John 10:11-18

This passage occurs in the RCL Easter Season, Year B, for "Good Shepherd Sunday" most recently Spring of 2024; but the basic idea of this passage connects with the parallel texts for this Sunday in years A and C of the RCL.

Summary:
This beloved text is not worth ruining with any fancy exegesis.  However, it is perhaps worth exploring the idea of "good."  It is an utterly unfitting word:  Jesus is not good, he is beautiful, wonderful and ideal -- what καλος means anyway.  On the other hand, he is entirely irresponsible, going and getting himself killed.

Key Words:

καλος ("good"; 10:11)  Good is an entirely understated way to put this.  The word in Greek means beautiful, ideal, model.  Try any of these out:  Model shepherd, beautiful shepherd, ideal shepherd.  They get closer to what is going on, although model shepherd can lead us astray pretty fast.  Good is also an entirely wrong way to put this.  What kind of shepherd goes and gets himself killed?  A very, very bad one.  Or to put it another way, our good shepherd makes calculations very differently than normal humans do!

τιθημι ("lay down"; 10:11)  This verb comes up at some very powerful times in John's Gospel:  John 13, when Jesus lays down his cloak to wash his disciples feet; John 13, where Jesus declares that no greater love exists to lay down one's life; John 15, where Jesus says he "placed" us down to bear fruit; and finally on the cross, when a sign is placed (down) on the cross reading "King of the Jews." All of these strongly suggest that Jesus here refers to his own death.  Moreover, Jesus clearly foretells his resurrection.  To put it another way, this is John's version of the messianic prophecies of the synoptics (...it is necessary for the son of man to...)

Also, it is striking that Jesus hear does not discuss killing the wolf.  He bears the wolf's violence to save the sheep.  This is not only significant theologically, but ethically.  As Christians, we are called into a life of not seeking revenge, all while trying to help the weak and protect others.  That is hard stuff!  It definitely requires trust in the resurrection and the experience of resurrection to keep going.

γινωσκω ("know"; 10:14 and 15).  Jesus says that we will know him and he will know us.  What does this mean?  

1.  There is plenty of evidence in the Gospel of John that Jesus knowing us means he knows our sin. 

• "I know that you do not have the love of God in you."  (5:42)  (Lots of others exist!).
  

2.  There is also evidence that Jesus knows us also means knowing our love for him.

• Peter:  You know all things, Lord, you know that I love you (21:17)
• My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. (John 10:27)

3.  While plenty of verses demonstrate that the disciples don't get it right, there is also evidence that the disciples can know who Jesus is:

• Simon Peter says:  "We know that you are the holy one of God." (6:69)
• Jesus says:  "You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you." (14.17)
• Jesus:  "Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me.  (John 17:25) 

4.  The above verses also reveal that is knowledge is both head knowledge (knowing who Christ is) but also heart knowledge (God dwelling in us) and even body knowledge (following Jesus).  Knowing and loving are not that far apart.  To put it back on a very human and preach-able level:  Can you love someone you don't know?

To be known by Jesus means Jesus knows our sins but also who God has created us to be, namely, lovers and followers of Jesus.  To know Jesus means that we recognize his holiness and then live out of that love.

λαμβανω ("take"; 10:18)  This word means take or receive.  Which way you go really changes the meaning.  Does Jesus take back his life or does he receive it?   I think on how you look at this impacts how you look at the entire Christian life, especially as to how we are to embrace faith.  Do we take it or do we receive it?  

A curious note is that in general, the verbs in this section are in the present tense.  This suggests on-going action, without reference to start or end.  The father continually loves me... for I am laying (continually) down my life..   Yet the verb λαμβανω is in the aorist tense, suggesting a one time action.  While that makes sense for Jesus to receive/take his life back only once...It is striking though that he is continually laying down his life for us.  Jesus is somehow always in the action of giving for us, even he only needed once to be rescued himself, that is, from death.

