The Gospel of John-15 – By Water and the Spirit

John 3:1–8

“There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.” Amen.

 

The Elite of Israel Who Sought Light in the Darkness

Through the passage of John 3:1–8, we intend to examine this text by focusing on the figure of Nicodemus, continuing from our previous session. In this passage, Nicodemus encounters a truly shocking revelation. It was the astounding declaration: “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Examining to whom these words were proclaimed carries profound significance, for Nicodemus was by no means an ordinary individual.

 

Even from a contemporary perspective, he possessed all the finest qualifications. To use an academic analogy, he was like a student who never missed the top rank, served as the head of all student organizations, and commanded the deep trust and affection of both professors and peers. Yet, it is as if such a model student were suddenly rejected by the faculty senate and informed that he could no longer participate in any official university events. It is a situation difficult for anyone to comprehend. How could such a thing happen to someone like Nicodemus? From the very moment of his appearance, Nicodemus emerges from the darkness. By noting that he sought the Lord in the deep of the night, the Apostle John subtly yet clearly implies that he was essentially a man belonging to the darkness.

 

Tracking Nicodemus’s trajectory to the end, even in John 19, the Scripture pointedly adds the description: “the one who first came to Jesus by night.” This is because the fact that he came by night carries deep spiritual implications. He was certainly a man of the darkness, yet this is all the more paradoxical because, in the eyes of the world, he was not the kind of person who seemed destined to remain in the shadows. Above all, Nicodemus was a Pharisee. He was one of the most respected religious leaders of his time and, simultaneously, a ruler of the Jews. There were likely fewer than a hundred people in that era who held both positions at once. He was the elite of the elite, the foremost among the honored. I urge you not to view this as a story unrelated to yourselves. If even someone as seemingly perfect as Nicodemus belongs to the darkness, we must reflect on where we ourselves stand. As mentioned last time, Nicodemus was not merely a man who believed in God with his lips; he was one of those who risked his life to follow the Word of God.

 

A Kingdom Not Guaranteed by Religious Experience or Status

In that day, no one strove more sincerely to observe the Scriptures than Nicodemus and the Pharisees. He was truly a man of such fervent zeal. Yet, the Scripture testifies that he instead “belonged to the darkness.” One of the primary reasons he remained in darkness was that he was a man who believed because he saw signs. To believe because of signs means to pursue the signs themselves; in modern terms, it would not be an overstatement to say he was “chasing experiences.” Of course, experiences are precious. Encountering healing after believing in Jesus Christ or receiving answers to desperate prayers are great assets to one's faith. However, what we realize through Nicodemus—and indeed through the history of the Israelites—is that experiencing miracles and confessing belief in God with one's lips does not serve as a guarantee for entering the Kingdom of God. This is because one can experience miracles and still remain ignorant of the true nature of their own sin.

 

The same principle applies today. Whether one is a pastor, elder, deacon, or has attended church for decades as a cradle Christian, one can still be a person who does not know God at all, regardless of those external conditions. Does the Scripture not present the solemn example of Judas Iscariot? The spiritual experiences Judas had were truly remarkable. He himself prayed to heal the sick and cast out demons, performing numerous wonders in the name of Jesus Christ. When the Lord sent out His disciples, Judas was among those who manifested miracles and power through the Lord’s name. Yet, he ultimately failed to enter the Kingdom of God; he could not even spiritually perceive it.

 

Therefore, even the abundant experiences possessed by Nicodemus, the Pharisee, did not serve as evidence that he could see the Kingdom of God—even though he held the highest lineage and status as a Jew. We must never view the group of Pharisees or the individual Nicodemus lightly. He was a man who longed for the Kingdom of God more than anyone else, and for that purpose, he strictly observed the Law and tirelessly devoted himself to self-discipline. He practiced good works, tithed honestly, and never ceased in fasting and prayer, reaching the pinnacle of religious life. Nicodemus, who strove so hard to keep the Word of God, even went as far as to correctly confess to Jesus, “You are a teacher come from God.” He possessed correct doctrine and thought; he held unerring knowledge. Yet, the Lord spoke words to him that were utterly unexpected.

