The Gospel of John-14 – Born Again, a New Creation from Above

John 3:1–8.

 

“Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.’

Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.’ ‘How can someone be born when they are old?’ Nicodemus asked. ‘Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!’ Jesus answered, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, “You must be born again.” The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.’” Amen.

 

The Biblical Meaning and Necessity of Being Born Again

The Word of the Lord we share today is part of the conversation with Nicodemus, which includes the famous verse John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son.” In today's text, the expression "must be born again" appears repeatedly. Even in today’s society, the phrase "born again" is frequently used—people say, "The church must be born again," or "Society must be born again"—but this word, in its original biblical context, contains a dimension completely different from its common usage in the world. While the secular view of being born again means fixing the world or making something new, the "being born again" proclaimed by the Bible carries a much deeper and more fundamental meaning.

 

As mentioned earlier, John chapter 3 is of immense importance. It is filled with treasure-like truths, such as "being born again," "the issue of spirit and flesh," and the beloved words of verse 16. Therefore, over the next 3 to 4 weeks, we intend to examine this chapter in more detail by breaking it down.

 

Today's text is set against the backdrop of a conversation between Nicodemus and Jesus. On a spring night around 26 AD, Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, comes to see Jesus. He approaches Jesus with high praise, calling Him a teacher come from God, but Jesus offers completely unexpected words: “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” Surprised, Nicodemus asks in return, “How can a man enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born?”

 

Jesus answers, “What I am saying is not that you should physically re-enter the womb and come out, but that you must be born of the Spirit. You must be born again of the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, you cannot see the kingdom of God.” This is a declaration that unless he is born again, all the knowledge and status Nicodemus possesses, and everything he relies on, amounts to nothing. Let us look deeply through the text at the existential situation Nicodemus was facing.

 

Humanity Dwelling in Darkness, and the New Creation

Look at the beginning of verse 2. It is recorded that Nicodemus came to Jesus "at night." The fact that he came at night gives the impression that he came secretly, fearing that other Pharisees or Jewish officials might find out. However, beyond being a mere personal action, this symbolically reveals his fundamental reality. He is a "man of the night." He belongs to the darkness and is one who dwells in darkness.

 

In verse 5, Jesus says something very important regarding this: “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.” Here, water and the Spirit appear. Are there any biblical scenes that come to mind when you encounter the words darkness, water, and Spirit? It is Genesis chapter 1. The Spirit of God moves over a world filled with darkness, void, and chaos. John is not merely recording the event of Nicodemus visiting in the middle of the night; he is revealing that the new birth occurring through Jesus Christ is the very work of creation. This is the new creation proclaimed in the words, “The old has gone, the behold, the new has come!”

 

In English, this is described as "radical." It signifies a moment of complete severance and new decision. It is not self-improvement—the idea that you can reach grace by supplementing and compensating for your life so far and simply trying to live a bit more kindly and virtuously. Nicodemus appears here as a figure representing the darkness that demands this new creation. Having not been born again, he still remains in that darkness.

 

Human Existence and the Limits of Religious Zeal

In verse 2 of the text, we find a very important expression. Even though Nicodemus came to Jesus alone, he uses the plural pronoun ‘we,’ saying, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God.” Some interpret this as Nicodemus trying to hide behind the fence of the community instead of making a personal decision. It is pointed out that believers also hesitate to stand as individuals before God and often hide behind the name "we." While that interpretation might not be entirely wrong, looking at the context of the text, it is somewhat distant from the original intention of the Bible.

 

Open to John 3:11. “Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen.” These are the words of Jesus. Here, the subject is also "we." Does this mean Jesus was hiding His existence behind the expression "we"? Certainly not. The author John makes it clear that Nicodemus did not come simply as an individual, but as a representative of the Jewish rulers and Pharisees. Furthermore, the Bible expands this to set Nicodemus as a representative showing the reality of all humanity.

 

The reason I state this so firmly is as recorded in John 2:25: “He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.” The Lord does not look only into the inner life of a specific group; He examines the inner heart of humanity in general, universally. Verse 25 is the very background of chapter 3. Therefore, the core here is not the position or status Nicodemus held, but reflecting our true appearance standing before the Lord as representatives of humanity.

