You Must Be Born Again

I was very close to using the fitting title that Pastor Ed had used when he preached from this passage not to long ago. “Nicodemus Getting Lost.” Nicodemus Getting Lost pt 2. But instead of taking that title, I unknowingly took the title of his other sermon on this passage, ‘You Must Be Born Again’. Today, I hope to add to what our brother has wonderfully laid out for us already in past months. The New title will be. “The Necessity, wonder, and power of regeneration.” And I trust that we’ll see all three of those elements throughout our exposition of the text today.

So we start by remembering our last episode which we’ve just read. Jesus is not entrusting himself to these believers because he knows whats in their hearts, he knows whats in them and in all men, all of fallen humanity, and it’s not good, it is a desperate situation. John has made that clear to us in the prologue. It’s not just the corrupt Jewish leaders, it’s all of Israel, and all of humanity. ALL men and his chosen people particularly, have been rejecting him from the beginning. There is a major problem with humanity, and the remedy must be a great one. Even God come in the flesh, and God’s Spirit pored out upon us.

Verses 2:25-3:1 Read the text

for he himself knew what was in man, now there was a man.

“He himself knew what was in all man” is a general statement of Jesus omniscience. “Once upon a time there was a man named Nicodemus” is a more specific instance of Jesus omniscience, and a more specific instance of the spiritual state of the Jews and all humanity. This account of Nicodemus will give us the only remedy for fallen image bearers.

“Nicodemus”

He is “the” man. The highest religious authority of the day. He’s a Pharisee and a Ruler. The pharisees were the ones most concerned with God’s word and particularly his law. Their goal was to put a fence around God’s law, to avoid breaking it, and there thought was that strict adherence to it would bring about God’s Messiah and end times kingdom. And as a ruler he is a member of the Sanhedrin the Jewish Supreme Court. Made up of 70 of 6,000 Pharasees.

Hear John Gill on Nicodemus:

This man was not a common and ordinary man, but a man of note and eminence, of dignity and figure; and who was of the sect of the Pharisees, which was the strictest sect for religion and holiness, among the Jews; and which, as corrupt as it was, was also the soundest; as having not only a regard to a Messiah, and to all the writings of the Old Testament, but also believed the doctrines of angels and spirits, and the resurrection of the dead, which the Sadducees denied; but yet they were implacable enemies of Christ; and therefore it is the more to be wondered at, that such an one should come to him, and desire a conversation with him

John Gill, An Exposition of the New Testament, vol. 1, The Baptist Commentary Series (London: Mathews and Leigh, 1809), 766.

We should note that Nicodemus is a man that we would readily admit into our fellowship. He’s not someone we would recognize immediately as an enemy of God and Christ. He was sincere and morally upright. Probably would have made a great neighbor. Its hard to understand this because we have a window into their hearts in the gospels that exposes them to us. But it’s good to think about it in this way because it helps us not only sympathize with them, but to check our own selves as well, we all have tendencies to fall into that kind of cold and dull religion. What is to be imitated and avoided. We are never beyond.

Verse 2

Nicodemus says, “Rabbi”

This title already demonstrates to us that Nicodemus is in some way yielding to Jesus. My master, my teacher. This is a vulnerable thing to do for Nicodemus. The teacher of Israel is coming to be taught.

“We know that from God you are”

The emphasis is on the fact that he is from God. Nicodemus is right. But only in so far as the JW, Mormons, Muslims, and what many other heretics could affirm. None of these will deny that Jesus is a teacher sent from God. But does Nicodemus really understand that Jesus is from God. From God in the sense that John wants us to confess? Is he confessing that Jesus is God from the essence of God? That Jesus is light from light. The radiance of the Fathers glory. Very God begotten from the very essence of God the Father. Is he confessing that he is from God but not made of God. That Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God? He is not confessing this.

“No one can perform unless God is with him.”

Moses performed signs because God was with him. He performed mighty deeds in the sight of Pharoah, and Egypt. But again, does he see that there is one greater than Moses here. One who performs wonders and signs on his own merit.

Verse 3

And Jesus knowing Nicodemus heart and need says:

“Truly Truly, I say to you”

Contrast with “we know you are from God.”

“You know,…… well I say to you, “truly truly” “thus says the Lord”. If one is not born from above, he is not able to see the kingdom of God.

The general belief of the Pharisees is that they and all Jews would enter the kingdom through the resurrection on the last day, barring their own apostatizing. Being born a Jew was essentially all one needed. What a jarring statement for the religious leader of the day to hear. You are actually not on your way to the kingdom lest you be born from above.

We’ve already been tipped off to the reality of this in the prologue. “Children of God” a “child” is one to whom the inheritance belongs. Children inherit God’s kingdom. What is it that makes them inheritors? what makes them children? What was it that distinguished those few who did believe? Was it their will? their might? their upbringing, their heritage? No, they were born of God. They were born of heaven, or as our text says, born from above or again. These are all to be thought of synonomous terms.