Concept:  εγω ειμι (ego eimi)
In John's Gospel, Jesus has a number of "I am" statements.  Here they are.
6:35  I am the bread of life
8:12  I am the light of the world
8:58  I am
10:7  I am the door for the sheep (10:9 I am the door)
10:11  I am the good shepherd; lays down life; know voice
11:25  I am the resurrection and life
14:6  I am the way, truth and life
15:1  I am the true vine (15:5 vine)
In Greek, "I am" carries more significance than in English.  First, in Greek, because verbs are conjugated, you do not need the subject.  It is only for emphasis.  Sometimes people will make this:  "I, I am, the true vine" to show the emphasis in Greek conveyed here.

This "I am" is also the name of God.  Hence, see 18:5, where Jesus says, "I am" and they all fall to the ground.  John's Gospel is wheeling and dealing when it comes to the OT and names for God here!

Good Shepherd Sunday: John 10 and Psalm 23

For Good Shepherd Sunday, I offer commentary on two different texts:

I am the Good Shepherd
A small sampling:
καλος ("good"; 10:11)  Good is an entirely understated way to put this.  The word in Greek means beautiful, ideal, model.  Try any of these out:  Model shepherd, beautiful shepherd, ideal shepherd.  They get closer to what is going on, although model shepherd can lead us astray pretty fast.  Good is also an entirely wrong way to put this.  What kind of shepherd goes and gets himself killed?  A very, very bad one.

Psalm 23
For Good Shepherd Sunday I've looked at Psalm 23.  Given people's emotional resonance with the Psalm, this passage does not call for one's "exegetical underwear."  That said, reading the actual Psalm presents more "earthy" image than the bucolic landscape scene the Psalm often conjures in our minds.  There is wet grass to be eaten, wine to be poured, death to be encountered and God's disciplining rod to be felt slamming into our side. To put it another way, God doesn't simply want to paint pictures, but truly revive our soul that we might return to his temple, time and time again, even in our everlasting life, made possible by the Good Shepherd.

Psalm 23, take 2

For Good Shepherd Sunday I've looked at Psalm 23.  Given people's emotional resonance with the Psalm, this passage does not call for one's "exegetical underwear."  That said, reading the actual Psalm presents more "earthy" image than the bucolic landscape scene the Psalm often conjures in our minds.  There is wet grass to be eaten, wine to be poured, death to be encountered and God's disciplining rod to be felt slamming into our side. To put it another way, God doesn't simply want to paint pictures, but truly revive our soul that we might return to his temple, time and time again, even in our everlasting life, made possible by the Good Shepherd.

Instead of key words, I offer a translation with commentary.

Verse 1:
"Yahweh shepherds me.  I do not lack."

The word "LORD" in Hebrew is Yahweh. This most of us know; I think two things are worth reflecting on here. First is that in English we always put the word "The" in front of the "LORD." In Hebrew it simply reads, "Yahweh is my shepherd." Second, we read the "LORD" with a certain complacency unimaginable to early readers of this.  The Hebrew reader replaces "Yahweh" and always says, "Adonai"

The word "Shepherd" is a verbal noun in Hebrew, that is, it is a participle (shepherding) that has been fixed into a noun. Thus, every time you read the word "Shepherd" in the OT, you are reading something much more akin to, "The one shepherding." If you notice the Vulgate and Septugint translation of this verse actually leave the word as a verb: "The Lord shepherds me."  Although telling people their favorite Psalm has been mistranslated is unlikely to be helpful, it is worth noting that God's work as a shepherd is an action!

The word for lack here,חסר, (kaser) is also used in Deuteronomy 2:7, when God says the people lacked nothing.   At this point the people were in the wilderness and had been for years.  A reminder that what God says we need is probably different from our own estimation.

The Greek (and Latin) add the word "nothing."  The Hebrew simply reads: "I am not wanting..."  The "nothing"; but I it implicit enough in the language that I do not consider this a translation foul!

Verse 2:
He makes me rest in meadows of lush grass; he leads me beside still waters.

I've translated this as "lush grass" and not "green pastures."  The word "green" as in "Green pastures" does not appear in the Hebrew.  The word is "grass." God is not simply giving us a pretty picture, but food!


