Born Again

So folks, here's what we need to do with our minds if we're to understand John chapter 3.

John 3 · chapter mention

We need to walk over to Marchmont. We need to get on the number 24 bus.

And we need to take it all the way to the Royal Infirmary.

And we need to take a walk around the maternity ward.

Okay, you with me?

Tell you what, the last time I was in the maternity ward, it felt pretty useless.

Okay, our youngest Eve was born. Here's the scene, a number of doctors running around the room doing their thing.

Up goes the curtain. And I'm told that the best thing that I can do is to be up top and keep chatting to mum.

And I'd love to tell you in those moments, I offered a few inspirational words and I had sparkling conversation.

But honestly, I looked deep inside and I had nothing.

In fact, I even asked Alex, so panicked was I for conversation, I think I even asked her what she'd planned for the rest of that week.

And I was so aware that I was in that room doing nothing.

I was doing nothing other than take up space in an already overcrowded room.

But I was also aware that there was someone in that room who was doing even less than I was doing.

And out she came.

Crying and contributing nothing other than a lot of pain on behalf of my wife, the kind of which I cannot begin to imagine.

There's the baby.

The baby was doing absolutely nothing.

Except being born.

And so with that image in our minds, here's the puzzle of John chapter 3.

John 3 · chapter mention

As Jesus explains what it is to be a Christian.

Of all the metaphors that he could have picked.

Of all the sights and sounds that he could have told us to take in.

Of all the places that he could have taken us to understand what it is to be a Christian.

He takes us to the maternity ward.

And he gets us to picture a baby being born.

Verse 3 is the key verse here if you want to follow with me in the text.

No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.

Now let me just say two things at this point by way of introduction.

The first is a clarification.

You might hear that phrase born again and immediately alarm bells are going off in your minds, right?

If you're immediately thinking of some kind of spiritual space cadet who looks very much like Ned Flanders from The Simpsons.

Someone who has their heads in the clouds and has nothing to do with everyday life.

Now you might have picked that up from the media.

You might have picked that up from friends.

But let me lovingly plead with you today to put those assumptions, presumptions to the side for one minute.

And come and let Jesus, the one who coined that phrase, let him do the talking.

Let him clarify for you what he means when he uses that phrase.

Come and hear it as it were.

Come and hear it straight from the horse's mouth.

And the second thing to say is an invitation.

As strange as this might seem, I'm convinced that if we can grasp what Jesus is saying here,

if we can see both the source and the shape of the Christian life as he lays it out here,

friends, it is wonderfully liberating news for us.

There is life to be found in embracing what Jesus says is true about following him.

Now listen, if you're still confused.com, let me just say you're right at home in John chapter 3.

John 3 · chapter mention

Because the man on the other end of the conversation doesn't have a clue what's going on either.

Do you want to meet him?

Come with me to the text.

I'm a bit of enthusiasm here.

Come and meet him.

Here he is in John chapter 3.

John 3 · chapter mention

His name is Nicodemus.

Do you see him?

His name is Nicodemus.

And this is a one-on-one conversation that he has with Jesus.

And it centers around the two words that you will find at the end of verse 15.

It centers around this thing that Jesus calls eternal life.

That all the way through John's gospel, Jesus has been using this repeated phrase and making this repeated claim that he has come so that we may have eternal life as we hear about him and put our faith and trust in what he's done for us.

Now let's just break that phrase down for a second, will we?

Eternal.

Let's talk about quantity.

Right?

Life that never ends, starting from the moment that we receive Jesus as Lord, carries on right on through after death into forever, except then it will be perfected and amplified as we know it because we know it in God's new creation.

And life.

Talking about quality.

The kind that deeply satisfies the hungry, thirsty, and restless human soul.

Stemming from the knowledge and enjoyment of our creator God who exists as a glorious community of love as Father, Son, and Spirit three in one.

Eternal life as we know and find our place in relationship with the God who made us.

Oh, and friends, in our world of death and in our news screens where the war in Europe doesn't seem to be ceasing,

and in our world of cost of living worries, in our world of political uncertainty and the pain that's coming from that,

in our world of real heart-breaking questions,

those two words, eternal life,

they should come at us today,

should feel like walking into a log fire heated room when you've just come in from a freezing wet walk.

