Born Again! (2)

A quest for enlightenment

I was having a conversation with a relative of mine recently when she jokingly said - I’m thinking of having a mid-life crisis, what do you think I should do?

I suggested she should buy a Ferrari, or actually any flash sports car for that matter, and of course let me drive it.

She said she wasn’t interested in cars, so I suggested climbing Mount Everest could be fun. She said it sounded too dangerous.I think doing something big and a bit crazy was probably more fun thinking about rather than doing.

You know, people around my age, and particularly men, get to this point where they think - what’s the point.

You see, life when you’re young is all about progressing to the next stage. You get your first job. You start a family. You get a promotion at work. You buy a house.

For many people it’s tick, tick, tick. But then there comes a point where you ask - what is the point to all of this?

Some people do something crazy. They buy the car. The take on a new challenge. They want some kind of purpose back.

You might get a fancy car to show for it, but the search for meaning hasn’t gone far.

This might be an issue keenly felt in the mid-life, but in one sense, it’s felt by people of all ages.

Surely what we see before us is not all there is. Surely there has to be more.

You know, it’s partly why the whole new atheist movement has dwindled. You go back about 20 years ago and there was this very forceful atheist movement. There are still atheists around, but it’s interesting that there are many from that movement, including some prominent members, who have begun a spiritual journey - some finding Jesus.

In my experience talking to people in our community, I’d suggest there are many people who are on some kind of spiritual journey.

It’s a desire to find something bigger than themselves.

So where does this lead? The answer is that it can lead to a whole range of different places - some not particularly good.

I want to suggest that what we seek is not some airy-fairy make it what you will fantasy, it is a rock solid kingdom of God that can actually be found.

For many of you, you will have experienced this already. For some, you might be on a journey towards that. My intention this morning is to consider how we can really take hold of it, and not just take hold of it, but allow it to completely change us for the better.

Nicodemus

So on that note, let’s dive into the third chapter of John’s gospel.

Now, a quick recap of where we’re at… Two weeks ago we looked at the first chapter where Jesus calls some of the first disciples.

At the start of the second chapter, these new disciples have only been with Jesus a few days, but they witness their first miracle. Jesus turns water into wine.

We ended last weeks message at verse 11 of chapter 2, but the chapter continues with Jesus going to the Jewish festival of Passover in Jerusalem, and becomes outraged by the flagrant disregard of what should be holy in the temple.

But by the end of the chapter, we learn that Jesus is still performing miracles, and as a result many people start turning towards Jesus.

By the time the third chapter begins, we meet a new man by the name of Nicodemus.

Now here is a fascinating character.

We’re told that he is a Pharisee, and for those who are unfamiliar with Pharisees, we’re talking about someone who takes personal piety very seriously. You know, the Pharisees cop quite a bit of criticism from Jesus, mostly on account of their unrelenting legalism, but they were people who genuinely wanted to do all they could to honour God.

Not only is Nicodemus a Pharisee, he’s also a member of the Jewish ruling council.

As the title might suggest, we’re talking about someone very high up in the whole scheme of things. To get to such a position he would know his Scriptures, that is to say, our Old Testament, very well.

So we’ve got this guy who has dedicated his entire life to trying to draw close to God.

But something intriguing has happened. He’s heard about Jesus. Most likely, he’d actually witnessed Jesus doing a miracle and he recognises something different.

Nicodemus would know of the power of God. He knows very clearly of many of the miracles that are written in the Old Testament. At this time though, these sort of miracles are not everyday events, and besides, there is something different about the way Jesus does these miracles. Almost as if the power comes from within.

Now, something interesting we note, at the time of Jesus, most of the people high up in the Jewish system were very skeptical of Jesus - not because they couldn’t see for themselves what was plainly before them, but because the change in order that Jesus represented meant a change in their power dynamics.

But Nicodemus was a bit different. Perhaps he wasn’t quite satisfied. The system he was a part of had an air of godliness… it supposedly gave people a glimpse of heaven… but it was somehow lacking.

