A New Birth – part 2
John 3:7-15

INTRO: Good morning church. Open your Bibles to John chapter 3. We're right in the middle of Jesus' discussion with Nicodemus. Recall also that as we ended chapter 2 John pointed out that there is “belief”, on the part of the Jews, but it is insufficient belief. They are believing because they see the signs that Jesus is doing, but it is not leading to life transformation. Therefore, we see Jesus does not believe them or entrust Himself to them. Though they believed in His name, they are still going to crucify Him. Their belief, based upon signs, is not causing them to turn to the Lord.

In chapter 3 we are introduced to Nicodemus. He is a Jew and a ruler of the Jews. He is a Pharisee. He is a member of the Sanhedrin, and we saw last time that later in the Gospel we will find out that Nicodemus has become a believer. That erases a lot of our skepticism about Nicodemus and causes us to consider that Nicodemus is sincerely seeking answers from Jesus.

Nicodemus comes to Jesus and in verse 2 says, “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.” Jesus turns to him and says, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”[NKJV]

The last lesson left off in the middle of Jesus’ discussion with Nicodemus about who will see the kingdom of God. That indicates to Nicodemus that all his righteous works and all the works of the Law which separated him as a Jew from the Gentiles are not enough to enter the kingdom. Instead, a new birth must occur to see the kingdom. Nicodemus cannot understand how this can be. How can he, as an adult, experience a new birth? How can a person start all over and go back to the beginning? It is impossible.
Jesus agrees with the impossible nature of the flesh accomplishing this new birth. What is born of flesh is flesh, but what is born of Spirit is spiritual. This new birth though has been part of God’s plan as evidenced by the allusion to the prophecy of Ezekiel. In this prophecy God spoke though Ezekiel of the people being made clean by being sprinkled with clean water and receiving a new heart and new spirit. Life is being given to the people through the Spirit.

Nicodemus is taken aback by that. Nicodemus as well as the Jewish nation believe that they are part of the kingdom of God because they are Israel. They were “born into the kingdom”. They are children of Abraham. They have kept the various works of the law. They have been circumcised on the eighth day, separated themselves from the Gentiles, kept away from unclean foods and the like.

How can it be possible for Jesus to say to Nicodemus, he must be born again, that he must experience a new birth? In verse 4 you see this incredulous response by Nicodemus. How can a man be born when he is old? Are you suggesting that I need to start over and begin again, and that the things that I have done in the flesh toward God have been useless?
We see in verse 5 that being born of water and born of spirit is what is necessary. Jesus reaches back to Ezekiel 36 where we see this new birth described as being born of water and born of spirit and pointing out in verse 6 that being born of flesh will only beget flesh. A spiritual birth is required to belong to the kingdom of God.

I. Life Through the Spirit (3:7-8) - We pick up in the middle of this discussion at verse 7. Jesus says, “Do not marvel that I said to you, `You must be born again.'”[NKJV] You can’t easily see it from this translation, but two different pronouns are used. The first is a phrase “to you”, Do not marvel that I said to you, referring to Nicodemus. The second “you”, You must be born again, is not singular but plural. Jesus is speaking broadly of the whole Jewish nation when He says “You must be born again.”

A. He broadens it to the nation. You are all thinking you're in the kingdom of God. All of you think that you are children of Abraham and that you're fine. Don't be shocked that I just said you need to have a new birth. Don't be shocked that I said that you need to be born of spirit and born of water. You should not be surprised by these things because life is going to come through this new birth, and that's exactly what the scriptures prophesied.
B. That brings us to verse 8, perhaps one of the more complicated verses. “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.” Jesus tells him that he should not reject a doctrine merely because he does not understand it.

1. After all neither can the wind be seen, but its effects are well known, and no one doubts its existence or power. This is to help Nicodemus believe and understand the invisible power of the new birth.
2. We might put it like this; the act of baptism can be seen; but forgiveness, clean conscience, and receiving the Spirit cannot be seen. Like the wind, though invisible, its power is nevertheless profound.
3. Previously we suggested that Jesus is making a connection for Nicodemus to look back to the scriptures, to Ezekiel. Being born of water and being born of Spirit has a very strong allusion to Ezekiel 36. Remember what we read there in Ezekiel 36:26f – “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.”

C. Let’s turn back to Ezekiel, and this time to chapter 37. Ezekiel 37:1-14 employs the vision of the valley of dry bones. As we learn in the first half of verse 11 this represents the state of Israel. “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel...” 