This is Scotland in winter.

Okay?

They should come at us with huge refreshment

and warmth

and life.

As C.S. Lewis once said,

too often we're like children who are too happy making mud pies in the dirt

to contemplate what Jesus means and holds out to us as he offers us a holiday

at the beach.

We're all too easily pleased.

And Jesus comes here and he says,

I've come that you may have eternal life.

Now here's the thing about eternal life.

Nicodemus in this day is the favorite to get it.

Because he has a spiritual CV to die for.

Right?

Follow with me.

Verse 1.

This man is an Orthodox Jew.

He is part of this devout group called the Pharisees.

He is deeply committed to external purity, legal observance, and Bible knowledge.

And this man is part of the religious ruling council of the day called the Sanhedrin.

Nicodemus holds those cards in his hands.

We've got to understand in our terms,

he would be holding all the aces.

You're not just,

you are not beating this guy.

I think that's the point.

You're not beating him.

If you've asked anyone who's around this day,

who is the favorite to get this thing called eternal life?

The whole neighborhood is pointing straight at Nicodemus.

And here's the thing.

However good you think you are here today,

however religious you think your life might be here today,

Nicodemus beats you.

And it's the guy up front who's meant to be the religious guy.

He beats me.

He outprays me.

He outreads me.

He outthinks me.

He outworks me.

Nicodemus beats me.

Hands down.

He's just not beating them.

And Nicodemus goes to see Jesus.

Do you see at night in the text?

Just the time of day he went.

I take it if you're going to suss somebody out,

you don't want others to see you doing it.

You go at night.

Maybe he's intrigued by Jesus

because he's gathering quite a crowd.

If you remember at the end of chapter two,

as a result of the signs that he's doing.

He goes at night.

But John, in his classic style of double meaning,

night is also a window into the true state

of this man's heart before God.

Because spiritually speaking,

the lights might be on,

but there ain't nobody home.

Nicodemus, despite having all the aces,

he's in the dark.

To see being spiritually in the dark, friends,

it is not a matter of the intellect.

It's a matter of the heart.

Famous story told about William Wilberforce

and his good friend and parliamentary colleague,

William Pitt.

Great week to pick a parliamentary illustration,

I tell you.

Pitt, one of the brightest minds of his day,

eventually becomes prime minister

and Wilberforce takes Pitt to hear George Whitefield.

George Whitefield,

one of the greatest preachers this country has ever known

when he was speaking in London.

And George Whitefield does his thing.

People come to faith in Jesus.

Wilberforce turns to Pitt and he says,

what did you make of it?

And Pitt simply replies,

I didn't understand a word that that man said.

I just didn't get it.

You've had that experience before

when you've spoken to a friend about Christ.

I remember at university taking a friend along

to a CU event

when there was one of my favorite speakers speaking.

So excited afterwards, my friend just,

what was that all about?

Friends, what we all need to understand

is that this is all of us,

by nature,

outwith Jesus Christ.

All of us.

We are creatures deserving his judgment.

We are following the course

of our own sinful hearts and desires.

We want nothing to do with God.

In the words of Christopher Rash,

each of us are like musicians in an orchestra

who want nothing to do with the conductor

because we want to play our heart's own song.

Outwith Christ,

we are creatures

who are spiritually dead.

It's exactly what the Bible says to us.

And what our hearts need is not CPR.

What our hearts need is not resuscitation.

What our hearts need

is the thing that the Bible calls regeneration.

We need to be made new.

We need, in other words,

we need God.

We need him to do something in here.

That's what we need him to do.

So the problem is.

So there's the problem.

It's in here.

So Nicodemus makes his play.

Do you see it?

Verse two.

And in turn,

Jesus challenges and flips

the entire way that Nicodemus

understands himself

and he understands the world

in which he lives.

He flips it on his head.

Because Jesus says

two things to Nicodemus

about eternal life.

He says,

first of all,

that there is nothing

you can do

to earn it.

So the word born

appears there six times.

