Embracing The New Birth

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John 3:1–8 NASB95

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, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered and said to 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? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into 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 be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Nicodemus came to Jesus by night. This man is a leader in the Pharisee’s religion. Which makes this an important detail considering how hostile they were publically with Jesus. This might suggest that he wanted to know more about Jesus but he didn’t anyone to know that. Maybe he was secretly admiring Jesus but he wasn’t ready to go public

He engages Nicodemus in a lengthy conversation that impacted the trajectory of his life forever. The springboard of this conversation was the new birth, or being born from above or being born again. Jesus expresses to Nicodemus that it is impossible to see the kingdom without experiencing the new birth.

I want us to consider that because the kingdom of God goes from eternity to eternity, the idea of “seeing the kingdom” is not just being added to the church, but it stretches to being counted eternally with the faithful believers of all the ages.

What this means for us and Nicodemus, is that new birth is not simply a call to hear, believe, confess, repent and be baptized, but it is to learn how to live as a child of God having experienced the birth from above.

This means I have been made new apart from effort, works, tradition, opinions, customs and traditions - and now I live while keeping in step with the Spirit of God who is developing me to be more like Jesus.

Through the Spirit, I have a new walk, new talk, new dreams, new goals, new objectives, new thoughts, I love new things, I pursue new things, new joys, new perspectives of the world, new thoughts about God - all founded on the new birth, being born from above.

The new birth might have began when I came up from the watery grave but now I must walk in newness of life. New wine can’t survive in old wineskins. This means that conversion is not limited to an event, but it expands to a process where I learn how to live in this new birth.

So, I must embrace The New Birth!

This is a new way of life, I can’t do it like I did before. Live like you have been born again, understanding that the evidence that you have been born from above is life changed by the Holy Spirit.

This all fell apart when humanity was plunged into darkness and sin - therefore this is beyond repairing or rehabilitating, we need to be reborn.

This is not new to John John 1:12–13 “12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

You have been born of God. I am not living for the flesh, nor am I living for the will of men, to please men but I’m born of God so I live for God.

Embrace the New Birth

Nicodemus’ answer to Jesus tells us where his focus was, it was on the flesh.

A Jew simply needed to be birth in the right tribe and they were Hebrews of Hebrews. In His mind the kingdom was for Jews and no one else. The Messiah came for them and no one else. For him, his seat in the kingdom was locked and secure.

Jesus comes and says “you must be reborn”.

Jesus is not just saying something that is disagreeable but he saying something that is virtually impossible.

Firstly, I’m already a Jew, why does it sound like not in the kingdom?

Secondly, how can a man when he is older and grown reenter the womb and be born a second time,

Nicodemus is thinking physical while Jesus is thinking spiritual. Nicodemus was accustomed to meeting the requirements based on the flesh, but what Jesus is saying is that you must embrace a new system that is based on the Spirit.

The flesh is weak, frail and powerless therefore it remains insufficient in producing a new spiritual life.

APPL. You can’t have/live a spiritual life with a mind ruled and guided by flesh. You cannot be Spirit-led whlist trying to live by man-made rules.

Upon hearing his retort, Jesus explains further that you must be born of water and of Spirit.

Ezekiel 36:25–27 “25 “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.”

This is the time or restoration, salvation, joy and celebration.

Titus 3:5 “5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,” Titus 3:6 “6 whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,”

John 7:37–39 “37 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’ ” 39 But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

This is a fulfillment of the prophet Isaiah 44:3 “3 ‘For I will pour out water on the thirsty land And streams on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring And My blessing on your descendants;”

Salvation is God’s work! You don’t have the smarts, skills, the power or the currency to save yourself you need God!

The only thing we can bring to the table is the sin that put Jesus on the cross. We all needed and still need the grace of God. Nicodemus, your will is not good enough. Your standard is not good enough. Your past is irrelevant - what you need is the new birth.

Jesus is saying if you wish to see, experience, abide, live in, enjoy this kingdom existence you need a birth from above, a birth originated, ordained and orchestrated by God.

Jn 3:3;5. “is born” is used in the passive voice meaning God is the doula, the surgeon, the mid-wife that making you new.

To many times we fail miserably in our walk and frustrate ourselves because instead of leaving the cleaning and fixing to God, we try to pre-clean and pre-fix or problems instead of leaving the cleaning and fixing to God.

If entering the Kingdom is on your agenda, you need the new birth

The kingdom is a very broad concept, one that has exisited in eternity, it “came” in the time of the Messiah, in that it broke through the tapestry of time. It describes the rule and reign of God, something that never came into existence but always was. Psalm 145:13 “13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.”

There are four foundational ideas connected to kingdom:

The existence of the King

The King’s commands

The life consistent with Kingdom citizenship

The expansion of Kingdom territory

This is what it means to be in the kingdom. The way into this now, is the new birth. It is not just entering in, but living as.

“Do not be amazed that I said this” (vs.7)

Why would Jesus say this?

The Jews had a habit in seeking to control who’s right and who’s not right with God. They had a habit of trying to control who has a right to be in the kingdom of God and who didn’t.

Because they thought that they alone had a right to God. Newflash! That right was never theirs it was always God’s.

John 1:12 “12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,”

They will not be in control, of who belongs to God, determining what pleases God, This right belongs to God - “don’t be amazed that I said this”

Matthew 5:20 “20 “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” - They don’t have the right only Jesus does

In fact, they couldn’t even get it right Matthew 23:15 “15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.”

It is the Spirit that gives birth to spiritual life - let the Spirit have its way in your life and in the life of other people.

“Don’t be amazed that I said to you, You must be born again” - The Spirit is in charge of the birth, not you!

John 3:8 “8 “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.””

You can’t see what He is doing inside. You don’t have a front row seat to the work He is doing, but you see the evidence of the Spirit.

Outsiders in the first century would’ve hard a hard time understanding why these people of the Way looked so strange.

Outsiders might look at you and try to figure how did they get like this, or behave like this, pray in such a hard time, or go to church when things are so tough, or give abundantly in their poverty - We know it’s the Spirit.

What’s the evidence?

Love Joy Peace Patience Kindness Goodness Faithfulness Gentleness Self-Control

“born of water and of Spirit”

This is a starting point that leads to an end product. It involves a life-long commitment to the life-changing experience with the Spirit of God.

It’s a process that moves us from light to darkness

From superficiality to seriousness

From lukewarmess to love and devotion

From I’ll do just enough for God to there is not enough that I can do for God

From being a worrier to being a warrior

From saying what’s wrong with the church to saying what’s right with the church

From following at a distance, to being a devoted disciple

Embrace the new birth