1. One could not imagine in those days that a restoration of Israel was even possible. Their nation had been destroyed; their king had been captured, blinded and carried away to Babylon to die; countless thousands of the people had been slaughtered; most of the people had been carried captive to Babylon; their beloved Jerusalem was destroyed; the Temple had been plundered and burned. No words could describe how dead and hopeless the people felt. 11b “… They indeed say, `Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!'”
2. In verse 3 Ezekiel is asked the question – “Son of man, can these bones live?” Ezekiel answered, "O Lord God, You know.” The nation is gone. Jerusalem is destroyed, and the question is asked, can the people be revived? Can the nation exist yet one more time?
3. This vision of dry bones is an appropriate illustration, it is like a whole army had been slain, their bones left to bleach in the sun and are suddenly being raised to full life and strength! Ezekiel rightly answers, Lord, you know.
4. Ezekiel 37:5f – “`Thus says the Lord God to these bones: "Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. "I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.'''” God is going to bring these bones back to life.

D. Remember Nicodemus is a teacher, and I am going to suggest a connection to John’s gospel. In Ezekiel the Hebrew word, rûwach, (roo'-akh), can be translated wind, breath, or spirit. It's the same word all throughout this chapter and we see it in verse 5 as, “Behold, I will cause breath, (rûwach), to enter you, and you shall live”. Then in verse 14, “I will put My Spirit (rûwach) in you, and you shall live,…” It's the exact same word there. Breath, spirit, wind, it all comes together. God is saying, I am going to give you… life.

1. When the breath of God enters these bones, life is going to come. We can understand the imagery. How did Adam come to life in Genesis 2:7? As God breathes into man, what happens? Life comes into the body. It's that idea of breath, spirit, wind -- this is God giving life.
2. Look at Ezekiel 37:9, “9. Then He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, (rûwach) prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, (rûwach) `Thus says the Lord God: "Come from the four winds, (rûwach) O breath, (rûwach) and breathe (rûwach) on these slain, (why?) that they may live.'''''” Breath is life.  Spirit is life. When the spirit comes, then there's life.
3. Going back to John 3:8, I think Jesus is making this connection to Ezekiel 37 for Nicodemus. John 3:8, “The wind, (pneuma) 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 (pneuma).” Guess what? In the Greek, same thing happens. Pneuma means, wind, breath, or spirit.
4. Notice what Jesus has done. Nicodemus said, how can this be? What Jesus does is take Nicodemus mind back to the scriptures to show him, no, this is something that God has said was always going to be needed.
5. You are part of a dead, broken nation that has no life. However, in Ezekiel 36, God spoke of a cleansing by water, sprinkling water on the people. There is hope, they will receive a new spirit, a new heart. They will desire the Lord and follow Him. The nation will live again.
6. Nicodemus, how can you ask; how is this possible? Think about what Ezekiel said. The nation is dead and it needs redemption. A new birth is necessary, and life will enter again. This is God’s doing—that is how.

E. Jesus using these images, is going to chide Nicodemus. You're a teacher in Israel. You should know what the scriptures say about these things. That's why Jesus is using these Old Testament images to get him to see this is exactly what the prophets said was going to happen.

1. New birth has always been promised. Restoration has always been looked forward to. You will recall in the book of Amos, after blasting the nation for eight and a half chapters, he speaks of a restoration. Isaiah also speaks of restoration.
2. Jesus is indicating this is exactly what God said was going to happen. Why are you so unnerved that I say you need a new birth to see the kingdom of God? Ezekiel said this very thing.

F. In John 3:8, please carefully read the end of that sentence. “… So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Read it carefully.

1. It does not say, “so it is with the Spirit”. That's not what is being said here. It says, “so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” He's not talking about the nature of the Holy Spirit. He's talking about those who've been born of the Spirit. This is describing them.
2. Jesus is pointing out the new birth comes by the power of God. This is what Nicodemus doesn’t understand. I've done everything I'm supposed to do. New birth is from God. Not by you being circumcised, staying away from Gentiles, eating only clean foods, and the like.
3. The point is that God's power is bringing people into the Kingdom of God. These dead bones can live. but these dead bones can't come to life by our power. That's what Jesus said back in verse 6. What's born of flesh is flesh. We're dead in our sins. We're not going to be able to bring ourselves back to life. We need God to do something to make life possible.
4. In Ezekiel God said, I'm not doing it for you, but for my glory. That's why this nation is brought back to life, it is to glorify God. That's the message that Jesus is now giving Nicodemus. This isn't by your words, nor by your actions. This isn't about what you can accomplish. Remember John 1:12-13, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” It's not by your visible works, but by the invisible work of God.
5. It is a description of the transforming power of God in the lives and the hearts of people, and you see the outcome by their works. You see it in the transformed life. This is what the new birth is all about. What did Ezekiel 36 say? I'm going to give them a new heart and a new spirit. What are they going to do? They will keep My commands. They will obey. This is what can be observed in those who are born of God.

