You must be born again! - John 3:1-12

 You Must Be Born Again!

John 3:1-12

Introduction: Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, died about six weeks ago, at the age of 100, the longest life of any US president. He was not particularly effective during his four years as president, but he did devote himself to a life of service when he left office, and really had a big part in the growth of Habitat for Humanity, which has done a lot of good for many families. Some of you remember that President Carter did openly profess to be a born-again Christian. I had heard the term “born again” when Jimmy Carter was running for president, but I really had no idea what it meant. Most of you know that one of the things the Lord used to bring me to faith was serving on a jury that heard a murder trial, that was late in the Carter presidency. A couple of the questions asked perspective jurors were, “would you describe yourself as a Christian?” And, “Does the term born again mean anything to you?”  One perspective juror said that “Born again is a basic concept of Christianity.” When I was asked those questions, I said I was a Christian, after all I was baptized as a baby. But I had to say I didn’t know what “born again” had to do with Christianity.  

The term “born again” has been misappropriated by the world. An athlete recovers from an injury and regains some of his former skills – he is “born again”- a new start on his career. An entertainer comes back after a long hiatus, and their career has been “born again.” A politician makes a comeback from far behind in the polls and his campaign has been “born again.” We’ve all heard it. Some professing Christians will also use the term to say that they are serious about their religion without really thinking about what it means. In an old poll by Barna, about half the people who said they are born again Christians also believe you can earn salvation through your good works! How much did you have to do with your physical birth? The Bible does make it clear that good works are the result of a new heart, the fruit of salvation, but not the means of coming to God (Eph 2:8-10).

       What did Jesus have in mind when he used the term “born again” or “born from above”? This passage in John 3 deals most specifically with this question.

The Big Idea: *Life in Christ begins with regeneration, a spiritual birth wrought by God through faith in the Son, and results in a changed life. We’ll see that 1) All humans at some time recognize their spiritual need; 2) New Birth implies new life, supernaturally given by God; and 3) The natural man is unable to receive the things of the Spirit…

I. All humans at some time recognize their need for God (2:23-3:2). This statement needs to be qualified. I don’t mean that all people necessarily see that they are sinners and that they need to repent and believe. Basically I mean that humans, created in God’s image, have eternity in their hearts. The Bible says, “The fool says in His heart there is no God” (Ps 14:1; 53:1). We all know some people who “claim” to be atheists, but there are surely moments when they sense the Eternal. Like the old song said, “I know there ain’t no heaven and I pray there ain’t no hell!” There are no atheists in foxholes, right? I think that all people, at some point, have a sense that God exists, and that sooner or later it is going to make a difference in their own life. We have the account here of a religious man who seems to be searching for more…

2:23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing.  24 But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people  25 and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.  

3:1 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 are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him."

       I read the context (2:23-25) to highlight the connection to Nicodemus. Jesus knew Nicodemus’ heart. Notice the transition from 2:25 to 3:1, Jesus “…needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.  3:1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews…” Remember the chapter divisions were not part of the Gospel as written, they were added later by editors. The repetition of the word “man” at the end of v.25 leads immediately to the “man of the Pharisees” in 3:1. Reading the verses together it is pretty clear that Nicodemus is an example of someone from among the people who was impressed by the miracles Jesus was doing. He came inquiring. Maybe investigating would be a better word. Jesus knew his heart, his thoughts, and his struggle to understand the truth. He was a Pharisee, so we know that he was well trained in the Scriptures and in the traditions of the fathers. He is also called a “ruler of the Jews,” which probably indicates someone as a member of the Sanhedrin, the ruling body of the Jews in Jerusalem. Even affirming Jesus as a Rabbi sent by God was a positive step, but the context makes it clear that he still did not understand.

“This man came to Jesus by night…” (3:2). Nicodemus was a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council. Jesus calls him “The [not “a”] teacher of Israel…” which could mean that he was regarded by some at least as the preeminent rabbi of his day (or maybe that was what he thought of himself!). He would have been considered an expert in the Scriptures, and as a Pharisee, an expert in the traditions of the fathers. Here he says, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher sent from God for no one could do these signs unless God was with him…” His respectful address, calling Jesus “rabbi,” and his recognition that the miracles Jesus was doing were from God were positive. But saying something good about Jesus is not what saves. Nicodemus will appear later in the story, but for now, he did not understand the depth of his own need. Jesus knows what is in man, He knew his heart. I skipped over a little detail that might seem insignificant, but John tells us, “this man came to Jesus by night.” Why did he do that, and why does John tell us such a minor detail? 

       Practically speaking, coming at night might have given opportunity for a more in depth and private conversation. If the crowds were noticing Jesus already, having some one-on-one time with Jesus might have been difficult, so coming at night could have been what Nicodemus thought was needed. More likely, he didn’t want too many people see him going to Jesus just yet, especially one of his fellow religious leaders. I think there is another aspect to this scene with “Nick at Night.” John often will include details with a double meaning. We already saw in the prologue of the Gospel the theme of “light and darkness.” For example, in John 1:4-9 we read,

4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.  5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.  6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.  8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.  9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

And then further on in chapter three we will read,

19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.  20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been carried out in God (John 3:19-21).

