You Must Be Born Again
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You Must Be Born Again
You Must Be Born Again
Intro
Years ago Corrie and I went through a phase of watching HGTV.
We loved to watch the Shows where people buy homes and then renovate them.
For many of the homes the renovations weren’t because of any damage but simply personal preference.
The couple wanted an open concept in a house that is completely segmented off.
So the house would look fine. Everything would look in order, but then the walls would start coming down.
And once that happened the reality set in.
The house was damaged.
The studs in the walls were dry rotted.
Or filled with Termites.
There were problems on the inside that weren’t evident on the surface.
This is true for humanity as well.
We can hide the rot.
We can hide the pain.
We can hide our wickedness behind a facade.
It’s not enough to cover up the sin and polish the outside.
We need to be renovated.
We need to be renewed.
We need to be restored.
We need to be reborn.
And today we are going to meet a man in our Scripture that comes to confront Jesus.
He is curious about the teachings of Jesus.
He is intrigued by the signs that Jesus performs.
And Jesus is going to reveal to him the truth it’s not what he does but who he trusts that pleases God.
That no matter how good he looks on the outside.
How obedient, how reverent, how religious he looks, those things can never please God.
It’s interesting that John leads up to this story with this conclusion from the previous chapter.
John wrote Jn 2:23-25 “23 While he was in Jerusalem during the Passover Festival, many believed in his name when they saw the signs he was doing. 24 Jesus, however, would not entrust himself to them, since he knew them all 25 and because he did not need anyone to testify about man; for he himself knew what was in man.”
John paints a picture of what we read a couple of weeks ago about the Jewish people that believed in the signs of Jesus, but not in the person of Jesus.
A man comes to Jesus curious about who he is, what he is doing, but he comes without knowledge about the reality of who Jesus is.
The identity of Jesus is questioned all through out the gospel of John and here is an example of someone who should have known, but was truly blind to the reality.
1 There was a man from the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
Religious Qualifications
Religious Qualifications
Who is this Nicodemus?
Well he was a Pharisee.
If you aren’t aware Pharisees were the religious elite of Jesus’ time.
They obeyed the Law.
They were zealous about God’s law.
They wanted God’s law to be taken seriously
They were trying to please God with their obedience.
They were the religious standard for the Jewish people.
The Pharisees were seen as teachers of the Law.
They were educated, devoted, and adherents to God’s Word.
Now Nicodemus was not just your run of the mill pharisee.
John tells us that he was a “ruler of the Jews.”
This probably alludes to him being on the Council of the Sanhedrin.
The Sanhedrin were a ruling council in Jerusalem.
It consisted of 70 officials that “served as the judicial authority for the Jews.”
They would “meet to decide on legal matters with religious, political, and social ramifications.”
They were the ones that governed over the Jewish people when it came to disputes or violations of the Jewish Law.
Nicodemus an important figure when it came to the Jewish life in Jerusalem.
He would have been well known and readily recognized.
Nicodemus would have been one of the most morally upstanding citizens in Jerusalem.
But when watching Jesus, he felt like there had to be more.
He was intrigued by Jesus.
Jesus piqued his curiosity, so Nicodemus had to find out more about this man.
2 This man came to him at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could perform these signs you do unless God were with him.”
3 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4 “How can anyone be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked him. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?”
5 Jesus answered, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
6 Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born again.
8 The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
Born Again
Born Again
We have to hand it to Nicodemus he had an understanding that Jesus was an astounding man.
He saw what Jesus was doing and knew that he had to have come from God.
No doubt he was thinking about the Men in the OT that did mighty things because the Spirit of God was working through them.
Moses Splitting the Red Sea
Samson collapsing the Pagan temple.
David conquering Goliath.
Nicodemus knew that the signs Jesus did pointed to a reality that was greater than the sign.
But he didn’t know how much greater.
He didn’t know how much deeper.
So he wanted to inquire more about Jesus.
Did you notice when Nicodemus came to Jesus?
v.2 “He came to him at night.”
This could mean a couple of things.
And I’ve heard it preached a few different ways.
One way is that Nicodemus was curious but it wasn’t a bold curiosity.
He came under the cover of darkness so that people wouldn’t see this Elite Jewish Man talking with someone under his station.
I have also heard it talked about that John was just accounting for the time of day and that it has no significance other than an accurate recording of the meeting.
But as we know John is placing layer upon layer in his account of Jesus.
