John 2:23-3:15 - Born of the Spirit (Rev. Erik Veerman)
John 2:23-3:15 Born of the Spirit
Please turn in your Bibles to the end of John chapter 2. Our sermon text is John 2:23 to 3:15.
Chapter 2 so far has included Jesus' miracle, turning water into wine, and his cleansing of the temple. The narrative now shifts from Jesus' actions to his interactions. The end of chapter 2 introduces these interactions. You'll hear that Jesus knows the heart of man (he knows your heart and my heart). And then in chapter 3, we'll hear the first example of that. A man named Nicodemus.
Reading of John 2:23-3:15
Prayer
"Bullfrogs and butterflies, we've both been born again." I completely forgot about that children's song until Ed Sellers mentioned it this week in a conversation. He didn’t even remember I was preaching on John 3. That song was a hit back in the late 1970s into the 80s.
It was that same era that President Jimmy Carter called himself a "born again Christian." Billy Graham also used that title often to describe himself and his faith. It was a Christian cultural thing for a while. In some circles it is still used. And it comes right from John 3.
I've been thinking a lot about that title "born again." It has not been my preference as far as a title for a Christian. In part, that's because of its typical association with a certain brand of Christianity. The phrase is also in a sense redundant. After all, every true Christian is born again. However, the more I've through about it, the more I appreciate it - maybe not as a title per-se, but at least as a description. It's true. After all someone who believes in Christ is a new creation in him, the old has passed, the new has come. We are tadpoles and caterpillars that have been transformed into bullfrogs and butterflies.
It's a helpful description because being born again means that to be a Christian is more than just believing that Jesus existed. It's more than just knowing religious things. There is something deeper that has to happen in your life. And that is what Jesus is teaching here.
As I was reading, you probably noticed there are a few things going on in these verses.
· For one, at the end of chapter 2 we learn that Jesus is still in Jerusalem. It's still the Passover. He was performing miracles (you know, signs as John calls them). And people were believing. However, not everyone who said they believed in Jesus were truly transformed. That is why in chapter 2 verse 24 it says that Jesus "did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people." He knew their hearts. He knew what was truly on the inside.
· The second thing we learn is related. We're learning more about Jesus. As we've already seen in the first two chapters and which will continue throughout, there's a deepening revelation of who he is… and why he came. In these verses, we come to understand that Jesus does knows the heart of man; furthermore, he has come down from heaven; and he will be lifted up. We'll get to those two things later.
· And the third thing we learn about is the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit plays a significant role here. We are to be born of the Spirit, as it says - water and Spirit. We'll get to that in a few minutes.
So, there's a lot going on... But I think we can boil it down to two questions:
How does one see the kingdom of God? You know, where should we look in order to find it? That phrase is there in verse 3.
And then, how does one enter the kingdom of God? That's in verse 5.
Well, the answers to those questions come through a dialogue. The conversation is between someone seeking answers - that's Nicodemus, an esteemed teacher of Israel, and Jesus - the one in whom the wisdom and knowledge of God is found.
Ok, to give us a little structure, we'll consider these things in three points. You can see them on page 4:
1. A teacher who must be taught (3:1-2, 9-10)
2. A birth that must be given (3:3-8)
3. A testimony that must be believed (3:11-15)
1. A teacher who must be taught (3:1-2, 9-10)
So, #1, again, a teacher who must be taught. I'm talking, of course, about Nicodemus.
We're told that he was a Pharisee. Pharisees were prominent leaders known for their careful study of Jewish law. And it wasn't just the law of Moses which we have in the first 5 books of the Bible. But Pharisees were also experts in applying of the law. They had created additional rules with the goal to help people keep it.
Pharisees get a bad rap, and often for good reason because many of them were "white washed tombs" as Jesus would call them. However, some really did desired to see reform and for God's people to strive for covenant faithfulness to God. It's just that for most, their emphasis focused on keeping the rules and not a heart love for God.
That's one thing about Nicodemus. He is also called "a ruler of the Jews." So, he was more than just a Pharisee, he was a member of the ruling council, called the Sanhedrin. They had significant power. The Sanhedrin were like the Supreme Court and Congress combined into one council.
And furthermore, in chapter 3 verse 10, Jesus referred to Nicodemus as a teacher of Israel. He not only had the knowledge, but he had the capability and authority to teach. He had the responsibility to instruct others in matters pertaining to God's law and the covenants and the history of Israel.
So, added together, here was a man of great status and responsibility. He was like a lawyer, a judge, a senator, and a renowned professor all rolled into one.
And he was there in Jerusalem observing Jesus and his signs. It's possible Nicodemus had even been at the temple when Jesus cleansed it.
