Kaleo San Diego Church

You must be born again

Let’s turn to the Gospel of John chapter 3.

One of the things that I love most about John’s Gospel, is that John in having an eternal perspective of Jesus, doesn’t forget that that eternal perspective is being delivered to finite people that need to not only hear of Jesus attributes in deity, but that people also need to hear how Jesus was relational with real human beings.

John continually writes about how Jesus dealt with people and how those people responded to Him. These stories teach us a great deal about how we might react to God in the flesh if we did not first know Him.

Tonight we are going to be looking at this conversation with Nicodemus the Pharisee and Jesus who is God in the flesh.

My suggestions is that you are sensitive to what God would speak to you by His Word and by His Spirit as we read this story.

As we consider this great chapter in John, and look at what is probably the most popular bumper sticker and sign verse that is known to non-Christians, you may find yourself in a position of tension and confusion about what God has done in His eternal plan so that we might be saved.

Stay with me, this may be the first time you have been taught what is called the “doctrines of Grace” and when I first came to understand them, I had my nose in the Scriptures for months following trying to figure them out.

Let’s pray and ask God to give us great understanding this evening.

Let’s turn to the Gospel of John Chapter 3 verse 1.

Verse 1-There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

First thing we must understand is the Theological and Religious background this man Nicodemus had acquired.

There was never more than 6,000 Pharisees in Israel at any given time. These were the religious elite of Israel.

As far as keeping the Law, memorization of Scripture, ceremonial observation and personal piety, these men were at the top. They were the ones that were considered the most righteous and intelligent of the Jewish leaders.

Not only was Nicodemus a Pharisee, but he also belonged as one of the 71 that we called the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin had 70 members with one president, and they presided over all judicial, religious and administrative matters of the Jews. Any Jew living at that time, irrespective of their geographic location, was under the authority of this council of chief priests and elders.

The Sanhedrin was the group that tried Jesus for claiming to be the Messiah, and they were the group that Peter and John were brought before for teaching heresy. This is also the group that Stephen, the first martyr was brought before were he gave his great speech to them in the book of Acts chapter 7, and he was condemned of blasphemy before them and put to death by stoning. Paul was even brought before them for violating the Temple by-law in Acts 22.

The Sanhedrin was broken into three groups: (1) The chief priests, or heads of the twenty-four priestly courses, (2) the scribes, and (3) the elders.

Nicodemus was one of the Chief priests of Israel, he was not only a Pharisee, but part of the Sanhedrin, and not only was he part of the Sanhedrin, he was also one of the 24 Chief priests.

This was a powerful, well educated, well versed Jew with much notoriety.

Yet here we see this man Nicodemus coming to Jesus in humility and he says: Verse 2.

Verse 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."

So here we see Nicodemus he has all of the academic credentials and power and prestige a man could desire in his religion, and yet this man realizes that Jesus is to be addressed as Rabbi, which means teacher.

Many commentators mention that Nicodemus was mockingly calling him Rabbi or that because he came by night, he was more concerned with someone seeing him than really knowing who Jesus was.

I will give Nicodemus the benefit of the doubt. I believe that he addressed Jesus in humility, and by coming at night, where there would be no distractions from the crowds that were trying to listen and ask Jesus questions, he was simply doing what any man that desires to ask uninterrupted questions would do.

Jesus is not a Pharisee, and does not have the pedigree that Nicodemus does from a human perspective. Yet, because Jesus is God in the flesh, He knows a great deal more than Nicodemus.

Nicodemus shows us a great lesson in this verse. Knowing his background and his education, knowing his power, Nicodemus teaches us the great lesson of coming in humility and becoming a student that is teachable before Christ.

Nicodemus claim to fame until know has been how much he knows, and yet from now on, his claim to fame will be how much learns. And from this we see that he has the best Theological conversation in his life and learns a great deal from God’s own mouth.

So here we have two great theologians having a conversation. One of them is very moral, very knowledgeable, very zealous, very pious. And one of them is God.

True humility can be measured by the role one takes before God. Not before men. I can be very humble before men if I try really hard. But true humility in the quiet of my mind and in the times where no one is around, when it is just God and myself, is the measure of my character and my humility.

It is very easy to learn a great deal about God, to study and have all the doctrines down, to understand great mysteries of the Scriptures and still be a puffed up egotistical jerk before God.

This is done in some very major ways and some very minor ways. And here we see the switch from great Theologian and leader, to a humble servant that comes to hear the Words of Christ.

Nicodemus doesn’t come to ask a particular question. He simply says “I know you are a teacher come from God”.