And Jesus plays off of Nicodemus words here against him. I initially thought Jesus did it with perhaps a bit of playfulness. But after a conversation with a friend about it, it’s more like Judo. In Judo, the basic idea is to use your opponents energy against him. When done successfully it will lead to the throw of an opponent which leads to points depending on its magnitude. Jesus performs a major intellectual/spiritual Judo throw here on Nicodemus.

Nicodemus says, no one is able, if not God with him……..Jesus response, if not born from above, no one is able.

Nicodemus puts his weight forward and before he knows it, Jesus has him flat on his back. There is no seeing of the kingdom, if one is not born again, Jew and Gentile alike. And Nicodemus is a big boy, he can handle this kind of sparring. He is a leader in Israel and he will be held responsible for what he has been teaching, in an even greater measure than others James 3:1 “My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.” Contrast with Samaritan Woman in a a couple of months.

Verse 4

Now if we didn’t have the previous episode, we might be surprised by Nicodemus response. We might be tempted to consider how stupid and slow he is to grab hold of the spiritual realities before him. But we are not surprised, because we take mans fallen and depraved state seriously. We believe what Paul says in 1 Cor is to the point:

1 Corinthians 2:14“But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

Nicodemus doesn’t get it. The GK in v3. Anothen has a double meaning, again and above. Nicodemus it appears doesn’t even consider above as a possibility. He grossly misunderstands what Jesus says.

And it starts with How? How can a man be born when he is old?

And we see this refrain come up over and over again in John’s gospel characterizing unbelief. How can this happen? How will you rebuild the temple? How can you give us flesh to eat? How can you give this living water?

Nicodemus just admitted that God was with Jesus, and now he asks how can this happen? He is not operating with the faith of Abraham here. He is operating on a mere fleshly and carnal plain.

Verse 5

Whatever it might mean, he doesn't understand or believe the power and ability of God. You might of thought he’d say, how does God do this, but instead he goes to a skeptic attitude. “A man cannot enter his mothers womb a second time and be born. Impossible.

And he cannot see that something radically disruptive must happen to us, to him, something marvelous, like a creation, like a new creation. You must be regenerated!

And Jesus moves toward more familiar language. Surely this won’t get past Nicodemus

“Water and Spirit”

It means regeneration just like the previous description and in the prologue. But this idea and these terms have a rich history in the old testament. We’ll just visit a couple here.

Turn to

Ezekiel 36:24–27“For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.”

Isaiah 44:3 “For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, And floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, And My blessing on your offspring;”

Joel 2:28–29 ““And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.”

Titus chapter 3 tells us that being born of the Spirit and water is regeneration and renewal.

Titus 3:5 “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,”

A note about Kingdom: To see and enter is one and the same thing, and we understand that it is a spiritual kingdom. It is a kingdom where God sovereignly exercises his power and authority over the redeemed. It is a kingdom that already has its inauguration at the coming of Christ and will be consumated at His second coming. ANd Though the idea of territory is involved, it is predominantly at this point, spiritual and invisible. It’s not of this world as Jesus will later state. This is contrary to the hopes of the day as we remember what the expectations were.

Verse 6

Read

John makes a sharpe and amplified distinction here.

“That” which is born of flesh……and “that” which is born of Spirit are two entirely different categories. Different plains. That which is born of flesh it is flesh, that which is born of Spirit it is Spirit.

Flesh always and only gives birth to flesh. That’s it. But the Spirit of God gives birth to spiritual children. As a matter of fact, the Spirit can give birth to a whole army of children. Ez 37:1-14.

Flesh can’t do it. Man can’t do it. It is a spiritual birth, effected by Gods Spirit, who is as the creed says, “the Lord and giver of life.” In the old creation yes, but the subject at hand in the creed is the life of the church, the Holy Spirit gives life to the church, the church is animated by her Lord, the Spirit of God. If you have not the Spirits life giving work, you are darkness and chaos just as the first creation was prior to the Spirit’s hovering, life giving work. This cannot be stressed enough. Why are so many in unbelief? Why when I so clearly and convincingly explain the gospel to someone do they reject it? Why can they not see what I see, experience the same delights that I do? Because the flesh can’t bring about Spiritual children!!

Verse 7

“Don’t start to marvel in unbelief Nicodemus”

I believe we have another moment here where John wants us to pause and consider the magnitude of what is being said. Do not marvel, you must be born again, dear listener, you must be born again, children you must be born again! Your parents cannot make you a Christian, we can certainly make you behave like Christians, but we cannot make you to be born from heaven.

The same power at creation is the power that is at work in the new birth. And we don’t have that power. To give life is the prerogative of God.

Verse 8

Do not marvel at the mysteriousness of it.

“The wind is always blowing when and where is wishes.”

Untraceable, inexplicable, powerful, mysterious.

“Like the wind, the Spirit is invisible but powerful; and you cannot explain or predict the movements of the wind.”

Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 296.

We don’t know how or where but we see it’s effects. And here is an awesome thing! As mysterious as the new birth is, as hidden as the actual regeneration of a believer is, the result of it it cannot be hidden. You see the clouds driven by the wind, you see trees bend at its power and you here it whistling though the forest.