Could it be that in Jesus he sees an opportunity to get something real. A glimpse of the heavenly without all of the fakery.

A night meeting

So, in verse 2, we’re told he meets with Jesus at night.

It doesn’t tell us why it was a night visit, but it’s generally assumed that this is not a visit he wants to have in the open. He knows that Jesus is not a popular figure among the other powerful people, but Nicodemus desire to find the truth is greater.

Nicodemus then says to Jesus: “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God”.

Now, we’ve got to remember, Jesus might get called Rabbi a lot, but at this early stage, to have someone like Nicodemus calling him Rabbi, it’s kind of a big deal.

The word Rabbi just means teacher, but when it comes from the lips of a member of the Jewish ruling council, it carries more weight.

And not only does he get given the title of Rabbi from Nicodemus, but he is also recognised as a teacher who has come from God. And Nicodemus goes on to explain his reasoning.

These miracles that Jesus has been doing - they are not possible if God was not with him.

Nicodemus is intrigued. There’s something in this.

Interestingly, in the comment, he doesn’t ask a question - but Jesus can tell he is searching for something.… something heavenly.

And so Jesus replies: “very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

It’s great that Nicodemus is searching… but sometimes to find, you need to change.

Born again

But we need to pause here a moment, because Jesus just used a phrase, which while it might be familiar to many of you here today, it is most certainly wasn’t a phrase that Nicodemus was familiar with.

I’m talking of the phrase “born again”.

Now I want you to put aside your own personal feeling about this phrase, whether positive or negative. And instead try to see what Jesus means by it.

Nicodemus in an almost humorous way seems to apply this phrase in a literal sense, and so we find him imagining himself coming out of his mother’s womb a second time. This is clearly not what is being meant by Jesus.

Jesus instead counters with the statement in verse 5: “very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit”.

Now, who here likes cryptic crosswords?

Jesus is about to make some statements, and they come across quite cryptic.

It can be frustrating because we just want Jesus to clarify matters for us, but he just uses another phrase which is equally tricky to figure out.

You see, he goes from talking about being born again, to being born of water and the Spirit.

And so now, we have to try and figure out what does it mean to be born of water, and what does it mean to be born of the Spirit.

And let me just tell you… there are a lot of different views on this, and in the interest of time, I’m not going to go through all of them now, but ask me later if you’re interested.

The suggestion I want to offer forward, and I do so a little tentatively, is that the water refers to the cleansing that is required in our lives, and the spirit refers to the new nature that we are to receive.

The bottom line, to be born again means to be changed by the Spirit. It means to say, I want to get rid of the old self - this is to be born of water, and take on a new self - that is, to be born of the Spirit.

Do you want to know about heavenly things? Do you want to move beyond the endless rat race of our existence? You need to allow yourself to be changed in a spiritual way.

This is more than just an intellectual pursuit. This is about entering the spiritual realm.

The need to have Jesus

Now Nicodemus is still baffled - and can I say, I don’t exactly blame him. He says in verse 9 “How can this be?”

Well, Jesus is about to put the focus on himself.

You see, it is all well and good to say that if we want to know about the heavenly, we need to change spiritually, but how in the world do you go about doing that?

The answer is to look to Jesus.

Jesus effectively says, I can tell you about heavenly things, because that’s where I come from.

Now just recall how this conversation started. It was in Nicodemus recognising that the miracles that Jesus has been performing prove that he has come from God. Nicodemus has recognised this fact.

Jesus is just helping Nicodemus take the next step.

Based on the testimony of the miracles, Jesus is trustworthy, therefore you can listen to what he says.

But then we get the next cryptic comment in verse 14, or at least what would have seemed like a cryptic comment to Nicodemus. Jesus says: “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, sot he Son of Man must be lifted up”.

Let me just pause a moment to remind you of the story of Moses lifting up the snake.

