INTRODUCTION
Today we continue on our journey with Jesus. Last week we spent time with Jesus as he opened His public ministry with a miracle at a wedding in Cana of Galilee.
After the wedding, Jesus along with His mother, brothers and disciples (John 2:12) traveled down to Capernaum for a few days before traveling up to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast. During this trip to Jerusalem, Jesus goes to the temple and cleanses it for the first time.
John 2:23 tells us “Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing.”
This leads us to today’s message, “Questions in the Night.”
Are you one of those people who think about the deep questions of life at night when the hustle and bustle of the day is over? For many people nighttime is an opportunity to reflect on life.
Today our journey takes us to a meeting that happened at night. In John 3:1-2 we see that a Pharisee named Nicodemus came to visit Jesus at night. Many people look at this and think that Nicodemus was afraid to be seen with Jesus, but this is not likely since the Pharisees were not opposing Jesus as of yet.
Nicodemus most likely went at night because Jesus was busy during the day, as was Nicodemus. At night may have been the only opportunity that this man would get a personal audience with Jesus.
Let’s read John 3:1-2.
Nicodemus is very respectful of Jesus by calling Him Rabbi or teacher.
Nicodemus says that WE know that you are from God because of all the signs that He was performing. It would seem that the religious leaders quickly understood that Jesus was from God. Even in John 12:42-43 at the height of the bitterness that the Pharisee’s had for Jesus, many of the religious leaders knew that Jesus was from God.
Nicodemus came to Jesus seeking answers to his questions. In the first two verses of this chapter, Nicodemus has not asked any questions yet. As we pick up the text in verse three, we will see that Jesus is seemingly out of the blue, will make a thought provoking statement that will forever change the life of this Pharisee.
Jesus makes this statement even though Nicodemus has not asked a question. Jesus is answering a question that was in the heart of this religious leader.
In the heart of Nicodemus were questions about the Kingdom of God and how Jesus fit into that. He wanted to know how he fit into the Kingdom and if Jesus was the long awaited Messiah!
Nicodemus was a puzzled man, a man with many honors and yet with something lacking in his life. He came to Jesus for a talk so that somehow in the darkness of the night he might find light.
SERMON
I. JESUS’ THOUGHT PROVOKING STATEMENT V3
READ VERSE 3
A. The Statement
Jesus makes a statement that will shock Nicodemus to the core.
Here is a man who is a respected religious leader of the nation of Israel. Jesus is telling him that unless a person is born again or born from above that they will not even see the kingdom of God!
The Christian world has pondered though the centuries the depths of this conversation.
Nicodemus was raised in a system in which if you were born a Jew, you were one of God’s chosen people. The Jews claimed heaven as a birthright. The Jewish system turned into a performance system. If you did you tithing and other religious duties, then you were all right with God.
Jesus deflates all of these thoughts with His though provoking statement.
Today people are trying to make up there own way to get to God. Jesus said unless you are born again that you would not even SEE the kingdom of God!
In his heart, Nicodemus wanted to know what part he would play in the Kingdom of God. Jesus in parts is answering that it is up to Nicodemus.
Jesus is telling us today that unless we are born again, we will not see the kingdom of God much less enter in to it.
What does it mean to be born again? How does it work? This leads us to our next section of the text, which is Nicodemus’ quandary.
II. NICODEMUS’ QUANDARY V4-8
READ VERSES 4-8
A. Nicodemus’ first question for Jesus. Verse 4
The expression “to be born again” was a term that was used frequently by the Jews to denote a change from Gentilism to Judaism by becoming a proselyte (a convert).
The question that Nicodemus asks Jesus seems like a silly question. The question that Nicodemus asks Jesus is asked in such a way that he is expecting a negative answer.
In other words he expects Jesus to say that it is not possible to do that. Nicodemus states to Jesus the literal meaning of His words, hoping to draw from Him an explanation of this strange metaphor that He is using.
B. How is a person born again? Verse 5,8
Verse five is one of the most misunderstood verses of scripture along with verse eight in this passage.
This verse is important to understand because Jesus says the same thing at the end of this verse that He says in verse three.
Unless a person is born of the water and the Spirit, they cannot see (enter) the Kingdom of God.
This verse tells us that unless we do whatever being born of the water and Spirit means, we will NOT go to heaven.
C. What does verse 5 mean?
The problem with verse five is trying to determine what “born of water” means.
Some people will say that the statement is talking about the amniotic fluid of birth. The problem with this is it makes Jesus statement ludicrous.
Jesus would be saying that unless a person is born physically, they could not be in the kingdom. That is pretty much a given.
This part of the passage is talking about immersion.
Jesus is saying that unless we are born of the water of baptism, we cannot enter the kingdom of God.
There are many reasons I conclude this way.
ALL the Greek and Latin father WITHOUT one single exception consider the word “water” to be speaking of Christian baptism
By far the vast majority of scholars consider “water” to mean baptism.
The ministry of John the Baptist is fresh in the mind of Nicodemus and this would draw attention to what is being meant.
We also have more light on the subject than Nicodemus has. Romans 6 speaks of how at baptism our old self is crucified and dies with Jesus and that because we are buried with Jesus, we too shall rise with Him.
The very next section of scripture has Jesus’ disciples baptizing.
Jesus opens and closes His ministry with the same instructions. How to enter the Kingdom of God. (Matthew 28:18-20)
This verse is one of many reasons that in our church we teach immersion as part of God’s plan of salvation. The Bible tells us that we need faith to be saved. It tells us that we need to repent to be saved. It tells us that we need to confess Jesus to be saved and it tells us that along with those things we need to be immersed in order to be saved.