 

Another fact to note in Nicodemus's situation is that he was one of those who saw the signs and believed in His name. As we examined last week, a sign is virtually meaningless unless it speaks the truth it points to. Look at the first words Nicodemus spoke to Jesus: “For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” This shows that the previous discussion about signs is closely linked to the story of Nicodemus in chapter 3. In other words, Nicodemus is a quintessential figure showing a faith that believes by seeing signs. By uncovering his inner self, the Lord reveals through the pen of the Apostle John what the reality of a faith that only follows miracles truly looks like.

 

A faith that believes only by seeing signs is not the true faith the Bible speaks of, but a false faith that pursues miracles themselves. This is, so to speak, a "faith that follows because one ate and was satisfied." Some of you may think, "I don't believe in Jesus just to eat and be satisfied; I follow the truth." But is the ultimate reason for following that truth perhaps to gain peace and happiness on this earth? Are we following the truth for the sake of our own comfort while claiming to love the truth? We must confront our own existence through Nicodemus's background. Are we not mostly following the Lord because we have eaten and are satisfied? If we had lived in the city of Jerusalem in 26 AD, we might have been the very sinners shouting, "Crucify Jesus!"

 

The Highest Piety, Its Paradoxical Tragedy

The first characteristic of Nicodemus's background is the fact that he was a Pharisee. Who are the Pharisees? Often, we first think of negative images such as "hypocrites" or "whitewashed tombs." But that is because we already know their reality through the words of Jesus. The public at that time saw them completely differently. The Pharisees were the most respected religious leaders of their day. According to the historian Josephus in The Jewish War, there were about 6,000 Pharisees at the time of Jesus, and among them, the elite of the elite who also served as Jewish rulers numbered fewer than 100.

 

The Pharisees did not seek power and refused to collude with the priesthood or kingship like the Sadducees. Thanks to this conduct, they were known as the most upright people of their time, receiving great trust from the people, especially for their unyielding stance toward King Herod or the Roman Empire. In short, they were people who practiced extreme piety. It is a level difficult for us to imagine. Who could observe the regulations of tithing and the Sabbath as strictly as they did? They were the greatest spiritual leaders of the age.

 

To define their characteristics in one word, they were people who not only regarded the Law as extremely precious but also lived by applying it directly to the fields of their lives. Josephus also evaluated them as "the people who interpreted the Law most accurately at the time." Surprisingly, they were an enthusiastic group that put effort into proselytizing, trying to convert many to Judaism. Were they not truly wonderful people? If such a person came to our church today, everyone would be moved by their character and piety, and we might all agree to appoint them as an elder immediately. Such were those people.

 

Yet, in the Bible, Jesus continuously humbles these Pharisees—even though they had reached the pinnacle of human religious zeal and piety. We often struggle with the reality of not being able to live according to God's will, saying, "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." However, the Pharisees were people who had surpassed that stage and reached the highest piety attainable by humans. They meditated on the Word every day and applied it strictly to their lives. They did not just accumulate knowledge; they were people who lived out that Word in actual life. If so, why did they enter the wrong path? If they had lived however they pleased without knowing God's Word, it would be one thing, but how could those who meditated on the Law daily and lived by its teachings go so far astray? What do we learn here?

 

What the Bible proclaims is clear: when the highest Word was given to humanity, instead of using it to glorify God, humanity used that Word to sell out God and tried to sit in the highest place themselves. Even when holding the most good Law of God, humanity ends up acting that way. Remember, this is the story of you and me. It is not a matter of being at ease just because we believe in Jesus and confess Him as Lord. We must look closely at where we are standing right now. This is because the tendency to use the precious Word given by God to sell Him out and take one's own glory exists within us. The position of pursuing the highest piety but in reality opposing God the most—that is the paradoxical tragedy the Lord shows us through the Pharisees.

