Chapter 3 Verse 1, There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.  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.

 

Now this is an odd scene and its packed with significance.  I see bread-crumb clues all over these first two verses.  John tells us that Nicodemus was a ruler of the Jews and the Jews were ruled by the High Priest and the Sanhedrin, the Saducees and the Pharisees, the religious and the political elite, and they were all under Judaism...and so here Nicodemus is a representation of Judaism.  And so follow the bread-crumbs and we'll see the spiritual state of Judaism and subsequently the Jewish leadership and on down to the Jewish people. 

 

First, John specifically tells us that Nicodemus came to Jesus under the cover of darkness. 

 

You see Judaism, the religion of the Jews, the belief system of Nicodemus, we're shown in chapter 1 verses 21 and 26 had blinded the priesthood...you remember they came to John the Baptist and had no idea who he was when it was so obvious from the writings of the prophets. 

 

We're shown in chapter 2 verse 3 that this Judaism had led to a joyless nation as Mary leans into Jesus and says “they have no wine” which spiritually applies the point that this nation, these people, have lost their substance, their joy...

Last week we saw in the later portion of chapter 2 that their temple, their religious center of purity and godliness had become desecrated, and now we see, by Nicodemus admitting that “we” the leaders of this religion can see that You Jesus are who you say you are, we don't care, why?  Because we are spiritually dead...

 

And so Jesus comes to His people, the people of the law, the people of Judaism, and finds them....blind, joyless, defiled and spiritually dead.  They have built their own stones..Ex 20:25.  They have made it about them and that KILLS!

 

So Nicodemus went to find out for himself under the cover of night so as not to be seen...he goes to Him in darkness...but not just physical darkness...Nick's also in lost in spiritual darkness...but Psalm 107:14 says He brought them out of darkness and out of the shadow of death, and broke their chains into pieces.

 

Second, John tells us that when he greets Jesus, he calls Him Rabbi or Teacher which is also Great One...and third Nicodemus says there in verse 2 we know you are a teacher come from God...

 

We?  You see no doubt the discussions behind the closed doors of the religious elite were that this Jesus is a man of God, and maybe even who He claims to be...the very Son of God...BUT, this Jesus threatens our livlihood, our position, our power...He overthrows the authority of the temple, what are we going to do??

 

And so Nicodemus comes to Jesus to find out for himself.  The religious elite, the ruler of the Jews, knows deep down that he is lacking...that his religion, his trying to be good enough has left him poor and empty yet in the eyes of man, he has much.  So he looks at Jesus, poor, lowly, no place to lay His head, only one tunic, maybe even bare foot and he says to Jesus, Great One!

 

Then He continues, “no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”  Understand that Nicodemus is not saying here that Jesus is the only recorded miracle worker among the Jews.  Recall Moses, recall Elijah, recall the Pharoah's magicians...

 

Why do I say this?...because we could read this and easily conclude that if someone is able to perform signs and wonders, or if they're passionate, encouraging or entertaining, even if they are successful in what they set their hand to,  then God must be with him...but according to the word of God, we know that is false.

 

There are many that teach false doctrine or just simply do not teach biblical doctrine at all and yet if they make folks excited or feel good about themselves or even seemingly are able to perform miracles such as spontaneous healing then they are often widely received as true servants of God. 

 

But we know that Satan himself has the power to work miracles.  The bible teaches us that Satan can transform himself into an angel of light...and Paul warns us in 2 Cor 11 that there are false apostles of Christ, deceitful workers. 

 

Paul warned Timothy to stay true to the doctrine of Jesus Christ...why would he have to say that?  Timothy knew the truth of the message of Christ...He had to say it because listen, there is much temptation to shy away from the whole counsel of God...because it is not easy to teach to a show me, give me, feed me generation...

 

The doctrine of Christ teaches if anyone desires to be great, let him be the servant of all...if anyone desires to be a disciple of Christ, let him DENY himself...that's a tough product to market ya know...our society is a drive thru mentality...what do you want, tell me, and you'll get it, have it your way in 90 seconds or less or we flip out...

 

Your best life now...sells easy.  Word of faith, believe it and have it, name it and claim it, whatever you want call it out and claim it in the name of Jesus...that stuff sells easy but the truth is it is not of God...all of that is earthly, sensual...

 

The cross of Christ cries out DENY that which your flesh lusts after...why, because its harmful!...take up your cross, serve and love others as yourself and devote yourself completely to God...why, because the highway to holiness leads to life and life lived!

Stay true to it son Timothy because the time will come (he wrote there in 2 Timothy 4:3) when the people will not endure sound doctrine but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers and they will be turned away from the truth and turned aside to fables.

 

Jesus, THE truth, commends the church at Ephesus there in Revelation, why?  “I know that you cannot bear those who are evil and you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not and have found them to be liars!

 

Those that preach in the name of Christ, those that teach in the name of peace and righteousness, Jesus commends us for testing them, but how are we to test them? Not by their ability to work miracles, not by personality, not by their eloquence and entertaining...it must be by the written word of God.