The second part of the new birth is being born of the Spirit. This is the change of heart that comes from the work of the Spirit in our lives. Verses 7 and 8 will explain what this means
D. What does verse 8 mean?
Verse eight is confusing in our bibles because of the way it has been translated.
The word translated “wind” is the same word translated “spirit” later in the verse.
This word appears 386 times in the New Testament. 384 times it is translated “spirit” or the equivalent “ghost”. One time it is translated “life” in Revelation 13:15 (here it could be translated “Spirit” also).
The other problem is the word “sound” should be translated “voice” as it is else where in scripture over 100 times.
The last problem in understanding is the clause “but do not know where it comes from or where it goes”.
The way we can read this verse as follows: The Spirit breaths where He sees fit and you hear His voice; In this way is (conceived) begotten everyone who is begotten by the Spirit.
What verse 8 says is that we are begotten (conceived) by the Spirit by hearing His voice. This fits with other passages also.
The Spirit works through the Word.
JAM 1:18 In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we might be, as it were, the first fruits among His creatures.
1PE 1:23 for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and abiding word of God.
ROM 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
The Spirit works through the Word of God and as we hear the Spirit we respond causing us to be conceived of the Spirit.
E. What is means to be born again. Verse 6
We are transformed. When we are born of the Water and of the Spirit, there is a change in heart that is created by faith and repentance and the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
TIT 3:5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,
1TH 1:6 You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit,
ROM 5:5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
2 Cor 5:17 tells us that we are a new creation when we are in Christ!
Without this transformation, we will not be suited for the Kingdom of God. We cannot enter the Spiritual kingdom unless we are born of the Spirit.
You cannot be born again and be the same. You are a new creation so you are different. Jesus gives us a clean slate to work with.
III. NICODEMUS’ CONFUSION V9-15
A. Nicodemus’ second question for Jesus. READ VERSE 9.
Jesus teaching astonishes Nicodemus. He is confused and wants to further understand what Jesus is telling him.
Jesus says that Nicodemus given his position should be able to understand what He is teaching.
Jesus goes on to tell him why we can have the opportunity to be born again.
Jesus says that He can teach him about this because He is testifying of what He knows and what He has seen. Verse 11
In verse 13 He also says that HE is the only one to ascend into heaven and come to earth to tell about it.
Then Jesus goes on to tell Nicodemus why we have the opportunity to be born again.
B. Why we can be born again. Verses 13-15
READ VERSES 13-15
Jesus says that His death burial and resurrection is the reason that we can be born again.
He uses a story from the Old Testament in the book of Numbers 21. God had led the people out of Egypt and the people start to grumble at God. God was tired of it and so He sent fiery serpents to bite the people. There was no cure for the bites.
After the people admitted to their sin they asked Moses to ask God to remove the serpents from them. The people were going to all die until God did something.
Here is what Numbers 21:8-9 says. Then the Lord said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he shall live." And Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard; and it came about, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived.
Only the people who had enough faith in God to look at the serpent were going to be saved.
Jesus is saying that only the ones who have the faith in Him to be born of the water and Spirit will be saved.
Believing in Jesus means doing what He says to do, not just saying that you believe in Jesus.
CONCLUSION
One night Canon Hay Aitken preached to a large audience in Bristol, England, on the text, "You must be born again." There in the congregation was a brilliant young man named Horatio Bottomly. He listened intently. He heard the preacher at the end of the sermon call all who were there to trust in the grace of Christ and to commit their lives to Jesus Christ, and he knew the call was addressed to him, too. He was deeply moved, but he said, "Not now, I’ll run my own life." And he did.
He mad a fortune and a name for himself as the champion of the people’s rights. He was a lawyer; he exposed swindlers and prosecuted criminals with great vigor. When Bottomly was 63 years of age, this one who had exposed the crimes of others was himself convicted of a crime and sentenced to seven years in prison.
While he was there, another man visited him and asked to pray with him. Bottomly said that would be fine, and in the course of the conversation, the other man told his story. He said, "Yes, many years ago, I was in Bristol, and I heard a preacher, Canon Hay Aitken, preach on the text: You must be born again. I was so deeply moved that I committed my life to Christ, and ever since then, Christ has been my all in all."
Bottomly was silent for some time, and then he said, "I, too, heard that searching message. I, too, was deeply moved. I knew my need of Christ, but I rejected him." And then he said remorsefully, "A life without God is a wasted life."
Jesus tells us what we must do to be saved. Jesus tells us here that we must be born again of the water and the Spirit.
Jesus said at the end of His ministry in Matthew 28:18-20 that we are to go make disciples of all nations. He says the way to do that is to baptize them and teach them all He commanded.
Peter tells the people who asked him what they must do to be saved, he told them to repent and be immersed for the forgiveness of sins and to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
In Acts 8 when Philip preached, people were being born of the water and Spirit. His preaching moved them to be immersed. Philip preached to the Ethiopian eunuch who was immersed after the Spirit worked on Him through the Word.
In Acts 10 people were born of the water and the word. I can keep going if you want.
God loves you and He wants you to be born again. You can say that you do not believe what I am telling you, but Jesus said unless you are born of the water and Spirit, you will NOT see the kingdom of God. The early church understood this and practiced this.
Open yourself up to what God is teaching. Do not let man confuse what Jesus taught. God loves you so much that HE wants you to see the kingdom of God. Today is your chance. You have heard the word of God and the Spirit of God is working on you. Do you hear His voice? Will you listen. If you will, come forward and confess your faith in Jesus.
Repent of you sins. Confess Jesus as your Lord and come and be born of the water where your sins will be washed away and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit!
Next week we will finish the conversation with Nicodemus.