The second half of this verse is often translated, "He leads me besides to still waters."  However poetic, this does not fully capture the idea.  The Hebrew here, מנחה (minukah), means "resting place." As Bible Work's TWOT dictionary says: "Basically the root nûaµ  (which means resting place) relates to absence of spatial activity and presence of security, as seen, e.g. in the ark which "rested" on Mount Ararat (Gen 8:4),"  The NET prefers the more active "refreshing" but I think the words, "still waters" captures the sense of rest that comes from utter trust.

Verse 3:
He restores my soul.  He leads me in paths of righteousness for his glory.

The word "restore" is the reason I find Hebrew so wonderful but so frustrating. If you look at the word in English, you might have no clue that its root is שוב, which means to turn, even to repent. The sentence could read, "He turns my soul."  This is the verb used in the phrase, "Return to the Lord your God!"  Here God is returning our soul to him.

Soul, here נפש, (nephish) can mean a variety of things, but certainly not the idea of a wispy part of us that lives on after we die.  The Hebrew is trying to get at the core of our being; the NET tries to get at this by saying, "He restores my strength."  I think soul is fine, but you can see how the English ends up making this whole Psalm more "spiritual."

The word "name" as in "Name's sake" might be a little weak here. The word שם in Hebrew "Shem" means name, but in the sense of "reputation" or even "glory."

Verse 4:
Though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.

How does one translate "Valley of the shadow of death"?  I again defer to the TWOT dictionary, which is so helpful here: "It describes the darkness of eyelids tired from weeping (Job 16:16), the thick darkness present in a mine shaft (Job 28:3), the darkness of the abode of the dead (Job 10:21ff; Job 38:17), and the darkness prior to creation (Amos 5:8). Emotionally it describes the internal anguish of one who has rebelled against God (Psa 107:10-14; cf. Psa 44:19ff [H 20f]). Thus it is the strongest word in Hebrew for darkness." Shadow of darkness is probably too weak a translation, but the idea here is that it encompasses more than death.  The NRSV tries to get at this by writing, "Though I walk through the darkest valley" but really, for the average reader, "Valley of the Shadow of Death" gets at this...

The Hebrew here juxtaposes two words:  rod and comfort.   נחם (nakam, comfort) is a lovely word, but I'd like us to slow down and considering Bible Work's BDB definition of שבט (shebet), used here for "rod":  rod, staff, for smiting; for beating cummin ; as (inferior) weapon; fig. of  chastisement; national; individual. b. shaft, i.e. spear, dart. c. shepherd's implement, club; used in mustering or counting sheep.

Strange that this would be comforting!

Verse 5:
You prepare a table in the presence of those wishing me harm; you anoint my head with oil; my cup is full of wine

The phrase "in the presence of my enemies" delights the investigator!  It has the sense of "in front of my enemies."  I have read this Psalm many times but it never caught me that the table is not simply prepared privately amid trouble but literally, in the presence of enemies the person is having the table set!  Also the word for enemies is another verbal noun.  Much like shepherding, this word has an active connotation; the enemies are actively seeking your down-fall!

(heehee) The word here for "oil" is also "fat" and the word here for "overflow" is "saturate," so here we have a feast with saturated fats :-)  In fact, the Greek uses the word "made drunk."  There is something a bit almost vindictive about this verse:  "I am getting drunk thanks to you in front of those who hate me!"

Note:  The NET Bible has a long commentary on the word "anoint" and why the use "refresh" instead.  I will save that for the very hungry, but suffice to say, the Hebrew literally reads, "He fattened the oil on my head."

Verse 6:
Surely goodness and love will pursue me all my days and I will continue to return to the house of the Lord for all my days.

Sometimes translated, "faithfulness" חסד, kesed, means "love-in-constant-action-over-and-against-people's stupidity."  To avoid a mistranslation, translators often avoid "love" because that is such an emotional word.  However, it is more than faithfulness.  Also, that it is חסד means that the subject (or possessor) is God! 

"Follow" is too passive for רדפ.  It means pursue, like pursue enemies!