 

Guard your hearts and minds from the enemy...KNOW the word!

 

And so Nicodemus in his flesh, the religious ruler of the Jews reacting to his carnal pangs is enticed by the miracles and comes to Jesus unbelieving (why else would he come by night) and how does Jesus receive him?  He did not refuse him.  I love that.  No doubt Jesus had put in a full day being about His Father's business but here he makes time, late at night, to meet with a man lost in his sin. 

 

Verse 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.”  What question was asked?  I don't see one here.  You see Nicodemus approached Jesus as a teacher, as a Rabbi, as a miracle worker...but Jesus answered his most basic need, the very cry of Nicodemus' lost heart. 

 

Jesus, as a shepherd to a lost sheep, as a Father to a lost son, says to him, my son...teachings, signs, miracles...profit you nothing, unless you have eyes to see...unless you first be made alive in the spirit! 

 

You need no miracles, you need no signs, you need not be taught sound doctrine...you need deliverance from the power and penalty of sin or all else is great great loss.

 

Verse 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?”

 

And Jesus said, Nicodemus you are so dumb, for real!  Of course not...you are so foolish!  NO WAY!  NOT A CHANCE!  Was the question a sucker question, yes...was the question rediculous, yes, but was Jesus graceful and loving and ready to accept and continue?  YES! 

 

Don't think your issues or questions or cries are too dumb or irrelevant or at all unimportant to the Lord...you are His very creation!  According to the Letter to the Ephesians, you are His masterpiece in Jesus!  So take it to Him, talk to Him, He will answer!

 

And here in verse 5, He answered Nicodemus, “Jesus answered, Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one if born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  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 the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes.  So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.

 

And so Nicodemus says “I don't understand” and then Jesus does what He will do time and time again, He makes it very very clear to us and to Nicodemus.  He says Nick, son, you must be born again.  You've already been born once...born of water, born of the flesh...you understand that you are alive in the flesh and as your flesh lives it needs oxygen, it needs nourishment, it needs these basic elements...

 

But also understand, your flesh needs to be redeemed!  Remember there in the Garden, God said to Adam that the day that you eat of this apple, the fruit of the forbidden tree, the day that you enter into sin, you will die.  And then Satan comes along and lies and says surely you will not die!  Take a bite!  And then they ate...did they die?  Well the bible records that they lived, but was God's word then made void?

 

No it wasn't because you see the death that God was speaking of was not a physical death but a spiritual death.  You see if your heart loses fellowship with your body, or your brain loses fellowship with your body, then your body dies...and likewise if your spirit loses fellowship with God, then your spirit dies. 

 

And so Adam and Eve expelled from the Garden, the very presence and fellowship with God, because of their own choice to sin...and then each of their children, where were they born?  Outside of the Garden.

 

Paul said in Ephesians 2, “And you He made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature children of wrath...

 

And so the state of man is fallen and every man is born dominated by his flesh...but Jesus says here it was not so in the beginning and your relationship with God, your Garden fellowship with God, must be restored...must be reborn and therefore you oh man, being born once of the flesh, must be born again of the spirit! 

 

 

 

Jesus says lest you be born again you will not see the Kingdom of God...well let me tell you, lest you be born again you will not even desire the kingdom of God!  Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people.  A man who has not been born again, spiritually alive unto God, will not relish the conversation of the believer, will find the Bible dull and dry, will find worship awkward and boring, will be a stranger to the concept and application of grace, and frankly would find heaven a wretched place to swell for all eternity!

If you take a fish and place him on a table of pure gold and surround him with beautiful pleasant smelling flowers and play strains of the most wonderful soothing melodious music...do you suppose that fish will find himself content and even joyful?  Of course not!  Why, because it would be out of harmony with its environment!  Exactly how an unregenerate soul would find itself in heaven.

 

You see birth is the beginning of life.  And Jesus says here look Nick, you believe in God, obviously...your life is devoted to being righteous...you know the scriptures and you search them looking for life...but Nick, you must be born again my son...and there from verses 3 – 8 Jesus says born, born, born, born, born and then later we'll read from verses 15 – 18 Jesus will say believe, believe, believe, believe, believe!

 

 

 

 

 

The truth is, to be truly born again, we must truly believe.  Well you might say I believe in God...but I want you to see that Jesus is not speaking about a belief that informs your mind, but a belief that transforms your heart, life, desires, actions, decisions, and  purpose!  That is truly to believe. 

 

You no longer set do's and don'ts around your life to conform yourself into the image of Christ but rather you live your life simply as a reaction to a reality that Jesus Christ has saved you from the power and the penalty of sin. 

 

And you find yourself imperfect, impatient, wholly lacking in your flesh, yet your flesh is powerless, because you are now DOMINATED by the Spirit...free from the implications of sin...freed from pride, freed from guilt, freed from your shortcomings, freed from your wandering past...and now simply ALIVE!  Alive and restored unto a Garden fellowship with God the Father Himself!  Born again, born of the Spirit.