Scripture: John 3:4-8
Date: September 4, 2011
Speaker: Sean Higgins
In a room full of people who are listening to a gospel message, why do any receive the message as truth and believe in Christ? What makes the difference? Is it that some have a religious background so that they are already familiar with the vocabulary, making them prepared to believe? Is it that others are so desperate, at the bottom of life’s barrel so that they are ready to reach out for anything that sounds as if it might help? Do we need a more effective argument or a demonstration of divine power?
Actually, many people with a religious upbringing and/or experience reject the gospel most fiercely. Many desperate people turn to all sorts of idols rather than to Christ. The wise of the world don’t believe and seeing signs is no guarantee either. So again, in a room full of people, why do some believe in Christ for eternal life and others reject Christ under condemnation? What makes the difference is being born of the Spirit.
Last Lord’s day we began to study the well known interchange between Jesus and Nicodemus in John 3. Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Passover feast, having cleared the temple and performing miraculous signs. Nicodemus was a Pharisee, part of the ruling group called the Sanhedrin and a teacher of Israel. Many people believed, at least superficially, in Jesus due to His signs and John includes this dialogue with Nicodemus as an unofficial representative of this group.
The first round of dialogue is described in verses 1-3. Nicodemus approaches Jesus at night and, though not technically asking Him a question, Jesus answers what Nicodemus needs to hear: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (v.3).
Two more rounds of conversation follow in verses 4-8 and verses 9-15 before John offers a summary in verses 16-21. As we saw last time, what’s at stake in this discussion is seeing and entering the kingdom of God, having eternal life, and avoiding condemnation.
The second round, verses 4-8, will be our focus for this morning. Jesus repeats that one must be born again and expands it by saying that no one will enter the kingdom of God unless one is born of the Spirit. The Spirit makes all the difference.
Regeneration is disagreeable (to the natural man).
Nothing at all is wrong with asking questions, but the questions we ask and the way we ask them reveal a lot about us.
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?” (John 3:4)
We can read the words of the two questions by Nicodemus but we cannot hear his tone. We have to look for other clues in the context to help us.
For a few reasons I think that Nicodemus was unimpressed at best with Jesus’ reply in verse 3. The ideal response to the need to be born again would have been, “How can I be born again? I Want to see the kingdom!” Instead, Nicodemus takes issue the teaching rather than with his own heart. Also, Jesus senses that Nicodemus doesn’t like it when He said, “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again’” (v.7). Nicodemus didn’t understand it, true, but his lack of understanding has more to do with his lack of agreement than his lack of information.
Nicodemus’ marveling hits the high point in verse 9. “How can these things be?” He appears to be more concerned about the teaching than about the condition of his soul. Jesus criticizes him for his lack of understanding, yes, but even more for failing to believe what he should have understood. Nicodemus, by his questions, illustrates Jesus’ point that one must be born of the Spirit.
In verse 4, both of Nicodemus’ questions suggest that being born again is absurd. He observes two problems: a logic problem and a physics problem. How can a man be born when he is old? Birth happens, by definition, at the beginning. Birth belongs to the new, not the old, hence newborn. Suggesting that the old could be born turns the logic on its head. Not only that, Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born? This question expects a “No way!” answer. Of course a person can’t physically crawl back up into his momma’s stomach. There’s a size problem and probably resistance from the mothers’ association.
Regeneration is spiritual.
Jesus doesn’t back away, He pushes further.
Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. (John 3:5)
Jesus begins with Truly, truly just as He did in verse 3 and will again in verse 11. He also reaffirms the significance of getting this right: entering the kingdom of God is at stake. In verse 2, one could not “see” the kingdom, now one cannot enter the kingdom of God , which ought to have caused Nicodemus concern for being in the kingdom in the first place. That’s the reason for Jesus’ repeated response. Nicodemus assumed he was already in the kingdom. He was a Jew, a leader of the Jews, the teacher of Israel. He wasn’t coming to Jesus to get into the kingdom, but to get higher in God’s kingdom. He took for granted his participation, he wanted a better position.
Jesus said that entrance isn’t possible unless one is born of water and the Spirit . Since the stakes are so high, it’s important to make sure we know what being born of water and the Spirit means.
Some believe that this refers to two births, first the physical/natural birth and then a second spiritual/supernatural birth. “Water” would refer to when a woman’s water breaks and the flow of amniotic fluid near the beginning of labor. Also, verse 6 follows by distinguishing between two types of birth: the physical—of flesh, and spiritual—of Spirit.
Others believe that this refers to baptism, either John the Baptist’s baptism or Christian baptism or both. “Water” would refer to the external act and “of the Spirit” would refer to the inward reality. The gospel of John already talked about John’s baptisms and perhaps this is Jesus’ affirmation of John’s ministry.
There are other suggestions as well, but these two common interpretations are unlikely for multiple reasons. For example, Jesus will shortly rebuke Nicodemus as “the teacher” of Israel for failing to understand, meaning that being born of water and Spirit has its roots in the Old Testament. But the Old Testament says nothing about a baptism of repentance or Christian baptism, which wasn’t even introduced by Nicodemus’ time. Also, a reference to water baptism, an external and fairly manageable event, goes against the independence of the Spirit in verse 8. Water baptism simply doesn’t fit.
