Going Deeper: Meeting the Messiah in John 1-4Sýnishorn

Day 5: Born Again (John 3:1-21)

Read John 3:1-21

One of the lovely things about John’s Gospel is Jesus’ one-to-one meetings. In real time, we see very different people trying to understand who Jesus is and how to respond to Him. Here, we meet Nicodemus, a religious expert (Pharisee) sitting on the Jewish ruling council (3:1). He comes to Jesus at night. He knows Jesus is a teacher who has come from God, but he’s not committing himself to more than that (3:2).

Jesus’ response is surprising. He says that no one can come into the kingdom of God, that is become part of God’s people, unless they are born again. Nicodemus’ religious qualifications don’t interest Jesus. New birth is needed for everyone.

Nicodemus is confused. Like the people in the temple, he takes Jesus literally: he imagines his mother being pregnant with him again (3:4). But Jesus corrects him: this new birth is from the Holy Spirit, God Himself. Just as people give birth to people, so only the Spirit can give spiritual life.

Nicodemus still doesn’t understand (3:9). But as Jesus points out, Nicodemus should have already known this. Back in the Old Testament, the prophet Ezekiel had spoken about the need for God’s forgiveness and Spirit – new spiritual life – to become part of His kingdom. Jesus explains how this will happen by another Old Testament reference. He takes Nicodemus back to the book of Numbers, when Moses lifted a bronze snake on a pole to rescue God’s people from His judgement. Just as that snake was lifted up, so Jesus says that He will be lifted up on the cross – to save people from God’s right judgement of our sin and give eternal life to all who believe (3:14-15).

This is the context to one of the most famous verses in the Bible. What is the connection between being born again and Jesus’ death on the cross? John 3:16 tells us that God loves the world, and so gives His only Son that whoever, anybody, who believes will not die and face God’s judgement, but have new spiritual life that starts now and lasts forever. God hasn’t sent Jesus to condemn, but to save. But this calls for a response. As 3:18 tells us, this new life is for those who believe in the Son; those who don’t, who reject the light and love the dark, face God’s condemnation. So this isn’t just a matter of academic interest. How we respond personally to Jesus really matters.