 

The Difference Between Right Knowledge and Being Born Again

Let us look again at the words Nicodemus spoke in today's text. Perhaps verse 2 contains the core content of today's sermon. “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” How is this confession? Hearing Jesus's answer, it is clear that Nicodemus is profoundly mistaken. Instead of offering a positive response to his words, Jesus says firmly, “Unless you are born again, everything you are saying now is meaningless.” It is a declaration that not only can you not see the kingdom of God, but even what you claim to have seen is actually nothing.

 

Then, was the content of Nicodemus's confession wrong? Was it a mistake to describe Jesus that way? Let’s look at it one by one. First, was the title ‘Rabbi’ wrong? Certainly not. Rabbi was a term of utmost respect for a teacher at the time, and even Mary called the resurrected Jesus ‘Rabboni.’ This does not mean it falls short of the title Messiah, but that it correctly referred to Jesus’s function of teaching. Therefore, the title itself is not a problem. Then what about the confession, “a teacher who has come from God”?

 

Look at John 9:33. The man born blind who received his sight confesses regarding Jesus, “If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” This is a very correct expression regarding the Lord. The confession Nicodemus offered to Jesus now is exactly consistent with this. Content-wise, there is nothing wrong at all. Everyone, we should be surprised here. “For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” This too is a perfectly common-sense and accurate confession. For Jesus Himself said, “The one who sent me is with me.” There is no logical error in Nicodemus's words. Yet Jesus says, "No."

 

Why on earth is He doing this? We can find a similar case in the Book of Job. The things Job's friends said while discussing God's character were almost entirely correct in terms of content. Yet God later concluded that their words were wrong. How frustrating is that? The content is perfectly right, but it is not the correct answer. It is like writing the correct answers on an exam paper but ultimately being judged as ‘incorrect.’ The situation of making a perfect doctrinal confession like “Jesus is the one who came from God” and yet not having it recognized as the right answer—this is the reality Nicodemus faced.

 

We realize a very significant fact here. Just because we meditate on the Word every day and apply its teachings to our lives does not mean we automatically enter the kingdom of God. Knowing many right doctrines and being able to propagate them accurately does not guarantee the kingdom of God. Even perfect doctrinal knowledge is useless without being born again.

 

The great status Nicodemus possessed, his religious piety, and his zeal are of no use. Even the act of reading God's Word and trying to live according to it does not lead us to the kingdom of God. The biblical knowledge he possessed as the top elite of the time or his wonderful faith are not enough. Did Nicodemus not know God? No, he clearly knew and believed in God. But with that faith, with that reason and knowledge, one cannot reach the kingdom of God. Being born again is the only way.

 

From a Twisted Existence to a New Life

Everyone, this is not to talk about a weakness like our intellect being limited because we are human. While it is a natural fact that human reason is under the constraints of time and space, if what the Bible speaks of were merely human limitation, we should at least be able to get the answers right within the range we are capable of. For example, if you clearly know nine out of ten questions on an exam, at least those nine should be correct. Even if one is wrong because it is beyond your ability. But what the Bible proclaims is shocking: even if you wrote nine answers perfectly, it is a ‘zero’ before God.

 

This is a story on a completely different level. So far, we have examined the situation of Nicodemus and the various conditions he possessed—the fact that he was a Pharisee, a ruler, and a respected intellectual. But when we conclude, despite all those conditions, that “if one is not born again, all of this is nothing,” what exactly is the fundamental problem? It is the fact that before the possessions or status he had, or the content of the faith he held, there was a fundamental problem with the human being named Nicodemus himself.

 

The Reality of the Blind Who Boasts of Seeing

In John chapter 9, which we saw earlier, the blind man who received his sight confesses Jesus just like Nicodemus. But his confession is recognized as right. There is only one reason: because he opened his eyes. Does this mean we must all become visually impaired and then open our eyes? That is not what it means; we must pay attention to the words from John 9:35 onwards. When Jesus meets the man who was healed and asks, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” and he confesses, “Who is he, sir? Tell me so that I may believe in him,” the Lord says: “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.” When the Pharisees asked, “What? Are we blind too?” the Lord declared, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.”

