The New Birth

Reference

John 2:23-3:12

Discussion Questions

1. Read John 2:23-25. What does John mean by Jesus knowing "what is in man"?
2. Why do Adam and Eve hide in the garden (Gen 3:8)? And what does that have to do with "what is in man"? How does sin affect our ability to understand God?
3. How can Nicodemus both respect and admire Jesus (John 3:2), and yet not believe (John 3:12)? How does that inform us in our evangelism today?
4. What is Jesus' point in John 3:6-8?
5. Does the new-birth happen before or after we exercise faith? See John 3:3-5.
6. What is the difference between (1) being born-again, and then believing and (2) believing, and then being born-again?

The mission of our church is to create a covenant community who worships Christ above all. One of the primary ways we seek to pursue that mission is through our corporate worship—what we are doing right now. Right now is the one time a week where we gather together as a covenant community to worship Christ above all. We, of course, want this mission to expand beyond Sunday morning, to include more than Sunday morning—but never less, because this is the one time where we all gather together for the express purpose of worshipping Christ.

In our efforts to do that, we strive to fill our services with lots of truth about God—Scripture and doctrine. If our church had to be stereotyped one way, it might be stereotyped as a “theology church.” And some of you love that, and some of you don’t.

One risk that a church like ours can run into is the risk of getting so lost in the clouds of abstractions or the dirt of the ancient world that we lose touch with the reality of day-to-day living. That’s great that you can tell me what that means in the Hebrew or defend the hypostatic union…but what does that have to do with my life?

That’s a good question. Burk Parsons once said: “Practical theology is an oxymoron.”

Meaning: all theology is practical.

That statement is fairly audacious. If true, it means that if we fail to see the practicality of doctrine, the problem is with us, not with the doctrine. We may not be good listeners. We could be like the husband who complains that there isn’t as much sizzle in the romance anymore. And when the wife says: “Well, I really like it when you help out around the house…” he interjects and says: “I’m not talking about chores, I’m talking about our marriage! Give me some practical advice so that our intimacy can improve!” The husband wants something right, he just is failing to see that his wife is answering him; he thinks she is changing the subject.

When we come to God and say: Give me something practical! We are—like the hapless husband—wanting a good thing. And when God speaks to us, if we fail to see why it matters, it certainly isn’t because what He is saying is wrong…we just aren’t listening very well. He is telling us what He is like. And since He is the purpose of everything in our lives, there is no data-point about Him that doesn’t have a practical implication to our life.

And my job as a teacher, and our job collectively as Christians, when we encounter God’s Word and the doctrines it teaches is to figure out how to connect those dots. How does the Bible impact your screen-time habits? How you respond to your child throwing a temper-tantrum? To the threat of possibly losing your job? It isn’t always clear to us, so we have to lean in and listen well.

My aim today, as we return to the gospel of John and examine the doctrine of regeneration (or the new birth), is to try to help answer what it is teaching and why it matters. So turn with me to page 887 in the pew Bibles as we read John 2:23-3:12

23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. 24 But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people 25 and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.

1 Now 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 him, “Truly, truly, 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, “Truly, truly, 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 its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

John 2:23-3:12

What is in man, what is the new birth, how does the new birth happen

What Is in Man?

Our passage begins with John’s concluding statements at the end of chapter two. Chapter two began with the first sign that Jesus performed. There are seven signs performed in the gospel of John, and they are all performed to help those who observe them believe in Jesus…that is, believe that He is the Son of God who has come to bring eternal life. And that’s what happens at the first sign of turning water into wine: “And his disciples believed in him.” (John 2:11b)

Jesus goes on to continue to perform more unspecified signs during the Passover Feast, and “many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing,” (John 2:23). Great! Seems like a simple formula, right? Perform signs = people believe. Thus, the more miracles Jesus performs, the more people will believe in Him.

Nicodemus appears to be one example of this kind of “belief”

Now 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.” (John 3:1-2).

You can see the connection John is making for us here:

Many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. (2:23)
Nicodemus says: “…no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him” (3:2)

Nicodemus is a fascinating side-character in the gospel of John; we will see him twice more (John 7:50; 19:39) in the gospel. He appears to be an individual who is extremely curious / interested in Jesus, but not yet a disciple. Nicodemus is one of the Pharisees, “a ruler of the Jews,” yet notice how respectful he is to Jesus: he calls him “rabbi,” he affirms he is a teacher from God, and he is convinced by the signs that God is with him.

