John 3:1-21 (Part 1)
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The Necessity of the New Birth
The Necessity of the New Birth
Have you been to ocean park or Anjo World? Before you can enjoy what is inside the place, there is something that you need to do. You see, you can’t just enter the place. There is a requirement. You need to purchase a ticket.
This morning, we will look at a passage of Scriptures that allows to see that we can’t just enter the Kingdom of God (heaven) when we want to. There is a requirement. We need a ticket, but we cannot purchase this ticket because no amount of money can afford to pay for it. It is so expensive that God has to pay it by Himself, through Jesus.
Let’s open our Bibles to John 3:1-21 (two part series). I have entitled this morning’s sermon “ The Necessity of the New Birth”
Introduction: (vv.1-2) A curios Pharisee and ruler of the Jews named Nicodemus approached Jesus. He might be one of those who have seen the “sign miracles” that Jesus performed and was convicted to check who is this miracle working carpenter who made a “scene” in the temple! He might at this time, think that Jesus might be the one to usher-in the Kingdom of God.
Nicodemus came to Jesus at night, some commentaries says that he came at night (1) afraid that people might see him associated with Jesus (2) he was busy during day time because he has work as a Pharisee (3) in John’s gospel, night symbolizes darkness. It may symbolize the spiritual condition of the time - they are in spiritual darkness because the leaders does not know about the Messiah whom the Scriptures is pointing. (wine - spiritual emptiness; corrupted temple - spiritual corruption)
Here in this conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, we find life changing truths regarding salvation and eternal life. Jesus highlighted in this passage the necessity of the new birth / transformation for a person to enter the Kingdom of God!
The Teachings of Jesus about THE NECESSITY OF THE NEW BIRTH
I. The new birth is a requirement to enter the Kingdom of God (vv. 1-7)
I. The new birth is a requirement to enter the Kingdom of God (vv. 1-7)
How can a person see the Kingdom of God? (v.3) - by being born again
What does being born again mean? (vv.4-6) - born of water and Spirit (v.5), the work of the Sprit (v.6)
The “water” refers to the repentance ministry of John the Baptist, and the “Spirit” refers to the application by the Holy Spirit to an individual when the person believes in Christ (John 1:12-13). It is the work of the Holy Spirit that transforms man.
The 1st birth -flesh; The 2nd birth - Spirit.
The 2nd birth is necessary, not optional (v.7) You MUST be born again.
The Lord’s statement to Nicodemus, ‘You must be born again’ (John 3:7), was an indicative, not an imperative. Jesus spoke of the new birth as an indispensable experience, yet not as a duty to be performed.” - John Stott
You say, “I MUST - exercise to be healthy, study to become intelligent and pass the exam and graduate, take vitamins to be healthy”. These are responsibilities and they are good and you must do it!
You MUST be born gain - Indicative of the necessity to be born again, but not as something that a human being can do. Jesus illustrates it in verse 8.
(v.8) Jesus illustrates the power of the Holy Spirit with an example from nature: Wind.
“ The wind cannot be controlled; it blows where it wishes. And though its general direction can be known, where it comes from and where it is going cannot be precisely determined. Nevertheless, the wind’s effects can be observed. The same is true of the work of the Spirit. His sovereign work of regeneration in the human heart can neither be controlled nor predicted. Yet its effects can be seen in the transformed lives of those who are born of the Spirit.”
The evidence of being born above is seen in repentance and faith in Jesus as the savior (as a result of the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit.
Reflection:
Being born a Jew does not necessarily mean automatic entry to heaven.
Being a member of the church does not mean automatic entry to heaven.
Church attendance does not mean automatic entry to heaven.
“A person who has been born again is marked with repentance and faith in Jesus as his savior and Lord”
II. The new birth is a heavenly idea (vv.9-12)
II. The new birth is a heavenly idea (vv.9-12)
The new birth is difficult to understand from the earthly perspective.
(v.9) That is why Nicodemus asked, “how can these things be?
When Jesus speak about being “born of the Spirit”. He was talking about “Regeneration by the Spirit “ which is very common theme in the Old Testament. The Scripture talks about it a lot!
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;
19 “And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, 20 that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God.
