Entrance into the Kingdom of God: John 2:24-3:3
Jesus knew the desperate condition of the sinful human heart of mankind. Jesus has the ability to look into the very heart of man, knowing his thoughts and motivations. Jesus knew that people’s enthusiasm for His signs, wonders and miracles did not mean that they had come to saving faith. We ended last week with the thought that not everyone who is impressed by the “spectacular” wholeheartedly commits and trusts in Him as Savior and Lord.
Look at the last two verses from last week in John 2:24: “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.” (There is a strong connection with these verses and Jesus’ familiar encounter with Nicodemus: Jesus himself knew what was in man… AND) John 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." 3 Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."
“Nicodemus came to Jesus by Night.”
Nicodemus was a prominent religious scholar (a Pharisee) as well as ruler of the Jewish council, the Sanhedrin, a representative of the people, and he comes to Jesus by night. He may have come at night out of courtesy to Jesus, not wanting to bother the teacher during the busiest time of the day, but most likely this public religious leader came at night so that he would not be seen by other leaders and by the general public.
John makes use of many symbolisms in his Gospel, such as belief/truth/and salvation contrasted with unbelief/falsehood/and doom. John also uses the metaphor of “light” verses “darkness”, and so here it is relevant that Nicodemus comes by the cover of darkness in order to speak to Jesus, who is “the Light of the World” to those searching in the darkness.
Nicodemus’ opening statement might well be considered a compliment, having been impressed by a number of Jesus’ signs, however, he has yet not arrived at “saving” faith; he has only been moved by the spectacular works of Jesus to come and ask more questions in order to test out his initial observations.
As far as Nicodemus’ observations of Jesus, He knew SOME TRUTH about Jesus but he was unable to not know or confess THE TRUTH about Jesus. He recognized Jesus as a “teacher” and to some degree, that Jesus had been sent “from God” and that God was WITH Him, but Nicodemus did not recognize that Jesus WAS God in the Flesh. His heart WAS STILL DEAD AND BLIND TO THE FACT THAT JESUS IS LORD, and that the LORD is Jesus, and that He alone could provide forgiveness, entrance into the Kingdom of God and eternal life. Nicodemus did not recognize that Jesus’ miracles pointed beyond themselves to God Himself. Nicodemus was impressed with the signs but he did not see, know, commit, and follow Jesus as Savior and Lord, because HE COULDN’T. He was still spiritually blind and dead.
Jesus’ response
Jesus’ response to Nicodemus tells us what He definitively knew about Nicodemus because Jesus knew what was in the heart of THIS MAN; He gets right to the very heart of the matter: "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." Jesus’ answer gives a response, not to any question, but actually to the thoughts of Nicodemus, revealing his legal status before God. In one short statement Jesus sweeps away all that Nicodemus stood for religiously: Jesus is making a legal judgment of Nicodemus’ heart. As a religious leader, Nicodemus would have endorsed a strict observation of the law and following the traditions of the elders. For the Pharisee, this was the way to salvation. Jesus says: “Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” It is not by human striving that you enter, but by a supreme work of God which HE ALONE CAN EFFECT!
The implication is this: “Nicodemus, you may be a “Victor or Conqueror of the People”, as your name implies, but that is not good enough to enter the Kingdom of God. You may have earned religious status and a high reputation as a religious leader among men, but that means nothing in order to enter the Kingdom of God. The power that you have among men is powerless to give you entrance into God’s Kingdom. You may think you know me, that I have come from God, and that I was WITH God, but you do not see that I AM God in the Flesh. You may know a whole lot in your head and achieved much in life, but you do not know how a person becomes a citizen of God’s Kingdom.”
The demand that Jesus uses in verse 3 is repeated in verse 5 and 7; "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."
“Truly, Truly” or Verily, Verily, or Amen, Amen (It’s derivative is the Hebrew word “amen”, “so be it!”), I say to you: Jesus uses these words often. You have heard them often! Jesus uses them to denote the absolute truthfulness, validity and stamp of FINAL DIVINE AUTHORITY on what He says. He is the First and the Last: When He uses these words He is saying that HIS WORD is the AUTHORITATIVE WORD on the matter! Jesus is declaring that human understanding is trite and imperfect compared to Him because He IS the Truth. (Old Testament prophets did not claim their own authority or validation but invoked the authority which came from God. (They used the words: “Thus says the Lord.”)
“Unless one”: unless someone or anyone; it doesn’t matter which person you are talking about, not in the least, no one is excluded in this matter.
The words which Jesus uses to describe this change points to both the “Newness” and the Direction of Regeneration. “Born Again” = “Born from above” or “Born Anew” = “Born over again”: You cannot enter or see the Kingdom of God outside of a “birth from above”, a “heavenly, Godly or spiritual birth”. It is a birth that is outside of the flesh and it is something that is passive in the same way that you were physically born: You didn’t do anything to cause your birth. You had no choice in the matter. You received birth and life but YOU did nothing to cause it or receive it. In the same way, spiritual birth is an action which is DONE TO YOU. It is not your performance, but an act from God. It is the act of God to REGENERATE a person who is dead in sin and blind to God and His ways. New birth IS “regeneration”.