II. The Means of the New Birth (3:9-15) - That brings us to verse 9 and I think Nicodemus is starting to grasp the impact. “Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?''” I submit to you the rest of this section is Jesus' answer to this question; how can these things be?

A. John 3:10, “Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?” Jesus’ response is indicating; I'm not telling you something new or something different. This is what the scriptures said was going to happen.
B. Verse 11, “Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.”[NKJV] Notice we're still in the plural. You, all of you, (including Nicodemus), have not been listening. In fact, you haven't been listening to anything we've said. Notice Jesus uses “we” and “our”. We are teaching you what the scriptures have always said. We are teaching you what is truth. We're teaching you what we know, but what's the problem? You (plural), you do not receive our testimony… and guess what? That's been a historical problem.

1. The nation does not listen to the servants of God, and I believe Jesus is pointing that out right here and saying you're doing it again. You said that I've been sent from God. (Remember verse 2—“Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God”) Then why aren't you listening, Nicodemus? If you say, “we know you're from God”, then why don’t you believe our testimony? Why aren't you doing what we teach? Jesus is saying something that Stephen would later use in the book of Acts.
2. That leads to verse 12. “If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” Jesus says you people don't understand these earthly things. What does He mean by that? Here's Jesus talking to Nicodemus and saying, I just spoke of being born again and you took it as being born of the flesh. You did not understand it. You said, “Do I go back in the womb?” He speaks of the whole nation. You people don't understand the earthly things.
3. Consider how that connects to John 2:23-25. What did we see there? They're seeing the signs and the miracles, right? There's no life transformation. There's no life change. They're “believing”, but it is incomplete belief. They aren't doing what is needed to come to eternal life.
4. This is essentially what Jesus is saying in verse 12. I'm doing these signs, yet you all are still not coming to true faith, true belief, life transformation. If you don't have that happen, how are you going to understand the spiritual truths when I teach them?
5. If you can't understand based upon what I'm doing, by My works, understand that you need to get on board and change your life to follow me, then why should I suppose if I sit down and explain to you great spiritual truths that you'll understand any better? You won't. The point is their unbelief is perpetuating their spiritual ignorance.
6. How often do we see this in the parable accounts? We saw it in chapter 2, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” You don't understand the spiritual things I'm saying to you. You aren't grasping the truths that I'm giving to you. If you don't change your life based upon the signs, you're certainly not going to believe in the teachings. If you do not believe, you're not going to be able to change.
7. That's true today. Tons of people say they believe. Where are the changed lives? I think Jesus would say the same today. He has given us the witnesses, His word, and yet people don’t study, they do not try to understand, they’re bored with it, they are tired of hearing it. They claim belief and yet do not receive the spiritual teachings. It doesn't make any sense.

C. That's what He's telling Nicodemus. I've done these signs. I've done these works you can see and yet you still don't truly believe. There's still no life change. That is why you are not in the kingdom of God.
D. At verse 13, “13. "No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. 14. "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15. "that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”". I suggest there is something notable going on in this simple statement. Jesus connects this directly to Moses in verse 14 and we need to ask ourselves how does this connect with the conversation being held?

1. If verse 13 is saying, the only one who can understand these heavenly things is Me, the son of man, because I'm the only one who's ascended and is also descended, then why is He being so critical of Nicodemus and the Jewish nation for not knowing the spiritual things?
2. He just told Nicodemus you should have already known these things. Aren't you a teacher of Israel and you do not know? You can't even understand the earthly things. Even further, if Jesus were to say, no one has ascended into heaven except Himself, that hasn't happened at this point.

E. I want us to consider there's something more going on here. The reason I suggest that is as we've seen throughout our study so far, nearly everything that John says has an Old Testament analogy, doesn't it? Every time He says something, we go back to the Old Testament, and we find the image there. We get to do it again here with this imagery as well. Where we need to go is Deuteronomy and in particular chapters 27 through 30. We are not going to be able to spend the time reading four chapters, however I suggest you take the time at some point to read it.