Nicodemus is compelled by the power of Jesus’ miracles to conclude that Jesus is certainly a remarkable figure empowered by God.

And yet…

“But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people 25 and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.” (John 2:24-25)

John is using a little play on words here: the same word for “believe”, as in “many believed in his name when they saw the signs he was doing” (2:23) is the same word used for “entrust” in vs. 24. So, John is saying: lots of people believed in Jesus, but He didn’t believe them.

We even get a clue that things are off with Nicodemus with the little comment that he comes “by night” to Jesus. Why “by night”? Maybe he didn’t want to be publicly seen with Jesus? Maybe John is making a double-entendre to Nicodemus’ own spiritual darkness?

Jesus looks at the crowds, at Nicodemus, who “believe” in Him because of the signs, but He isn’t deceived. Why? Because Jesus knows what is in man. What does John mean by that?

I think he means that Jesus knows that the main impediment to real, genuine belief will not resolved by observing signs or miracles alone because there is something “in man” that keeps us from believing in the real Jesus. This is the consequence of sin’s distorting affects on our minds and hearts—and it manifests itself in a number of ways.

First, we are not impartial, objective thinkers. Sin has clouded our minds and left us with an aversion to God that is deeper, and more primal than our rational faculties of thought.

Consider: when Adam and Eve hid at the sound of God coming near (Gen 3:8)…why did they do that? Kind of a silly thing to do, right? Sort of like a child “hiding” from their parent by covering their eyes—not terribly effective. Obviously God would find them. What does Adam say when confronted by God: “I was afraid.” Fear is a sub-rational impulse. Adam’s problem was in the depths of his heart: he knew that he sinned, that he was guilty, and so he feared meeting God.

We all now inherit that sin nature from Adam. So we are not impartial observers.

“I had motive for not wanting the world to have a meaning; consequently assumed that it had none, and was able without any difficulty to find satisfying reasons for this assumption…For myself, the philosophy of meaninglessness was essentially an instrument of liberation, sexual and political.” (Aldous Huxley, Ends and Means)

Second, we come to God with pre-defined categories about what God is like. Nicodemus approaches God with a set of assumptions about what it means for Jesus to perform these kind of signs. We know that you are a teacher from God. He’s right…in a way. And wrong. When Nicodemus says that no one can do the signs you do unless God is with him, he is thinking that Jesus is performing these miracles in the way that previous human beings have; the Moses or Elijah did. And God was certainly with them. Those are the categories that Nicodemus is working with. But Jesus doesn’t fit that category. He is not a mere man. He is the God-man.

We all come to God with a set of assumptions about God. If God exists, then this should happen in my life…If God is good, than that shouldn’t happen. And we proceed to judge God according to these conditions, assumptions, categories.

But real belief does not merely satisfy our previous category definitions of God…it changes the very category itself. God expands our narrow and belittling assumptions about Him, about what His will is for our life. To borrow an illustration from Lewis: we come to Christianity assuming that it is here to take a race horse and make it faster. When really, Christianity is coming and teaching horses how to fly.

What Is the New Birth?

Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)

Couple of definitions we need to make before we get to the phrase “born again.” (The word for “again” can also mean “from above”, like an intentional double-entendre by John)

Sight in John’s gospel is constantly used as a metaphor for belief. We have already seen this in the first chapter of John with the repeated use of “come and see.” In verse 5, Jesus will change the metaphor to “entering”—you cannot enter the kingdom until you’ve been born again. The word for “enter” comes from the same word used by Jesus initial invitation: “come and see.” Jesus is telling Nicodemus that he cannot truly believe until he is born-again.

What is the kingdom of God? Here, in verse 3 we are told that unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God, and then down in verse 5, we are told unless one is born again he cannot enter the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is where God reigns. God, of course, rules over everything. But that wouldn’t make much sense of the passage if “kingdom of God” just meant “all of creation.” The kingdom is something you can see or enter…with the new birth. So, it must be some unique realm which one enters (or sees) when they come to true, saving faith. Or, to put it another way, the kingdom of God is the realm where God rules and those who are under His rule love Him.