 

Heavenly Citizens Who Must Surpass the Righteousness of the Pharisees

The Lord spoke decisively: “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” This was equivalent to pointing out, “You confess Me as one come from God and speak as if you belong to the Kingdom, but in truth, you are entirely ignorant of that Kingdom.” For Nicodemus, it was a declaration that could only lead to consternation. If it were so for Nicodemus, what about us today? Through this event, the Scripture turns the question back to us: “Look at Nicodemus. Compare your religious life and what you believe with his. Can you truly say you are better than Nicodemus?” The question the Lord posed to Nicodemus then, He poses to us today: “Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” How is it with you? Do you possess a righteousness that surpasses that of Nicodemus?

 

Jesus continues His words to the bewildered Nicodemus, awakening him to his ignorance: “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?” It is equally difficult for us to accept these words. There may be many who have maintained a life of faith for a long time, believing they are born again and priding themselves on serving the Lord well. Yet, I must ask once more: compared to Nicodemus, is there truly anything superior in you? Can you confidently assert that your righteousness is truly greater than the rigorous righteousness that Nicodemus built?

 

Nicodemus’s Questions Trapped in Human Reason and Experience

Last time, we observed that the essence of the problem did not lie in what Nicodemus did or his achievements, but in his very existence. The problem was Nicodemus himself. Nicodemus believed that if he could develop his current state a bit further, compensate for his flaws, and observe God’s Word with an improved demeanor, he could follow Jesus Christ or enter the Kingdom of God. However, the Lord declares firmly: “No, that is by no means enough. You must be born again.” To this, the question Nicodemus posed was, from his perspective, a perfectly natural conclusion. “Lord, how can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”

 

We often find it easy to ask, ‘How could the teacher of Israel, Nicodemus, ask such a foolish question?’ But as I see it, Nicodemus was being most consistent in his logic, and rather represents our own honest inner selves. Nicodemus was strictly adhering to a single way of thinking: ‘I may be insufficient to enter the Kingdom of God in Your eyes. I confess that though I strove to keep the Law, there is still a deficiency. If so, would it not be possible if I were born anew from the beginning, kept the Law, disciplined myself more deeply, and lived as a qualified person? Therefore, is there any other way than entering the mother’s womb and coming out again? But how can I, who am old, enter the womb again?’ This was his agonized plea.

 

Those Born of God, Transcending Lineage and Fleshly Will

What, then, does the Lord truly desire? At that time, Nicodemus's inner being was filled with only one certainty: ‘I am a Jew chosen by God. If not someone like me, who could possibly enter the Kingdom of God?’ My friends, what do you believe is the condition for entering the Kingdom of God? Is it Jewish lineage? Is it passionate church attendance or the flawless recitation of Scripture? Or is it a moral life of striving for charity and devotion to one’s neighbor? Regarding who is fit for the Kingdom of God, the Apostle John clearly proclaims the answer in John 1:13:

 

“Who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

 

I urge you to engrave this verse deep in your hearts. “Born of God”—other than this, no one can enter the Kingdom of God. As David confessed in Psalm 51, “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me,” human beings are essentially born in sin. Even if one could enter the mother's womb and be born again as Nicodemus hypothesized, the fundamental reality of being a sinner conceived in sin would not change. Even if we personally repent of past errors and firmly resolve to ‘live for God from now on’ to start life anew, there is no hope for us. This is because we remain beings born in sin.

 

Therefore, the ‘rebirth’ the Bible speaks of is not a matter of a slightly improved personality or a renewal of resolve for the New Year, as we often think. A mere volitional decision to start life with a new heart can never make one a ‘new person.’ What, then, is true rebirth? The Lord defines rebirth in verse 5 of our text: “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” The answer has now become clear. Rebirth is not entering the womb again, but being born of water and the Spirit. It seems a clear answer, yet the question deepens. What on earth does it mean to be born of water and the Spirit?