And who picks the topic of conversation? Verse 3

Verse 3- Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Jesus picks the topic.

And of all of the topics that Jesus could have picked. He cuts right through all of the fat and fluff of disinterested dialogue, and hits Nicodemus with what seems to be a fairly simply statement.

“Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Jesus picks the topic of regeneration.

Regeneration literally means “a new birth.” The Greek word so rendered (palingenesia) is used by classical writers with reference to the changes produced by the return of spring.

But why would Nicodemus need “a new birth?”

Because Nicodemus is dead and can not receive the things of God.

Ephesians 2:1-3 “1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.”

1 Corinthians 2:14 “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

Man in his natural state, as a child of Adam is incapable of giving himself spiritual life. He is incapable of receiving the spiritual things of God.

Some teach a false doctrine that says that man is not totally fallen. That he has just enough good in himself to will to righteousness.

J.C. Ryle has well stated:

“There are very few errors and false doctrines of which the beginning may not be traced up to unsound views about the corruption of human nature. Wrong views of the disease will always bring with them wrong views of the remedy. Wrong views of the corruption of human nature will always carry with them wrong views of the grand antidote and cure of that corruption.”

Genesis 6:5 states: “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

Mans heart is wicked and does not seek after God.

Jeremiah 17:9 says: "The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?

If you believe that man is good and wants a relationship with God in his sinful state, what do you do with Romans 3:10-11, which says: As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one; 11 There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. 12 They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one."

And this is why Jesus says that Nicodemus can not see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.

He knows that Nicodemus’s goal is to see the kingdom of God, and so he immediately drops an unpacked statement on him that confuses Nicodemus.

Nicodemus probably had 1,000 questions he could have asked Jesus, yet Jesus sees the answer to all of these questions, which is summarized in being “born again”.

Verse 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?"

Here we see Nicodemus confusion by his question.

Jesus says something that is simple yet very profound, you must be born again.

And Nicodemus, in his confusion, asks a question that is just plain funny.

You mean I have to go back into mom? Nicodemus is thinking from an earthly, temporal perspective and he doesn’t understand the spiritual and eternal perspective that Jesus is drawing out of him. Mom worked so hard to get me out, now I have to go back?

This was a common problem among the Pharisees and Sadducees at this time. The eternal perspective had been lost in the religious activities that had taken over. We saw this last week as Jesus came to cleanse the temple.

The perspective was very finite in focus and temporary, not based on an infinite perspective that would be eternal. This problem was common among Jews at this time and is even common among Christians in our time.

It is difficult to listen to Jesus at times because He seems so simple. His words seem so basic. Yet, the most basic of Jesus Words have kept honest inquirers busy for 2,000 years.

Jesus doesn’t always give us nice little clean answers that can be quickly categorized and tucked away in our file of what we know.

Often times, Jesus comes in a parable so that you will be forced to think about what He is saying.

He forces you to look beyond the temporal and focus on the eternal. He forces you to look beyond the earthly and consider the spiritual.

This is the beauty of Christ Words. And this is why His words are so profound. He makes you think about His words. Yet when you find the answer, you have learned much more than a classroom lesson could ever teach.

Nicodemus shows his ignorance of spiritual things. Which I think was the very intent of Christ in making his first statement the way He did.

And so we have in this next verse, Jesus answer Nicodemus first question

Verse 5- Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

Jesus starts by saying, “verily, verily I say to you” in the KJV or, “truly, truly, as given in other translations.

This could be translated by Jesus saying to Nicodemus, “I tell you the truth and to do not lie.”

Do you believe that Jesus tells the truth and doesn’t lie?

Then listen to what He is saying.

“Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”

You are birthed through the breaking of your mothers water. Yet the physical, fleshly life you live will profit you nothing.

David understood this as he wrote his 51 psalm which was a cry out to God for mercy because Nathan the prophet had just confronted him about his adultery with Bathsheba.

Psalm 51:5- Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.

David realized he was conceived and born a sinner.

And David also knew what God desired and that God was the only one that could change and save him.

Psalm 51:6-10- “6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice. 9 Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

Does this sound like a cry from a man that thought he had free will? And did it sound like he thought his free will was enough to save him? No, he knew that only God could make him know wisdom and purge him, and clean him and wash him and make him hear joy and gladness. He knew that only God could clean his heart and renew a right spirit within him.

What beautiful humility.

The term “born again” actually should have literally been translated “born from above” although it would not have changed the outcome, that man needs to be “reborn” or “regenerated” it does give the glory to God when man acknowledges that he was “born from above.” This shows that God had to bring life to your dead body from above and not that you were just born twice, upon your own merit.