So this argument doesn’t really hold that much water.
I believe, along with others, that the meaning of Nicodemus coming to Jesus at night holds more than just surface significance.
Sure, maybe Nicodemus was a little embarrassed about his fascination with Jesus.
But maybe John is so precise with this language because light and dark play a big role in the theme he is teasing out in his gospel.
Throughout his gospel account, John contrasts the Light of Jesus with the darkness of the world.
Darkness in John’s gospel means many things but one of the meanings is spiritual blindness.
And here we see that Nicodemus is spiritually blind to the truth and light that Jesus brings.
John wants us to see that no matter how religious or knowledgeable we are that doesn’t mean we are in the light of Jesus.
You can know facts and figures about God.
You can have bible verses memorized.
You can read your bible for hours a day.
You can have a PhD in Theology.
But still live in the darkness.
Still not understand grace.
Still not comprehend God’s true revelation.
Still not know Jesus.
Religious Behavior and knowledge will not and cannot save you only Jesus Can.
And when we recognize this, we see that something is missing in our lives.
Just like Nicodemus.
He saw something was different about Jesus.
He approaches Jesus with the title of Respect.
He calls him Rabbi or teacher.
Jesus didn’t earn that Title.
He wasn’t trained in the Rabbinic schools.
He was a carpenter, but Nicodemus sees his signs and sees his teachings and recognizes that only a person who is in tune with God.
Only one who was sent by God could accomplish such things.
And Jesus’ response to Nicodemus’ approach sounds a little harsh and a little abrupt.
Jn 3:2 “2 “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could perform these signs you do unless God were with him.””
Jn 3:3 “3 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.””
You see Jesus is getting at the heart of Nicodemus’ curiosity.
Nicodemus wants to know how Jesus can do what he can do.
Jesus wants him to see that he can’t see unless he is made new, born again, born from above.
That Nico will never know or see what God is doing until he is born again.
This is the only time in John’s gospel where the phrase Kingdom of God is used
Jn 3.3 “3 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.””
What we have to know is that the kingdom of God is both already present and to come.
The Kingdom of God is not strictly a future reality.
Jesus inaugurates the kingdom through his life, death, burial, and resurrection.
The kingdom of God is at hand.
For the Christian we shouldn’t just be waiting around until Jesus comes back for that kingdom to be established.
He has already established his kingdom and we are to be ambassadors of that kingdom.
Because there are many walking by us everyday that are not a part of God’s kingdom.
They don’t belong they aren’t born again.
And our Job as kingdom members is to help to cultivate that kingdom around us.
We are to tell others about Jesus.
Take them to the one that can bring them to life.
Our focus should not be on when Jesus is coming back, but on the fact that he is and there are those that need to hear the gospel.
They need to be born again. Which can be some confusing language.
It is for Nicodemus, he cannot wrap his mind around what Jesus is saying.
He is blind to the truth Jesus presents.
Nicodemus is thinking about natural birth while Jesus is speaking about Supernatural birth.
The phrase born of water and the Spirit in v. 5 has caused some confusion and disputes in the history of Christianity.
Some believe that the water represents amniotic fluid or the waters of natural birth.
But that phrase is never used in Ancient writings to convey natural birth.
Some believe that the water means that in order to be born again one must be baptized into a particular church or tradition.
But that interpretation would fly in the face of the rest of the New Testament teaching on Baptism.
That Baptism is important but not necessary for salvation.
The Spirit here also refers to the Spirit of God
Finally, and I think the most convincing belief about this phrase water and spirit comes from the OT and signifies a cleansing and renewal of the old man from the new.
Jesus is using something that would be easy for Nicodemus to understand and make the connections between what he knows and the fullness of truth Jesus is providing.
One of the fullest understandings of water and spirit coming together to make new and whole comes in
22 “Therefore, say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord God says: It is not for your sake that I will act, house of Israel, but for my holy name, which you profaned among the nations where you went.
23 I will honor the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations—the name you have profaned among them. The nations will know that I am the Lord—this is the declaration of the Lord God—when I demonstrate my holiness through you in their sight.
24 “ ‘For I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries, and will bring you into your own land.
25 I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols.
26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
27 I will place my Spirit within you and cause you to follow my statutes and carefully observe my ordinances.
28 You will live in the land that I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God.
And
3 For I will pour water on the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants and my blessing on your offspring.
You see, God is in the business of taking old things and making them new.
