WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.320 On Sunday evenings, we've been working through a series on the Holy Spirit and so far we've said 00:00:06.360 --> 00:00:13.160 We've seen that the Holy Spirit is God that the Holy Spirit is the spirit of creation and of life from the very beginning 00:00:13.519 --> 00:00:16.359 He's the spirit of common grace. He's the spirit of 00:00:17.199 --> 00:00:21.320 Providence, he's the spirit of inspiration the one who brings to us 00:00:21.960 --> 00:00:28.580 The Bible and tonight we come to the fact that the Spirit is also the giver not only of life, but of new life 00:00:28.579 --> 00:00:33.979 and so we read a famous passage John chapter 3 and 00:00:34.579 --> 00:00:38.219 In this very famous passage Jesus gives a metaphor to describe 00:00:38.859 --> 00:00:40.859 how the Spirit gives new life and 00:00:41.379 --> 00:00:45.859 It's called the new birth or to be born again as Jesus puts it here 00:00:46.500 --> 00:00:51.420 Now you know it's a metaphor as soon as you read the passage that it's not physical 00:00:51.420 --> 00:00:58.940 But it's spiritual the new birth to be born again because Jesus says Nicodemus you've got to be born again and 00:00:59.460 --> 00:01:01.460 Nicodemus then says in verse 4 00:01:01.900 --> 00:01:06.900 Does that mean that I'm to go back into my mother's womb and literally be born again? 00:01:06.900 --> 00:01:12.900 So Nicodemus like so many other characters in the Gospel of John does not understand the things Jesus says and 00:01:13.540 --> 00:01:19.219 Of course as you as the reader know that Jesus is not being literal. He's talking about something else 00:01:19.219 --> 00:01:27.579 But this theme of misunderstanding misunderstanding the new birth is important to mention because it doesn't just happen here with Nicodemus 00:01:28.859 --> 00:01:31.700 Actually commentators will point this out regularly that 00:01:32.420 --> 00:01:36.700 there's lots of different ways to misunderstand the new birth to be born again and 00:01:37.539 --> 00:01:39.539 One of the ways is to say that 00:01:39.700 --> 00:01:45.859 Most people in the modern world. I think in the United Kingdom and in the United States and probably well beyond that 00:01:45.859 --> 00:01:50.980 They know something even if they've never walked into the church. They've never been a part of a Christian community 00:01:51.340 --> 00:01:54.180 They've heard of being born again 00:01:54.700 --> 00:01:56.700 That's actually a popular term 00:01:56.700 --> 00:02:03.620 And so people even have it in pop songs every once in a while that people who are born again are spoken of born again 00:02:03.620 --> 00:02:08.939 Christians and when the culture talks and thinks about a born-again Christian, you know 00:02:09.539 --> 00:02:14.539 What the outside world world thinks about that idea of being a born-again Christian? 00:02:14.539 --> 00:02:18.099 You know the born-again Christians from the eyes of popular culture 00:02:18.620 --> 00:02:21.859 They're the scary ones, right? They're the ones that are 00:02:22.739 --> 00:02:24.739 radically anti-science and 00:02:25.340 --> 00:02:31.620 They want to convert you at all cost and they they impose their religion upon you and that's actually 00:02:32.060 --> 00:02:38.899 How the popular culture thinks they know the most radical Christians as the born-again Christians now look that that's an opinion 00:02:38.900 --> 00:02:45.140 And it's a subculture and it's a way of viewing things, but it's not at all here what Jesus is talking about 00:02:46.659 --> 00:02:52.780 But then if that's the left maybe there's also a right and that's what Christians sometimes think about being born again 00:02:52.780 --> 00:02:59.620 and there's a really big theological tradition of viewing new birth the coming of the spirit as 00:03:01.099 --> 00:03:05.900 Something that you can't really say that you've had until you've been knocked off your horse like the apostle Paul 00:03:06.379 --> 00:03:08.020 you know something where 00:03:08.020 --> 00:03:10.780 You were you were blinded by the light, you know 00:03:10.780 --> 00:03:13.980 You were walking along and then all of a sudden the spirit hit you and knocked you down 00:03:14.420 --> 00:03:20.820 Some kind of radical testimony some some story that you can tell where the spirit finally came into your life 00:03:20.820 --> 00:03:26.020 even though you've you've basically believed it all for so long but then finally you got the spirit and 00:03:26.540 --> 00:03:28.740 That is that's not being born again either 00:03:28.740 --> 00:03:34.540 It's not the left the pop culture's view and it's also not that Christian version that Christian idea 00:03:34.540 --> 00:03:36.660 It's something different than both of those things here 00:03:36.659 --> 00:03:41.060 Jesus says that to be born again is something different and 00:03:41.699 --> 00:03:45.500 You can only get it by way of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit 00:03:46.180 --> 00:03:49.699 Can show you can give you what you need 00:03:51.019 --> 00:03:54.019 Can