Why is this so important? Verse six is the answer.

Verse 6- "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”

The fleshly birth of man can only produce more flesh. Only the Spirit of God can birth someone Spiritually and make what was once dead, alive!

Verse 7- "Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'

Without being able to see Nicodemus facial expression, this is not as easily understood. I believe that Nicodemus face was fairly contorted and this point. He was probably completely confused and just looking at Jesus is that confusion.

So Jesus says, don’t be confused. Then Jesus lays drops another bomb on Nicodemus. Next verse.

Verse 8- "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."

Can you imagine being Nicodemus and already being confused and then Jesus giving you this statement? As if the first couple statements weren’t enough, now He hits on God’s sovereignty in salvation.

Jesus likens the Spirit to the wind.

The wind is so beautiful, yet it is invisible.

Have you ever stood on the top of a hill right before a storm and felt the wind rush in over the hill and blow against you? What an awesome feeling.

You can’t tell where the wind comes from because it’s invisible. All you see is the effect that it has on whatever is in its path.

This invisible force comes and demonstrates its power, yet you cant grab it or draw it or easily explain it. It is a force, a power, and yet the Spirit of God is much more than that.

As the Spirit of God moves through and exercises its force, you see it’s effect in the lives of those touched by it. As you see the wind come and rustle up the leaves and carry them along. So you see the lives of those who are “born from above” being moved and changed and cleansed.

My wife and I used to live in L.A. before we came down here to S.D. 5 years ago. And I loved windy crisp days because it would blow away all of the smog from over the hills and leave a clear beautiful view of the mountains and the city. I loved the smell from the leaves being rustled up in the fall and the view after the wind blew away all of the smog.

So it is with those changed by the Spirit of the living God. As God comes and blows away all of the smog and fog of life and gives you newness of heart and clear vision.

What is so perplexing in all of this, is that the wind blows wherever it wishes. It has sovereignty to blow in whatever direction it wants. And so does God in the salvation of a sinner.

In the 1689 London confession of faith, there is a beautiful summary of this doctrine.

“Those of mankind who are predestined unto Life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to His eternal and immutable Purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of His will, hath chosen in Christ to everlasting glory, out of His mere free grace and love, without any other thing in the creature as a condition or cause moving Him thereunto.”

This essential gives a summary of several verses that we will consider.

First let’s look at Romans chapter 8, starting at verse 28 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

This is deep water, and we will only be scratching the surface. But first I want you to notice verse 28 “the called.” This is where our fellowship gets its name. Kaleo is Greek for “the called.” And called to who’s purpose? To His (God’s) purpose.

This is called the golden chain of salvation:

That the Father foreknew, and that He predestined (or gave a set destination before hand) to those he foreknew, then those He gave a destination for he called by His Spirit, and those that the Spirit called came to Jesus Christ to justified, or declared “not guilty.” Those that Christ justified, our triune God ensures that they will be glorified (this is mentioned in the past tense to indicate something that is sure and finished).

And who makes the decision for salvation? Man or God?

The next chapter of Romans Paul further explains.

Romans 9:11-13- 11 (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls), 12 it was said to her, "The older shall serve the younger." 13 As it is written, "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated."

Does your flesh grumble against God’s sovereignty? Paul assumes it will by giving you the next several verses.

Romans 9:14-23- 14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! 15 For He says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion." 16 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth." 18 Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens. 19 You will say to me then, "Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?" 20 But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, "Why have you made me like this?"

21 Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? 22 What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory,

Ouch. Is this causing your face to wrinkle like Nicodemus? It should. It’s difficult to understand, but none-the-less, it is simple Biblical Theology.

Jesus goes on to say in this Gospel some difficult words that cause many to leave Him.

John 6:44- "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.

The Father sends the Spirit as a mission to draw those to Jesus, and Jesus guarantees that He will raise those up at the last day.

Jesus goes on to say in verse 64…

John 6:64-70 64 "But there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. 65 And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father." 66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. 67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?" 68 But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 "Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 70 Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"

This teaching was tough for those closest to Jesus, and it is difficult for us now. And I believe Jesus would say the same to us today; “Do you also want to go away?”

Can you understand why Nicodemus was so confused.

Jesus is saying that Nicodemus has learned a great deal, yet still needs to be born from above as all others.

And this is not by some great deed or further education. It is by Grace alone.

2 Timothy 1:8-10 says: “8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, 9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, 10 but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,

Praise God.

Verse 9- 9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?"

Can you understand his question? I can. Yet because Nicodemus was a teacher of Israel, Jesus response is to the point.