Do you see it?

Born, born, born, born, born,

born.

Which is a bizarre metaphor,

especially if you consider

that Nicodemus at this point

in time in the text

is an older man.

Now what does that mean?

It means that

he's not some kind of

teenage boy

giggling in the classroom

when he hears somebody

explain the birds and the bees,

right?

He's an old man.

He's been already,

he gets it.

But it's a metaphor

that if Nicodemus

is to understand

his true spiritual state

before this holy God,

it's a metaphor

that precisely makes

the point.

Because Nicodemus

has lived his whole life

probably according

to the mantra

that to behave

is to belong.

Perform well,

keep the rules,

stay in line

and demonstrate

that you're on

the right side of God

and you're in the kingdom

because you're behaving

like you belong.

But I just won't

wash with Jesus.

According to Jesus,

this isn't about Nicodemus

trying to turn over

a new leaf.

We've got that phrase

that we use in our culture,

don't we?

We always use it

on the 1st of January.

It's not about

turning over a new leaf.

It's not going to cut it.

It's not going to make

a difference.

You're not going to

know your own heart

well enough to know

that when you try

and change,

it just doesn't happen.

Right?

That's why gyms

are rammed in January

and they're nearly dead

in February

because we always

make these resolutions

to do things

with our lives

and we realise

after a while,

actually,

it's just too much

hard work.

I can't do it.

No,

this is not about

Nicodemus turning

over a new leaf.

This is about

Nicodemus,

by God,

by his grace,

giving Nicodemus

a new heart.

This is about God,

by his spirit,

giving him

a new heart,

working in him

to bring

a complete

inner

cleansing

from his sin.

That's what it is

to be born with water,

if you're wondering

what that word

is there for,

and transforming

his entire being.

This is something

that only God

can do

in the soul

of a human being.

Only God

can do this.

Nicodemus needs

a new heart.

All of those

out with Christ,

we need new hearts.

All of those

that are in Christ,

we're only there

by the grace of God

because he's given

us a new heart.

Now,

to stop you thinking

that I've driven you

into some kind of

cul-de-sac

with nowhere to go,

let me just tell you

why my soul

was so refreshed

by the truth

of this passage

this week.

Friends,

is it not

incredibly good news

that when Jesus

wants us

to understand

what it is

to be a Christian,

he doesn't take us

round the religious

hall of fame,

show us all the

heroes of the faith,

sends us away

and says,

try again.

No,

he takes us

to the maternity

ward

and he says,

come to me

and be born again.

Do you see

the difference

between the two?

Not try harder,

not try again,

trust that I've

done it all,

look to me

and be born again.

Oh friends,

I'm a Christian

not because

I am the man.

I am a Christian

because I am

the baby.

that's the

liberating truth

of this passage.

This is what it

is to know

God's grace.

Oh friends,

this is what it

means to have

God as our

gracious

heavenly

father and

this is what it

means.

This is an

invitation to

run to him

knowing that

we're saved

by grace,

to run to him

and ask for

more grace.

Oh and here's

a wonderful

book and I

don't mean to

cost you tons

of money at

this time,

this is just

books that I

found really

great.

Dane Ortlund

and his

wonderful book

Gentle and

Lowly.

Friends,

if you want

to recapture

Christ's love

for you,

his child,

here is a

wonderful book

where he does

this, okay?

Here's the quote,

when you come

to Christ

for mercy

and love

and help

in your

anguish

and perplexity

and sinfulness,

you are going

with the flow

of his deepest

wishes,

not against

them.

Do you see,

this is what it

is to be saved

by grace alone.

This is how

the grace of

God works,

working in us

because this is

how the spirit

of God works.

And that's

what Jesus

means there

at verse 8.

What does he

describe the

Holy Spirit?

He's like the

wind.

Remember,

the spirit

is not an

it,

the spirit

is the third

person of

the Godhead.

He is like

the wind.

You can't

see the wind,

but boy can

you see the

effects of the

wind.

Likewise,

you don't see

how the spirit

is moving,

you don't see

how he is at

work,

but boy can

you see the

effects of him

moving.

