15 Aug (John 3)

The Gospels: The Messiah & Being Born Again

John 3

(v.3) Nicodemus was a Pharisee, which were the teachers and authority of the Laws in Israel while the Romans ruled the governmental affairs of the people. Nicodemus was supposed to know the things of God, and teach the people, but here, Jesus confronts him with the fact that he should know what being born again is.

Nicodemus flatters Jesus, yet due to his own pride, comes at night and in secret. Jesus hates pride and hypocrisy, so He doesn't hold back His strong words for Nicodemus. Jesus tells him that he must be born again to enter the kingdom of God. 1 Pet 1:23

(v.5) What is being born again? Some say that this verse speaks of water baptism, and spiritual baptism. Well, I must bring up the fact that the thief on the cross who was pronounced saved by Jesus, wasn't water baptized before he died. So this leaves us with the other option...born again is spiritual.

Being born of water is not water baptism, it is being born of your mother. When a baby is about to be born, the mother's water breaks. However, ever since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, we all have a sinful nature. We are all doomed to die in our sins and go to hell, to be permanently separated from God.

What Jesus is saying here, is that we must have a spiritual birth, in order to be saved. This spiritual birth is accomplished when we truly accept Christ for what He did for us on the cross, and we let His Spirit into our lives.

(v.13) Jesus is speaking of Himself here, and He hasn't been crucified and resurrected yet! He could be speaking of these future events, or He also could be speaking of the times He appeared to Abraham, Balaam, and all the others in the Old Testament. We call these appearances a theophany, or a Christophany. Jesus is THE Angel of the LORD that is described so many times in the OT, but let's not forget that Jesus is not an actual angel...the term is used for Him only by giving Him the definite article...Jesus is God, not an angel.

(v.14) We discussed this with our kids in Num 21:9 where God had Moses do something that must have seemed crazy, but God tells us here why He had Moses do that.

(v.16) This is one of the most popular and well known verses in the Bible. I believe it's important that our kids understand this verse well, in order to understand God's plan of redemption.

For God so loved the world...God didn't offer His Son for only the Jews or certain Christians...He offered His Son for all of mankind!

...only begotten Son...Jesus was not created, for the word, begotten, means anointed with authority. Jesus is our authority and He created us to live for Him!

...whoever believes in Him...saying a prayer and occasionally praying to God is not what true belief is...we need to include God in ALL parts of our lives, and in all that we do. If we truly recognize Him as our Lord and our Savior, then we must believe He will guide our lives on a daily basis. It's all about a relationship with God, not an acquaintance with Him.

...should not perish...some believe that those who don't accept Christ will not have any consciousness after they die on earth. I don't believe this is biblical. In Luke 16 Jesus Himself tells us what happens to those that reject Him...they spend eternity in torment, knowing their foolish pride has kept them from enjoying God's presence in heaven.

...everlasting life...living with God for eternity is life...living without God for eternity is hell.

(v.17) The purpose of Jesus' First Coming was to make a way for all of us to be saved. When Jesus comes again at the end of the Great Tribulation, He will come as a judge and conqueror over evil and unbelievers.

(v.18) We are condemned in our sins already, so we must be born again in spirit in order to be saved!

(v.36) John the Baptist summarizes all that the prophets before him exclaimed...that if we believe and understand what God did for us in His Son, then we are saved from eternal torment in hell. But for those that reject Christ, they will live forever in torment...make sure your kids know this...we all have to make our choice individually.