The Hebrew literally reads, "I will return in(to) the house of the Lord."  I like the image not simply of dwelling but of returning to the house of the Lord.  The verb is in a continuous tense, so the idea here is that just as God's goodness and love pursue the person, the person returns to God's temple.  Furthermore, the continuous nature of the verb allows us to imagine, in a way that is probably untenable to the Hebrew mind, always returning to the house of the Lord, even after death!  The literal translation probably leans more toward "all the days of my life" instead of "forever" but again, I think this continual tense of the verb allows us to imagine the idea of a forever returning to God's holy presence.

Luke 24:36-48

This passage occurs during the Easter season in year B of the Revised Common Lectionary, most recently on April 14, 2024.

Summary:  This passage serves as a beautiful encapsulation of Luke's themes.  If you want your mind blown, read this passage alongside of the song of Zechariah from Luke 1.  I will let you have that discovery, but suffice to say, Zechariah's words are fulfilled.  Luke demonstrates literary genius here as he wraps up his Gospel with a few more surprises and a few more Old Testament links.  In short, have fun with your own exploration of the passage and buckle up to lead people in a great bible study!  

For a sermon though, I would focus on the sending of the disciples (likely a group of men and women at this point).  We find here the core of the Christian missionary proclamation:
The What:  Resurrection of Jesus and the forgiveness of sins
The Where:  Planet earth, beginning with Jerusalem
The Who:  The disciples
 
What I find most moving is that the what, where and who all involve very earthly things.  In fact, this commissioning is very grounded in this reality.

Lastly, I might add (in 2024), a reflection on forgiveness and repentance.

Key Words:
λεγει (36, "speak") What is worth noting here is that this word is in the present tense.  Luke suggests that Jesus was repeatedly saying "Peace be with you."  A good sermon is a reflection on the passing of the peace that we offer in worship; it is the peace of Christ that comes about after hell, sin and the death have been defeated, not a wimpy excuse for a "shake another hand time" during church.

ειρηνη υμιν (36, "peace unto you")  As I note in my passage on John 20, English has trouble capturing the force and meaning of what Jesus says.  First, there is no verb.  It simply reads "Peace among or unto you."  Perhaps Jesus is simply declaring the fact that because he is in their midst, peace is with them.  Or perhaps it is an expression of blessing and wish:  Peace be with you!  The other tricky part is the word υμιν, which is a plural dative.  First, the peace is not just for one person, but is for the whole group.  Second, the dative can have a variety of meanings, for example, it could be a distributive dative, meaning that there is a slice of peace for all the people. 

After all of this grammatic analysis, a theological point:  Jesus might simply be offering a middle eastern blessing:  "Peace be with you."  But I  wonder if Jesus is stating a fact.  Peace is among you.

διαλογισμοι (literally dialogues, "thoughts", 21:38)  The NET Bible suggests this is an idiom (based on BDAG).  The point here is that the literal translation is not entirely helpful:  "Why do dialogues arise in your hearts" seems to suggest that Jesus isn't interested in conversations about faith with us; rather this particular phrase means "doubts."

χαρα ("joy", 41)  The name Kara in English comes from this Greek word, meaning joy.  Joy is an important word in Luke (and the New Testament!)
1:14  Prophecy of John the Baptist's birth
2:10  Angles announcing Jesus' birth
10:17  Disciples discover they can do miracles in Jesus name
15:7 and 10:  Parables of lost sheep and coins
24:41  Jesus disciple cannot believe from joy
24:52  The last sentence of Luke's Gospel
It serves as book ends!  The story begins with joy and ends with joy...as the heavens come to earth.

hendiadys; hendiatris (21:44)  Jesus says the "law, prophets and psalms."  By using these three words Jesus means "the whole of the Old Testament"; indeed, the Hebrew Bible refers to its three sections: The Torah, The Prophets and the Writings.  In this way Jesus uses three words to mean one thing.  The fancy term for this is: hendiatris.  (One through three!)

διηνοιξεν (from διανοιγω, meaning "open", 24:45)There are two points in the Old Testament when things are opened using this verb:
Genesis 3:5 and 7 (eyes of Adam and Eve opened as they sin)
Exodus 13  (first born opens the womb)
In other words, this is a dramatic opening.  It is also fitting that just as our eyes were first opened to the painful realities of life, now are our eyes are opened to God's love in this world!

