You Must Be Born Again

John 3:1-8
There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “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.”3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4 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?” 5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
 
It all started at night, when Nicodemus, “the teacher of Israel”, came to the Light. Nicodemus made three appearances in the Bible (John 3:1-21, 7:50-52, 19:39-42) and on the third time, we see that the seed Jesus planted by night blossoms in the light of a gloomy day.
 
Nicodemus assisted Joseph of Arimathea with the burial of Jesus’ body. According to his old ways of life, Nicodemus became unclean, but in his new eternal life, he was unblemished, washed clean.
 
In vs. 1-2, God's Word says:
 
John 3:1-2
There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “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.”
 
By God's grace, Nicodemus had heard about Jesus. He had heard about the amazing miracles Jesus worked. He might have even seen Jesus work miracles. Nicodemus knew that there was something extra special about Jesus. But he still had questions and concerns, so he took them to Jesus. And that's what we should do!
 
In vs. 2, Nicodemus said, "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." Nicodemus took a giant step there, because He was willing to listen to Jesus. And everybody desperately needs to listen to Jesus Christ. I say that because people are hopelessly lost without Jesus.
 
 
Romans 3:23
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
 
All of us are sinners, and without Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we will face God's eternal punishment for our sins. Think about it this way… If there was ever a person who didn't need Jesus, it would be Nicodemus, or someone like him. This man was on top of his world, but he still needed Jesus. And Nicodemus reminds us everybody needs Jesus!
 
Let’s dig into the life of Nicodemus, so that you will what type of a man he is and even for someone like Nicodemus, the need for a Savior.
 
Nicodemus was a rich man. As you all know, in our society, we would think that rich people didn’t need anything. They’re rich!!! Nicodemus must have been a wealthy man…
 
John 19:39
39 And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds.
 
After Jesus died, Nicodemus provided a hundred-pound mixture of myrrh and aloes for the Lord's burial. That much myrrh and aloe was exceedingly expensive. Just to compare. A hundred pounds of expensive perfume at the mall would cost you about $200,000!
 
Only a rich man could have bought those spices for the Lord's burial. And money can buy a lot of wonderful things, but money can't buy the most important things like love, friendship and peace. Most of all, money certainly cannot buy salvation.
 
Nicodemus was no common man. He was a high ruler in his land. He was one of the seventy members of the Sanhedrin or Supreme Court of the Jews. Nicodemus was part of the religious elite, but your position can't save you. Being the President, or a famous actor or a top athlete cannot save you.
 
The name Nicodemus means "victory of the people," so it's easy to see that he could have been well-liked and popular in the city. Nicodemus was well known and respected. He was recognized as a leader. But he still needed Jesus Christ! And when He met Jesus that night...he knew that!!!
 
Nicodemus was a most religious person. He possessed great religious knowledge. Nicodemus' first words to Jesus were, "We know," and he knew God's Law better than almost anyone else in the nation. He was a Pharisee, and there were never more than 6,000 of those religious devotees.
 
As a Pharisee, Nicodemus didn't just know the law, he tried his best to live up to it. He was religious to the core. The Pharisees took drastic measures to make sure that they obeyed the letter of the law. They fasted and prayed and studied the Scriptures. They lived spiritually disciplined lives. But they were just as lost as they could be without Jesus Christ, and they were lost because no one can fully live up to God's law.
 
EVERYBODY NEEDS JESUS CHRIST BECAUSE WE ARE LOST WITHOUT HIM, AND BECAUSE JESUS LOVES US! Let’s continue with our text…
 
John 3:2-6
2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “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.”3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”4 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?” 5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
 
In vs. 2, Nicodemus did the most important thing that anyone can ever do in life: He went to Jesus! And Jesus began to lead Nicodemus into eternal life. Why did the Lord do that? Because He loved Nicodemus! And here are some ways we can see the Lord's love.
 
The Lord wasn't impressed by Nicodemus' power and prestige. Today, Jesus cares just as much about us as He does the President, the Governor, the richest man in the world, the smartest man in the world, or the best athlete in the world. Jesus treats everybody the same, because He loves everyone that is drawn to Him. Praise the Lord for that love!
 
In vs. 3, Jesus got right to the point: "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.'' In other words: "Nicodemus, you must be born again!"
 
We must be born again. As Scripture speaks, the reason why we must be born again spiritually is because physical birth can only give us physical life. Horses produce horses. Dogs produce dogs. Cats produce cats. And mortal people produce mortal people. This is why in vs. 6, Jesus said, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh," but "that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."
 
In other words: The people who have been given the second birth by God's Holy Spirit have eternal, spiritual life. The Holy Spirit of God produces a new kind of person by a new kind of birth. And it is this spiritual birth that gives us God's eternal life. When we are born again, we get a brand new nature, a new spiritual heart. As Paul said in…
 
 
2 Corinthians 5:17
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
 
We also become children of God, part of the family of God, and there will be a family resemblance. Nothing is more important in life than being born again! There are a thousand other things the Lord could have discussed with Nicodemus, but Jesus moved the conversation straight to our greatest need. Why did Jesus do that? -- Because He loved Nicodemus. And the Lord loves us just as much!
 
