New life is a wonderful thing, isn’t it? Whether it’s witnessing the birth of a child, or spotting the first daffodils of Spring, the sight of new life is something that gladdens the heart. And new life is very much the topic of today’s passage in John’s Gospel. A passage that describes a conversation between Jesus and a curious enquirer – a conversation that took place under the cover of darkness.
Jesus’ conversation partner that night was a member of the Jewish elite, a representative of the upper echelons of first-century Israelite society. Verse 1 tells us that he “was a Pharisee named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council” – the Sanhedrin. If anyone on Earth thought he was already well-qualified for Heaven, Nicodemus must surely have been the man:
- As a Jew, he was a descendant of Abraham, a member of God’s chosen people.
- As a Pharisee, Nicodemus was a zealous observer of God’s laws given through Moses.
- And as a member of the Jewish ruling Council (known as the Sanhedrin), Nicodemus was a well-qualified theologian and pillar of the community.
Nicodemus even thought-well of Jesus! He was happy to describe him as miracle-working “teacher who has come from God” (v.2).
But none of this was sufficient to get Nicodemus into Heaven. None of this would qualify Nicodemus for entry to the Kingdom of God. Jesus cuts to the chase in verse 3, when he says to him “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
Whatever being ‘born again’ might mean, Jesus was telling Nicodemus that it was an essential entry requirement for the world to come. According to Jesus, new birth is the passport that Nicodemus – and every one else – needs to enter into Paradise.
Having been told he needs to be born again, Nicodemus firmly grasps the wrong end of the stick, doesn’t he? He takes Jesus’ words literally, and thinks that Christ is asking him to re-enter his mother’s womb for a second attempt at being born: “How can someone be born again when they are old?” Nicodemus asks in exasperation.
Jesus’ reply to Nicodemus’ question makes clear that he is talking about a spiritual rebirth rather than a physical one: “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit” he says. But what is this spiritual rebirth and why is it needed?
The answer we find in this passage is that new spiritual life is something that only God’s Spirit can give. Its not something that can be seen from outside, but an invisible work of God within our hearts. Like the wind, says Jesus, its something we can feel but never see. And like a hurricane force wind, the work of God’s spirit within us can have dramatic, life changing effects. The work of the Spirit within gives us forgiveness from guilt, freedom from condemnation, and an eternal life that will endure beyond our body’s death. Plus a heartfelt relationship with God that no man-made religious rituals can ever hope to provide.
Hopefully that all sounds great, but how does Nicodemus – or anyone else – receive this spiritual regeneration? How can human beings accept this God-given gift of new life?
Well, the unambiguous answer that Jesus gives to Nicodemus is summarised in the world-famous words of verse 16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Faith in Christ is the sole-sufficient source of salvation.
They may not be as well known, but the two preceding verses are probably equally important, because they explain why believing in Jesus brings us salvation and new birth. Because Jesus explains there that “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, [so] that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
With these words, Jesus is reminding Nicodemus of an event from the Old Testament book of Numbers. The people of Israel were wandering through the wilderness and faced a plague of poisonous snakes. So God told Moses to put a bronze snake on a pole for the people of Israel to look at. Those that did as they were told were healed, and the poisonous effects of the snakes were made null and void. In fact, the logo of a snake on a pole often still appears on the side of ambulances and other medical agencies.
Jesus knew that just as the bronze snake was lifted up on a pole, he too would soon be lifted up onto a wooden cross. Onto a cross where he would shoulder the sins of the world –where he would experience God’s condemnation in our place. So if we look to him we can experience acquittal from sin, if we look to him our hearts will be cleansed and if we look to him his Holy Spirit can begin his renewing work in us.
Conclusion
As I finish this morning, I wonder which of two camps you are in? Are you among the curious or the committed? Perhaps you are a little like Nicodemus at the start of today’s passage – someone whose heard about Jesus and but for whom the penny has not yet dropped. Someone who is curious about Christ, but not yet a believer. If that’s your camp, do keep asking questions about Christ, keep coming to church, keep reading the Scriptures – and do keep praying that the light of Christ will illuminate your heart.
But I expect most, if not all of us, here today are in the second camp – the camp of committed Christians. Wonderfully, we know that Nicodemus himself chose to join this camp. For in chapter 19 of John’s Gospel we learn that Nicodemus assisted Joseph of Arimathea on the evening of Good Friday – he helped him entomb the body of Jesus after his crucifixion. Nicodemus remained faithful to Jesus when almost everyone else had deserted him.
And if we have committed ourselves to Christ, then the great news from today’s passage is that we ourselves have been born again. A ‘born again Christian’ is not a description of a spiritual elite, or a term that should just be used to describe really ‘keen’ Christians (as the term is sometimes misused in the media).
No, the lesson Nicodemus learnt is that being ‘born again’ describes the new life that every Christian believer receives when we first put our faith in Jesus. Being born again is a spiritual regeneration that is effected by God’s Holy Spirit. A fresh start that frees us from sin and guarantees access to God’s everlasting kingdom. A precious new life that’s well worth celebrating!