του συνειναι ("to understand", 24:45)  Jesus actually intends us to understand some things.  In this passage, Jesus is concerned about both "head" and "heart."  They mean different things in Greek, but that Jesus is concerned with both "doubts in the heart" and "opening their minds" affirms that God is into the whole person!!  (Yes, learning is an act of worship!).

****

A reflection written in 2024:

μετανοιαν εις αφεσιν ("repentance into forgiveness", 24:47)  

We can take this a couple of ways

• Ignore details, simply say that forgiveness and repentance remain significant after the resurrection.  Forgiveness is not ancillary to the mission of Jesus and the mission of the church.
• Repentance precedes forgiveness -- like you need to make a fundamental turn toward Jesus in order to receive forgiveness
• Repentance here means "have a new mind."  Jesus is saying that in light of his death and resurrection we need a new mind, a new orientation, one that is toward forgiveness of sins.  This is only possible in light of the death, suffering and resurrection of Jesus.  In this way, we are repenting not so much to be forgiven, but repenting to forgive others!

****

Unfinished thoughts 
εις παντα τα εθνη (47)  The focus of Jesus preaching is the whole world, yet 
απο Ιερουσαλημ (47)  Jerusalem still matters

μαρτυρυς (48)  Witness.  My mind explodes here.  See my passage on the ascension story in Luke.

Quick grammar note:  Greek often puts an article with an infinitive, "articular infinitive"  (του+infinitive in this case).  Because it is in the genitive, this suggests that it is an articular infinitive of purpose:  Opened their minds so that they could understand!

Mark 16:1-8 (Easter)

Here are links for Greek commentary on all four Gospel
Matthew 28:1-10
Mark 16:1-8
Luke 24:1-12
John 20:1-18

Summary:  This familiar text offers many directions for preaching.  One unique feature of Mark's Gospel is the name of Jesus, given by the Angel, "Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified."  As the grammar note explains, the word crucified here indicates not simply a past action but a present state:  "Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified, but in a cosmic sense is still in the state of being crucified."  This is a witty way for Mark to get at the point:  The risen Christ still has holes in his hands.

Sermon idea cluster #1

αλειφω ("anoint"; here as ηλειφον; 16.1)  Earlier in Mark, Jesus' disciples anointed people with oil in order to heal them (6:13).  I wonder if sometimes we are healed as we do the right thing, honoring the dead, showing love, in the face of a merciless world.

αρωματα ("spices"; literally "aromata"; 16.1)  Footnote of NET Bible is interesting here.  Because Jews' didn't practice embalming...spices were used not to preserve the body, but as an act of love, and to mask the growing stench of a corpse.   A potential sermon note here: They were doing the right thing, even when hope seemed lost.  It reminds me of this Vaclav Havel quote:  "Hope is definitely not the same thing as optimism. It is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out."

Sermon idea cluster #2

μνημειον ("tomb" or "monument"; 16.2)  This word comes from the Greek for memory (think: mneumonic device).  The tombs are a place of memory, interesting in itself but even more so because

θυρα ("gate" or "door"; 16.3)  The word for entrance means also door.  So the "entrance of the tomb" is literally, "the door to memories." 

Προάγει ("go ahead"; 16:7)  Jesus is not in the past; nor is he in memory.  He is not in nostalgia, but is on the loose!

Sermon idea cluster #3

γαρ ("for" or "however"; 16:8)  My father once preached a great sermon on this word.  Here is the deal.  This word is a conjunction.  It should not, no cannot end a sentence.  But here it does.  So what is up?  My dad's sermon was that the Gospel message continues on in our lives.

Sermon idea cluster #4

εκστατις ("exstatis" - ecstasy; 16.8)  Accordance has a Thayer Greek dictionary.  Citing Philo, it says this regarding this "out of state" - 

"that of the man who by some sudden emotion is transported as it were out of himself, so that in this rapt condition, although he is awake, his mind is so drawn off from all surrounding objects and wholly fixed on things divine that he sees nothing but the forms and images lying within, and thinks that he perceives with his bodily eyes and ears realities shown him by God."  Are they afraid or simply so in awe of what has happened.   In this way, is τρομος (tremble) a bad thing or a profoundly good thing, akin to the last verse of "where you there"?  Are they afraid because something bad has happened or because the whole world has just flipped up upside down?  What is God is actually alive and doing things, going ahead of us??

