Born Again

John 3:1-21

1-2

John 3:1-2 “Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.””

Who is Nicodemus? A pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin. Enforced Jewish Law

By Night

Signs

Calls him a teacher

3-8

John 3:3–8 “Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.””

Nicodemus should have called Jesus the Messiah. That is what he isn’t seeing about the kingdom. In order to see the kingdom one must see the Son.

Jesus contrasts flesh and Spirit.

9-15

John 3:9-15 “Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”

How do you not understand this?

You don’t understand the earthly example of birth

Gives an example from Scripture. Num 21

Born again

How do you know you’re born again?

How do you do you know that you are in your family?

How can you tell if you’re a sheep and not a dog or a barn?

Identity = worth and belonging

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Spiritual eyes

1 Corinthians 2:14 “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”

There is a certain level of Spiritual enlightenment for the initiation of salvation. Common grace is given in understanding the things of God but to really get it requires an act of the Spirit.

16-21

John 3:16-21 ““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.””

Explain the gospel in light and darkness

Repent and believe

Numbers 21 brass serpent

Likeness of the thing causing death/Jesus is not likeness but was a real man, representing the thing causing death among mankind.

Repent and believe/ look at the wound, look to salvation

Nicodemus

John 7 he is defending Jesus

John 19 he is providing enough spices to bury a king

Many believe that Nicodemus from John 3 is the same as mentioned in the Talmud. He was a wealthy 1st century sanhedrin who lost his wealth late in life. Many believe it was due to his conversion.

He was slow to believe and I imagine he regretted it. Envied people like peter and john for their easy belief.

Don’t wait!