JOHN 3:1-16 Born Again 1-12-08
Today were here in John 3: and we’ll read & talk a little about Nicodemus as he comes to Jesus after dark, he was a great religious leader in Israel at that time, and this factual account comes to a close with one of the most often quoted verses in the Bible, John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Jesus was going to explain to him what it means to be born again.
We read here in these verses that Nicodemus came to Jesus after dark and we believe it was in order to keep his standing in the Jewish community and that he wouldn’t be rejected in the temple services.
There were many other Jewish religious leaders that secretly believed in Jesus as well, for we read in John 12:42 Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: 43For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
They didn’t have the freedom to speak their minds about what they really believed for fear of being condemned by their self-righteous friends who thought they knew exactly what everyone should believe.
Listen as I read today’s text found in
John 3:1-16 1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, * [master] we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
3Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
5Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water **[word] and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
~~Ephesians 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, ~~There is a cleansing, a sanctifying power in the Word.
In ~~John 15:3 Jesus says, “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you”~~
Verse 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; **and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8The wind bloweth where it listeth, **[will] and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.**
9Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? ** [a logical question]
10Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master [teacher] of Israel, and knowest not these things? 11Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. [We believe this to be the witness from heaven, the Father and the Holy Ghost; the Father was with him, the Spirit of the Lord was upon him; and so here Jesus speaks in the plural number, as in ch. 14:23: We will come unto him.
1st Jn. 5: 7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
13And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.** [Now at this particular time, he is talking with Nicodemus on earth, and yet, as God, he is in heaven.]
John 16:28, “I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.” ~ John 10: 30 I and my Father are one.~ John 17:22 --even as we are one:
14And as Moses lifted up the serpent* [sin] in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: * [When Moses lifted up that brass serpent on a pole because of God’s judgment upon the sin of the people of Israel, all they had to do for healing was to look to it. As Moses lifted up the serpent, so Jesus Christ was going to be lifted up. That serpent represented the sin of the people. And Jesus Christ was made sin for us on the Cross-because He bore our sin there.]
[2nd cor. 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us,]
15That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.** [for ever, everlasting,] 16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Nicodemus came to Jesus confused. And really that seems to be the way a lot of folks are today, there are many today that don’t understand what it means to be born again, it seems that like Nicodemus, they are tied up in works instead of simply receiving Jesus by faith.
Jesus was not like the typical rabbi. And he was not what they thought the Messiah would be like either, but for Nicodemus, the miracles that Jesus worked were undeniable.
Pharisees thought of the faith as a list doctrines to be believed and rules that must be followed.
And let me say, that these rules were studied over and over. And they were added to and redefined so that no one could keep them all. –You and I might look on these rules as a lot of works, because we believe the bible and understand what grace is today.—
In order to pretend to keep these religious rules, there was an system of bypassing the laws that the Pharisees had developed.
This is always the problem with legalism. It always results in hypocrisy; the Pharisees didn’t mind applying the biblical laws with special strictness to others while excusing them selves. It seems their self-made standards would strain at a gnat and swallows a camel. It was critical, judgmental and narrow-minded.
It picks at the speck in other’s eyes, and misses the timber in its own eye.
It condemns breaking the Sabbath while it plots murder. It has a twisted way of missing the real point while wearing the garment of self-righousness. It elevates oneself while condemning others.
~Have you ever noticed in many churches today there seems to be the [church police?] People are afraid to really be them selves because it might offend the so-called church police. ~
Some preachers today have got real good at, “spear throwing”. That is, they make remarks about certain people sitting there without calling names. I’ve seen it 1st hand. And that’s not edifying the church, instead its sowing discord.
And God says He hates it. Proverbs 6:19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
Well, Nicodemus thought he had everything figured out.
Jesus goes right to point. He talked of being born again — a spiritual rebirth. This rebirth results in a new relationship with God. One man said it was an explosive power of a new affection.
~~When a person is born again, it is because of realizing we’re lost sinners and turning against our selves and our sinful ways and turning to and agreeing with God, when that happens the Holy Ghost of God imputes the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ to us, Rom.4: 22-25 And therefore it was imputed to him* for righteousness. 23Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; 24But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 25Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification -
Now that we’ve been born again, we’re saved from the penalty of sin, I have talked about that a lot here lately, but its a must to understand that there is a sin debt to pay, Rom.6: 23For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
But we that are saved from this debt of death have gladly received the death of Jesus on the cross as payment for our sin, He died in our place, he is our substitute
So being born again places the centerpiece of religion on how our standing is with God and gives us a righteousness that comes from God, instead of our efforts and achievement. It is a righteousness that comes by faith, not legalistic obedience.
Jesus explains to Nicodemus that faith was not about believing what might seem to be the right things pertaining to man standards, or obeying religious rules, but it was a right relationship with God.
And this can only happen when a spiritual birth takes place and redirects our love and commitment away from ourselves and toward God.
No one will ever go to heaven because they have done all the right things.
~How does anybody know when he or she has done enough anyway? ~
God has revealed his truth in the Scriptures, but because of our fallen nature, we don’t fully understand all the ways of God at this time, like we will one day.
ISA. 55: 8-9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Nicodemus knew the Scripture; and from what the bible tells us about him, he was a very moral person. But there was something more important that he needed.
He didn’t need a more correct belief system, and he didn’t need to observe new moral rules. He needed an inner transformation. He needed to give up his self-righteousness and receive the righteousness that comes from God.
The apostle Paul wrote: Romans 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Paul told what the problem of the Pharisees was, he knew because he was at one time a Pharisee himself. he knew that rules and regulations was not the answer. Romans 10:3 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Paul, when he was Saul, had tried himself to be perfect in legalistic righteousness and correct beliefs, so he knew better than anyone that it didn’t work.
In the 9th chapter of Acts we have the record of Saul’s conversion:** 1And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, 2And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way,* whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. 3And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 4And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 5And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
**[ sometimes these pricks could be several feet long, and have a sharp point, it was an instrument used by ploughmen for guiding their oxen.]
6And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do—and so from Saul to Paul, the apostle to the gentiles. He pinned down 14 books of the N.T.**
In Philippians Paul lists all the things that he could have pointed to, as far as what could be credited to him as personal righteousness, and then he wrote about his achievements saying, Philippians 3:7-9 7But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung,**[ what is thrown out to the dogs,] that I may win Christ,
9And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
Paul had passed from formal religion to a relationship with God.
Peter tells us how to be born again in; 1 Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
1st pet. 1: 3-5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
Rom.10: 17 17So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
~Let me say right here that we’ll see Nicodemus when we get to heaven, as well as Joseph of Armitheia, you can read about both of these brethren in John 19: 38-42 and yes they are members of the N.T. church, all that believed on Jesus and died after the cross are in the church.