“Nick at Night” was still in the darkness, as his interaction with Jesus will show. Jesus knew his heart. It may be that he was already being drawn by God toward the Light of the World. *Life in Christ begins with regeneration, a spiritual birth wrought by God through faith in the Son, and results in a changed life. God gives us ears to hear, eyes to see, a heart to understand.

II. “New Birth” implies a new life, supernaturally given by God (3:3-8).

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."

       Jesus’ initial reply is not a direct reply to the attempted flattery by Nicodemus. Remember, Jesus knew his heart, and His statement exposes Nicodemus’ need. First, Jesus talks about “seeing,” He says, “…unless one is born again [from above] he cannot see the kingdom of God.” The phrase Jesus uses here has a couple of possible translations. “Born again,” but also, as some translations put it, “born from above.” Either translation is possible, and it seems likely that Jesus (and John) intentionally chose a term with a couple of possible senses. Nicodemus doesn’t get it, and he takes it as being born physically a second time. His misunderstanding proves Jesus’ case. The king was standing right there, and Nicodemus doesn’t see! Nicodemus’ answer in v.4 reveals his ignorance, but it may also reveal his rebellion against Jesus’ authority by using sarcasm. Jesus states and then repeats the idea that spiritual birth is needed to “see” and to “enter” God’s kingdom. 

Jesus doesn’t back down, but he restates the idea from another angle, “Except a man be born from water and spirit he is not able to enter the kingdom of God” (5). Though that exact phrase doesn’t appear in the Old Testament Scriptures, as a Rabbi, Nicodemus should not have been completely in the dark about the idea. The idea of water connected to purification from sin, and “Spirit” referring to a new life given by God appears in various texts. For example, see “water and Spirit” in Ezek. 36:25-27.  

25 "Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.  26 "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of 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 keep My judgments and do them.”

God is speaking through the prophet of cleansing from sin and a new life through the Spirit. And notice the result in v.27… obedience. We’ll get back to that.

 “The wind blows where it may…” (8) pneuma = “wind, breath, (S)spirit.  The Greek word “pneuma” like the Hebrew word “ruach” can mean either “wind” or “spirit,” depending on the context. Abraham Kuyper said the idea here is that “The Holy Spirit leaves no footprints.” Like the wind he is invisible, unpredictable and uncontrollable. Just as the wind is not seen or controlled or understood by humans, so it is with the work of the Spirit. We see the effects of the wind – likewise, we don’t see the Spirit, but we see the evidence of the New Life that He gives. There may be an allusion here to Ezekiel 37 where God’s breath/Spirit (ruach) comes upon the valley of dry bones and the dry bones come to life – God’s people are reborn.  Paul stated the same idea when he said “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins… [He] made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved…” (Eph 2:1,5). The Big Idea is, *Life in Christ begins with regeneration, a spiritual birth wrought by God through faith in the Son, and results in a changed life.

III. The natural man is unable to receive the things of the Spirit of God (9-12).

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?  11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony.  12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

       Nicodemus admits his ignorance, and Jesus replies with a rhetorical question (3:9,10). Nicodemus’ mind doesn’t go back to the Old Testament images, he doesn’t understand Jesus’ words. He’s studied the traditions of his religion too long – he thought he knew the requirements for seeing and entering God’s kingdom. Following the requirements of the Law, keeping the traditions of the fathers, religious devotion yes, but what is all this talk of New Birth?

       We need spiritual life to understand spiritual things (v.11,12; cf. I Cor 2:14). Jesus says that he has spoken the plain truth, if Nicodemus didn’t hear it further explanation wouldn’t help. His problem was not lack of knowledge, he simply didn’t have “ears to hear” the truth. Paul expresses the inability of the unregenerate to understand the truth in I Corinthians 2:14,

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

Perhaps even more bluntly, he told the Ephesians in Eph 2:1, “…you were dead in the trespasses and sins.” Nicodemus, like every unsaved person, is unable to understand the truth, because he is spiritually dead! Thankfully, God has made a way in Jesus, the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Paul says,

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,  5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved…” (Eph 2:4-5). 

In other words, you need to be born again, born from above. God needs to give us a new heart and a new life. Jesus came to make the way. That is the Big Idea…

What is God saying to me in this passage? *Life in Christ begins with regeneration, a spiritual birth wrought by God through faith in the Son, and results in a changed life. 

What would God have me to do in response to this passage? 

1) Have you been born from above? Nicodemus was a “religious man” and in terms of what could be seen, a “good man,” but when he came to Jesus by night he was still in darkness. Have you believed in Jesus? He is God the Son. He came to satisfy God’s justice by laying down His life for us. Have you confessed Him as Lord, and believed that He died for you and rose again? “Confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead and you will be saved…” 

2) New birth is the beginning of New Life. Paul expressed it like this in Eph 2:8-10,   For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,  9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.  10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Is the evidence of New life in Christ apparent in your life? Perfection, no, but growth, change, as God is working in you? We are a work in progress, let’s determine to grow in faith and in the knowledge of God!

3) Finally, because of the truth of these verses, let’s embrace our calling to hold forth the Word of life, and to pray urgently for those around us who are still in darkness.             AMEN.