The words

of that

old hymn

that some

of us

might have

grown up

singing,

I know

not how

the spirit

moves,

convincing

men of

sin,

revealing

Jesus

through the

word,

creating

faith

in him.

And here's

what I want

to do,

I guess,

as your

pastor this

morning,

I want

to encourage

you as

a church,

our church

family,

that I see

the spirit

at work

in you.

some of

you seeking

to investigate

Jesus,

whereas six

months ago

that wasn't

even on your

radar.

Friends,

that is the

spirit at work.

Some of

us installing

things in our

computers so we

don't go near

stuff we

shouldn't be

looking at.

Some of us

thinking twice

about relationship

for us that's

just not helpful.

Friends,

that is the

spirit at work

in our lives.

Some of us

giving sacrificially

of ourselves

to our

children,

taking the

time that it

needs,

pouring in the

hours to

seek to try

and raise

them and

nurture them

in the ways

of the Lord.

Friends,

that is the

spirit.

And I went

to see Audrey

and Donald

ten days ago

just before I

went on holiday

just listening

to what life

is like for

them.

It's hard.

Listen to Audrey

tell me about

the fact that

she's in a lot

of pain.

But let me

tell you,

I heard a lot

about pain

but I heard

nothing

about panic.

Do you know

what she said?

She said,

I'm just ready

to go.

And then she

added one

little word

at the end,

home.

First Peter,

the spirit of

God,

we've been

born again

to a living

hope in

Christ Jesus.

Friends,

that is the

spirit.

Some of us

putting our

hands up and

asking for

help and

opening up to

brothers and

sisters about

the struggles

in our life

because we

understand we're

saved by grace

alone.

That's the

spirit.

It's one

thing I

picked up

in America,

friends,

to always

be on the

lookout,

how God's

spirit is

at work

in everyday

unspectacular

ways in

our lives.

Let me

just encourage

you,

the urge

to fight

sin and

pursue

Christ is

not a

sign of

failure,

it's a

sign of

faith.

Do you

know why?

Because it's

God who's

put that

desire there.

It's the

spirit working

in our

lives that's

given us the

desire in the

first place.

that we

would want

to pursue

Christ and

not pursue

our own

agenda.

That's the

spirit.

You know,

Alex and I

were walking

around Bath

this week.

The two of

us had a

night off

without the

kids,

walking around

Bath City

Centre,

people pouring

out of pubs,

out of work,

students doing

their thing,

things going on

in the city

centre that

go on in any

city centre.

Do you know

what the two

of us said?

If it wasn't

for God at work

in our lives,

we'd be doing

exactly the

same.

Oh,

friends,

do you see

how he's

put these

desires here?

He has

caused us to

be born again

by his

spirit.

He's washed

us clean

by his

blood,

cleansed us

through his

work on the

cross.

Friends,

I look at

you,

just to finish

this little

bit off,

I look at

you,

do you know

what I see?

Term of

endearment.

I see

babies.

Nicodemus,

this is how

it works

in God's

kingdom.

When it

comes to

eternal life,

there's nothing

that you can

do to earn

it except

secondly,

trust that

I've done

everything that

you might

have it.

Verse 9,

how can this

be true?

Well,

according to

Jesus,

do you see,

and I think

this is a

surprise in

the text,

if you come

with me to

verse 9,

Nicodemus

should have

known this.

This ain't

coming from

left field,

as far as

Jesus is

concerned.

You're the

leader of

Israel,

you're the

religious

guy,

you've read

the stuff,

you should

know this.

If you think

back to what

Fiona read in

Ezekiel 36,

this is what

God promised

he would do

for his

Old Testament

people,

for his

people,

his all

nations,

hear about

Christ and

are gathered

in.

He was

going to

do this,

he was

going to

work to

bring about

that heart

transformation

that his

people need.

He was

going to

make a

way for

them to be

cleansed from

their sin and

uncleanness.

he was

going to

do the

taking out

of the

heart of

stone and

he was

going to

do in

its place

put in a

heart of

flesh.

And if you

also remember,

what else was

God going to

put in his

people's hearts?