He loves to bring dead men to life.
He wants to provide new birth for people and he does that by cleansing them and putting his spirit within them.
I want you to know that this is a work of God.
God is the one that provides new birth.
God is the one that provides new life.
God is the one that provides redemption.
God is the one that pours out the waters of forgiveness and places the Spirit in our hearts.
john 3:6-7 “6 Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born again.”
People born of the flesh are flesh.
People born of the spirit are of the spirit.
Only the spirit of God can give birth to those born again.
When Jesus talks about flesh here he isn’t talking about it the same way that Paul does in his letters, where the flesh is the old man and must be killed daily.
Jesus is simply talking about the natural life.
That moms and dads make babies.
It’s no accident that Jesus uses the analogy of birth to talk about this spiritual birth.
I’ve been in the labor and delivery room for the birth of all three of our kids.
I almost missed one, but that’s a story for another day.
But the reality is they had no part to play in their birth.
They simply showed up.
They had no choice to be born.
Likewise, the spiritual birth is not done b/c of our own will.
But only through the grace, mercy, and love of God.
We can do nothing to earn it.
We can do nothing to deserve it.
We can do nothing to make it happen.
We simply show up and God does his miraculous work.
That’s what Jesus means when he says
Jn 3:8 “8 The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.””
There is nothing you can do to direct or guide the wind.
God comes and changes the hearts of those who will draw near to them.
We have no control, power, or influence over these things.
Nicodemus still doesn’t get it.
9 “How can these things be?” asked Nicodemus.
10 “Are you a teacher of Israel and don’t know these things?” Jesus replied.
11 “Truly I tell you, we speak what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you do not accept our testimony.
12 If I have told you about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
13 No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven—the Son of Man.
Jesus’ Testimony
Jesus’ Testimony
Why is this so confounding to Nicodemus?
For decades he had been teaching that the way to please and appease God was to strictly follow his commandments.
That it was all about what you do you, how you be have, and strict obedience to God’s Law.
And all those things are important, but they are not the way that people are saved.
They are not the way that God is pleased.
The only way to enter into the kingdom of God is to be born of the spirit.
That Comes through faith in and belief upon the Testimony of Jesus.
Jesus is the only one who has come down from heaven to reveal the ultimate truth about God.
No one else has had that privilege.
No one else has been in the full presence of God and got to come back down and tell others.
Jesus is unique and so b/c of that we should listen to what he says.
Nicodemus should have been one to really understand what Jesus was getting at.
He was the teacher of Israel.
He was supposed to have all the answers.
He was supposed to know the Scriptures backward and forward.
But like so many today he would let his knowledge get in the way.
Nicodemus problem wasn’t ignorance.
His problem wasn’t that he didn’t know God’s word.
His problem wasn’t that he didn’t pray, teach, or lead.
His problem was that he was not born of the spirit.
This should be a sobering reality for us.
That we can know the words of God.
We can pray, teach, and lead.
We can give our time, money, and energy.
We can do, do, do, and still be lost.
If we don’t rest on What Jesus did.
If we don’t understand and accept his testimony.
If we don’t believe in his Gospel.
If we don’t accept that there is nothing that we can do to earn his love, acceptance, and forgiveness.
If you’re still trying to earn it you don’t get it.
You fail to believe that Jesus was enough.
You fail to believe that Jesus is who he said he is.
You want to earn his favor.
You want to earn his grace.
you want to earn his mercy, but you can’t.
Because if you try and earn it…you don’t believe him. You don’t trust him. You don’t appreciate how he suffered, bled, and died for you.
I want to take a moment to let you know what the testimony of Jesus is.
Humanity is broken.
You are sinful.
You are stained, tainted, and infected with the disease called sin.
Sin can show itself in pride, lust, greed, and in many other ways.
Sin is simply doing anything that runs counter to God’s design and character.
Now, God is a holy God who hates sin.
He punishes sin by pouring out his wrath on sinful humanity.
We are all sinners and deserve God’s judgement.
But God is love.
God has compassion.
God is fully of grace and mercy.
So God the Father, sent Jesus the Son, to die in our place.
He came to live a sinless life and die a sinners death that we might be born again.
That we might be brought into the kingdom of God.
That we might be called children of God.
This was all God’s plan from eternity past.
Jesus came to earth to die, but he didn’t stay dead he rose again to offer to us eternal life.
This is all a work of God.
