Jesus
makes all things new!
Jesus
has revealed that He is a “new” creation (God-Man)
emanating
from
God,
the
“new” sacrificial Lamb of God for the atonement of sin, the “new
baptizer” not by water but by the Holy Spirit, the “new” wine
and the “new” temple of God. He is also the “new” authority
over God's House. He will now reveal that He is the One through whom
mankind can be “born again or anew” – “new birth.” This
“new birth” is a spiritual birth, not a natural birth.
What
the first Adam lost, Jesus will regain. Adam was holy (without
sin) when
the Godhead created him. Adam walked and talked with God in the
Garden of God's presence. Because of the original sin, Adam was
cast out of the Garden along with his bride. Jesus is the Second and
Last Adam. The Holy One – the Divine Word – will leave His place
of glory with the Father to come to earth to restore mankind – His
Bride -- back to holiness and God's presence once again. Jesus
Himself said, “Behold,
I make all things new.” Revelation 21:5 Jesus
came to earth to establish a “new” covenant with mankind. The
“old” was fading away so the “new” could come. John the
Baptist was the last of the Old Testament prophets. Because the
Jewish religious leaders wanted to hold on to the “old,” they
missed the Truth of Jesus Christ in the “new.” Hebrews
8:14 says,
“A
new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is
becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.” It
is important for the Church to understand this. Jesus said that we
can't put new wine into old wineskins, or a new patch on an old
garment. The old wineskin and old garment will break away from the
new. Jesus is the new wine and the new garment of righteousness.
Grace and Law cannot mix. One requires the work of man (Law) but the
other is the work of God alone (Jesus).
Nicodemus
and the new birth
Jesus'
ministry in Jerusalem has attracted much attention – both good and
bad. Some believed while the faith of others was superficial. Jesus
knew the heart of man and knew that there were those who were
following Him because of His signs and miracles, but didn't commit to
Him fully. Because Jesus knew their hearts, He didn't entrust
Himself to them. Then there were the religious leaders who didn't
believe in Him at all and wanted to prove that He was a fraud.
Nicodemus was obviously not one who shared the opinion of the other
Pharisees.
John
3:1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus,a member
of the Jewish ruling council (Sanhedrin).
Nicodemus
was a Pharisee (teacher
of the Law to the Jews). Nicodemus
not only taught the Law, He observed it faithfully. He also sat on
the ruling Sanhedrin Council who oversaw religious affairs. This was
a powerful man in the Jewish religious community. He had seen Jesus
perform miracles and heard His words. This obviously lit a spark in
Nicodemus' mind and heart because he came to Jesus at night to get to
know and understand the Supreme Teacher and Lord, Jesus, better.
This seeker of Truth is about to meet with the “new” Word/Truth
come from God!
Nicodemus
came to Jesus in darkness just as all believers come to Him while
still in the darkness of sin. Jesus will not leave Nicodemus in
darkness just as He doesn't leave sinners who believe in Him in
darkness either. Nicodemus' darkened understanding will be exposed
to the true Light – the Living Truth – who enlightens every man.
(see
John 1:9) Without
Jesus (Word
of God) and
the Holy Spirit, we are all in spiritual darkness. Because Jesus
knew Nicodemus' thoughts and heart, He knew that Nicodemus was a
seeker of truth and the Kingdom of God. Jesus will tell him how to
enter the Kingdom of God.
“Rabbi,
we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could
perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with Him.”
3:2 Nicodemus
is a deep thinker. He realizes that there is something special in
this Jesus, and that God was with Him, but He didn't see Him as the
Son of God yet. The other Pharisees questioned and mocked Jesus, but
not Nicodemus. He was a seeker of Truth. Nicodemus means
“conqueror.”
Those
who know Jesus will be more than conquerors over the works of the
enemy of peoples' souls. Nicodemus had just recently seen the
miracles Jesus performed so Nicodemus wants to explore further the
things Jesus did and said. Nicodemus' words were almost flattering
but Jesus doesn't react to it. Instead, Jesus cuts to the chase and
goes to the heart of the matter – “I
tell you the Truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is
born again.” v3 Because
Jesus is Truth, He only speaks Truth. He wants Nicodemus to know the
truth that no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless He is born in
the Spirit.
Because
Nicodemus hasn't received Jesus as His Savior, he is spiritually
blinded to the Truth of Jesus. Nicodemus responds to Jesus, “How
can a man be born when he is old? Surely he cannot enter a second
time into his mother's womb to be born!” v4 Nicodemus
sees with “natural” eyes. Jesus is talking about a spiritual
birth. Spiritual life must be born in the human heart through Jesus
and the Holy Spirit – the Anointed Word. Without Jesus and the
Holy Spirit we are spiritually dead. Through Jesus and the Holy
Spirit we are to transition from the old, fleshly life of sin into a
new life of loving obedience to Jesus. Our old nature must fade
away to make way for the new. This is also true of the Law fading
away to bring in the new in Jesus who is full of grace and truth.
Instead of the demands of the Law, we obey Jesus out of faith and
love. We will love God sincerely from the heart and seek to please
Him.