JESUS GOT RIGHT TO THE POINT, AND HE STAYED THERE UNTIL NICODEMUS SAW THE TRUTH.
 
Jesus doesn't quit on people who are seeking the truth! He kept explaining the truth to Nicodemus, until that very religious man got saved! Jesus Christ wants everybody to know the truth about Him. He wants everybody to receive the salvation that only He can give. The Lord didn't hold back on Nicodemus, and He didn't hold back on the cross!
 
SHORT STORY:
 
Ravi Zacharias told the story of a missionary named Joseph Damien. Back in the 1800s, Joseph ministered to people with leprosy on the island of Molokai in Hawaii. Those suffering people grew to love Joseph and respected the sacrificial life he lived before them.
 
One morning before Joseph was to lead the daily worship service, he poured some hot water into a cup. Some of the hot water spilled out and fell on Joseph's bare foot. It took him a moment to realize that he hadn't felt any pain. Gripped by fear of what it could mean, Joseph poured a little more hot water on the same spot, and he felt no pain at all. Joseph immediately knew what had happened. He had been infected with the dreaded disease of leprosy.
 
Later, when Joseph began to preach, at first no one noticed the difference in the opening words of his sermon. Joseph normally started every sermon by saying, "My fellow believers." But that morning he began by saying: "My fellow lepers."
 
Joseph Damien knew the risk before he went to minister at the leper colony on Molokai, but he took the risk, because he loved those people. And Joseph's sacrifice points us to the Lord's sacrifice, because when Jesus came into our world, He knew what it would cost Him. But Jesus came anyway.
 
He was willing to pay the highest price, because of His great love for us. Jesus didn't hold back from all of the shame and suffering of the cross. And He will never hold back on the things we need, because He loves us!
Only Jesus Christ can give us eternal life He began to talk about in vs. 4-8. Please look starting in vs. 4:
 
John 3:4-8
4 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?” 5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
 
FIRST HERE, NOTICE THE MYSTERY OF THE SPIRIT.
 
Nicodemus was mystified in vs. 4: "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?'' Nicodemus was confused about how anyone could be born again. And Jesus explained part of the mystery in vs. 8, when He said, "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.'
 
Nicodemus was mystified, but there is also some mystery for us in vs. 5. Here Jesus told Nicodemus, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God."
 
We know that "born of the Spirit" means that we must be born again by the Holy Spirit of God. But "born of water," what does that mean? Some denominations teach that water baptism is necessary for salvation. Many Bible-believing, Jesus-loving people believe you must be baptized in order to be saved. They get this incorrect doctrine mostly from a possible interpretation of Acts 2:38…
 
Acts 2:38
38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
 
Now that word translated "for" in this verse can mean "in order to." So, they think it means "be baptized in order to receive the forgiveness of sins." But that little word "for" can also mean "on account of." And that's how we take it. People are baptized on account of the fact that they have already received the forgiveness of sins. Remember the thief on the cross? He was not baptized and Jesus promised to be with Him in paradise.
 
Many Scriptures show that Christians are saved by grace through faith in the Lord, and what He did on the cross for us. Please listen to these examples:
John 3:16-18
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
 
And also…
 
John 3:36
36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.
 
Baptisms were acts of obedience from people who were already saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. That is why, it is very important for one who has believed in the Savior to be baptized. Christians…We are baptized because of what has already taken place. Baptism is a public witness of the salvation we have already received by grace through faith in Christ. We are also baptized because Jesus told us to be baptized, and we want to be obedient.
 
If you want some Bible study on the importance of baptism as sign of your obedience. Start reading the book of Acts. Start with chapter 8 & 16. Chapter 8, was Eunuch…after believing In Jesus said these precious words, “See, here is water, what is topping me from being baptized?” Chapter 16, There was a woman named Lydia, whom the Lord has opened her heart to receive the message. Her and her household. A Philippian jailer saved, he and his household. All three stories that I had mentioned, they were saved and after…as a sign of obedience, they were baptized!
 
IN CONCLUSION:
 
To sum it up, the water could be talking about God's Spirit, the water could be talking about God's Word, and the water could be talking about the first birth. All three of those interpretations have some validity. And just like Nicodemus, we will face some mysteries when it comes to God. But this much is absolutely sure: "You must be born again!"
 
THANK GOD WE DON'T JUST HAVE MYSTERIES OF THE SPIRIT. WE ALSO HAVE THE MOVING OF THE SPIRIT!
 
Jesus talked about this moving in vs. 8, where He said…
 
 
 
John 3:8
8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
 
God's Holy Spirit blows like the wind in our hearts. He wants to move us to new places in life. And the Lord showed us how over in John 16:7-14…
 
John 16:7-14
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. 12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.
 
The Holy Spirit is still moving in the world today, seeking to convict people of their sins and of God's coming judgment on sin. But the most important work of God's Spirit is to point people to God's Son, Jesus Christ.
 
Jesus came into the world to die on the cross for all our sins, and three days later He rose again from the dead. Now our Risen Savior is able and willing to save anyone who will put their trust in Him. So, call on the Lord to save you. Then do everything you can to help more people believe, because everybody needs Jesus Christ!
 
“YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN” There is no other way. These are the word of Jesus, not mine.