It’s a reference to a story found in Numbers 21. The Israelites had sinned and we then find snakes causing havoc in the community. God intervenes, but to help the Israelites focus on God’s control in all of this, Moses is to put a snake on a stick and lift it up as a reminder. In the process of doing this, God saves the people. In lifting up the snake comes salvation.

Jesus is drawing a connection between that snake being lifted up, and when Jesus will eventually be lifted up on the cross.

We’re of course very familiar with the cross story and so it’s not too hard for us to make sense of this statement. Think about how poor Nicodemus must have been faring having no idea what he’s talking about.

But here’s the thing… you don’t actually need to understand all of the specifics. You just need to recognise that it is in Jesus that you will find the change that you need.

The implication of our change

Now, one thing you need to know is that when this was written, the Greek language in which it was used, they didn’t use quotation marks. Today when we write we use quotation marks so it’s clear what is being said by the character in the narrative, as opposed to the remarks of the narrator. When we read the Bible in English, those quotation marks have been added, but this is based on educated guess based on the structure of the writing.

What I’m getting at in these remarks is that there can be some debate whether verse 16 and following continues the words of Jesus, or whether these are comments made by the author of the gospel.

The general consensus is generally that Jesus words finish at verse 15.

Verse 16, however, is one of the most well known verses in the entire Bible.

“For God so love the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”

Let’s follow the logic of this passage.

Nicodemus is searching for something more… for something heavenly. Jesus says, if you want this you need to change. And if you want to change, I’m the one you need to look to.

We now hear what this change actually means.

Eternal life

It means you can have eternal life.

Now eternal life is an interesting concept. I’ve heard some people suggest that they’re not really sure they want eternal life - sure it might seem alright at the start, but wouldn’t it get tedious.

That’s because we’re thinking about the concept in earthly terms. But just because we might struggle to comprehend eternity, we should still trust that the experience will always remain a good one.

Being born again, means entering into eternal life.

No condemnation

Not only do we enter into eternal life, but right now, if we believe in Jesus, we can stand as people who are not condemned.

That guilt that you are feeling… whether it guilt that people have placed on you… or guilt that you have incorrectly placed on yourself… or guilt for something you did that you know is wrong… let me tell you now, if you have believed in Jesus, you do not need to feel guilty anymore. You are no longer condemned.

We start on a spiritual journey. We think we’re going to find some deeper meaning to life. What we actually find, is the most freeing gift of all, the gift of all of your burdens being lifted.

Into the light

But let me offer just one more implication of being born again...

You enter the true light.

Sometimes life can feel like we’re just stumbling around in the dark.

When you become born of water and of Spirit, the change that occurs shifts the way you see the world.

Now, I want to be careful not to overstate this too much. Even as believers, we don’t get perfect vision of the world. The sinful nature still exists and this always hampers the way we see things.

However, when we are born again, it is like a veil is lifted. We start to understand the upside nature of God’s kingdom, where power is found in weakness. Where the first shall be last and the last shall be first. WIthout the change, this makes no sense at all. With the change, the world looks different.

Embracing the change

Where are you on your spiritual journey?

If you’re still trying to just figure out what to make of all this, and that perhaps you haven’t made that decision to fully embrace Jesus, can I suggest that if you want to find a more satisfactory spiritual outcome, to just allow Jesus into your life. Repent of your sins and ask him in. It will be the greatest thing you ever do.

If you’re further along the journey, may this be a reminder that this is for you too.

You see, unfortunately, it is easy as a believer to allow guilt to pile up. It’s easy to lose sight of the light that we have been given.

And so, I want to remind you that you are forgiven and that the light is available for you.

The key is to continually look to Jesus. Study him. Meditate on him. Consider his teachings. But more than that… make room for him in your life.

Conclusion

Do you want to see heavenly things?

It is possible. It’s possible because Jesus has made it possible,

Being born again means allowing Jesus to completely change us. We still remain ourselves. We’ll still have the same basic personality, but we’ll be a new person. One that has been entirely shaped by Jesus.

It is when we go through this change, that we’ll start to understand the kingdom of God.

Jesus is ready to make this change in your life. Allow him in.