom of glory hereafter.

 It was taught widely among the Jews at that time that since they
descended from Abraham, they were automatically assured of heaven. In
fact, some Rabbis taught that Abraham stood watch at the gate of hell,
just to make sure that none of his descendants accidentally wandered in
there.