His law and

a desire to

obey it,

that they would

long to walk

in his ways in

obedience and

worship of

him.

That's what God's

going to do,

a heart

transformation in

the lives of

his people.

It's almost

as if the

God who

first breathed

life into

the very

first human

being.

And I love

that bit in

Genesis that

you get,

it's almost

like God,

I breathe the

breath of

life into

Adam in

the Garden

of Eden.

It's almost

as if the

God of the

universe through

Christ is

going to do

it again.

He's going to

breathe spiritual

life into his

people.

But here's the

question,

what gives

Jesus the

right to

speak so

authoritatively

on this

one?

It's a good

question to

ask,

isn't it?

Verse 13,

what does he

say?

He says he's

been there.

That's how he

can speak in

these things,

because he's

been there.

Some of us

might learn the

hard way when

you book a

holiday,

listening to

what the

hotel says

about itself

is not always

the best

policy,

is it?

Because they

always big

themselves up,

food,

to die for,

entertainment

out of this

world,

staff are a

charm,

complete with

wide-angle

lens photos

to make

things look

more beautiful

than they

actually are.

So what do

we do?

We go on

the website

and what do

we look for?

We look for

reviews of

people that

have actually

been there.

And even

though you

get 800

positive reviews,

you search

for that one

review,

because of

course that

one person

is the only

person that's

actually been

there.

So what we

do, we

listen to the

voices of

people who

have actually

been there.

And that's

what Jesus

is saying

here.

He can

speak of

heavenly

things.

Why?

Because he's

from there.

He's been

there.

In fact, he's

been there

since time

began, except

now he's

taken on

flesh and

he's come

down to

reveal the

Father to

us.

Because of

the pursuing,

loving

determination

of God,

the God

that so

loved the

world that

is perishing,

he came to

bring forgiveness

and transformation

to bear in

the hearts

of his people.

So Christ

can come

and say,

I've come

to reveal

the Father.

Why?

That this

is how it

works in

the kingdom

of God.

Do you

need to

be born

of the

Spirit and

of water?

Why?

Because he's

been there.

And he's

come to

tell us.

And he's

come to

give us.

Verse 14.

He's come

to give us.

And he uses

his Old

Testament story

from the

book of

Numbers.

from when

the Israelites

were wandering

in the desert.

A time in

Israel's history

where people

are just

complaining,

they are

bitter,

they are

angry about

God and

about his

chosen leader

Moses.

And God

so angry

with his

people's sin,

his righteous

anger,

he sends

snakes among

them who

bite many

of them.

Because a

holy God

must deal

with sin.

But in

his mercy,

God says

to Moses,

would you

make a

statue of

a snake

and would

you raise

it up and

put it on

a pole?

Lift it up

and tell

everyone who's

been beaten

all they need

to do to

be healed,

to be saved,

is to look

at the snake

on the pole.

Look

and live.

And the

thing about

that episode

is that people

would be saved

not by being

in proximity

to the

snake.

People

would be

saved and

healed not

by acknowledging

the mere

existence of

a snake.

Well,

friends,

people would

be saved

solely by

looking to

and trusting

what God

has said

was true

about the

snake.

And Jesus

says,

in the same

way,

my earthly

life will

end with

me lifted

up on a

cross.

and what

we need

to understand

as human

beings is

that our

sin is

way more

eternally

deadly than

a snake

bite.

What do

you need

to do to

be healed

and to

live,

says

Jesus?

You need

to look

at me.

I need

to trust

in what

I've done.

You need

to look

at my

blood pouring

out of my

side,

my blood

shed for

you.

And I

love this.

Friends,

I hadn't

seen this

until this

week.

John

writes as

Jesus dies

in chapter

19,

that he

gave up

his spirit.

The image

there is

of him

breathing

his last.

Psalmist

John

symbolically

saying,

through what

has happened

here,

through the

death and

the subsequent

resurrection of

Jesus,

as he

inhales

and as he

exhales,

this will

be the

means by

which he

will breathe

the spirit,

the breath

of life,

into his

people.

All those

who would

look on

him for

trust and

for forgiveness.