Note -- the ancients were more welcoming of the spiritual reality breaking into our world.  How does this happen to us?  Does it happen anymore?  What pries open our closed (materialist) system?  

Perhaps this is why they are ζητεῖτε (seeking, 16:6) - seeking for something beyond themselves?  What opens our eyes, I offer, forever shutting down a strict materialism is the combination of suffering and resurrection that makes no sense in a closed system that has no evil and no good.

Sermon Cluster #5

All the verbs are you plural :-)

Sermon Cluster #6 

(A brief commentary on the Perfect tense:)

The perfect tense indicates a previous action that still describes the current state.  Hence:

αποκεκυλισται ("rolled"; 4) and περιβεβλημενον ("dressed"; 5).  In both cases, the previous action of rolling and dressing still are in force.  Thus, we read with total surprise:

εσταυρομενον ("crucified"; 6).  This word is also in the perfect, meaning an action happened in the past that still describes the state of affairs.  The angel declares that even though he is risen, Jesus is still in the state of being crucified.  You are seeking the crucified one; he is risen.  Jesus is alive but he still has the wounds in his hands.

Mark 11:1-11

This passage occurs in the RCL Year B for Palm Sunday, most recently March 24, 2024.

Summary:  Mark uses some really bizarre words in his Greek, that as usual, Matthew, Luke and the translators cover up for you.  How lovely.  This passage gets at the core of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, though:  We are sent to free other people (creation!) to serve the Lord.

It is worth noting that although the disciples perform well in this passage, they are not the one's who will save the world.  In short, this passage is one that can get at the heart of the Gospel:  We are servants of the Lord, sent to make a difference in this world.  Jesus is the Lord, sent to make a different world.

Key Words
αποστελλει ("send"; 11.1, 3)  The disciples have been sent out a number of times in Mark's Gospel and will continue to be sent, hence the term "apostles."  It is interesting that in Scripture there is not a clear distinction between being a disciple and an apostle.  To be a disciple is to be sent.

δεδεμένον (from δεω, meaning "bound"; 11.2)  The donkey is bound.  (Good use of a perfect participle in Greek!)  It has never been used.  I wonder if Mark is making a point here that things that are bound are not yet useful to God or to put it more positively...

λυσατω (from λυω; meaning "untie" or "loosen"; 11.2)  Jesus frees an ass so the ass can be useful.  Preach on that.  I double dare you.  It gets better.

ο κυριος αυτου χρειαν εχει (11.3)  The Greek is straight forward:  "The Lord of it need has."  It is striking:  The Lord has a need!! 

κοψαντες (from κοπτω, meaning "cut" or "lament"; 11.8)  Every other time this word is used in the New Testament, it means lament as in beat one's chest (Luke 8:52, 23:27; Matthew 11:17, 24:30; Rev 1:7, 18:9)  This is not say that it means lament in this case, but it is an interesting choice of words, perhaps foreshadowing a future lament!!

Also, there are no palm branches in Mark's gospel, just branches cut from the field (ἀγρός).  Which is kind of cool to think that humans, animals and plants are all praising God.

ωσαννα ("Hosanna"; 11.10)  Meaning he saves us -- more at http://lectionarygreek.blogspot.com/2014/04/john-1212-27.html

Quirky words I can't quite figure out 
ελαιων ("olives"; 11.1, 13.3, 14.26)  I missed that the Mount of Olives almost becomes Jesus' home base during the passion; he launches his entry into Jerusalem from there; he announces the destruction of the temple; he prays after the Last Supper.  Not sure what to make of this -- he keeps coming and going!

φερετε ("carry"; 11.2, 11.7)  It is a bizarre use of words in that the disciples are asked (and do) carry the colt to Jesus.  (Both Matthew and Luke use a different word, meaning "lead.")  Is the colt that small and is this an ironic scene, if not a parody of a royal procession?  Or is there something about being a disciple that suggests we might have to work -- to carry a donkey??