 

Beware of Emotional Mysticism: The Reality of Rebirth

When we misunderstand the meaning of rebirth and lean toward a mystical faith, we often dismiss the work of the Holy Spirit as something purely sensory. Because the Spirit is invisible, we wait for some mysterious feeling or sensation to arrive whenever we pray, crying out, “Spirit, come; come and take control of me.” Thus, some believe they have received the Spirit only when they are swept up in hot emotions, their hearts are shaken, and they have a so-called ‘flipped over’ experience. I, too, was like that in the past. I would pray earnestly and wonder, ‘Why do others react so passionately while I am so calm?’ There were many times I clung to God, saying, “Lord, today I will pull up even a tree root to receive this grace by any means necessary.” Indeed, I had moments when my heart grew so hot I didn't know what to do, and though those emotions did not last long, I certainly spent moments in intense experiences.

 

However, that cannot be called the essential experience of rebirth as testified by the Scriptures. Rebirth is not about using mystical phenomena to impersonally heat up the human heart. In fact, such emotional highs are possible even without religion. Look at the teenagers gathered at a pop singer’s concert. Their hearts are shaken by a single song; they shed hot tears and confess a frantic love for the singer. That is by no means an act; it is a real emotion stemming from their inner selves. The anecdote of when Cliff Richard visited Korea in the 1960s is famous: even female college students, the intellectuals of the highest institutions, showed behavior beyond common sense amidst extreme emotional agitation. Just because the heart has grown hot, we must not mistakenly assume it is the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Just because my heart feels full of love for God today, I cannot conclude that this is the true reality of faith.

 

Life Transcending Physical Conditions and Religious Rituals

To be born again of the Spirit means, as the text states, to be ‘born of water and the Spirit.’ Several views have existed on this throughout church history. The first is the view that sees this ‘water’ as the ‘amniotic fluid’ experienced during physical birth. Since all humans emerge from the mother's womb through water, this is seen as a contrast between physical birth and spiritual birth through the Spirit. While the fact that we are born through amniotic fluid is self-evident, it does not fit the context of the Lord’s words. It is unlikely that the Lord, who emphasizes being born “not of blood nor of the will of the flesh, but of God,” would suddenly refer back to ‘amniotic fluid,’ a physical birth process. Therefore, the ‘water’ in the text does not carry a physical connotation.

 

Another view interprets this ‘water’ as ‘baptism.’ The logic is that one must receive water baptism followed by Spirit baptism to enter the Kingdom of God. While this seems plausible, it presents several difficulties. First, the Apostle John, from John chapter 1 through chapter 3, never once replaces the mention of baptism with the symbolic expression ‘water.’ He consistently uses the direct term ‘baptism.’ If it meant baptism, the Lord would have clearly said, “Receive water baptism and the Spirit.”

 

The more fundamental problem is that the religious rite of baptism itself cannot guarantee salvation. The ceremony of baptism performed by a minister in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit does not, in itself, become the power that leads us to the Kingdom of God. Baptism is merely an external confession and sign that I have accepted Jesus Christ as Savior; the ritual itself does not generate the efficacy of salvation. Our salvation is found nowhere but in the cross of Jesus Christ. To be buried in the form of a baptismal ceremony and believe it to be salvation itself is to misunderstand the essence of the Gospel. While it may be beneficial to examine the spiritual meaning of baptism held by ‘water,’ there are clear limits to confining it simply to the rite itself.

 

The third view sees water as the ‘Word of God.’ This interpretation, that the Word and the Spirit work together to make us reborn, is a spiritually excellent and graceful insight. The Spirit always works alongside the Word of truth, and we come to faith by hearing the Word. However, this too has points of slight misalignment when looking closely at the detailed context of the passage. There is a lack of clear reason why the Lord would go out of His way to metaphorically refer to the Word as ‘water.’ If He intended to mention the Word, He would have called it the ‘Word’ directly. If so, we must now track this meaning from a slightly different direction. Please take note of John 3:10.