Additionally, the Greek grammar in verse 5 indicates one birth described in two ways, not two births. There is one preposition: born of water and Spirit, rather than born of water and of Spirit. Besides, based on context, being born of water and Spirit seems to be another way of saying being born again. Plus, being born of the Spirit (v.8) without the mention of water argues that these are all different ways of describing one birth.
So what is one, water-Spirit sourced birth that is obvious in the Old Testament? It is the New Covenant work in Ezekiel 36 (also found in Jeremiah 31:33-34 and Ezekiel 11:19-20). Though Ezekiel doesn’t use the birth analogy, there is sovereign cleansing (by water) and sovereign new heart (by Spirit).
I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. (Ezekiel 36:25–27)
As it often does in the OT, water signifies cleansing and the Spirit works transformation.
Kingdom entrance depends on God’s intervention because man’s heart is hard, like a stone. His sin requires forgiveness and cleansing, his heart needs a transplant. No matter a man’s religious pedigree or credentials, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
Regeneration is effectual and unmanageable.
Jesus expands.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:6–8)
Even if, as Nicodemus suggested, a man could somehow undergo physical rebirth, he would still be flesh. Being born of the flesh isn’t flesh as in Paul’s writings, the sinful principle in every man. Flesh here refers to the physical part of man, his earthly humanity, the part of man that the Logos took on when the Word became flesh.
The flesh cannot produce the Spirit and the Spirit is necessary for eternal life. Nicodemus was a man and, according to the flesh, he was at the top of the religious ladder. But that can’t reach the problem: man’s heart. Only the Spirit can do that, so the Spirit must make the changes, must transform, must regenerate.
That’s why Jesus goes on to say, Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again’ (v.7). It’s not a surprise; there’s no reason to be disturbed by it. Jesus reiterates the necessity of regeneration and He does so with you [all] , plural, must be born again. Application extends beyond Nicodemus.
Changing a man’s environment or circumstances won’t fix him, not for the kingdom. Keeping him away from certain people or worldly influences won’t get him into the kingdom; his heart is enough to keep a man out. Education can’t fix him, even religious education, gathering Bible knowledge nuggets until his brain basket is full won’t help. He must be born again.
Our parenting, our witnessing, our shepherding, must take this truth into full account. It doesn’t mean we don’t teach, talk, discipline, feed, protect, etc. It means that we recognize that all of those have limited effectiveness apart from regeneration. You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him see the kingdom without being born again, being born of water and Spirit.
How do we get that to happen? How can we be born again or help someone else be born again? We can’t, not unless the Spirit works. As I said last week, that’s part of the point of the picture. We have no say over our own physical birth. We make no choices in the matter. We don’t decide our parents, we don’t control our birthdate or our birth place. All of that is chosen for us; it’s out of our control. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.
Jesus clarifies the Spirit’s sovereignty in verse 8 by comparing the Spirit to the wind. In Greek the word is the same, πνεῦμα, used throughout the NT almost exclusively for Spirit (upper and lower case “s”) and in certain contexts as “wind” or “breath.”
The wind illustrates the Spirit. We can’t see the wind or steer the wind but we do see the effects of the wind. You do not know where it comes from , in other words, you do not know the original origin of the wind. And you do not know where it goes , it’s “ultimate goal, where it piles up and stops” (Lenski, 242). Even with all of our meteorological advances, the best we can do is to offer some explanation for how it forms and moves, but we cannot lead or limit it. Neither can we supervise the Spirit.
In a room full of people listening to a gospel message, the ones who believe demonstrate that the Spirit has been blowing in their heart. He has taken away their hearts of stone, given them new hearts, regenerated them, caused them to be born again, and they believed.
The wind doesn’t blow because leaves rustle or trees fall over. Neither does the Spirit regenerate because men believe. Belief is an effect of the Spirit.
Of course, this is absolutely humbling. It removes man from his presumed control-throne; from being captain at the helm. This is why Nicodemus reacts so strongly. He came to assess Jesus, Jesus assesses that Nicodemus can’t even make a proper assessment without something Nicodemus can’t control. It’s a double-wide hole in his pride; he doesn’t know and he can’t get himself into position to know.
Neither can we. We must be born again and we can’t make it happen. Those around us must be born again and we can’t persuade them. That is absolutely humbling.
It’s also absolutely thrilling! There is no tree too big for the wind to topple. There is no heart too hard for the Spirit to transplant. That’s what He does! There is no one too old to become new. There is no one too lost for Him to find, no one too religious for Him to humble, no one too dead for Him to regenerate.
No one can prepare himself for it and no one can control the Spirit. But He causes men to be born again.
There are at least two ways to respond to this truth that Jesus taught. One is to ask how it could be true. The other is to ask how new birth can happen to you. The first response questions, even denies the reality (which, actually demonstrates the need to be born again before one can make a proper assessment). The second response believes, humbly seeking the promise (which also demonstrates the effect of being born again). Those who believe show off the effects of the Spirit and have been born again.