Growing up in rural West Virginia, we attended a country Methodist church. I will never forget a feature that was in that white clap-board church. At the front in large letters was a plaque that said: Ye must be born again! That phrase comes from this very text.
One of the greatest Biblical terms has been stolen. It has been emptied of its true meaning and dragged through the muck so that today being born again can mean almost anything or nothing at all!
For instance, Bono, the lead singer of the popular Irish rock band U2 recently pointed at the symbols on his headband—first to the cross, then to the star, then to the crescent moon—and he began to repeat: “Jesus, Jew, Mohammad—all true. Jesus, Jew, Mohammad—all true.”
Marshall Mathers, also known as Eminem. His new CD, which is inspired entirely by Bible verses, based on the Old Testament, presents no discernible departure from his bloodthirsty rants filled with vulgarity.
We need to rescue it and return it to its proper place.
Our text relates Jesus’ classic conversation with Nicodemus. He explains what it means to be born again.
Verse 1 of our text introduces Nicodemus to us. It is hard to imagine that there could be a better person for our Lord to use in explaining this matter. First, he was a Pharisee, very earnest about his faith. He was also desperately fervent. He was also a member of the Jewish ruling council, the Sanhedrin, comprised of 70 men, who had jurisdiction over every Jew on earth. He was Israel’s teacher (V10) considered to be the greatest teacher in Jerusalem. He was a highly educated man - no ones fool. His family was from the aristocracy - tracing their lineage back to the Maccabees.
Yet, on a quiet Palestinian evening, a perplexed man walked along the backstreets of old Jerusalem. He desired to speak to this young amazingly brilliant Rabbi, from Galilee.
He was about to come face to face with Jesus.
He came to Him respectfully - Rabbi (V2) No doubt, he was prepared for an exchange of philosophical ideas. He was not prepared for how the conversation ended up going, for Jesus cut him off and went straight to the heart of the matter.
In an instance our faith was given one of its greatest concepts - born again
Nicodemus pondered the question, the wheels of his head began to turn. I believe that often Nicodemus is viewed as being terribly inept if not ignorant. This is surely not the case. I believe he had some idea of what Jesus meant. The Rabbi’s had a saying: A proselyte who embraces Judaism is like a newborn child. So being born again in a religious or spiritual sense was not a foreign or new topic to him.
Yet, it was confusing and perplexing to him, so he posed a question to our Lord, "How?" (V4) Nicodemus was not being naive and he surely was not a theological dummy. No, his question stemmed from a deep yearning to know HOW this happened. His reasoning I think may have gone something like this: "You speak of being born again and there is nothing I would want more, but I don’t know “how” this works. in fact, you might as well tell me that I have to go back inside my mothers womb."
Tennyson caught the idea when he wrote: O for a man to rise in me, that the man I am might cease to be.
This is really the heart cry of man down through the ages. We desire to change... We want to be different...We want new minds, new personalities...We want to be “born again!" But it is as difficult as going back into our mother’s womb.
We think it has to do with our finding something… but Jesus explains it in the form of a two-fold question.
First, we must be born of water (V5). here he is clearly referring to water baptism - and repentance. Again Nicodemus knew what Jesus meant, John had been baptizing people in water, before and after this, as a sign of their inward repentance. (John 3:23) No one is truly born again unless there is repentance.
Lets think about this for a moment. In a December 1979 Gallup Poll:
· 39.5 million Americans claimed to have asked Christ to be their Savior
· 1 in 5 adults in the Unites States were evangelicals
If these statistics are true.. why has the sinful pace of our country not slowed down? Why is pornography on the upswing? Why do we have a corporate immorality epidemic?
How can this be is 1 in 5 adults are evangelicals?
I believe there are 2 main reasons.
1) Incredible ignorance about spiritual/biblical things
The same Gallup poll - 3 in 10 did not believe the devil was a personal being, few knew the books of the Bible or the names of the Apostles. Get this - 6 in 10 could not identify “you must be born again” as the words of Jesus. It follows that the moral ethical teachings contained in Scripture are less understood
2) Many who claim to be born again know nothing of repentance.
Repentance involves a change of mind. The biblical word comes from two words: One means - after, the other - thought, mind. It is not simply making a decision...It is not just a new direction...It is not education...It is not religious experience - Nicodemus had that. Now pay attention, is it also not merely - asking Jesus into your heart.
If any of those things happen without repentance they will not bring regeneration.
The second part of Jesus' answer is, "and the Spirit." (V5) Spirit baptism - Regeneration
Repentance is the pre-cursor. Being born again is a radical change in which we through repentance and a work of the Spirit we are given a totally new nature. (2 Cor 5:17)
What are the tangible evidences of this Spirit regeneration?
A Changed Life (V6-8)
This change cannot be accomplished by human energy. We do not evolve spiritually. What is vegetable is vegetable. What is animal is animal. What is flesh.. is flesh. There is no evolution from flesh to spirit.
You must be born again.
You must realize you are a sinner and repent. You must receive the work of the Spirit into your life. and must - is an imperative
Have you been born again according to the definition of John 3?
Do you see the non-negotiables? Do you see your sin, your need to repent?
John 19:38-39 tells us that at some point in his life, Nicodemus was born again.
Here's a great story that illustrates this great truth.
There is a song entitled: Lord, With Glowing Heart I'll Praise Thee
Lord, with glowing heart I'll praise Thee
For the bliss Thy love bestows.
For the pardoning grace that saves me,
And the peace that from it flows.
Help, O God, my weak endeavors,
This dull soul to rapture raise;
Thou must light the flame, or never
Can my love be warmed to praise.
Praise, my soul, the God that sought thee,
Wretched wandrer far astray;
Found thee lost, and kindly brought thee,
From the paths of death away.
Praise, with loves devoutest feeling,
Him who saw thy guilt-born fear,
And, the light of hope revealing,
Bade the blood-stained Cross appear.
- Johnny D. Pyles
The author, Johnny D. Pyles, of the poem was on death row in Texas from 1982-1998 when he was executed.
He says of his conversion: I spent eight years on death row for murder before Jesus became my Lord and Savior. The consequences of my sins have not been removed. I will still reap that which I have sown. Thought I still face the death penalty, I have nothing to fear for Jesus is my Savior and Lord.
His last statement was: "I want to tell you folks there, that I have a love in my heart for you. I hope you don’t look for satisfaction or comfort or peace in my execution.
Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior and I want him to be yours. I’m sorry for the pain and heartache I’ve caused your family. Too many years I’ve caused all my family problems and heartache. I’m sorry. I wanted to let you know that the Lord Jesus is my life and I just want to go. I’m gonna fall asleep and I’ll be in his presence shortly. I got reason to rejoice and I pray to see all of you there someday."
What transformation - the vile becomes virtuous…
The power - you must be born again
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