28 “It will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions. 29 “Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.
Jesus expected the revered teacher of Israel to understand these things. Nicodemus, of course, was not alone in this shortcoming. Jesus accused other Pharisees of being people who claimed to see but were in fact blind (9:39–41).
(v.11) Jesus pointed out that the people “did not accept our testimony”. What Jesus meant here is that the peoples believes in the sign without believing in Jesus as the Messiah (2:23-25).
(v.12) Jesus said, “How will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?”
The new birth is a heavenly idea because the natural man can’t transform/regenerate himself in order to believe in Jesus as the Messiah.
14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.
Reflection:
- The most intelligent human being still can’t understand/believe the heavenly things because it needs spiritual discernment through the Holy Spirit.
- I believe that we must train our children and the next generation not just to be intelligent, but to be humble and spiritually discerned. Point them to Jesus!
Transition: As the Holy Spirit regenerates the heart, transformation will happen - this regenerated heart will now understand heavenly things. As he understands the heavenly things, he will now begin to BELIEVE in Jesus as his savior and Lord. That leads me to the next point.
II. The new birth leads to faith in Jesus as the Messiah (vv. 13-18)
II. The new birth leads to faith in Jesus as the Messiah (vv. 13-18)
(v.13) Jesus once again referred to himself as the Son of Man. What is the Son of Man? (1:51)
SON OF MAN. An expression found in the OT and used as a self-description of Jesus in the NT. This phrase was used once by the Lord in addressing Daniel (Dan 8:17) and over eighty times in addressing Ezekiel. There must have been a special reason for its use with them. Both of them were privileged to see visions of God. Probably the Lord wanted to emphasize to them that they were, after all, only men of the earth, in spite of this privilege of receiving the divine word.
Daniel used this phrase to describe a personage whom he saw in a night vision. He saw one “like a son of man” (that is, a member of the genus man) coming with the clouds of heaven and approaching God (the “Ancient of Days”) to be given authority, glory, and an everlasting kingdom (Dan 7:13–14). Many hold the “son of man” to be a personification of “the saints of the most high” (see 7:22) to whom the dominion is given, it is on the whole entirely in accord with the evidence to see here a messianic figure predictive of the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 J. D. Douglas and Merrill Chapin Tenney, New International Bible Dictionary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1987), 957.
Jesus calls himself “Son of Man” (eighty-two times in the Gospels; see also Acts 7:56; Rev 1:13; 14:14). Whenever he did this he used this phrase as a name for himself. No doubt he took it from Daniel’s prophecy. The Jews must have been familiar with this prophecy. Jesus, in assuming this title, was saying to the Jews, “I am the Son of man in that prophecy.” This title emphasized his union with mankind. It was also a name no one would criticize.11 J. D. Douglas and Merrill Chapin Tenney, New International Bible Dictionary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1987), 957–958.
(v.14) Jesus reminded Nicodemus of the OT event that speaks about unbelief in the hearts of the Israelites.
5 The people spoke against God and Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food.” 6 The Lord sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. 7 So the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, because we have spoken against the Lord and you; intercede with the Lord, that He may remove the serpents from us.” And Moses interceded for the people. 8 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live.” 9 And Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard; and it came about, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived.
Despite their unbelief (natural man), God provided a way for the people to avoid God’s wrath and be saved. God provided the Bronze Serpent that Moses was to lift up for the people to see.
Like the Bronze serpent, Jesus is God’s provision who will be lifted up (crucifixion) to save those who looked at him.
When the people looked at the bronze serpent, they live. When the people looked at the crucified Jesus they will live eternally (v.15).
Reflection:
God is so gracious to sinners like you and me. He provided a way for us to be saved, through FAITH in Jesus, who was crucified and died on our behalf.
You must believe in Jesus as your Savior, to intrust and to commit your life to Him. who died for you.
Conclusion:
Jesus pointed out the life-transforming nature of the true saving faith: in order to enter the Kingdom of God and it is only in believing in the sacrificial death of Jesus can a person receive eternal life.
End of Part 1
Part 2 begins in verse 16.
III. The new birth is necessary because man loves darkness (vv.19-20)
IV. The Evidence of New Birth (v.21)