And notice that Nicodemus was searching. The text explicitly mentions that he came to find Jesus at night. The question is, did the interaction just happen to be at night? In other words, is the reference to night just because that's when it happened? I don’t think so. Why would the apostle John mention night if didn’t have significance? Most likely, Nicodemus wanted to talk Jesus but didn’t want to attract a crowd. Or perhaps he did not want certain Pharisees or council members to know. After all, Jesus had just made a big ruckus at the temple.
And so he goes at night and finds Jesus. And before asking any questions, Nicodemus opens with an observation. Verse 2 "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." Did you notice that he said "we" and not "I?" "We know." Nicodemus was there on behalf of some of the other Pharisees. And even though he didn't ask a question, there was an implicit question in his statement. They wanted to know, was Jesus from God?
Now, remember, we were just told that Jesus knows what is in man. He knows Nicodemus's heart. And at this point in his life, Nicodemus was still in the dark. By the way, it's possible that the reference to "night" indicates more than just the time of day. The apostle John loves contrasts like light and darkness and life and death. Jesus had already been described as the Light of the world. Nicodemus was still in the darkness, but was searching for the light. He was not hostile, like most of the other Pharisees, rather, he was looking for the light.
That is why Jesus responded " unless one is born again, he cannot SEE the kingdom of God." Nicodemus was looking but could not yet see.
And so, Jesus explains to him how to see and how to enter the kingdom of God. We'll come back to Jesus' answer in point 2, but in the meantime, jump ahead to verse 10.
Jesus made a very eye-opening statement to Nicodemus. He said, "Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?" Here's a man with tremendous credentials and social standing and responsibility. Nicodemus was in a sense a "Hebrew of Hebrews" as the apostle Paul described his own former life. Yet, Nicodemus did not understand.
Now, you would have expected Nicodemus to react negatively. After all, Jesus had just accused him of ignorance. But Nicodemus didn't lash out in pride like we will see other Pharisees do.
No, it appears that God's Spirit had been at work in his heart. He was a teacher who realized he needed to be taught. Now, we are never told that Nicodemus became born again. However, in chapter 7 he would stand up for Jesus before the chief priests. And in chapter 19, after Jesus' death, it is Nicodemus who brought 75 gallons of precious oils for Jesus' burial. It's kind of like the social media phrase today, "Tell me Nicodemus became a Christian without telling me Nicodemus became a Christian."
But at this point… at this first encounter, Nicodemus had yet to understand. He was in the dark. He was a teacher who needed to be taught.
2. A birth that must be given (3:3-8)
Which brings us to #2. A birth that must be given.
Ok, so "born again." What does that mean? Well, for starters, the phrase "born again" can also be translated "born anew" or "born from above." I think the translation "born again" is the right one. After all, Nicodemus responded by asking, how can someone be born a second time from his mother? Born from above is true but that translation doesn't fit the dialogue.
Now, think now about how radical that statement must have been to Nicodemus. Probably a majority of us have heard the phrase "born again" before. Or maybe you've read elsewhere in the Scripture that your heart needs to be regenerated… you needed to become a child of God, adopted into his family. Those ideas are related.
But Nicodemus had none of that background. It was very unexpected. Born again? What do you mean? He asked, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"
The question was not belligerent. Rather being born again just sounded impossible to Nicodemus. It's similar to what we considered last week. The Jews didn't understand how Jesus could raise a destroyed temple in 3 days. Here, Nicodemus didn’t realize that Jesus had a deeper meaning, and so he simply asked the natural question.
Jesus responded that to enter the kingdom of God, one needed to be born of water and Spirit. He went on to explain that what is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Nicodemus, your credentials don't matter in the kingdom of God. Your efforts, your labor, your study, your status as a Pharisee nor your status as a member of the Sanhedrin will not get you into heaven. None of those flesh-oriented things get you into the kingdom of God. No, Nicodemus, you need to be born of water and the Spirit.
The question is, what does that mean? What does it mean to be born of water and spirit?
Well, let's tackle the easier one first. I think we can get our hearts and minds around being born of the Spirit… Jesus is referring to the Holy Spirit. It is God's Spirit who regenerates our hearts. He opens the eyes of our hearts to see and believe. He breathes new life into us as we sang earlier. We were dead and he made us alive.
Furthermore, God's Spirit is like the wind, as verse 8 tells us. We can't see the wind, but we know it's there. Branches sway. Wind chimes make music. We hear rustling and whistling when wind passes through trees and in the grass. It's the same with the Holy Spirit. He moves in the hearts of mankind. We can't see him, but we can perceive his regenerating work in others and in our own heart.
The Holy Spirit causes us to be born again.
It's the water reference that is more difficult. I think, though, that if we consider the context, we can understand what water signifies. The reference to water is most likely the cleansing and renewal that comes with repentance. Let me give you three reasons:
· First, in chapter 1, John the Baptist was baptizing with water. It was a baptism of repentance and it signified our need for cleansing. In fact, John the Baptist and his water baptism will be revisited later in this chapter.