But notice: entering the kingdom, seeing the kingdom (all of which just means: genuine faith, believing in Jesus’ name, or receiving Jesus (cf. John 1:12-13)) is not the same thing as being born-again. It is the result of being born-again! You must first be born-again, and then you believe!

So, what does it mean to be born-again? Let’s return to the text:

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?” (John 3:4)

Good question.

Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. (John 3:5)

What does “water and the Spirit” mean? In 3:3, Jesus said you must be born again/from above. Here, it is born of water and spirit. Many throughout church history have assumed that “water” here is a reference to baptism.

Reasons why this isn’t referring to baptism:

Nowhere else in Jesus’ discussion does He refer to baptism (or even mention water again). Rather, the rest of the discussion focuses on the work of the Spirit.
Jesus later will chastise Nicodemus for being Israel’s teacher, but not understanding what Jesus says. Nowhere in the Old Testament is baptism taught. So, we should look to what the Old Testament has to say to understand what “water and spirit” means.
The giving of the Holy Spirit is often described in liquid/water metaphors: “the outpouring of the Spirit” (cf. John 7:37-39)
It is not “water and the Spirit”, but “water and spirit.” This is not referring overtly to the Holy Spirit, but to the “impartation of the God’s nature as ‘spirit’ (cf. John 4:24)” (Carson). Thus both “water and spirit” are referring to the nature of the gift of the new-birth—it is affected in this domain of the human, the spirit, through receiving God’s Spirit, which is poured out like water.
“born of water and spirit” not “born of water and of spirit”—the “of” governs both “water and spirit. So, the birth here isn’t referring to two different activities: spiritual birth and baptism—but to one.
“born again” and “born of water and spirit” are referring to the same act. If baptism is meant by ‘born of water’ then this would appear to teach that the new birth takes place during the act of baptism. But baptism takes place after conversion and faith.

Where does the Old Testament connect water and spirit and the new birth?

I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. (Ez 36:25-27)

This helps us get some traction on defining what the new birth is:

Cleansing
Heart replacement—the heart is the ‘command center’ of a human being (thought, will, affections). Stone (cold, hard, unyielding, inert) will be replaced with “flesh” (warm, soft, malleable, alive).
The indwelling of God’s Spirit
With the result: “I will…cause you to walk in my statues and be careful to obey my rules.”

Part of the eighth article of our church’s statement of faith reads:

“We believe that, in order to be saved, sinners must be regenerated, or born again. That regeneration consists in giving new, godly desires to the mind and heart…and its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance, and faith, and newness of life.” (Article VIII, Of Grace in Regeneration)

The new birth consists of a new life! New desires! Repentance, faith, newness of life! It is by no means a perfect life, but it is a changed life. The analogy of birth is helpful. Those who are ‘born-again’ are, by definition, immature. Newborn babies are not model examples of competence and strength. When we are given this gift of new birth, we are spiritual infants, marked with all of the same weaknesses and incompetencies. But the vital difference is that there is now something else—Someone else—at work within us to help us grow, to cause us to obey.

Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control (Gal 5:19-23)

How Does the New Birth Happen?

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 its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:7-9)

Why does He start talking about wind blowing? Well, the Greek word for “wind” is the same word for “breath” or “spirit.” But he obviously is talking about wind specifically here…the wind blows…you hear its sound. In the same way that the wind blows, so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.

Do you know what happens right after Ezekiel 36?

The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. 2 And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. 3 And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord GOD, you know.” 4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. 5 Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the LORD.” 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8 And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. 11 Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. 13 And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. 14 And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD.” (Ez 37:1-14)

Return to our statement of faith:

“That it is effected in a manner above our comprehension by the power of the Holy Spirit, in connection with divine truth, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the gospel. That it precedes conversion”

Practically:

...consider the consequences of this doctrine for…

Your own assurance and wrestling with doubting minds and dull hearts. God brings death to life.
- But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. (Titus 3:4-8)
Your evangelism need only to look like ordinary faithfulness, not extraordinary rhetoric and persuasion.
- “The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.” - Acts 16:14
- God opens hearts!