We suppose that, at the time of Jesus’ death, John had a home in Jerusalem.  It has been thought possible that when and before he became a disciple of Jesus he had an abode there, attending to the business connected with the sale of fish from his home in Galilee.  There Jesus might be found in the guest-chamber on the roof of the oriental house which was reached by an outside stair.  Nicodemus had no invitation, such as Andrew and John had to Jesus’ abode on the Jordan, but he had an equal welcome to John’s home, whither he had come on a like errand, though with different views of Jesus, to learn of Him.  He sees still burning in the upper chamber the night lamp of Him whom he is to know as “the light of the world.”  He ascends the stair, stands at the door and knocks; and it is opened.  Apparently without lengthy salutation, or introduction, he makes known his errand in the single sentence, “Rabbi, we know that Thou art a teacher come from God, for no man can do these signs that Thou doest, except God be with Him.”  He might have added, “What shall I do?” Jesus gave a very solemn answer to his question,—­“Except a man be born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  He taught him that doing certain things, and not doing others, was not enough; he must be good.  To be good there must be a change of spirit.  As a child has a beginning of its earthly life, he must have the beginning of a spiritual life, or he cannot be fitted for the kingdom of God in this world or that which is to come.  That great change comes “from above,” from God Himself.

Listen to some of the wonderful truths Jesus taught to Nicodemus.  They are for us as well as for him. 1.  Those who do not have this change of spirit must “perish.” 2.  But none need to perish, for “eternal life” has been provided. 3.  This life is through the suffering and death of the “Son” of God. 4.  God “gave His only begotten Son” to do all this. 5.  God did this because He “so loved the world.” 6.  This “eternal life” can be had only by “believing on” the Son of God. 7.  “Whosoever” so believes may have eternal life.

All this is included in one sentence: 

“God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

This is the golden text of St. John’s Gospel, and of the whole Bible.  Through all the ages it has sounded, and will sound to the end of time, as the gospel itself.

John must have been a most attentive listener to all that Jesus said.  This was at the beginning of His Lord’s ministry.  Fresh truths easily impressed him.  They were the buddings of which he was to see the bloom, of whose fruitage he would partake most abundantly, and which he would give to others long after the echo of the Great Teacher’s words had died in the chamber where he and Nicodemus heard them.

It was long after that nightly visit that John wrote his account of it, including the golden text whose keyword was Love.  It is supposed that he wrote his Epistle about the same time.  That text was so present in his thought that he repeated it in almost the same words:  “Herein was the Love of God manifested in us, that God hath sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.”