Born Again: What does it mean for life and for death?

Good morning!

If you are visiting us today, I want to welcome you personally.

For the last several months, we have been diligently walking through the book of Luke, learning about the person of Jesus.

In praying about this message on Easter morning, I felt God urging us to pause that study this morning.

Today we are celebrating the most significant moment in human history.

As we are all aware, it is Easter, and Easter is the celebration of Jesus being raised from the dead.

There are a few phrases that are often used in Christian circles that you have probably heard.

“Saved, Born Again, Delivered, Salvation, etc.”

They all have the same basic sentiment or meaning.

They are used to communicate a change that has happened in a person that has forever altered their standing with God.

Our goal today is to understand what it means to be born again, how that changes our lives while we are here on earth, and what it means for eternity.

We will read a Bible story today about a religious leader with a funny name but who had some really good questions.

His name was Nicodemus.

He was a religious leader, much like the one in the video this morning.

Let’s read the story and look at some important questions that Nicodemus asked of Jesus.

John 3:1–9 CSB

1 There was a man from the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to him at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could perform these signs you do unless God were with him.” 3 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 “How can anyone be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked him. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born again. 8 The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” 9 “How can these things be?” asked Nicodemus.

We see in this passage that Nicodemus goes to Jesus at night, and it quickly becomes obvious that he knows of Jesus and he is trying to figure Him out.

The first question isn’t in the form of a question, but Nicodemus is definitely inquiring about something.

In this first statement, He is inquiring, “Who are you?”

His second question is, “How can anyone be born...” again.

His final question is, “How is this possible?”

All three of these questions are the right questions.

They are the very questions that nearly everyone asks of Jesus when they don’t know Him.

As we celebrate what Jesus has done for us, it would be pertinent that we truly understand the ramifications of His death and Resurrection.

Who is Jesus? He is the son of God.

In verse three, where Jesus answers this inquiry, but he is purposefully ambiguous. John 3:3.

If you will remember from the video we watched a moment ago, when Jesus was arrested and questioned by the religious leaders, they asked him if he was the son of God.

How did they respond? They killed him.

Jesus was carefully revealing his nature and answering the question in a way that Nicodemus could receive it.

His words, born again, mean “to be conceived from above to be regenerated.”

Jesus is telling Nicodemus that He is from above.

That was a common perception of God.

In essence, Jesus is saying He is from above, and unless we are from above, we cannot see the Kingdom of God.

We cannot enter the kingdom of God as we are.

To say it like we would today, you can’t go to heaven unless you are like God.

God loves us as we are, but we cannot be with Him until we are made new.

Our sin separates us from God, but we are completely unable to do anything about our sins.

No matter how hard we try, we can never be "from above” as Jesus and God are.

Just like you can’t change what town you were born in, you can’t change the spiritual condition you were born in.

This is why Jesus came, to restore us back to God.

This process is what we call being born again.

When we are born again, Jesus’ perfect life covers us.

2 Corinthians 5:17 CSB

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!

If you allow God, He will make you a new person with a perfect nature.

Jesus came to fix the problem of sin that separates us from God!

Not only did he complete that work for all people, but it requires nothing from us.

It is Christ that does all the work of our salvation.

There is nothing that we can or should do to prepare ourselves because we cannot change our nature.

Only Jesus can do that for us. Titus 3:4-7

Titus 3:4–7 CSB

4 But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, 5 he saved us—not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy—through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. 6 He poured out his Spirit on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life.

If Jesus has done all the work and God wants to restore our relationship, what happens next?

How can anyone be born again?

This is another one of Nicodemus’s questions; frankly, it is a great question.

While Nicodemus is thinking purely physically, Jesus refers to a spiritual rebirth.

In the book of Romans, Paul explains the problem and the solution.

The problem is our separation because of Adam and Eve’s decision to disobey God. Romans 5:18-19

Romans 5:18–19 CSB

18 So then, as through one trespass there is condemnation for everyone, so also through one righteous act there is justification leading to life for everyone. 19 For just as through one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.

The perfect obedience of Jesus is what makes it possible for us to have this spiritual rebirth.

Paul goes on to say in Romans 10:9 that our rebirth begins in a particular way.

Romans 10:9 CSB

9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

If you say out loud, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe that he was the son of God that was raised from the dead, you will be saved.

Can you believe that it is that simple?

This is what Jesus is trying to explain to Nicodemus and all the rest of humanity.

If we believe and say that Jesus was the son of God and that he died and was raised again, we are reborn.

We are no longer separated from God; in fact, His Holy Spirit lives inside of every believer.

This is one of the most important truths that most people don’t understand.

God’s Spirit lives in us and that means that you, in that moment and for the rest of your life here on earth, and beyond, are living in the Kingdom of God.

But what is the Kingdom of God?

Lexham Survey of Theology The Kingdom of God

On the most basic level, we may say the kingdom of God is present wherever the king is to be found.

So, God’s Kingdom is anywhere God is present, and because the Spirit of God lives in you, the Kingdom of God is everywhere you are!

Not only is the Spirit of God with us and in us but we have also been adopted into his family and are coheirs with Christ!

Romans 8:14-17.

Romans 8:14–17 CSB

14 For all those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!” 16 The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, 17 and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

But it gets even better!

The kingdom of God is here on earth and in heaven.

For most of us, our understanding is that a relationship with God or being religious is about hopefully being able to get into heaven when we die.

It is so much more than that!

If you are a believer, like we talked about a few minutes ago, you are going to heaven.

However, Salvation, or being born again, is not just something for after we die.

It is to restore the kind of relationship we were created to have with God while on earth.

There is joy and peace in being truly known and truly loved.

Not just by God, but by your brothers and sisters in Christ!

This brings us to the final question that Nicodemus asked.

How is all this possible?

This is possible because of the love of God for his people. John 3:16.

John 3:16 CSB

16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

This week I have had one song on repeat, and it captures how God feels about us.

The chorus says the following.

“You’re not what you feel, you’re not what you’ve done, you’re not all these failures, you are my son. You’re not what you feel, you’re note what you’ve done, it doesn’t define you, you are my son.” - Prodigal, Barbarians Live; Freedom Church 2023

This song is about the story of the prodigal son that Jesus told, and it is recorded in Luke 15:11-24.

Luke 15:11–24 CSB

11 He also said, “A man had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate I have coming to me.’ So he distributed the assets to them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered together all he had and traveled to a distant country, where he squandered his estate in foolish living. 14 After he had spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he had nothing. 15 Then he went to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to eat his fill from the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one would give him anything. 17 When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food, and here I am dying of hunger! 18 I’ll get up, go to my father, and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. 19 I’m no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired workers.” ’ 20 So he got up and went to his father. But while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. 21 The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I’m no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father told his servants, ‘Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Then bring the fattened calf and slaughter it, and let’s celebrate with a feast, 24 because this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.

This is what it means to be the sons and daughters of God.

God sees us coming from far off and runs to meet us, to welcome us back into the family we were meant to be in.

Jesus gave his life so that you could live yours with God.

God wants you to know Him today.

This is not something for the future or something you can do after making yourself better.

God is standing and watching for you today.

He is waiting with great anticipation for you to come home!

Today we are celebrating all that Jesus has done so that we can return to God just like the prodigal son!

We are celebrating all that Jesus has done so that we can experience the relationship with God that we were created to have.

God doesn’t want us to walk through life on our own, suffering in silence, struggling, and searching for hope.

God is calling for you to come home.

Let’s pray.