Introduction
Jesus answered a question that Nicodemus does not even ask; Jesus read his heart and came to the core of his problem The need for spiritual transformation or regeneration produced by the Holy Spirit
It is the need of every person that has ever lived; Nicodemus was unaware of his need. His position as a leader of the Jews should have made him receptive to the teachings of Jesus. But as a Jew he supposed that by his birth he was entitled to all the privileges of the people of God.
But Nicodemus’s answer “how can these things be.”
Yet it is clear that our Saviour intended to convey to Nicodemus the idea that he also must be born again, It is not sufficient to be Jew, or to rely on ones religion, or to acknowledge him to be a teacher sent by God, or to believe Him as the Messiah, it is necessary to experience in his own soul “to be born again”
1. The Necessity of The New Birth
Our natural birth introduces us to light; it is the commencement of life; and throws us amidst the works of God. It’s the beginning of our existence upon the earth, but it also introduces us to a world of sin.
We have nothing to do with origin of sin that lies far beyond our imagination. But we do find ourselves and all mankind tainted, blighted and condemned by sin from the very cradle and with certainty of death which has passed upon all men.
We were conceived in sin, and brought forth in iniquity (Rom Ch1 v29 and Rom Ch3. v10-20)
Psalm Ch.51 reminds us. Read. (The repentant sinner’s prayer)
This sin exposes man to misery here and now, To escape from this misery, nesitates a change, a new beginning, a change in principles, his feelings, and his manner of life, King David in this Psalm knew the seriousness of his sin and asked for repentance, there has to be a change a turning away from the old life of sin Jesus says to Nicodemus “unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” verse 5.
He distinguishes between being born of the flesh, and being born of the Spirit, the two are separate
There is a mighty gulf between the earthly and the Spiritual. As there is no entrance into the kingdom of the flesh except by natural birth, so there is no entrance of the Spirit-life, except by Spiritual birth
Only that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. And this made our Lord so emphatic in repeating his announcement “Ye must be born again” return to top
2. The Nature of the New Birth
This change or the beginning of this new life, it is called the “new birth” It is so called because in many respects it has a striking analogy to the natural birth. It’s the beginning of Spiritual life, it introduces us the light of the Gospel. It is the moment when we really begin to live to any purpose.
We were born in to the earthly kingdom of mind and soul; in which there is the faculty of reason and conscience, and includes the whole drift of human life. The New Testament calls this life the kingdom of the flesh (Rom Ch8 v6-7) “That which is born of the flesh is flesh” But above this kingdom there is another “the kingdom of the Spiritual and eternal” This is the supreme of life, the element and home of God.
a. It’s a New experience
We begin to live again, it is the moment when God reveals Himself to us as our reconciled Father, and we are adopted into the family of God
b. It’s New Creation
We have born anew it’s not a makeover of the old nature, or glossing over the cracks, its making of a creation,
It’s like the potter finding a marred vessel, finding a defect in it, deciding to remake or remodels the vessel to be a vessel of honour return to top
A New Creation