teach you about what you don't have and 00:03:54.819 --> 00:04:01.180 Then can tell you how to get it now that sounds like a three-point outline and it is 00:04:01.180 --> 00:04:08.379 The Spirit the Holy Spirit can show you what you need can teach you what it is and then show you how to get it 00:04:08.700 --> 00:04:13.819 Okay, so let's look at that first the Holy Spirit can give us tell us exactly what we need 00:04:14.300 --> 00:04:16.300 Now if you look down at verse 7 you'll see 00:04:16.819 --> 00:04:22.180 Jesus says to Nicodemus do not marvel that I said to you you must be born again 00:04:22.780 --> 00:04:27.100 Now two very important words there one of them is must and 00:04:27.100 --> 00:04:32.900 And it's very simple, but Jesus says to Nicodemus you must be born again 00:04:32.900 --> 00:04:38.660 And that means that Jesus says that the new birth is necessary 00:04:39.180 --> 00:04:45.460 That you have to have it that Nicodemus has to have it and he attaches it here in verse 5 to 7 00:04:46.220 --> 00:04:48.220 He says that to be born again 00:04:48.220 --> 00:04:53.939 What you must have is to be born of water and spirit and we're gonna see in just a minute 00:04:53.939 --> 00:05:00.779 That to be born of water and spirit is a reference to the fact that when the spirit comes into your life 00:05:01.620 --> 00:05:06.339 He does a work on you. That's like cleansing refreshing water pouring over your soul and 00:05:06.819 --> 00:05:13.500 Washing away everything that's wrong the guilt and the shame that you've harbored from the time of your birth before the living God saying no to God 00:05:13.980 --> 00:05:15.980 Even though he says yes to you 00:05:16.659 --> 00:05:20.939 And that's that's what's inside and it says that Jesus is saying Nicodemus 00:05:20.939 --> 00:05:26.259 You need to have you need to be washed of that and only the Holy Spirit can do it 00:05:26.259 --> 00:05:29.180 You need water and you need spirit at the very same time 00:05:29.180 --> 00:05:36.060 And that's the need now the other word that's important is the you not only that you must be but that you must be and 00:05:37.980 --> 00:05:41.379 Here the of course we know he's talking to Nicodemus 00:05:41.699 --> 00:05:45.339 He's he's talking directly to Nicodemus and saying you must be born again 00:05:45.339 --> 00:05:49.740 But in the Greek text that stands underneath this text. It's it's not 00:05:49.740 --> 00:05:54.620 the singular second person singular it's the second person plural actually and 00:05:55.500 --> 00:05:56.900 you know 00:05:56.900 --> 00:06:01.259 there's only one place in the world that really has a way to say this properly and 00:06:02.259 --> 00:06:09.540 It's it's y'all must be born again. It's y'all. I know you have used but doesn't it's okay 00:06:09.540 --> 00:06:15.060 But y'all it's y'all must be born again. You know, we don't really have any English a second person plural 00:06:15.060 --> 00:06:17.060 But that's exactly what you have here 00:06:17.060 --> 00:06:21.180 So Jesus doesn't just say Nicodemus you need to be born again. He says all of you do and 00:06:22.339 --> 00:06:25.740 So he's he's talking to one man, but he puts it in the plural and 00:06:26.819 --> 00:06:31.899 That's because he's saying that everybody, you know, if you've ever been born of a woman 00:06:31.980 --> 00:06:34.180 You need to be born again by the Spirit and 00:06:35.180 --> 00:06:40.019 That's a big group those born of women. It's a large. It's a large amount of the people 00:06:41.379 --> 00:06:43.379 Everybody needs the new birth everybody 00:06:43.379 --> 00:06:50.300 now if you look at chapter 3 verse 1 where we're reading from you can see this 00:06:50.579 --> 00:06:53.740 Little word at the beginning in the ESV. It's translated now 00:06:53.899 --> 00:07:00.939 but it also can be and and it gives you a little clue of why he says all of you need to be born again because 00:07:00.939 --> 00:07:06.819 Jesus in the very verse just before that it said that Jesus knows all people 00:07:06.819 --> 00:07:12.199 He knows all men and he knows what's in their heart and he did need to be convinced of what's going on in the human heart 00:07:12.199 --> 00:07:18.159 And so it says that you know when Jesus came into the world. He knew what was going on in every single human heart 00:07:18.159 --> 00:07:22.680 That's exactly why he came and so that's why he says it's the it's the plural 00:07:22.680 --> 00:07:27.319 I don't need to be he says I don't need to be convinced of what's wrong with you. That's why I'm here 00:07:27.959 --> 00:07:31.399 But I do know that because I'm here you all need to be born again 00:07:31.719 --> 00:07:38.319 So we get that connection there and explains to us how he can talk to one person yet everybody at the same time because he knows 00:07:38.319 --> 00:07:40.079 What's in everybody's hearts? 00:07:40.079 --> 00:07:44.359 He knew what was going on in all people and for all people 00:07:44.839 --> 00:07:51.319 Without the spirit not only of creation, but of new creation of new life coming into your life 00:07:51.319 --> 00:07:55.000 You cannot see the kingdom of God Jesus says 00:07:55.959 --> 00:08:00.799 Now before we move on from that let's ask the question and I think this is an important question 00:08:01.639 --> 00:08:08.159 Why does Jesus choose this metaphor the metaphor to be born again to say to talk to Nicodemus? 00:08:08.160 --> 00:08:12.500 Because one of the things you can do is you can flip through the Gospel of John and 00:08:12.880 --> 00:08:18.040 You can see that Jesus has all these one-on-one encounters in John very significantly 00:08:18.040 --> 00:08:21.320 The next one he's gonna have in the next chapter is the woman at the well 00:08:21.320 --> 00:08:25.760 And he's gonna choose a completely different metaphor to explain to her what she needs 00:08:26.120 --> 00:08:32.240 But here you get a very specific metaphor for this man Nicodemus and if you think about him 00:08:32.560 --> 00:08:37.560 He's an older man. He's a ruler of the Sanhedrin the council in Jerusalem 00:08:37.559 --> 00:08:42.039 He's a Pharisee. He's on the top of his game in terms of religion 00:08:42.239 --> 00:08:48.039 He's very likely wealthy because the Pharisees in the Sanhedrin were wealthy. He's on the top of the culture 00:08:48.039 --> 00:08:54.519 And if he were alive today, he would you know be a religious public intellectual 00:08:54.519 --> 00:08:59.000 That they would be interviewing on the BBC for time to time to get the religious perspective 00:08:59.000 --> 00:09:04.199 He'd write for the times and the spectator and all these different places. This this is the kind of person we're talking about 00:09:04.639 --> 00:09:06.639 He was on he was on the top of life 00:09:06.639 --> 00:09:11.399 He was a winner in every way. He's not earthy and he's not gritty and 00:09:11.960 --> 00:09:16.600 Yet he comes in the middle of the night to Jesus Christ who is a poor man 00:09:17.000 --> 00:09:23.360 Who is a carpenter and who has just turned 30 years old and in that age in that culture 00:09:23.360 --> 00:09:29.740 It's not the most respectable age and do you see what he does? He says even more than all that success. He says rabbi 00:09:29.740 --> 00:09:36.580 teacher I see that you are from God because if you weren't from God 00:09:36.580 --> 00:09:39.500 There's no way that you could do all the signs that you've done and 00:09:40.539 --> 00:09:44.220 You see what he's saying. He's saying I I respect you 00:09:44.379 --> 00:09:50.100 I'm at the top of the food chain in terms of the culture and I'm coming to you and I know you're at the bottom 00:09:50.100 --> 00:09:52.100 but people seem to be attracted to you and 00:09:52.860 --> 00:09:57.139 We there's a faction of us. He says we know we know that you must be from God 00:09:57.139 --> 00:10:03.779 We respect you and you see what he's saying to Jesus. He's coming at night and he's saying I want to make a deal with you 00:10:03.779 --> 00:10:10.059 I want you I want to co-ops you and bring you into the inside the leadership 00:10:10.819 --> 00:10:16.059 So before you get drawn down by the people I'm gonna bring you to the top and we're gonna you because we respect you 00:10:16.059 --> 00:10:18.059 We want to we want to do this the right way 00:10:18.059 --> 00:10:21.779 And so we want to bring you in and we want to help you but we've got to do it the right way 00:10:21.779 --> 00:10:27.899 We've got to first be quiet about it then we got to develop it and that's what he's saying and Jesus and one of the greatest 00:10:28.379 --> 00:10:31.860 Interruptions in all of the Bible from verse 3 2 to 3 00:10:32.500 --> 00:10:33.860 He says 00:10:33.860 --> 00:10:39.179 Nicodemus says I know you must be from God and Jesus says unless you're born again. You can't even see the kingdom 00:10:40.379 --> 00:10:42.539 And what he's saying in that moment is 00:10:43.259 --> 00:10:45.899 How could you know that I'm of God? 00:10:46.819 --> 00:10:50.779 Because if you've not been born again, you have no way of knowing things that are from God or not 00:10:50.779 --> 00:10:57.980 You know, you can't see the kingdom of God unless you've been born again and Nicodemus that means you're the last person that can judge 00:10:57.980 --> 00:10:59.779 whether I'm from God 00:10:59.779 --> 00:11:03.899 Because unless you're born again, you can't see the things of God. You can't see the kingdom of God 00:11:04.579 --> 00:11:06.579 Now it's an amazing interruption 00:11:07.100 --> 00:11:14.539 And what Jesus is saying in that moment to him why he chooses born again is because Nicodemus is coming 00:11:15.100 --> 00:11:19.299 Thinking that all it takes all it takes to see the kingdom of heaven 00:11:19.299 --> 00:11:20.740 is 00:11:20.740 --> 00:11:22.740 moral renovation 00:11:23.740 --> 00:11:25.740 moral reformation and 00:11:27.059 --> 00:11:31.819 He doesn't understand what Jesus is saying and Jesus is saying moral renovation is never enough 00:11:32.539 --> 00:11:36.819 That actually you don't need moral renovation Nicodemus. You need spiritual transformation 00:11:37.859 --> 00:11:43.099 From the inside out from the top to bottom you need the Holy Spirit of God to fall on you and 00:11:43.100 --> 00:11:49.240 the reason Nicodemus needs to hear this metaphor that you need to be 00:11:49.540 --> 00:11:54.420 Born again is because he needs to wake up and see that there is absolutely nothing he can do 00:11:56.259 --> 00:12:02.180 Let me ask you a question how many of you were heavily involved deeply involved very active in your own birth 00:12:04.820 --> 00:12:07.500 And that's why he says you need to be born again 00:12:07.500 --> 00:12:13.980 And that's why we love to baptize babies because there's nothing better than to 00:12:15.100 --> 00:12:20.820 Memorialize the reality of what new birth means the new birth really is what God preaches to us in the sacrament 00:12:20.820 --> 00:12:27.220 And you know what he says when we baptize a little baby. He's saying there's no better picture of ultimate passivity 00:12:28.100 --> 00:12:31.860 The baby can do nothing the baby can't help it and the same thing has to happen 00:12:32.620 --> 00:12:34.620 when the Spirit comes into your life and 00:12:34.620 --> 00:12:43.419 Because Nicodemus thought that his own performances that his moral renter renovation his constant work on his own spirit was enough 00:12:43.580 --> 00:12:49.259 He needed to hear he needed to hear the metaphor. No, it's it's more like being born 00:12:50.700 --> 00:12:53.740 You're completely passive and God is completely active 00:12:55.019 --> 00:13:00.220 Now two things before we move on one is this there are two verses two verses 00:13:00.220 --> 00:13:03.800 One in John one the commentators will say 00:13:04.700 --> 00:13:12.420 That everything that John wants to say to us in the Gospel of John is all there in the prologue of the Gospel John 1 1 to 18 and 00:13:13.700 --> 00:13:15.220 remember John 00:13:15.220 --> 00:13:16.340 one 00:13:16.340 --> 00:13:18.860 10 to 13 it says that 00:13:19.340 --> 00:13:24.259 Many he came into the world and that his own people did not know him they rejected him 00:13:24.580 --> 00:13:27.740 But those who did know him knew him how? 00:13:27.740 --> 00:13:32.299 Not because they were born not because of their bloodline and 00:13:32.860 --> 00:13:38.299 Not because of their religious works, but because quote they were born of God and 00:13:38.980 --> 00:13:44.779 Here it is being played out in the life. He's telling us here exactly what John started with but then another verse 00:13:45.060 --> 00:13:47.580 And we'll move on chapter 11 verse 10 00:13:48.700 --> 00:13:53.460 Jesus says in chapter 11 if anybody walks in the daytime he doesn't stumble 00:13:53.460 --> 00:14:00.580 Because he sees the light of the world, but if you walk in the nighttime you stumble because the light is not in you not in him 00:14:00.580 --> 00:14:05.019 And right here we learn what it means for Jesus in John's Gospel 00:14:05.019 --> 00:14:07.900 What he means when he says are you walking in the night? 00:14:08.900 --> 00:14:11.460 Are you are you walking in the darkness? 00:14:13.060 --> 00:14:15.780 Nicodemus comes in the darkness and it's not a coincidence 00:14:15.779 --> 00:14:22.699 Because walking in the darkness we learn here is when you walk by the darkness of your own morality 00:14:24.699 --> 00:14:29.899 It's when you try to walk towards the kingdom of God by the dirty deeds of your own good works 00:14:30.899 --> 00:14:35.419 And that's exactly what Nicodemus was trying to do and so he needed to hear you need to hear tonight 00:14:36.740 --> 00:14:40.579 That you've got to be born again and you don't contribute to that 00:14:41.699 --> 00:14:43.620 now secondly 00:14:43.620 --> 00:14:48.899 Secondly the Holy Spirit shows us not only what we need but also then teaches us what it is now 00:14:48.899 --> 00:14:51.980 We haven't said a word yet about what the new birth is 00:14:52.899 --> 00:14:54.899 We've only said that we need it 00:14:55.500 --> 00:15:02.259 And the Holy Spirit also comes into our lives the spirit of new life and teaches us what the new birth is 00:15:02.259 --> 00:15:03.779 It's not 00:15:03.779 --> 00:15:07.259 It's not an evangelical subculture of super religious people 00:15:07.779 --> 00:15:11.220 Contra the pop culture it on the one side. It's not on the other side a 00:15:11.220 --> 00:15:14.820 Radical experience not necessarily not at all and 00:15:15.860 --> 00:15:19.980 Instead we've already mentioned that in verse 3 Jesus gives that massive interruption 00:15:20.540 --> 00:15:25.420 You know Nicodemus says you must be I recognize you're of God and Jesus says 00:15:25.980 --> 00:15:31.899 There's no way you can because to say that you've got to be born again to see the kingdom and 00:15:32.899 --> 00:15:36.899 Here what he's talking about. I think we can we can talk about in three ways 00:15:36.899 --> 00:15:41.500 Let me give you very quickly three things that the new birth is to be born again 00:15:41.500 --> 00:15:46.699 And the first thing I think we see here is that the new birth is when God gives us new roots 00:15:47.500 --> 00:15:49.500 new roots 00:15:49.819 --> 00:15:57.539 We've already said this but one pastor puts it like this. It's not moral change. It's actually getting a new heart altogether 00:15:58.980 --> 00:16:04.379 and so what he's saying to Nicodemus is this is that the new birth is when the Holy Spirit comes into your life and 00:16:04.379 --> 00:16:06.379 actually 00:16:06.419 --> 00:16:12.220 Plucks you up out of the ground like a like a plant and replants you all together 00:16:12.220 --> 00:16:15.179 It's to be uprooted and replanted 00:16:15.779 --> 00:16:22.019 And what the Holy Spirit does is he gets down in the soil and he digs the rocks out and then he puts you back in again 00:16:22.899 --> 00:16:26.059 And that's the basic picture of the new birth 00:16:27.299 --> 00:16:31.539 Jesus Christ is not here to bring Nicodemus the rest of the way, you know 00:16:31.539 --> 00:16:34.779 He's not saying to Nicodemus you've done really well so far and 00:16:35.259 --> 00:16:39.179 You've come all this way and now I'm gonna get you across the finish line 00:16:39.179 --> 00:16:44.219 He's saying that you've actually got to be completely uprooted and replanted again in your soul 00:16:44.659 --> 00:16:49.299 That you need total spiritual transformation not at all moral renovation 00:16:49.980 --> 00:16:55.659 Now that's why some of the commentators will point out that and if you have a hard copy of one of our Bibles 00:16:55.659 --> 00:16:59.860 You'll see this that there's gonna be a little footnote in the Bible that says that 00:16:59.860 --> 00:17:05.940 Perhaps a better translation of being born again is to be born from above 00:17:06.539 --> 00:17:11.220 Born from above that actually something from above has to come down into your life 00:17:13.059 --> 00:17:15.579 Now secondly and we're gonna come back to that secondly 00:17:16.180 --> 00:17:18.299 It's not only when you get new roots, but it's also 00:17:19.019 --> 00:17:22.860 When you get when you get a new self you can see in verse 6 he says 00:17:23.380 --> 00:17:28.180 That which is born of the flesh is the flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit 00:17:28.180 --> 00:17:31.580 Now flesh here is not in 00:17:32.500 --> 00:17:34.500 Contrast to the immaterial 00:17:34.779 --> 00:17:37.460 So flesh here is not at all talking about the physical 00:17:38.060 --> 00:17:45.500 Instead the flesh is in contrast to the spiritual and the word flesh for Jesus like Paul means basically to be corrupted 00:17:46.019 --> 00:17:48.180 The world of corruption the kingdom of corruption 00:17:48.620 --> 00:17:52.539 That's in our hearts and that's outside of us and he said you need to be uprooted 00:17:52.539 --> 00:17:57.819 Your flesh needs to be pulled out and you need you need to be made spiritual and 00:17:58.740 --> 00:18:02.259 That means here the same thing that Paul means 00:18:02.779 --> 00:18:05.579 When he says you actually need to put on a new self 00:18:06.299 --> 00:18:14.259 Altogether you need a new self when the when the spirit of God comes into your life and he uproots you and replants you 00:18:14.259 --> 00:18:17.500 What happens you actually get a new identity? 00:18:17.500 --> 00:18:27.299 Your spirit awakens your consciousness opens up the God that you were rejecting now you're saying yes now you're submitting to you get a new self 00:18:27.299 --> 00:18:32.380 You get a new identity from the inside out. That's what Jesus is talking about here 00:18:34.460 --> 00:18:40.619 Have you ever had one of those moments I was thinking about this this week had one this week where you you read a book 00:18:41.220 --> 00:18:45.500 Or you listen to a TED talk podcast something like that 00:18:45.500 --> 00:18:47.980 you have a great conversation with a friend and 00:18:49.380 --> 00:18:54.819 All of a sudden you turn to your spouse your friend your parents whoever it might be in your life and you say 00:18:55.259 --> 00:19:00.819 You know this conversation I had this book. I read it really changed my life and 00:19:02.220 --> 00:19:04.380 You kind of realized I hadn't I had an epiphany 00:19:04.380 --> 00:19:07.740 I had an epiphany I had a moment of inspiration that struck me 00:19:08.099 --> 00:19:12.500 Whenever I read this book and I got to then and I changed my schedule and I started making my bed 00:19:12.500 --> 00:19:17.460 Well, I haven't started that yet, but some of you that's what happened to you 00:19:17.460 --> 00:19:21.180 You started making your bed and you know you you got more responsible 00:19:21.940 --> 00:19:28.779 You change the way you do your schedule you started being consistent at the gym, whatever it might be you had an epiphany 00:19:28.779 --> 00:19:30.779 And it really did matter 00:19:31.460 --> 00:19:37.140 Now those are really good things and that's sort of what we're talking about here, but not really at all 00:19:38.220 --> 00:19:39.539 and 00:19:39.539 --> 00:19:43.740 And and it's you know, it's not being struck and inspired in a moment 00:19:43.740 --> 00:19:49.180 It's not all of a sudden like like you've had you've had a moment of genius. It's more like when you say 00:19:49.659 --> 00:19:51.859 This is when you know the new births come into your life 00:19:53.019 --> 00:19:58.220 The new self you have a new self. It's when you say something more like this. I once was lost 00:19:58.819 --> 00:20:02.019 But now I'm found I was blind 00:20:02.659 --> 00:20:04.659 But now I see I 00:20:04.660 --> 00:20:08.740 Said no to him, but he said yes to me and 00:20:09.500 --> 00:20:13.460 Then you then you submit and that's when you know that the new births come into your life 00:20:13.500 --> 00:20:15.900 You've got a new self a new consciousness 00:20:16.860 --> 00:20:21.700 That the spirit has uprooted you and replanted you now thirdly and finally a 00:20:22.820 --> 00:20:28.980 New hope is the third thing here and you see it very clearly in verse three and verse 15 00:20:28.980 --> 00:20:31.540 You know the spirit is the spirit of creation 00:20:31.539 --> 00:20:35.619 We said at the beginning of the series and we said from the very beginning 00:20:35.619 --> 00:20:41.099 He's the spirit of new creation that the Holy Spirit is the person of the Trinity that 00:20:41.859 --> 00:20:44.460 Perfects the things of God until they're finished 00:20:46.420 --> 00:20:51.500 The new birth when the spirit comes into your life the new birth is not about the new birth 00:20:52.139 --> 00:20:53.940 not at all 00:20:53.940 --> 00:20:59.500 Now the new birth is nothing but a means but it's not the point and you can see the point here 00:20:59.500 --> 00:21:01.500 He says to Nicodemus if 00:21:01.940 --> 00:21:04.339 You want to see the kingdom of God 00:21:05.099 --> 00:21:07.099 You need to be born again and 00:21:07.220 --> 00:21:12.619 Then you look down at verse 15 and he says whoever believes in him may have eternal life 00:21:13.299 --> 00:21:18.140 And he's saying here that the point of the new birth is something more than the new birth 00:21:18.140 --> 00:21:25.059 It's that you would see the kingdom or have eternal life and we covered this a few weeks ago on Sunday morning 00:21:25.579 --> 00:21:28.539 But that word eternal life in the Greek text 00:21:28.539 --> 00:21:29.700 is 00:21:29.700 --> 00:21:31.700 literally the age of life and 00:21:32.819 --> 00:21:37.579 So he's not opposing immaterial immaterial here nothing like that. He's saying 00:21:38.339 --> 00:21:43.180 He's saying that the point of the new birth is that you might enter the kingdom of God 00:21:43.180 --> 00:21:47.920 Which is the very age of life as opposed to the age of death 00:21:49.220 --> 00:21:51.220 Now to get a clearer picture of that 00:21:52.299 --> 00:21:56.259 There are two kingdoms that are presented to us all throughout the Bible 00:21:56.259 --> 00:22:03.220 Two kingdoms there the kingdom of this world as it's often put and the kingdom of God and 00:22:03.940 --> 00:22:07.140 those two kingdoms are in total antithesis against one another 00:22:07.700 --> 00:22:13.700 their enemies and the kingdom of God's going to win because the Spirit's gonna bring it about and 00:22:15.740 --> 00:22:19.700 Augustine captured this the great Bishop of Hippo in the fourth and fifth centuries 00:22:19.980 --> 00:22:22.980 Now he read a big old book called the city of God and in it 00:22:22.980 --> 00:22:30.140 He says there are two cities that you can belong to everybody that's born of a woman is born right into the city of man and 00:22:30.660 --> 00:22:35.860 It's the city of the flesh. It's the city of the world as we know it. It's the city under which we are 00:22:36.779 --> 00:22:39.860 choked by death disease disaster by 00:22:40.180 --> 00:22:46.140 Football match riots and hurricanes that destroy cities and every other horrible thing. That's the age of death 00:22:46.140 --> 00:22:54.100 But that when God comes into your life, you can be transferred as a citizen from the city of man into the city of God 00:22:55.140 --> 00:22:59.220 And so what Jesus is talking about here is that when the new birth comes into your life 00:22:59.220 --> 00:23:06.380 It is a citizen citizenship transfer from the kingdom of this world into the kingdom of God and 00:23:07.660 --> 00:23:14.020 That means that the kingdom of God seeing the living God in the age of life not death is actually the point of 00:23:14.019 --> 00:23:16.019 Being born again 00:23:17.579 --> 00:23:23.740 Now let's close with this thirdly and finally and that's how can you get it? 00:23:24.859 --> 00:23:28.180 How can you get it? Jesus is saying to us tonight 00:23:29.700 --> 00:23:33.579 That you don't need moral change you need to save your you need spiritual 00:23:33.900 --> 00:23:40.220 Transformation from the inside out you need the Holy Spirit to come into your life and to cleanse you 00:23:40.220 --> 00:23:45.779 You need the water and the Spirit the washing of regeneration as the New Testament puts it 00:23:46.539 --> 00:23:49.660 And we see it all the way back in Ezekiel 36 00:23:50.259 --> 00:23:55.740 Jesus is very likely here alluding to Ezekiel 36 Ezekiel 36 says 00:23:56.180 --> 00:24:03.140 God says I will sprinkle upon you clean water and you will be clean from all your uncleanliness and 00:24:03.500 --> 00:24:07.180 From all your idols I'll cleanse you and I'll give you a new heart and a new spirit 00:24:07.180 --> 00:24:13.940 Jesus is working with that the very next chapter after Ezekiel 36 is when the dry bones come to life again 00:24:14.580 --> 00:24:18.779 That's exactly what he's talking about. There's an Old Testament precedent of the new birth now look 00:24:19.299 --> 00:24:21.299 Let's close with this 00:24:21.299 --> 00:24:24.900 If if you've if you've heard Jesus's words tonight 00:24:25.700 --> 00:24:28.340 Maybe there's a question that's popped up in your mind 00:24:29.100 --> 00:24:35.500 It's a question that definitely should be there and the question is this if you're telling me that I need to be born again 00:24:35.500 --> 00:24:38.619 And being born again is also actually a lot like being born of a woman 00:24:39.220 --> 00:24:42.579 You know, you don't you don't you don't contribute anything to your first birth 00:24:42.740 --> 00:24:48.339 And you don't contribute anything to your second birth either the birth by the Spirit and if that's the case 00:24:48.700 --> 00:24:54.819 Then it almost sounds like what we're preaching what Jesus is preaching is you need to wait around and 00:24:55.619 --> 00:24:59.180 You know, what did he say he said the wind blows where it wishes 00:25:00.019 --> 00:25:02.619 You can't control the wind you can't control the Spirit 00:25:02.619 --> 00:25:07.659 So it sounds like Jesus is saying to you tonight just sit and hope beyond hope 00:25:08.139 --> 00:25:11.339 That before you die you can get the Spirit 00:25:12.179 --> 00:25:14.899 Because he can't be captured. He can't be possessed 00:25:15.819 --> 00:25:18.219 You've got a hope that he comes upon you 00:25:19.379 --> 00:25:21.219 now look 00:25:21.219 --> 00:25:26.099 That that is true at one register and one register only 00:25:27.299 --> 00:25:29.299 But when you come down to the lower register 00:25:29.299 --> 00:25:33.740 You have to remember that if we would have read one more verse 00:25:35.299 --> 00:25:40.779 If you have a Bible you can see what the next verse is the one more verse that goes beyond the passage we read tonight 00:25:41.299 --> 00:25:43.819 You might have heard of it. It's John 3 16 00:25:45.299 --> 00:25:49.299 John 3 16 it's the very next verse after John 3 15 00:25:50.579 --> 00:25:57.700 And in John 3 16 God says that I so loved the world that I sent my only begotten Son 00:25:57.700 --> 00:26:04.620 And if you believe whosoever believes anybody will not perish but will have the eternal life 00:26:04.620 --> 00:26:06.620 I just told you about that you need the Spirit for 00:26:07.620 --> 00:26:11.460 And you see that means that you can never take John 3 8 00:26:12.460 --> 00:26:14.460 and pit it against John 3 16 00:26:15.460 --> 00:26:22.059 John 3 8 says there's nothing you can do to save yourself you need the Spirit and John 3 16 says if you would believe 00:26:23.100 --> 00:26:25.100 Then you have the Spirit and you have eternal life 00:26:25.099 --> 00:26:28.099 And both of those things are true at the exact same time 00:26:29.099 --> 00:26:34.099 And so let me give you this word as we close Jesus says right after that 00:26:36.099 --> 00:26:37.099 Right after that 00:26:37.099 --> 00:26:44.099 No one knows the things of God verses 13 to 15 unless he is the Son of man who has ascended and descended 00:26:45.099 --> 00:26:50.099 And Jesus is saying in other words nobody really knows what the kingdom of God is like except for me 00:26:51.099 --> 00:26:52.099 Nicodemus says 00:26:52.099 --> 00:26:56.099 I know what the kingdom of God is like except for me Nicodemus by the way I 00:26:57.099 --> 00:27:02.099 Descended I condescended and I'm gonna us in and only I know what the kingdom of God is really like 00:27:03.099 --> 00:27:09.099 And he said and here's how you can have it the very next verse as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness 00:27:10.099 --> 00:27:12.099 So must the Son of man be lifted up 00:27:14.099 --> 00:27:17.099 Now Jesus is referring there to numbers 21 00:27:17.099 --> 00:27:21.099 And in numbers 21, it's a very very strange story to us modern people 00:27:22.099 --> 00:27:27.099 But these snakes come out and they bite the Israelites and all the Israelites are dying from snake bite poison 00:27:29.099 --> 00:27:36.099 And God says if you will lift up your eyes and look at the pole upon which I have cast a dead serpent 00:27:37.099 --> 00:27:39.099 You will be you will be saved 00:27:40.099 --> 00:27:43.099 And you think what in the world does that mean what is that about and 00:27:43.099 --> 00:27:45.099 Jesus is saying 00:27:45.099 --> 00:27:51.099 Jesus is saying if if you want to see the kingdom of God you need to lift your eyes up 00:27:52.099 --> 00:27:56.099 To the serpent on the pole just just like numbers 21 you need to see 00:27:57.099 --> 00:28:02.099 Not only the Son of man ascended into heaven. You needed to see the Son of man lifted up 00:28:04.099 --> 00:28:09.099 And in numbers 21 what what was happening was that the people were to look up and see 00:28:09.099 --> 00:28:16.099 Representative poison representative death hanging dead on the pole for them 00:28:17.099 --> 00:28:23.099 And that was God's pronouncement to them that if you will look upon representative death for you 00:28:24.099 --> 00:28:26.099 I will save you 00:28:26.099 --> 00:28:29.099 And Jesus Christ comes tonight and says to Nicodemus 00:28:30.099 --> 00:28:36.099 Nicodemus and you you need if you want the new birth you simply lift up your eyes 00:28:36.099 --> 00:28:42.099 And look at the man who was lifted up who became serpent like not because he is a serpent 00:28:42.099 --> 00:28:46.099 He's holy and righteous, but he who knew no sin became our son 00:28:47.099 --> 00:28:52.099 And that means he ate the poison he drank it all the way to the drugs and he was lifted up for it 00:28:53.099 --> 00:28:57.099 And he so he says to Nicodemus if you want the new birth you just lift up your eyes and you see 00:28:58.099 --> 00:29:02.099 The serpent lift you see the Son of man lifted up like the serpent in the wilderness 00:29:02.099 --> 00:29:05.099 Substitutionary death for you now 00:29:06.099 --> 00:29:09.099 In John 19 and this is truly the last word John 19 00:29:12.099 --> 00:29:14.099 Do you know what happened in John 19? 00:29:15.099 --> 00:29:21.099 It says that Jesus dies and Joseph of Arimathea who was the disciple of Jesus 00:29:23.099 --> 00:29:29.099 Asked Pilate that he could take away the body of Jesus to bury it and Pilate gave him mercy 00:29:29.099 --> 00:29:33.099 So Joseph of Arimathea came and he took away Jesus's body 00:29:35.099 --> 00:29:39.099 And Nicodemus also who earlier had come to Jesus by night 00:29:40.099 --> 00:29:42.099 Came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloe 00:29:43.099 --> 00:29:47.099 And they took the body and they wrapped it and they buried it 00:29:49.099 --> 00:29:54.099 There's a little detail in John 19 that says that this man who came to Jesus by night 00:29:54.099 --> 00:29:59.099 Was there and we don't have all the details but you know what I think happened 00:29:59.099 --> 00:30:03.099 I think Nicodemus stood underneath the cross and he lifted up his eyes 00:30:04.099 --> 00:30:06.099 And he remembered exactly what Jesus said to him 00:30:07.099 --> 00:30:13.099 That if he would look up and he would believe in the in the Son of man lifted up like the serpent in the wilderness that he could have eternal life 00:30:14.099 --> 00:30:17.099 And he said that day this really is the Son of God 00:30:18.099 --> 00:30:20.099 And now we're going to look at the Son of God 00:30:20.099 --> 00:30:24.099 And we're going to look at the Son of God that day this really is the Son of God 00:30:25.099 --> 00:30:29.099 And now he's he's burying Jesus's body with Joseph of Arimathea 00:30:30.099 --> 00:30:33.099 And you know why you know what it says about Joseph it says that he was afraid of the Pharisees 00:30:34.099 --> 00:30:39.099 And so he did it secretly he asked Pilate secretly but here's a Pharisee doing it right there with him 00:30:40.099 --> 00:30:42.099 And even more than that even more than that 00:30:43.099 --> 00:30:48.099 If you're a Pharisee if you want to be religious there's one thing that you do not do the day before the Sabbath 00:30:48.099 --> 00:30:50.099 And that's touch a dead body 00:30:51.099 --> 00:30:58.099 Because if you touch a dead body you are unholy and unclean and you cannot enter the presence of God and Nicodemus throws it all away 00:30:59.099 --> 00:31:03.099 And he touches the body of Christ and you see he woke up he had the new birth 00:31:04.099 --> 00:31:13.099 He realized John 3 16 hit him and he believed and it was counted to him as righteousness and that means he was born again born from above 00:31:13.099 --> 00:31:18.099 And that's that's for anybody that's for you tonight. That's for every single one of us here tonight 00:31:19.099 --> 00:31:27.099 First John 5 4 says everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world gets the kingdom of God 00:31:28.099 --> 00:31:32.099 Not the age of death the age of life and this is the victory that has overcome the world 00:31:33.099 --> 00:31:34.099 Faith 00:31:35.099 --> 00:31:41.099 Faith overcomes the world because it is the instrument of receiving the new birth 00:31:41.099 --> 00:31:44.099 Do you believe tonight then you can say I'm born again 00:31:45.099 --> 00:31:48.099 And that's an invitation as we come to the supper 00:31:49.099 --> 00:32:00.099 Let's pray father we ask that you would help us to believe and we cast our weak belief before you and recognize that we need new birth 00:32:01.099 --> 00:32:09.099 And so we pray for the spirit of new birth of regeneration to come into this place and to or change somebody's heart for the first time 00:32:09.099 --> 00:32:22.099 And change our hearts again that your gospel and your mercies would be new and fresh to us and we pray this as we come to eat and drink your body and your blood and we pray this in Christ's name 00:32:22.099 --> 00:32:39.099 Amen