And so the

invitation for

all of us

here today,

maybe particularly

if you don't

know this

Jesus as

your Lord

and your

King and

your Saviour,

is to look

at him on

the cross,

embrace it,

trust him,

love him,

and look

and live.

Here is,

if you think

back to what

Archie said,

shared a few

weeks ago,

is Jesus

came on the

scene in

John's

gospel as

the

substitute

groom.

Here then

is Christ

the divine

bridegroom

come to

breathe

life

into his

bride.

And she

lives.

And we

live

because of

him.

Friends,

let me just

take you to

a cracking

little Italian

restaurant in

Louisville,

Kentucky

called

Martinis.

Alex and

I had a

night out

with our

dear friend

Betsy and

our friend

Gary,

a night that

will live

long in my

memory for

two reasons.

Number one,

hands down

the best

lasagna I've

ever tasted.

So big with

the portions I

couldn't finish

it all,

I had to

take it

home,

got a

doggy bag

to take

it home

the next

day to

have for

lunch.

Friends,

you can

take the

boy out

of Scotland.

But the

second reason

it will

live long

in my

memory is

hearing

Betsy's

story of

how she

became a

Christian.

Do you

know what

she said?

She started

telling us,

she said,

it was this

difference I

noticed in

my older

brother,

CJ.

You see,

neither of

them grew

up in a

Christian

family,

and CJ,

the oldest

brother,

had grown

long,

hippie hair,

loved to

smoke pot,

he was

obsessed with

sports,

and he

couldn't wait

to move

out of

home.

As soon as

the opportunity

came,

he was

gone.

And she

said,

years later,

all of a

sudden,

my phone

went,

and it

was CJ

on the

phone,

and he

wants to

meet,

he wants

to talk,

and I

find out

he's done

the exact

same thing

with all

my family

members,

so I

meet him,

and one

by one,

he goes

around our

family,

and he

tells us

how he's

gone away,

he's met

people at

university,

he's put

his faith

in Jesus

Christ,

and she

said,

I don't

know what

happened,

but the

guy I

was looking

at was

not the

same guy

I was

spoken to

before,

what have

you done

with my

older

brother?

But you

know what

she also

said,

she said,

whatever had

happened in

him,

whatever had

gone on

in here,

I didn't

understand it,

but I

wanted it.

And you

know what

she said,

here was

her line,

how was

it manifesting

itself in

CJ's

life?

Here's what

she said,

he couldn't

stop saying

sorry.

And so

here is

John chapter

three,

telling us

what has

gone on

in CJ's

life,

explaining to

us,

if we're a

Christian here

today,

what has

gone on

in our

lives,

that there's

been a

baby born.

And why

has he done

it?

What is this

all about?

How should

we leave

here today?

Why has

he done

it?

He's done

it so

that we

would walk

in the

newness of

life.

He's done

it so

that we

would pursue

righteousness

and Christ

likeness.

Oh friends,

I am a

new creation.

No more

in condemnation.

Here in

the grace

of God

I stand

and I

will praise

you Lord.

I will

praise you

Lord and

I will

sing of

all that

you have

done,

a joy

that knows

no limit,

a lightness

in my

spirit.

Here in

the grace

of God

I stand.

Let's

pray,

will we?

Father,

I'm so

aware of

the

parable

of the

sower

that tells

us when

your word

goes forth

so often

the evil

one comes

and tries

to snatch

it away.

And

Father,

I pray

that just

now by

your living

and abiding

spirit in

us,

Father,

that you

would do

your work

in our

midst.

O

Father,

bring

comfort,

bring

challenge,

bring

rebuke,

bring a

wonderful

reminder of

your

fatherly

care and

love for

us.

O

Father,

for those

who don't

know life

in your

son,

the Lord

Jesus,

may today

be the

day where

they put

their faith

in him.

Father,

we thank

you that

we are

saved,

not because

we tried

again,

because that

could never

work.

Father,

thank you

that we

are saved

because you

tell us

by your

grace,

by your

spirit,

that we've

been born

again.

O

Father,

receive our

praise,

we pray.

In Jesus'

name we

ask.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.