· Second, earlier in chapter 2 we also came across a reference to water. The ceremonial pots were filled with water. Those pots were for purification… they were for cleansing. The water was turned to wine in part to signify our need for Jesus to cleanse us… not by the outward washing by water but by the inward cleansing of our sin.
· And third, the connection between the symbolic cleansing of water and the Holy Spirit is elsewhere in Scripture. Take, for example, Ezekiel's prophecy in chapter 36. It says that the Lord will sprinkle clean water on you and you shall be clean from all your uncleanliness. It then goes on says the Lord will give us new hearts and put his Spirit within us. So, the cleansing of water and the Spirit. Or consider Titus 4. It says that Jesus Christ "saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness." In other words, we are not saved in our flesh, our works. Rather, it says, "by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit."
So, the reference to water here is not talking about physical water. Rather it symbolizes our need to be cleansed from our sin. We need to be born of water and Spirit.
Let me summarize: entrance into the kingdom of God comes through the cleansing ministry of Christ when the Spirit of God gives you new heart. He reveals your heart of sin and gives you a heart of repentance and faith. And all of it is God's work in us, not our work. To be born again is to be born of the Spirit and not the flesh. None of us here had anything to do with our natural birth. It just happened to us. Well, new birth is similar in that way. It is God's Spirit who causes us to be born again.
3. A testimony that must be believed (3:11-15)
#3. A testimony that must be believed.
Well, that brings us to verses 11-15. Notice that at this point, the dialogue has stopped. Instead of a back and forth, Jesus now teaches the teacher of Israel.
And what Jesus is now doing is he's pressing into Nicodemus about believing.
I want to make a special note here. The "you" at the end of verses 11 and all the "you-s" in verse 12 are all plural. Remember, Nicodemus had come as a representative. He was inquiring on behalf of a group of Pharisees. So, while the Holy Spirit may have been softening Nicodemus's heart, that is not the case for some of the others.
That is why Jesus asks a rhetorical question, " If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?." And immediately after saying that, Jesus revealed that he himself is from heaven. He was saying, if you all don't believe that you need to be born again, how will you believe in me, the Son of Man, come from heaven? We came across the Son of Man title at the end of chapter 1. It's a reference to Daniel's prophecy about the Messiah - Remember, the Son of Man was given dominion and power and a kingdom.
In other words, Jesus was saying in order for someone to be truly born again, they first needed to believe in his testimony… that he is indeed is God in the flesh.
But Jesus doesn’t end it there. No he continued. To be born again requires not only belief in his identity, but also belief about his saving ministry. That is what verse 14 and 15 are talking about. It refers to Jesus being "lifted up." That is, lifted up on the cross.
We read from Numbers chapter 21 earlier. In the wilderness, God's people had been grumbling against him. And because of that, the people had been inflicted with poisonous serpents. Many died who had been bitten. And so, God told Moses to make a bronze serpent and to hoist it up on a pole. From that point onward, anyone who had been bitten by a serpent could look upon the bronze serpent, and they would live.
What God was revealing in the wilderness, is that he would send one who would be lifted up. This one, this Messiah, would spiritually heal sinners condemned to death. You see, it was another pattern that displayed Christ, and more specifically it foreshadowed the cross.
So, to be born again is to not only to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, but also to believe that he was lifted up on the cross to bring healing from sin.
And, of course, when Jesus was talking with Nicodemus, the cross had yet to happen, so he was prophesying what would come.
Conclusion
So, a teacher who needed to be taught, a birth that must be given, and a testimony that must be believed.
Let me conclude by circle back to the two questions being answered:
How do we see the kingdom of God and how do we enter it?
Well, Jesus has told us. We will not find the kingdom of God through our credentials or our religious knowledge. Nicodemus had all of that and yet he still could not see. No, the kingdom of God is spiritual, and we will only see it through spiritual eyes given to us by the Spirit. And we will only enter it when we are born again. That is, when we are cleansed by the ministry of Christ and renewed by the Holy Spirit.
In other words, the path into the kingdom does not come through our own efforts. You do not enter the kingdom of God because your parents are Christians or in Nicodemus's case because he was an Israelite, and a special one at that. No, rather, you need to be born again... You need a transformation from being a tadpole or a caterpillar into a bullfrog or a butterfly.
You need a new heart - a heart of repentance that believes in the one who came down from heaven and was lifted up on the cross.
Maybe you are like Nicodemus. You've come to Jesus at night because you are seeking. If that's you, pray to him and ask him that he would grant you to be born again… born by water and the Spirit… the cleansing ministry of Christ and new life given to you….