This is nothing in Greek - but the reaction in the temple is quite strange.  It is like a western scene where nothing is happening except a cool sound effect of a snake coil or something...

John 3:1-21; Nicodemeus

This passage occurs in both the Narrative and Revised Common Lectionaries.  The Revised Common Lectionary breaks it up into two separate passages; the narrative leaves it as one.

Summary:  I don't know if one truly can summarize John 3.  One could describe it as THE chapter of Scripture.  The Greek shows a number of interesting wrinkles in the text, each of which can help get at the core message about the work of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in saving the world.  Perhaps one little tidbit: eternal life doesn't begin after death in the Gospel of John.

Νικόδημος ("Nicodemus" vs 1):  It is worth noting that Nicodemus gets a name; the woman at the well in chapter 4 will not.  Nicodemus, like the woman at the well, misunderstands Jesus.  His story should end in chapter 3, but it does not.  It keeps going.  Because God is author of our story, our own failures do not end the narrative.  In chapter 7 Nicodemus will defend Jesus; at the end of the Gospel he will help bury Jesus (19).  Jesus invites people to come and see.  For Nicodemus, this invitation changed his life, as he came and saw, and was drawn in. 

Little side note:  Nicodemus' general confusion is emphasized in the Greek that he repeatedly says "How can it be that..."  (The tense of λεγω in 3:4 is present tense).

νυκτος (νυξ, "night", vs 2)  The fact that he visits at night might have many meanings.  It might mean that he is worried about shaming himself by association with Jesus.  It might also suggest he is still 'in the dark'.  Finally though it might suggest that he does not want a confrontation.  He is not seeking to embarrass Jesus but wants to meet with him alone.

ο διδασκαλος ("the teacher", vs 2)  Nicodemus calls Jesus "a" teacher; Jesus calls Nicodemus "THE teacher."  Obviously Jesus is catching Nicodemus in his words!

βασιλεια του θεου ("Kingdom of God", vs 3).  It is interesting that Nicodemus didn't ask about the Kingdom.  Jesus seems to give a strange reply.  One might argue that Jesus is simply pushing his own agenda.  However...Jesus never will use the phrase Kingdom of God in the Gospel of John outside of this conversation.  He somehow is addressing a concern specifically for Nicodemus.  I wonder if one could make the argument that Jesus whose listening is so powerful that he can force us not only to listen to him, but somehow to listen to ourselves.  Why did Nicodemus come to Jesus?  Because he wanted to enter into the Kingdom of God.  Nicodemus must realize that this is both a gift but also comes with a profound transformation of Nicodemus' life, one akin to a new birth. 

ανωθεν ("again" or "above" vs 3)  I would argue that 'above' is a better translation here. Not simply because of the context (Jesus says you don't have to come out of the womb, but must be born of the water and Spirit), but because above includes again.  If you are born from above, this is the second birth anyway!  We must be born again, but this birth isn't through human agency, but God alone.

πνευμα (literally, "pneuma"; meaning "spirit" vs 5, 6 and 8)  The word Spirit is related to breath, but also blow and wind.  So the verse that reads "The wind blows where it will" could and arguably should be translated "the Spirit blows where it will."  In fact, one could read it as "The spirit spirits where it will."

πιστευω ("believe" vs 15 and 16, etc).  Believe is only a verb in the Gospel of John.  It means trust; it is an action not a thing.  It is also in the present and active tense:  the one is who is trusting...

εχη ("have" vs 16)  The word here is in the present tense.  ETERNAL LIFE begins NOW.  It is not a future reality, but a present one found in Christ!  Whoever is trusting in God has life which continues into eternity.

κοσμος ("world" vs 16).  Throughout the Gospel of John, the world doesn't like God.  It doesn't understand God (1:10); it doesn't give like God (14:27) ; in fact, it hates God (7:7).  This is the world God loves!

Also important to recognize that the WORLD is the object of salvation.  The individuals receive eternal life, but the scope of salvation is broader than simply humans.