Born Again
The Gospel of John • Sermon • Submitted
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· 15 viewsGod loves the word and has made a provision for us to live in His kingdom. In spite of those who may choose the darkness God loves them. But there is a judgment against those who reject the light. Jesus teaches that something transcendent must happen in order to participate in the kingdom of God, you must be born again.
Notes
Transcript
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
Read John 3:1-21
Let’s talk about Nicodemus and what happens when he goes searching out Jesus.
Let’s talk about Nicodemus and what happens when he goes searching out Jesus.
-Pharisee, member of the Sanhedrin, mentioned only in John’s gospel
-He come at night (layered meaning). John uses a theme he introduced earlier in the Gospel, darkness and light. Yes it was dark out but he is also giving us peak at Nicodemus’ spiritual condition.
-Nicodemus admits that he and the other religious leaders know Jesus is from God.
-Jesus points out “very truly (truly truly) you must be born again”. Nicodemus should know what he means but he doesn’t.
-Born of water and the Spirit. (good case for baptism) The big picture point is that this kind of birth is not just human activity.
-Jesus is patient with Nicodemus he still doesn’t get it. And then makes a very bold claim, He’s been in the same place God has been. And if you want to eternal life with God, you have to believe that the Son of man has been lifted up.
-Let’s talk a little bit about verses 14-15
OT reference to Numbers 21:4-9
They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”
Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.
The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.
Did the snake save them or did their belief in God’s promise save them?
Jesus makes the point that believing is necessary for eternal life
Belive pisteuō --to believe to the extent of complete trust and reliance—‘to believe in, to have confidence in, to have faith in, to trust, faith, trust.’ Based on truthfulness and reliability.
Belief is a little more complex than just saying, Jesus is real. (the demons do that). Rather we believe in 1. the true identity of Jesus, 2. the testimony of the gospels about his life, death and resurrection and 3. his ability to save.
Now lets get to the verses everyone knows by heart.
KEY POINTS
KEY POINTS
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
1. Jesus makes a statement of fact (vs. 16)
1. Jesus makes a statement of fact (vs. 16)
Loved-agape Unconditional love but we can notice that it also love that is associated with action. In this case God gives his one and only son. Some translations say begotten. This sounds an awful lot like the time God asked Abraham to sacrifice his one and only son. This should rattle our cage a little. This demonstrates the the extreme depth of God’s love. This is who he gave.
Talk a little bit about the word “world”
World-kosmos literally the whole world but what is the whole world like?
We’ve already talked about what believe means. The result is eternal life as opposed to eternal death. For those who believe (that is our part, belief).
Jesus goes on
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
2. God had a very specific objective in mind when sending Jesus into the world (vs. 17)
2. God had a very specific objective in mind when sending Jesus into the world (vs. 17)
Saving the world through Jesus. That’s the point of the the parable of the the lost sheep in Matthew 18
In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.
and 2 Peter 3:9 which is in response to “Where is Jesus? Shouldn’t he be here by now?”
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
Let’s be clear about something else, Jesus coming (this time) was to build a bridge of reconciliation. God judged severely in Genesis 6 with Noah. We will see final judment with the 2nd Coming. Jesus makes it clear this time it is about salvation.
But then he says John 3:18
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
3. There are real consequences when it comes to the matter of God’s judgment (vs. 18)
3. There are real consequences when it comes to the matter of God’s judgment (vs. 18)
What makes human choice so crucial in this Gospel is the immediate nature of judgment/condemnation. Condemnation is not left to some remote future that might lull the unbeliever into a comfortable feeling that for a while one can sit on the fence of uncommitment. John makes it absolutely clear that condemnation has “already” (ēdē) taken place for the unbelievers. The idea here then is not one of a possible projected condemnation for the unbeliever but the necessity of escaping an already existing condemnation.
Gerald L. Borchert, John 1–11, vol. 25A, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1996), 185.
This creates for us some real tension doesn’t it? And hopefully a real since of urgency for those who are not a “whosoever”.
APPLICATION/IMPLICATION
APPLICATION/IMPLICATION
1. The big question is, are you born again?
1. The big question is, are you born again?
2. We must each decide what kind of energy we are going to put into pursing Jesus.
2. We must each decide what kind of energy we are going to put into pursing Jesus.
3. For those of you that are in Christ, what evidence does the world see of the Spirit moving in your life.
3. For those of you that are in Christ, what evidence does the world see of the Spirit moving in your life.
This actually has to do with a part of the passage we really didn’t cover.
The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
John 1–11 (1) The Story of Nicodemus (3:1–10)
When the ancients thought of the wind, they could not locate either its place of origin or its final destination. But they certainly could feel and hear its force (its sound or voice = phonē).
In these characteristics of the wind there was provided to Nicodemus and to the reader of John an example of how believers in Christ appear to outsiders. First-century outside observers probably knew little of how Christians became followers of Jesus, and they understood little concerning their eschatological destinies. But what they could sense was the presence and work of these children of the Spirit in the midst of pagan and Jewish societies. What they saw and heard from the Christians who were present in their societies was telling as to how they formulated their understandings of Christianity (cf. John 13:35). Their lives were a witness to an unseen reality. Is this picture not also an appropriate word for today?
I would say that if you have been born again, born of the water and the Spirit it will be evident even to a world that probably understand the transformation that has taken place.
