The New Birth

Introduction

We are now turning from a very public part of Jesus’s ministry during the season of Passover, to a private conversation He had with a man named Nicodemus. Turn with me in your Bible to John 3. We will look at verses 1-10 today (READ John 3:1-10).

Like always, we’ll break this down into a few points.

Who are we talking about?

A question of the heart?

The discussion.

1. Who are we talking about?

John 3:1 says, “There was a man from the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.”

There is a strong thought that Nicodemus was saved at this encounter with Jesus.

You may wonder why I start with that statement, that is because in some translations the first word is this verse is “but” instead of “now”.

this is to point out the fact that Nicodemus is one of the people that were enthralled by Jesus and the signs He was doing, as we see in verse 2.

We see at the end of chapter 2 (vv. 23-25).

The “we” there is talking about all of those people who had been witnessing Jesus performing miracles.

But why such keen interest in this man?

Why was Nicodemus so significant?

First we see that Nicodemus is a Pharisee.

He was a part of the conservative group of religious Jews.

Second, we see that he was a ruler of the Jews.

This means that he was a part of the group who oversaw the religious side of the Nation of Israel, which was called the Sanhedrin.

This is the group that Jesus would eventually be put on trial in front of before being taken to Pilate before His crucifixion.

Third, we see this later on in verse 10, Nicodemus was “The teacher”.

Not just a teacher, but the teacher.

This could mean one of two things.

He was either the primary teacher of the Law of Moses in his day.

Or he was the most popular teacher of the Law of Moses.

This man had great authority among the Jews.

He comes to Jesus at night (v. 3).

Some believe that he came to Jesus at night because he was afraid of what the Pharisees or public might think of him.

They would think that Nicodemus is soft or blasphemous for considering further what Jesus had to say.

I’m not 100% sure that is the case.

John 7:50-51.

He stands up to the Sanhedrin.

John 19:39.

He buries Jesus as the Sabbath comes in.

A question of the heart?

Why did Nicodemus go out of his own way to talk to Jesus? It seems he had a lot on his mind. Look at verse 2.

The Teacher of Israel just called Jesus “Rabbi”.

He knows that Jesus must be brilliant.

Its significant because Jesus didn’t go to school, but here, the foremost teacher shares his own title with him.

Next Nicodemus says, that “we” know He comes from God.

This is to show that he wasn’t the only one to believe this, but this puts him along with those at the end of chapter 2.

Nicodemus would have known that those who are able to do these signs must come from God by his personal study of the Old Testament.

Is this truly what Nicodemus wanted to talk about with Jesus?

Jesus didn’t think so (verse 3).

Jesus immediately answers Nicodemus, but Nicodemus didn’t ask a question though.

Remember what was said of Jesus, He knew what was in man, that is to say, He knew the heart of man.

This is the answer to the question that must of have been on His heart.

I think we can rightly assume that Jesus knew that Nicodemus had been questioning things. Nicodemus was probably acquainted with John the Baptiser and his pronouncement that the Lamb of God was here. And Nicodemus was questioning on how he would get to heaven.

Jesus says to him, “You have to be borne from above,” or as most translations put it, “born again”.

The Discussion (vv. 4-6).

Nicodemus’s reply to Jesus is very interesting. Because I would’ve asked the same thing.

How are we to be born again?

Interestingly enough, Nicodemus didn’t hesitate. There is no inclination that he wondered why Jesus even said this.

Herman Ridderbos, a German Theologian, states that because he was a teacher, he had dealt with hypothetical almost daily, so this was no new occurence for him. He takes Jesus’s conversation in stride.

This hypothetical of the birth and the new birth is very telling.

There is nothing we can do to be born. Our parents did all the work for that.

so the new birth is quite the same. The Spirit blows where it wishes, which we’ll deal with later.

When you were first born, you were a new person.

the same thing happens with the New Birth. You are a new person in Christ. You are no longer slave to the old sinful ways.

Ephesians 2:1-3.

2 Corinthians 5:17.

We see primarily here in verse 5 Jesus say “born of water and the Spirit”.

These two things are separated by an article to show that they are not the same thing.

This helps us by showing that we are not given the Spirit by water.

So what is this water?

This is the cleansing that the Spirit does.

Titus 3:4-7.

Ezekiel 36:25–27 “I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will place my Spirit within you and cause you to follow my statutes and carefully observe my ordinances.”

Jesus continues teaching the Teacher with verse 6. This verse is where Jesus begins to hit the nail on the head for our friend Nicodemus.

Remember the Pharisees in all their pompous righteousness, thinking that they have their own hold on the Kingdom of God.

Their righteousness was based upon their deeds, that were done in the flesh.

Having a righteousness that is born of the Spirit would garner your entrance into Heaven.

Jesus was showing Nicodemus that night that salvation cannot be done on your own terms. We cannot save ourselves. Only Spiritual Regeneration can saved us (Read verse 8).

the Greek word for wind and spirit are the same: “pneuma.”

You don’t know where the wind comes from, nor can you control, BUT you can see the signs that it is blowing.

You don’t control the Spirit, but you can see the signs of Spiritual Regeneration in a person’s life.