Chapter III.
1. Now there was a certain man, etc. Above, the Lord manifested himself to the Jews by a sign of power; here secondly he manifests himself by a word of instruction, and this instructing all the Jews in the person of Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. And because the word of instruction ought not to be delivered except to an attentive ear, therefore first here is noted the diligence of Nicodemus, and secondly, the teaching of the Lord, at the passage: Jesus answered and said to him: Amen.
Nicodemus is therefore described by a fourfold condition, so that he may be shown suitable for learning: he is described by the uprightness of his life, by the dignity of his office, by his eagerness for learning, and by his aptitude for learning.
2. (Verse 1.). He is therefore described first by the uprightness of his life, when it says: There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus. Of the Pharisees, which sect was the more approved and more honorable above all the sects of the Jews; whence the Apostle boasts in Philippians 3: "According to the law, a Pharisee."
He is also described by the dignity of his office, when it says: A ruler of the Jews. Whence he himself also resisted the fury of the Jews, below in chapter 7: "Does our law judge a man unless it first hears from him?"
He is also described by his eagerness for learning, when it says:
3. (Verse 2.). He came to Jesus by night. He came by night so that he might be instructed and taught more quietly, because that is a quiet hour; whence in the Psalm: "At midnight I arose to give thanks to you."
He is described by his aptitude for learning, when it says: And he said to him, namely to Jesus: Rabbi, we know that you have come from God as a teacher. For he was apt to be taught, because he had come to be taught, and he believed Christ to be a perfect teacher, and he wished to be his disciple, and on account of this he called him master, as the disciples did, below in chapter 13: "You call me master and Lord. " And the reason why he says this is added: No one can do these signs which you do, unless God is with him. Therefore it is clear that he was among those of whom it was said above in chapter 2: "Many believed in his name, seeing the signs which he did." The signs were the reason for believing that he was from God; whence below in chapter 9 the blind man said: "Unless this man were from God, he could do nothing."
QUESTIONS.
4. Question I. But it is asked here first concerning what is said, that Nicodemus was a ruler of the Jews and believed in Jesus, because it is said below in chapter 7: Has any one of the rulers believed in him? As if to say: no.
I respond: It must be said that Nicodemus believed and was among the rulers. And that statement which is said below in chapter 7 was the word of the Pharisees, who were deceived. For Nicodemus believed, even if not openly, nevertheless secretly.
5. Question II. Likewise it is asked: since that hour is the hour of evildoers, because he who does evil hates the light, whence is it that Nicodemus wished to come by night? And it seems that he came in a disordered manner.
I respond: It must be said that the cause was a certain shame, weakness, and earnestness. Concerning shame, [Hugh of Saint] Victor says: "He came by night, because as a master in Israel he was ashamed to learn openly." Concerning weakness, Chrysostom says: "He was still held back by Jewish weakness; therefore he came by night also, fearing to do this by day." Concerning earnestness, Bede says: "He came by night, seeking through private conversation to grasp the mysteries of the faith, whose rudiments he had already to some extent received."
6. Question III. Likewise, there is a question about what he says: No one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him.
To the contrary: Matthew 7: Many will say to me on that day: Lord, in your name we cast out demons, etc.
Some respond to this by pressing upon the word: Unless God is with him. For it is different to say: God is with man, and man with God, as Augustine seems to intend to say in the book of the Confessions: "You were with me, but I was not with you." So also in the matter at hand, man is with God when he has charity, through which he clings to God; but God is with man when he produces some special effect and gift in man. Thus he is with those to whom he grants the power of working miracles.
But this does not resolve the difficulty, because Nicodemus did not intend to say this, but truly, that he was from God.
Therefore it must be said that even though both good and evil men work miracles, they are nevertheless distinguished from one another, namely by manner and end: by manner, because the good work through public righteousness, the evil through signs of public righteousness; by end, because the good work for edification, the evil for glory. And because Nicodemus distinguished miracles by their manner of working and their end, he could especially know this in Christ, because he did not work miracles by invocation.
7. Jesus answered and said to him, etc. The earnestness of Nicodemus has been described; here the teaching of Christ is described, in which he teaches Nicodemus how he can arrive at salvation, because he had come to seek this. And this part has three parts according to the three things which he teaches him. First he teaches him what the way of salvation is; second, what the principle of salvation is, at: No one has ascended into heaven; third, what the impediment to salvation is, at: For God did not send his Son, etc.
First, therefore, he teaches what the way of salvation is: namely, the Sacrament of regeneration, in whose instruction he proceeds in this order. First he sets forth the necessity of regeneration; second, the manner of regenerating; third, the manner of understanding.
8. (Verse 3). He therefore sets forth the necessity of regeneration to Nicodemus himself, who desired to learn. For which reason he says: Jesus answered and said to him, namely to Nicodemus coming by night and inquiring: Amen, amen, I say to you: Unless one is born again, that is, regenerated, he cannot see the kingdom of God. And according to this it is clear that regeneration is necessary for salvation.
The birth of nature: John sixteen: "A woman, when she gives birth, has sorrow: but when she has brought forth, she does not remember the anguish because of the joy that a man is born into the world." - Of fault: Ephesians two: "We were by nature children of wrath"; by nature, that is, by the corruption of nature: therefore Job three: "Let the day perish wherein I was born." - Of grace: First John, the last chapter: "Everyone who is born of God does not sin, but the grace of God keeps him": and this comes about through the Sacrament.
Of glory: Job eleven: "When you shall think yourself consumed, you shall rise as the morning star."
Here therefore he declares the necessary birth of the Sacrament and of grace.
9. (Verse 4). Nicodemus says to him. Here the second point is touched upon, namely the mode of regeneration, which is spiritual. But Nicodemus, supposing it to be carnal, doubts and asks: How can a man be born when he is old? As if to say: it is impossible for an old man to become young: Job seven: "My days have passed more swiftly than the web is cut by the weaver: and they are consumed without any hope." The impossibility is also on the part of the one generating: whence he says: Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born again? He was still carnal, and therefore understood carnally: First Corinthians two: "The natural man does not perceive the things that are of the Spirit of God." But the Lord draws him back from carnal understanding to spiritual: on account of which he says: