LBC Sermons & Messages

John 2:23-3:15

John has presented Jesus as the creator God, ready to replace our emptiness with joy when we receive him. Jesus is shown to be the Messiah coming to establish his kingdom. In this portion, Jesus reveals the requisite into his kingdom.

Jesus has performed many miracles and the people are impressed, but he does not commit himself to them since he knows their motives and intentions but there is one, Nicodemus, who he does commit too and it obvious that Nicodemus has some understanding of who Jesus is and has determines to check out his credentials. In the dialogue between these two, it becomes clear that Nicodemus is struggling to rise above the physical and understand the spiritual requirements of entering into the kingdom of God.

Jesus presents three illustrations of what is involved in entering the kingdom. The first involves a birth symbolized by water. A new birth is needed, not just a makeover of the old but a spiritual birth from above. (John 7:37-39). We were born with biological life for our present existence, but for the kingdom we need spiritual life.

The second illustration is wind. “pneuma” is translated both as wind and spirit. Both operate sovereignty, both are perceived by their effects and both their actions arise from unseen and unknowable factors. The “pneuma” is a picture of the regeneration that happens with the new birth. Ezel 37, the valley of bones, illustrates how the Holy Spirit brings spiritual life into a being that was dead.

The third illustration is the event found in Numbers 21. Jesus likens his death on the cross to this event and just as they had to look on with faith, so to must we turn and in faith and accept Jesus as the mediator of forgiveness for our sin and the giver of new life.

Apart from this new birth, we will not enter into the kingdom. So the question is, “are you born again”, have you accept Christ as you savior and been born again.