Verses 10- 10 Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?

Jesus response is Rhetorical. You mean you don’t understand these things? I thought you were a great teacher? Jesus humbles Nicodemus more by asking this question. And then He continues.

Verse 11- "Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness”

Again, here Jesus says, I tell you the truth and do not lie. He again gets Nicodemus attention by telling Him to listen up.

That which we know we utter, and that which we have seen we testify. As Nicodemus mentioned in the beginning that “we know you that you are a teacher,” now Jesus returns in kind a “we know” but it is from communion not with men, but with the Triune God of the Universe.

And you have not received “Our witness.” Again a reference to the Trinitarian relationship that Christ is part of.

Christ knows that there is still unbelief in the heart of Nicodemus, and so he presses the point.

Verse 12- "If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

Again Jesus presses the issue of unbelief in His heart which is Sin.

Verse 13- "No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.

Now Jesus moves to explain His identity. That only He has been in the throne room of God when the decisions were made. And this one is the Son of Man. Jesus

Verse 14-15- "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 "that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

Jesus then gives a reference to Numbers chapter 21, which gives the key to this great truth.

As the serpent, which is always representative of sin, bites the Israelites, the only way that the Israelites could be saved, was by looking in faith at the brazen serpent.

Again this must have confused Nicodemus. Yet we see this is a type of Christ that was to come. Jesus uses Old Testament writing to explain what would be fulfilled on the Cross.

As the serpent had bit each and every Israelite, only those that would look on the serpent lifted up on Moses staff would be cured. So every man born that is born as a sinner must look to the Cross of Christ in faith to be saved from sin.

The similarities of the serpent of the pole and Christ shouldn’t be confused.

I believe that it correlates with Colossians 2:13-15, “13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,

14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

Verse 16- "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Let’s quickly explain this verse because it is much confused. Many will say if God so loved the whole world, every person from when time began to the day the verse was spoken and to all future lives yet to be lived. How come most will go to Hell? If God is love, as the Bible says, how could God send someone to Hell?

I would start by answering this. If every man received what was due to him, no one would be saved. All would have the hand of justice come upon them and none would have eternal life. The fact that God chooses to save any, should be the question that is confusing.

Yet the Bible says that He loves the “World” or in the Greek “cosmos”.

There are different uses for the word “world” in the New Testament:

John uses the word “world” 112 times in his Gospel and Epistles.

The word “love” needs to be defined. Is it regenerative love? If so, does this mean that God regenerates the whole world? Of course not, scripture teaches that not all will be saved, but only few. Those few are God’s elect.

So the word “world” is used in different ways in John’s writing.

a. The entire universe of created reality (John 15:5)

b. The planet earth (John 21:25)

c. The general public or crowd of men (John 7:4, 14:22)

d. The ethical sense of sinners under the wrath of God and in the control of Satan (I John 5:19)

e. The ethnic sense of sense of sinners from all ranks and races of mankind, not just Jews, but also Gentiles (John 1:29, 4:42, 11:52, 12:32)

f. The realm of all evil opposition to God (John 7:7, I john 2:15,16)

g. The realm of the fallen mankind (John 9:5)

h. The body of God’s elect (John 1:29, 4:42, 6:33, 51)

The emphasis on John 3 is upon men who are in danger of perishing, who need eternal life, who need to be saved, who are condemned, who love darkness rather than light, who hate the light and refuse to be exposed by it. In short, the “world” refers to sinners who are under the wrath of God.

So “world” speaks of men from all nations, who will believe in Him and not perish.

If God sent those He had a redemptive love for to Hell, that would give us not security that our redemption is secure in Him at all.

This is tough, I know, but again, it’s simple Biblical Theology.

Verse 17- "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

The world is already condemned, Christ does not need to come and do that which is already done.

Verse 18- "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

Verse 19- "And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”

Will you come to the light, so that you can be washed?

Verse 20- "For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

The natural inclination of man is to run from the light. Were it not for the Holy Spirit convicting us of sin, righteousness and judgment, we would have never come to Christ.

Thank you Father for sending your Spirit.

Verse 21-"But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

Knowing and doing the truth are very, very different. To be cleansed you must not simply know what to do, but you must do that which has been commanded. Repent and believe the Gospel that you may come to the light.

God is so good to teach the teachable. He is so willing to forgive the broken. He is so willing to restore the sinner.

Come to Him, like Nicodemus, with your confusion, with your sin and humble yourself before the King, so that you might be born from above and become a Child of the King.

Do you believe that Jesus tells you the truth? Than trust in Him and He will never leave you or forsake you.

Let’s pray.

Communion.