It is a birth from a higher and heavenly source. You were born once physically, in the flesh, but in the fall, every single person inherited sin and spiritual deadness. Being “born from above” or “born over again” or “from above” denotes the newness of this birth and the direction from which this new birth comes. The birth is not the repetition of something old; it is the advent or commencement of something entirely new. Born from above means that you are born from God and born into the Kingdom of God. You receive a heavenly birth from the God who reigns dynamically and powerfully from His Heavenly Kingdom.
The word “Cannot”: (ou + dynamai) tells us that sinful man is powerless and totally without strength to accomplish this spiritual birth. It has to come from outside the flesh, from God.
You cannot See: You are powerless to encounter, to experience, to participate in the Kingdom of God. “To see” the Kingdom of God is “to enter” the Kingdom of God, and only the person who is “REBORN”, who receives a “birth from above” will enter the Kingdom of God.
THE KINGDOM OF God/Kingdom of Heaven is the dynamic rule of God which invades history in the person of Jesus. It is parallel to the salvation and power of God and of the authority of His Christ. It is not of this world because it is primarily the reign of God in the human life: waited for, unshakable, heavenly, eternal, righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Rom 14:17: “For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”) THE KINGDOM OF GOD is the reign of God Himself in the human heart and life rather than geographical space. THE KINGDOM OF GOD is where one finds salvation and eternal life.
It’s presence in this age is a mystery and it is restrictive in that it is both present and future with a tension between the “ALREADY” and “NOT YET”. We know in part now but someday we will know fully, and so we wait with the greatest of anticipation for Jesus to come again and complete what He has begun and what He promises!
Jesus emphasizes to Nicodemus, this outstanding member of the OLD ORDER of things (which is now passing away in the coming of the Messiah), that even as one is born into this world, marked by the FLESH, one must also be born into the level of existence which is marked by the Spirit (pneuma). Man passes from this lower form into the higher order of existence through the NEW BIRTH by the Spirit of God, by which ETERNAL LIFE is realized.
This NEW BIRTH is often referred to as “Regeneration”. “Regeneration” IS A RADICAL REBIRTH and TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE which gives you entrance into the Kingdom of God. To be simply amended or reformed will not do! (Holiness is God’s standard.) It is the spiritual transformation in a person, brought about by the Holy Spirit that brings the individual from being spiritually dead to become spiritually alive. The new birth is a resurrection, a new life, a new creature conceived by the Holy Spirit. It is a dying to sin and living to righteousness, a translation from darkness to light.
“There is no preparation, no preceding disposition in a sinner that requests or contributes to the new life given by God…Regeneration is necessary because all descendants of Adam and Eve have inherited heir sin and are morally unable to do what is good. Paul wrote to the Ephesians that people are by nature dead in trespasses and sins. In this state, they are without God and without hope in the world. Not in response to their merit, but freely and in love, God speaks the word that raises the dead…Jesus says that unless you are born again, you cannot see the kingdom of heaven. Without the grace of God, sinners cannot find the door, let alone force their way in.” (Gen. St. Bible, “Regeneration: The New Birth”, p. 1664)
Elsewhere Jesus said, “Without me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5); and in speaking about salvation, {Matt. 19:26: "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." In other words, without God, salvation is impossible.}
Regeneration is the immediate, supernatural work of the Holy Spirit in us as a gift of God’s grace. It brings us to spiritual life from spiritual death, changing the disposition of our once dead hearts toward God and inclines them in life to God. This Spiritual conception by the Holy Spirit brings spiritual life and brings the fruit of regeneration, which is faith. The fruit of faith is a gift from God as well.
1 Peter 1:17-22: “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God.” Earnest love for one another is the kind of love that can respond to a command, the kind of love that stretches to the limits. Only those who have been purified by God (saved by Him) have the capacity to love and forgive like this. This kind of love meets others at the point of their need in the same way that God has met our extreme need.
God doesn’t use anything of your old nature to produce the new life of Christ in you: that’s why we can now say: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.” (2 Cor. 5:17) This spiritual life is implanted by the Holy Spirit produces in us an unfailing and permanent new birth and life through the Word of God. If you are one who has never received this new life and believed on the Lord Jesus as Savior, you must understand that you will never enter His Kingdom by any achievements of your own: The work is God’s alone through the death and resurrection of Christ. If you are a believer and follower, you find tremendous encouragement that “God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable” (Rom. 11:29 and that what God has promised, He alone “has the power to do.” (Rom. 4:21) TO God ALONE BE THE GLORY!
OUTLINE:
1. Nicodemus came to Jesus by night and said:
He knew SOME TRUTH but not know THE TRUTH about Jesus: He recognized that Jesus had been sent “from God” and that God was WITH Him, but not recognize that Jesus WAS God in the Flesh.
2. Jesus’ response tells us what He definitively knows about Nicodemus and regeneration.
A. Jesus’ answer gives a response to Nicodemus’ legal status before God.
B. Jesus’ declares that Status and Knowledge are not adequate to enter the Kingdom of God.
C. Jesus clearly says: ONLY those who are BORN AGAIN can see the Kingdom of God:
The “Newness” and the Direction of Regeneration:
“Born Again” = “Born from Above” / “Born Anew = Born over Again”
Born from God = Born into the Kingdom of God
D. Regeneration IS A RADICAL TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE and entrance into the Kingdom of God.