 

The Work of Water and Spirit Revealed Through Ezekiel

The key to interpreting this difficult passage lies in verse 10. After speaking about being born again of water and the Spirit, Jesus asks Nicodemus in return: “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?” Here, the expression ‘the teacher of Israel’ includes a definite article. This means Nicodemus was not just one of many legal scholars, but ‘the teacher’ of the highest renown in that day. To such a man, Jesus rebukes: “If you are the great teacher of Israel, should you not already know this truth?” This implies that the ‘water and Spirit’ the Lord spoke of was not a foreign concept, but one already rooted in the Old Testament. Where, then, is the decisive passage in the Old Testament where water and Spirit appear together?

 

Observe the words of Ezekiel 36:25 and following: “Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.”

 

This passage in Ezekiel shares two important commonalities with the Lord’s teaching in our text. First, ‘water’ and ‘Spirit’ appear side-by-side. God promises to cleanse them with clean water and that His Spirit would dwell within them. Second is the promise regarding the result. Just as Jesus said that being born of water and the Spirit leads to entering the Kingdom of God, Ezekiel also proclaims that once cleansed and indwelt by the Spirit, they will dwell forever in the Promised Land, Canaan. Ultimately, the work of water and Spirit spoken of by Jesus is based on the promise of Ezekiel 36. Here, water symbolizes ‘cleansing.’ What, then, does it specifically mean to be cleansed by water? It is certain that it does not mean a mere external washing. To grasp the true meaning of this ‘cleansing,’ we must recall another decisive scene in the Old Testament that serves as the backdrop for Ezekiel. Where else in history do water and Spirit work to open the way to the Kingdom of God?

 

The Principle of Judgment and Salvation in the Red Sea and Noah’s Flood

That decisive scene is the Red Sea event of the Exodus. Before the Red Sea, the waters parted, and a strong wind blew to create a path; that path became the only passage to the Promised Land, Canaan. The word Ezekiel saw in his vision is actually deeply connected to the history of the Exodus. Here, we must note how the ‘water’ cleanses us. The Israelite nation attained cleansing precisely by passing between the parted waters. In 1 Corinthians 10, the Apostle Paul records this event, saying, “all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea.” In other words, the event of crossing the Red Sea contains the meaning of ‘baptism,’ the rite of cleansing. But how can entering into the sea become a rite of cleansing? We know well what happened in that sea. The Egyptian army pursuing Israel sank into that sea and met their death. To them, that sea was indeed the ‘sea of death.’

 

The Israelite nation also entered the midst of that sea of death, yet they emerged with life through the path God opened. To understand this principle clearly, recall the Noah's Ark event from an even earlier point in human history. What role did the water play then? It was a tool of solemn judgment to sweep away a world stained with sin. All humans met death by being submerged in that water. Only after such a rigorous judgment passed did the world finally become clean. True cleansing comes only after God's judgment has preceded it. The fact that the Israelites entered the water of the Red Sea also means they passed under God’s judgment. To fail to emerge from that water of judgment is death, but those who come out alive by the grace of God are those who have been cleansed. Therefore, the ‘water’ spoken of in Scripture primarily symbolizes ‘death’ and ‘God's judgment.’

 

Ultimately, being born of water and the Spirit carries a deep Old Testament background beyond the religious rites or sensory experiences we often think of. Take a step further. Where else do water, darkness, and Spirit appear simultaneously? It is in the creation account of Genesis 1. If Genesis 1 was the beginning of the first creation belonging to the flesh, John 3 deals with the new creation belonging to the Spirit. Things of the flesh will eventually fade, but the Scripture proclaims that an eternal life of the Spirit has now begun. Here, too, water signifies death. Just as the Spirit hovered over the face of the waters at creation to divide them, and just as God parted the waters at the Exodus to make a way, the sovereign work of opening a path of life through the very center of deathly judgment is the reality of being born again of water and the Spirit.

 

The Path of Judgment and Salvation Opened by God

We are now faced with a fundamental question. If being born of water and the Spirit means passing through death and judgment, who among us could possibly endure and pass through the weight of that majestic death by our own strength? Remember the dramatic moment when the Israelites crossed the Red Sea. They did not part the sea or pave the way themselves. It was only that God Himself opened the way before them. It was the same during Noah's flood. They did not overcome the power of the water by any human strength; they preserved their lives amidst that solemn judgment only because they remained within the Ark of grace prepared by God. Thus, the truth consistently proclaimed throughout the Bible is clear: though the water of judgment is a reality that humans can never avoid, the path that passes through that judgment unto life depends not on human decision or effort, but solely on the sovereignty of God.