 

These words mean that when Nicodemus confessed, “We know that you are a teacher who has come from God,” the Lord saw it as mere ‘pretending to know.’ Unless he clearly understands the meaning of this confession, no matter how correct the content is, it cannot help but be wrong. It is the same reason why, when the rich young ruler came to Jesus and called Him ‘Good Teacher,’ the Lord said, “No one is good except God alone.” Hearing those words, it is easy to misunderstand that Jesus is not God, but in other places, the Lord called Himself the ‘Good Shepherd.’ Would the Apostle John, who recorded the Bible, not have known that contradiction? No. The Lord is saying that no matter how correct the words the rich young ruler utters are, they are wrong before he is born again. No matter how great the doctrine or how grand the ideology uttered by one who has not opened their eyes, it is ultimately not the correct answer. The Pharisees should have rather admitted they could not see. But because they boasted that they could see, they remained under condemnation instead.

 

It is not simply that the Pharisees were arrogant. The way Nicodemus approached Jesus, calling Him ‘Rabbi,’ was extremely humble and pious. A Pharisee is not a horned devil. they were people who practiced their faith very well and were very pious. But what is the reality of humanity that the Bible exposes? Humanity is a being that, even when given the highest Law, uses it to show off their own ability and ultimately uses it to oppose God. Our nature is that even when given the best environment, as soon as we become well-off, we leave God, saying, “Now I will live by my own strength.” If they had truly believed Moses and Abraham and known who God was, why would they have killed the Son of God? They did not recognize Him.

 

The New Grace Approaching in Passive Voice

Therefore, the core of what is being said here is that we are not just finite beings, but our existence itself is twisted. Just as you cannot see the world correctly unless you change the twisted glasses you are wearing, our hearts themselves are crooked. If it were a matter that could be solved by cleaning and dusting off the heart a little, there would be no need for Jesus to come to this earth and die. No matter how excellent the reason we use, the conclusion always flows toward opposing God, and our history is one of leaving God even in the best environment. Like Israel who abandoned God in the abundance of Canaan, even if we practice piety and read the Bible a hundred times, with a nature that is not born again, we ultimately end up opposing God. The Bible describes this as ‘sin.’

 

For those who believe until the end that they are not blind and that they are seeing accurately, these words will be difficult to accept. But everyone, while admitting that you are blind may scratch your pride a little, instead of your pride being scratched, you gain a new life. God does not want you to stand before Him saying, “Lord, I have come with healthy eyes. I have kept the Word of God, built a church, and done better relief work than Mother Teresa.” The Lord wants us to confess and prostrate, saying, “Lord, we are blind men like the sightless, and we are broken spirits.” Jesus speaks decisively: “No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

 

Being born again is strictly "passive." Is there anyone in the world who was born because they wanted to be born? Just as no one discussed the time of their birth with their mother, "being born" is a grace given entirely from the outside. We are not beings who can enter the kingdom of God through the power, ability, knowledge, or passion within us. We are those who can only look to the Lord, and only those who are born again are the people of God. If you want a clearer answer to this mystery of being born again, please follow the conversation between Nicodemus and Jesus, which will continue next week. What kind of life-giving work will happen in that place?

 

Let us pray.

Heavenly Father, those who come before the Lord must know how faithful God is and how He loves His people and delights in giving them rewards. The Bible also teaches that one must go forward with faith and love. Lord, no matter how much we look, there are no conditions by which we can come before God by our own strength. Even a person with the highest piety like a Pharisee, or a person who has accumulated the greatest knowledge as a Jewish ruler, or a person who has mastered correct doctrine could not come before God by those things alone. Those who read the Bible every day and strive to live according to that Word cannot reach God except through the Lord.

 

God speaks through Jesus Christ: “Unless one is born again, unless one is born anew, unless the old has gone and one becomes new, one cannot see the kingdom of God.” Lord, let us meditate deeply on these words for a week. Through this amazing event that took place between Nicodemus and Jesus Christ, let this be a time of grace for us to hear that Gospel as well.

 

In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.