Born Again (Part 1)

The Plan

Text: John 3:1–17 Big Idea: Being born again isn’t random—it’s part of God’s redemptive plan from the very beginning.

[Opening Illustration – Planning vs. Improvising]

How many of you are “just wing it” people? You don’t plan—you just go. And how many of you are planners—you’ve got calendars, color-coded notes, to-do lists?

Summer’s family is a “just wing it” family. I love them dearly and couldn’t ask for better in-laws—but that’s tough for me. We stay really busy, so “just winging it” can make things stressful. When you’re juggling life, you can’t afford to just make it up as you go.

Now imagine building a house—land, tools, materials—but no blueprint. No plan. That would be a disaster.

And yet, that’s how some people think about salvation. Like it was God’s backup plan… something He threw together after sin entered the world. Like Jesus came to clean up a mess that surprised Him.

But listen—you don’t make life-or-death decisions on a whim. No one builds a house by accident. No one gets married on impulse (well, hopefully not). The things that matter most require a plan.

Tonight we’re gonna be in John Chapter 3. What’s significant about this passage? JOHN 3:16!!!! Everyone knows it, but who knows the context? Who’s speaking? Who’s he speaking to? Where are they? Why is it important that these 2 specific people are talking? Lets dig in...

1. God Planned Salvation Before the Foundation of the World

John 3:1–2 NLT

There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.”

Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night. Why? He’s a Pharisee, a religious teacher, and he's curious. The other Pharisees see Jesus’s teaching as blasphemy, as a mockery to their religion. Claiming to be the Messiah was a big offense back then.

But Nicodemus? He knows there’s something different about Jesus, he just doesn’t quite get it.

Miraculous signs? That means miracles. Jesus was making it known that he was the ONE by performing miracles that nobody else could do.

This was dangerous to meet like this for Nicodemus, if the other Pharisees found out it would not be good for him.

Yet, he couldn’t resist. He had to know more about this Jesus guy.

2. Jesus Came to Fulfill That Plan

John 3:3–15 NLT

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?” Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.” “How are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked. Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things? I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony. But if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.

Jesus tells Nicodemus something radical: “You must be born again.” Not born of flesh, but born of the Spirit.

Jesus begins to explain that to see the kingdom of God, a person must be born again.

But this idea of spiritual rebirth isn’t some new concept Jesus made up in the moment. Scripture shows us that God had a plan for salvation all along.

Ephesians 1:4–5 NLT

Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.

And then He begins to connect the dots for Nicodemus. He points to a story from Numbers 21, where Moses lifted up a bronze serpent and anyone who looked at it would be healed. That moment in Israel’s history was a preview of what Jesus would do on the cross.

Imagine spending your whole life waiting for someone—a Rescuer, a King, a Savior. That’s what the Jewish people had been doing for centuries. God had promised a Messiah, and they clung to that promise.

But here’s the twist:

When the Messiah finally showed up… most people didn’t recognize Him. Even the religious experts—like Nicodemus—missed it.

Why? Let’s break it down:

The Prophecies Were Real, but Mysterious

God had given lots of clues in the Old Testament about what the Messiah would be like:

Born of a virgin – Isaiah 7:14

Born in Bethlehem – Micah 5:2

From the line of David – Jeremiah 23:5

Would suffer and die for sin – Isaiah 53

Would bring healing and freedom – Isaiah 61

The clues were there. Nicodemus would’ve known them. He had studied them his entire life.

But…

People Misunderstood What the Messiah Came to Do

Most people thought the Messiah would be:

A warrior king to fight off the Roman Empire

A political leader who would restore Israel’s power

A national hero who would bring back the “glory days”

They expected the kingdom of God to look like a throne, an army, and a revolution.

But Jesus didn’t come swinging a sword—He came with open hands and a servant’s heart.

Jesus Brought a Different Kind of Kingdom

Jesus turned everything upside down:

His kingdom wasn’t political—it was spiritual.

His crown wasn’t made of gold—it was made of thorns.

His victory didn’t come through violence—it came through a cross.

He said:

“My kingdom is not of this world.” – John 18:36 “You must be born again.” – John 3:3

To be in Jesus’ kingdom, you didn’t need to be Jewish. You didn’t need to follow a bunch of rules. You didn’t need to earn your way in.

You needed a new heart. A spiritual rebirth.

That’s Why Nicodemus Was So Confused

He had studied Scripture. He had memorized the Law. He was a top religious leader.

But Jesus was telling him:

“All that religion won’t save you. You need to start over—from the inside.”

That’s what “born again” means.

What does that mean for us?

We do the same thing sometimes, don’t we?

We try to be good. We go to church. We know the stories.

But Jesus doesn’t just want your behavior—He wants your heart.

He didn’t come to fix your life a little. He came to make you brand new.

Let me show you a powerful visual of this conversation. It comes from The Chosen, a series that creatively but carefully brings the Gospels to life. This clip is from Season 1, Episode 7, where Jesus and Nicodemus have this very conversation.

(Set up the clip briefly: “Watch how Jesus patiently explains what it means to be born again—and how it ties directly to God’s purpose for sending Him.”)

[Play ~10-minute Chosen clip: Nicodemus and Jesus]

[Brief Reflection After the Clip]

Did you feel the weight of that moment? Jesus wasn’t offering a suggestion—He was revealing the heart of God's plan.

John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son…”

Jesus didn’t show up randomly. He wasn’t a backup plan. He was the plan. The plan to take your place. The plan to bring dead hearts back to life. The plan to give you a new beginning.

3. We Must Respond to His Invitation

John 3:16–17 NLT

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

Nicodemus heard the truth—but Scripture suggests he walked away wrestling with it. We don’t know for sure what he decided in that moment.

Jesus says, “Whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

The ball is in our court. It’s not enough to know about Jesus. You must believe—trust—surrender. That’s what it means to be born again. It’s a spiritual rebirth. A transformation.

You can’t earn it. You can’t fake it. You can only receive it.

[Closing Illustration – The Blueprint]

Imagine God’s plan like a blueprint. Detailed. Specific. Intentional.

Jesus followed that blueprint to the cross. He laid the foundation by dying and rising again.

But here’s the question: Are you building on it? Or are you still trying to figure it out without the plan?

[Call to Action / Invitation]

God’s plan is perfect. Jesus fulfilled it. But now you have to respond.

Have you been born again? Are you still like Nicodemus—curious, intrigued, but holding back?

Tonight, the invitation is open. To believe. To surrender. To be made new.

All heads bowed and eyes closed, look at me if you feel the Lord working in your heart and you’re unsure if you’re born again.

Connect with a youth worker in the back. Pull them to the side and pray.

[Optional Ending Prayer:]

“Father, thank You that salvation is not random—it’s part of Your perfect plan. Thank You for sending Jesus to bring us new life. I pray for every student here tonight—that they would see the truth, believe in Jesus, and be born again. Let Your Spirit do what only You can do. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”