 

Jesus Christ, Who Stood in the Place of Death for Us

Therefore, these words spoken by Jesus to Nicodemus are not simply an encouragement to be more religiously zealous. They are a solemn ‘declaration of substitution’—that someone must stand in that place of judgment where we rightfully ought to die. And that ‘someone’ is our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus entering the waters of the Jordan to be baptized was not a mere religious ceremony. It was a prefiguration, demonstrated with His whole body, of the death He would eventually endure on the cross. On the cross, the Lord alone bore all the judgment of God that we were meant to receive. Into that water of death where we should have been swept away and died, Jesus entered in our stead.

 

Nicodemus strove to become a better being through his own effort and discipline, but the Lord spoke firmly: it is not about the existence becoming slightly improved, but about dying and being born again. Likewise, only when we are united with Jesus Christ so that our deep-rooted sinfulness meets its death can the new life given by the Spirit begin within us. This is not something that can be achieved through human lineage or individual will; it is purely the total grace of God descending from heaven.

 

The Mystery of New Life Enjoyed in Union with Christ

The rebirth proclaimed by Scripture does not mean a mere temporary change in emotion or a resolution of determined will. It is a mysterious event of ‘union’ in which I die with Jesus Christ in His death and I am raised with Christ in His resurrection. This is the true reality of a person born of the Spirit. Jesus likened this to the ‘wind.’ The wind is beyond human control; one cannot know its source—where it comes from or where it goes—but the result, the swaying of leaves and the changing of air currents when the wind blows, is undeniably clear. A person born of the Spirit may not be able to logically explain exactly when or in what manner they were reborn, yet they can never remain in the same state as before.

 

Ultimately, rebirth is not a result achieved through our knowledge or religious zeal, but a work performed sovereignly by God. The only thing we can do is humbly entrust ourselves before the Word of God, just as one listens to the sound of the wind. When we lay down the righteousness we have built ourselves and earnestly seek only God's mercy, the wind of the Spirit finally begins to lead us into the depths of the Kingdom of God.

 

A Kingdom Entered by the Life of Jesus, Not My Own Righteousness

In the end, this mystery of rebirth culminates in the Gospel of the Cross. Nicodemus attempted to enter the Kingdom of God by amassing his own righteousness, but the Lord says that the only way is not the one we build ourselves, but the one the Lord Himself has opened. Dear saints, the criteria for entering the Kingdom of God does not lie in the number of years of church attendance, the amount of service, or the presence of mystical experiences. The criterion is only one: Have I truly died with Jesus, and have I been raised to life with Jesus?

 

Do we truly have the confidence to live more righteously and passionately than Nicodemus? If we have any true hope, it is only that my self comes to an end and Jesus Christ alone becomes my life. Rebirth begins at that very desperate place where I acknowledge my own death. I pray fervently in the name of the Lord that this wondrous grace—of being washed to death by water and raised again by the Spirit—becomes not a confession remaining in the realm of ideas, but a living reality in the lives of each of you today.

 

Let Us Pray

Holy Father God, today we discover the shadow of our own selves in the figure of Nicodemus, who sought the Lord in the middle of the night. Forgive our foolishness in dreaming of the Kingdom of God while wearing the old rags of our own zeal and righteousness.

 

We praise the great love of Jesus Christ, who personally walked first into the waters of judgment where we rightfully should have been swept away and died. Now, grant that the ‘mystery of rebirth’—where I die and Christ lives within me—may transcend ideological confession and become a vivid reality in the fields of our lives.

 

We desire to entrust the sails of our lives to the wind of the Spirit, which blows as it lists beyond human control. In that desperate place where my own righteousness has crumbled, let us live as true citizens of Heaven who confess that the life of Jesus alone is our only hope.

 

We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, who is our eternal life. Amen.