To
the Jew, when a gentile converted to Judaism, he was considered
“reborn.” Nicodemus would balk at the suggestion that he must
repent, be baptized and be born again. Jesus is telling this Jewish
religious leader that he must be reborn! Because Jews understood
that they were the chosen people of God, this would be unheard of and
downright humiliating to a Jewish Pharisee like Nicodemus. But,
Nicodemus has been drawn to Jesus and wants to hear and see more.
Again
Jesus speaks truth to Nicodemus. “I
tell you the truth, no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless he is
born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the
Spirit gives birth to the spirit.” vv5-6 Nicodemus
must be born spiritually. Natural man cannot enter the holy Kingdom
of God. We are born on earth through the water and blood of our
mother's womb. This first birth is a natural, fleshly birth that
includes the sin nature of the first Adam and woman. Our earthly
mother suffers for our natural birth. Jesus suffered for our
spiritual birth. As “natural” birth is entrance into a new
realm, spiritual birth is entrance into a new, higher realm – the
Kingdom of God. Humans get their character and traits from their
earthly parents. Believers in Christ get their “new” nature from
Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are to become “partakers
of His Divine nature.” (2 Peter 1:4)
Jesus
is talking to Nicodemus on a whole different level. Jesus wants to
bring him to the spiritual level. Because God is Spirit and His
Kingdom is spiritual, one cannot enter His Kingdom unless they are
born anew in the Spirit. If the first Adam was not holy and
spiritual, he could not have walked and talked with God in His holy
Garden. What is fleshly and sinful cannot reside with holiness. God
had to remedy this for mankind through His Son so we can walk and
talk with God freely once again and for all eternity.
Imagine
this man who was a part of God's covenant people, faithful, a Jewish
Pharisee with exemplary character and was admired and looked up to,
being told that he must be born again. Surely Nicodemus must have
had the thought cross his mind that he was far more valuable to God
than a gentile or a Samaritan. But Jesus is telling him that he must
be born again as if there was something wrong with him. Jesus is
saying that Nicodemus was born wrong – with a sinful nature – so
he must be born again spiritually. Being born a Jew or a Gentile
profits nothing. We are all filthy sinners! But, being born again
through the Holy Spirit profits us. The “new birth” brings the “new
creation.” When we are born of the Spirit, the invisible Spirit
guides, teaches, protects and directs us. The effect will be a
transformed new creation. It is the Word/Jesus and the Holy Spirit
that gives new, spiritual life. In Ezekiel
37:1-14, the
Word
of God through the mouth of His prophet and the wind of the Holy
Spirit gave the dead bones life and joined them together as one Body.
The same Word and Spirit give new spiritual life to the Body of
Christ and join us together as one Body. Our old nature must be
crucified with Christ so our new nature – God's nature – will
come alive in us. Peter wrote that we are “born
again not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of
God.” (1 Peter 1:23)
Nicodemus
was well aware that John the Baptist had just baptized with water and
preached repentance in preparation of Christ's coming. But water
baptism is not enough. It is the Holy Spirit that gives spiritual
birth to our spirit. Jesus birthed His spiritual Body of believers
through the water of regeneration (new
birth) and
the blood of salvation that flowed from the wound in His side on the
cross. He agonizingly suffered to do this for us. Believers in
Christ must travail to birth the Body of Christ on earth.
Jesus
goes on to say to Nicodemus, “You
should not be surprised by 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.” vv7-8 Jesus
compares the Holy Spirit to the wind. The same Hebrew word –ruach
–
is used for wind and Spirit. We see and feel the effects of the
wind, but we can't see the wind. The Holy Spirit works in the same
way. We can't see Him but we see His effects in the hearts and
lives of those who love and follow Christ. We can't deny that the
wind exists because we can't see it. We also can't deny that the
Holy Spirit exists because we can't see Him. We know that the wind
comes from God and we see its movement. So too with the Holy Spirit.
Jesus wants us to become like the Holy Spirit and go where He leads
us by faith.
“How
can this be?” v9 Nicodemus
asked. Nicodemus is still looking with “natural” eyes. Jesus
responds, “You
are Israel's teacher and do not understand these things?”
Nicodemus taught the Older Testament scriptures to the Jewish people.
He was a “master” teacher who was well-versed in the scriptures
and was admired and honored. Nicodemus should have been reminded of
the Older Testament scriptures that spoke of the “new” spirit and
the “new” heart.” (see
Jeremiah 31:33; Ezekiel 18:31)
Again
Jesus speaks truth to Nicodemus. “I
tell you the truth, we speak of what we know and we testify of what
we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony,”
v11 Jesus
is saying that He is speaking the truth but the Jewish Pharisees
won't accept the truth. “I
have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe, how then
will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone
into heaven except the one who came from heaven-- the Son of Man. Vv
12-13 Jesus
could speak about spiritual things because He came from there and
will return there. Since He is the only One who came from the Father
and the Father's heavenly home, He is the Only One who can tell
people about the Kingdom of God.
Next week: Jesus refers to Moses and the serpent on a pole
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