1. Here is a summary of what is going on. You will read of blessings and curses. This is the final speech by Moses, giving the law again and a description of blessings if you keep my commands and of curses if you do not. The curses for rebellion by Israel are very graphic, all laid out in the text. What Moses does in the middle of this is tell them… you're going to fail.
2. Deuteronomy 30:1, “Now it shall come to pass, when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you and you call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God drives you,” Folks, it is going to happen and when it does, “ you return to the Lord your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul,”
3. Let’s turn to Deuteronomy 30:6, “And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.” You see how Moses sounds like he's in John 3 right now? There's going to be this change of heart, circumcision of heart, a new heart.
4. In verse 11 Moses says, “For this commandment which I command you today, it is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off.” Then he immediately tells how that’s going to happen. “12. It is not in heaven, that you should say, `Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' 13. "Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, `Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' 14. "But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.”
5. In the New Testament, Paul quotes Moses in Romans 10:5-8, “5. For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. 6 But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim);”
6. You were given that commandment, and you will fail, every single one of you. You'll be accountable for your sins. There's going to be a time, when my people will love the Lord their God with all their heart, with all their soul. It won't be impossible this time. You will not say who is going to ascend into heaven to make this possible. The word will be near you and these things will happen.
7. I submit to you that is what Jesus is doing in the imagery of John 3:13 when He says no one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the son of man.

F. Nicodemus knows Jesus is from God and admitted it. Yet he wonders; How can the new birth occur? How can this new life occur? How can radical transformation occur? We are unable to keep the law. Cursed is anyone who doesn't keep what is written in the book of the law. What are we going to do?

1. The Son of Man has descended to bring healing. No one will have to say “who is going to ascend into heaven to make it possible?” We can't do it ourselves. Jesus is saying no one must ascend into heaven. Why? Because the Son of Man has descended. That's why.
2. Next John 3:14-15, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

G. There are two parallels here and the first is found in Numbers 21. The people were complaining, you brought us out here to die Moses! There is no belief in God in the slightest. God sends fiery serpents into the camp. The people are bitten and they begin to die. They turn to Moses and say, Entreat the Lord for us. Lest we all perish. God tells Moses “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.”

1. In the broad sense the serpent stood as a symbol of life for the dying Israelites. All of them should have perished, but it was by God's provision that He graciously offered new life.
2. All of them should have died. All of them were complaining. However, not based on them but based upon God's grace and goodness, He offers life to the nation again and gives them an opportunity to be saved—to have a solution. The same is true for what Jesus is describing.
3. God has graciously provided for us today, through His word, which is near us. There can be spiritual life, new birth, eternal life, for rebellious sinners. None of us should be able to be healed from our sins. None of us should be able to have life. It is completely undeserved. What is deserved is punishment for our sin.

H. God intervened with life by sending the Son. Which brings up the second parallel. Just as Moses lifted up the bronze serpent and all who looked upon it found life, Jesus says in verse 14 the Son of Man must be lifted up. Jesus says I'm going to the cross so that everybody who believes in me, with true belief, is going to find life.

1. We are dying with the poison of sin coursing through our veins. We need life. Jesus comes, and intervenes. He descends. We cannot help ourselves.
2. There is no way we can achieve new life on our own. We cannot ascend into heaven and find help. God descends from heaven and offers help. Jesus becomes the new birth. When we come to him that is how we find life. That is where we find healing. That's where the radical transformation begins.

CONCLUSION: I know this was a bit detailed and I ask you to please consider taking some time to study it on your own.
When we look at what Moses said, we see that God promised life is going to come to the people. There's going to be a day when it wouldn't be physical Israel, but it will be His spiritual people. Life will enter dead bones. A new heart, a new spirit will be given to them and they will live. When we are reading about the Spirit we are not reading about something mystical, fantastic coming into our heart, whispering in our ear. It is just simply a message of life that comes to you.

New birth equals life. The Spirit comes, that is life. When we experience new birth life is given to us. It equals being in the Kingdom of God. We don't see the Spirit but we see the result. People born of God reveal life transformation, people desiring to obey God, and striving to keep His commands.

The message is yours. The invitation is there for any who have a need to be baptized into Christ, or those who need prayers of faithful people, to come forward while we stand and sing.

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Reference Sermon: Brent Kercheville