That’s why it’s ridiculous when we try to add anything to the gospel message.
Jesus + anything (works, obedience, sacrifice, etc)= nothing
Now when we are born again our affections, desires, and hearts are changed and we want to do the things that please God.
But at that point we work from grace not for us.
We obey out of gratitude.
You see Nicodemus respected Jesus.
He honored Jesus.
But he didn’t believe in Jesus.
He didn’t trust what Jesus had said.
And that’s how we treat Jesus when we try to earn his grace, love, and mercy.
We respect jesus.
We honor Jesus.
But what he did wasn’t enough for us.
He wasn’t good enough.
That’s blasphemy.
This is the God’s honest truth he wants you to know that there is love at the feet of Jesus.
There is grace in the cross of Jesus.
There is change in obedience to Jesus.
And all you have to do us come to Jesus with a heart to want to love and serve him.
Not a heart that wants what Jesus has to offer.
Not a heart that wants to avoid hell.
Not a heart that wants Jesus to fix all your problems.
But a heart that wants to know, love, and serve Jesus.
That’s what Nicodemus lacks during this conversation with Jesus.
So Jesus is going to leave him with one more image to maybe help him to see who Jesus is and what he came to do.
14 “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,
15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
Jesus’ Exaltation
Jesus’ Exaltation
To many of those new to the faith and the bible, this may seem a little confusing.
What is Jesus talking about?
Well he is referring to a Story in the Old Testament.
This story would have jogged Nicodemus’ memory.
He would have read it and taught it.
But it’s a curious Even that happens in Numbers 21.
4 Then they set out from Mount Hor by way of the Red Sea to bypass the land of Edom, but the people became impatient because of the journey.
5 The people spoke against God and Moses: “Why have you led us up from Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread or water, and we detest this wretched food!”
6 Then the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people, and they bit them so that many Israelites died.
7 The people then came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Intercede with the Lord so that he will take the snakes away from us.” And Moses interceded for the people.
8 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake image and mount it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will recover.”
9 So Moses made a bronze snake and mounted it on a pole. Whenever someone was bitten, and he looked at the bronze snake, he recovered.
So the Israelites were wondering around in the wilderness and they were getting upset at both God and Moses.
They were complaining.
They were ungrateful.
They were stubborn.
So b/c of their rebellion and sin against God he sent poisonous snakes into their midst and many died due to the snakebites.
Then they repented, or turned away from their wickedness, and asked Moses to go speak with God about removing the Snakes.
But instead of removing the snakes, God wanted to Paint a picture of something that was going to happen.
I love to think about God’s design of his story.
That Thousands of Years before Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus a picture of him was found in the story of the Israelites.
God was showing them glimpses of the Salvation he would provide.
Just like the serpent Jesus would be lifted up to provide salvation for all that would look upon him.
As frustrated as we can get with Nicodemus for not truly seeing who Jesus is in their conversation.
His story isn’t over in the Gospel of John.
Nicodemus defends Jesus in John 7:50-51 when the chief priest and other Pharisees are trying to figure out what to do with Jesus.
How to approach his claims and signs.
And as Jesus hangs on the cross in 19:39 Nicodemus comes to provide him with the things necessary for his burial.
And John doesn’t tell us this, but I would like to imagine Nicodemus looking up to Jesus as he hangs on the cross.
And as he stands there he recalls the conversation they had that night.
And he finally gets it.
He finally sees that Jesus is drawing men to himself through his death.
And Nicodemus finally believes.
The Story of Nicodemus gives me hope.
Hope to know that sometimes coming to faith in Jesus is a process.
That not all believe at the same pace.
Some believe quickly, like the disciples.
Some take a little more time, like Nicodemus.
But if there are those that desire to be born Again, God will grant them their desire.
Have you been made new?
Have you been born again?
Or are you still seeking truth?
I want to let you know that Jesus died for you.
He was lifted up so that you would be drawn to him.
He wants you to love, worship, and adore him.
He wants to give you new life.
He wants you to respond to his free gift.
He’s calling out to you…will you respond.
Christian,
I want you to remember the grace that called you.
That it was nothing that you did.
It was God saving you.
Also I want you to be persistent with those in your life that need to know Jesus.
Sometimes it isn’t one conversation.
Sometimes they won’t turn to Jesus until years after you first show the the truth.
Don’t be discouraged, but be encouraged that you are being faithful to your calling.
Let’s pray.