We can hear the wind and see it’s effects. I can hear what you say or don’t say, and see what you do and don’t do. The new creature cannot be hid.

When I was born again, I was working on an assembly line with number of Mexicans (little to no english) and a couple of white folks, and they knew something was different. They said it, and I will never forget the mixed responses I got. Some were not happy. Some were indifferent. Some were happy for me. Some made fun of me. It was evident to them that something was different. Even with the language barrier.

And I knew it too. But I could not give an account for it. Some of you might remember how silly some of your early accounts of your conversion were. Really, the only thing you can say as an early Christian is “I believed in Jesus”.

And that really is the common experience. Everyone does not have the same conversion experience. But one thing everyone has in common is that they believed on Jesus as the Christ the Son of the living God. Once I did not, but now I embrace him. Or I realized that I really did believe him to be such and my only Savior.

But as you grow in maturity and understanding and knowledge of Christ, you understand and confess that I was born from above, I was born again. God gave me a new heart. He gave me a new heart and new affections. And I can’t explain how exactly it happened just like the wind. There was a mysterious power at work in me.

And I certainly can’t tell you why, other than that it pleased God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit, to set his love on me in eternity past. That it so pleased God to make me a vessel of mercy. Why not my friends, why me, they are still in unbelief, why me Lord.

Because he knew me -intimately- before the earth was formed and set his love and affection in Christ upon me before anything was made. That in doing so he might magnify his mercy and exalt his Son in his peoples minds and hearts. And glory be to God that he did! Glory to our triune God that he has a people. And that we are the people of his pasture, created in Christ Jesus unto good works.

App.

Jesus glory is displayed in his masterful evangelism. Nicodemus is as lost as a ball in high weeds. But Jesus brings him to a point of considering his own lostness and will later on come to faith. Jesus does not break the bruised read, nor quench the smoking flax. Take this to heart dear brothers and sisters. Pray for the wisdom to deal with the lost in this manner. Jesus could have broke Nicodemus, he could have snuffed out his desire to seek the well being of his own soul. But he didn’t.

When people don’t respond, don’t be surprised. And dont be weary of planting gospel seeds.

We are to be evangelizing, praying and leaning into opportunities for the gospel to go out. We don’t know when the Spirit will work. Here this example of Whitefield from Wiersbe’s comm: “Not only was Benjamin Franklin a great statesman and inventor, but he was also a great correspondent and received letters from famous people from all over the world. One day he received what could well have been the most important letter ever to come to his desk. It was from the well-known British preacher George Whitefield.

“I find that you grow more and more famous in the learned world,” Whitefield wrote. “As you have made such progress in investigating the mysteries of electricity, I now humbly urge you to give diligent heed to the mystery of the new birth. It is a most important and interesting study and, when mastered, will richly repay you for your pains.”

Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 294.

Pray for the kind of courage and wit of whitfield.

3. In regeneration, we are given to see the deep things of God, by His Spirit. The Spirit, guides us by the hand if you will and shows us God’s mind and love for us, piece by piece. We are given to see that God loved us in Christ and so sent him for us.

1 Corinthians 2:7–12 “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.”

4. Salvation belongs to the Lord. We need to grab hold of how utterly gratuitous salvation is. This is the constant refrain throughout the Scriptures. Over and over again. Look with what cords of love the Lord draws Nicodemus And with What cords of love drew us!

The Pharisees were very hardened toward Christ, yet the Wind of God was mighty to break this proud cedar. Think of the Samaritan woman in the Fourth Chapter. Is their a Samaritan woman walking around in this community. Is the grace of God strong enough to break through her stony heart? Is the grace of God strong enough to soften our hearts towards her? He can do it. God is not in cooperation with man on salvific terms. God will not share the glory of his saving arm with another. God has created, permitted the fall, and redeemed a people for himself all for the exaltation of the Son and the glory of His name. And we’ll sing it for all eternity. We’ve already begun to sing it. From now and to eternity.

Lastly. There is a seeming contradiction, a paradox here in this passage, perhaps some of you have picked up on. Jesus insists that one must be born again, but yet we are incapable. I imagine Nicodemus muttering to himself, I must be born again, I can’t be born again! And then a lightbulb turning on….Lord, I can’t do it, but you can, you can do it, you can give what I don’t have! Lord give me a new heart, make me a new creature!”

Nicodemus must despair of himself, before he’s fit for salvation.

One must despair of his fallen condition and come to God for the new birth. This is where we are trying to go in evangelism, this is where we want to bring our children, to the point of despair so they might reach out to God. That they might call upon the name of the Lord. Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will not be disappointed.

Please pray with me.

Lord, what a deep, unfathomable subject, what gravity attends such a topic. Yet what joy, what delight, what adoration comes upon those whom you have regenerated by your holy Spirit.

Help us as we further discuss and meditate on this passage in the hours and days ahead. Exult your Son and glorify your own Triune name in us we pray in Jesus name. Amen.