2.5.8 1.25.2026 Birth Marks 3.1-10

Start:

Entice: A couple of weeks ago I focused on the following words…

John 1:13 ESV

13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Today we have a more detailed explanation. It is easy to operate in crisis mode. To be in a constant panic. To be focused on things we cannot change or even influence. New birth is God’s doing, receiving that birth is facilitated by being conceived and nurtured in the story of Jesus. As we know more of that story and take ownership of it for our own life of faith, the Holy Spirit is given room to move and operate. Eventually we respond in faith, the gestation ends and we are born again. 

Engage:  My guess is that for some of us it was not easy. Conflicting voices. Alternative life opportunities. Shifting worldviews.

John 3:1–2 ESV

1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him,…

At some point we are all…each one of us individually Nick at Night. Bringing our unspoken fears, and anger, and questions, and concerns, and confusion to Jesus. Thinking we are well equipped, that we can handle the answers we are generally just as puzzled as Nicodemus. 

John 3:2–10 ESV

2 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.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 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?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 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.” 9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?

Expand: The problem for humans is not that we are atheists at heart, or that we are spiritually uninterested. If anything, most people are spiritually overstimulated, mistaking every emotion, or profound thought as some sort of religious experience. Much of what Jesus came to do was to remove spiritual splinters, points of misinformation or confusion which prevent us from really hearing and joining His story. Nicodemus was spiritual and so scared of religion that he snuck out at night to see Jesus.

There’s an appropriate picture of humans seeking God. 

Excite: It’s not too much spirituality or too little spirituality—wrong spirituality due to inaccurate or some kind of culture bound teaching. Being human places us above the rest of the created order. But that order has been corrupted by the fall, and our human birth is not enough to come into His presence. Every benefit of being born human must give way to being 

Explore:

Born again by God’s will, in God’s Son, through God’s Spirit. 

Expand: On that night, so long ago Nicodemus walked the path to that spiritual maternity ward where this birth takes place—showing us the necessary steps. 

Body of Sermon: It begins when we 

1 Reject Human Advantage.

1.1 Easy Access.

Privilege.

Position.

Perspective.

1.2 Easy Answers.

Jesus flips the conversation.

It is no longer “Who is Jesus?” But rather…” Who really, is Nicodemus?”

Who am I?

And that is how conversations with God go, in this instance with the Word made flesh. We may start out with questions needing answers. Jesus replies with His own questions about what is most essential and central to our being. 

Once we comprehend how little good being a good human gets us then we can…

2 Receive Heavenly Access.

vv. 4-8

2.1 Embrace the Possibility.

Is this possible?

vs 4

How is this possible?

vs 5

2.2 Experience the Process .

v 6

A new birth similar to but not the same as the old.

A birth that defines a new relationship to God through the Spirit.

2.3 Envision the Power. 

v 8

Invisible.

Tangible.

The last step, we should

3 Respond with Honest Amazement.

vs 7, vv. 9-10

Some scholars describe Jesus in John as “mean”. I don’t think that is the best way to put it. He is always kind and compassionate…but his directness can be misconstrued. Sometimes His reaction is necessary to those He teaches. Let’s face it 

3.1 It is human nature to question these claims.

v. 7, v. 9

Yet Nicodemus should have known better. As a trained teacher he had the tools he needed to incorporate what Jesus said in his Spiritual understanding. 

You and I are 20 centuries removed and stand in a long line of Christian teachers, preachers, thinkers, and writers who have helped us to understand.  We even sing a song…”I Stand Amazed in the Presence….”

While it is human nature to question it is 

3.2 It is faith-nature to trust God to make the unknown knowable, and the unthinkable actual.

v. 10

And that is what we ultimately need from our amazement, A continued search for Jesus…not a continued search for the next big thing. Not a search for more…

A search for HIM

Shut Down

There is not a single thing wrong with asking God questions. Even very hard questions. He can handle our emotions, our passive-aggressive tendencies, our spite, our sarcasm, even our brokenness. The issue is motive. We will not see Nicodemus for some time. We will meet him much later in the Gospel as a follower  of Jesus who moved in the shadows, the silence, and the halls of power. He must surely have understood what Jesus was getting at. He took his time and made peace with the hard answers for his obvious questions.

We’re not like that? Are we? We all believe without wavering, follow without fearfulness, accept without asking?

Not. So. Much.

It’s Ok to be amazed by this plan. It is vital to ask hard questions in pursuit of this heavenly access. And let’s face it, some have more to give up, more advantages that weigh us down. Yet  Jesus speaks the words that can address our every Spiritual question.

We are all there with Nick@Night. Trembling with fear and expectation. Startled by Jesus’ words. Amazed at the possibilities. The question now? What will you do? The water and the spirit of which Jesus spoke meet and change lives in Christian Baptism. It is in this place that we all receive the new birth that marks our faith. Maybe today will be, can be, should be—your re-birthday.