By Glenn Kenadjian

Many things are not right in our world and lives

We lack harmony and often don’t have peace

Why is this?

At heart, something is wrong in all of us

We can do good things, but we also have corrupted desires and can do bad things (i.e., we have problems in our actions and hearts)

We all contribute toward disharmony and pain in our world and in our own lives

Most common response

Usually just focus on obtaining personal satisfaction

But disharmony remains, and the satisfactions we find do not last

Jesus claimed to have the solution

Let’s look at what he said in a conversation with a man named Nicodemus

Look for solutions

John 3 1  Now there was a man

of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2  This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”

John 3 1  Now there was a man

of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2  This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”

Pharisees were Jews--Highly educated and

scholarlyCareful in ethicsExtremely Religious

John 3 1  Now there was a man

of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2  This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”

An important leaderHigh social status

John 3 1  Now there was a man

of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2  This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”

Why do you think he came to Jesus at night?

John 3 1  Now there was a man

of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2  This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”

Believed Jesus was a teacher come from God

3     Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

4     Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”

He asks a “how” question

StartledUncomprehending

5     Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

Repeats his emphasis of “Truly, Truly”

Repeats “Unless . . . cannot . . .”—a necessary condition

It is where God reigns and all is in harmony with him (results in harmony with everyone and everything else too)

It is experienced in full in heaven

But it can be experienced to some degree now

6   That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7  Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

6   That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7  Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

1st birth: Flesh to flesh (physical birth/life)

6   That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7  Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

1st birth: Flesh to flesh (physical birth/life)

2nd birth: Spirit to spirit (spiritual birth/life)

6   That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7  Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

1st birth: Flesh to flesh (physical birth/life)

2nd birth: Spirit to spirit (spiritual birth/life)

The second birth comes from God’s Spirit

6   That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7  Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

1st birth: Flesh to flesh (physical birth/life)

2nd birth: Spirit to spirit (spiritual birth/life)

The second birth comes from God’s Spirit

You cannot observe God’s Spirit directly or know where he will act next, but sometimes people can sense when he is working

6   That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7  Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

1st birth: Flesh to flesh (physical birth/life)

2nd birth: Spirit to spirit (spiritual birth/life)

The second birth comes from God’s Spirit

You cannot observe God’s Spirit directly or know where he will act next, but sometimes people can sense when he is working

Note: Jesus makes it personal!

9     Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?”

He asks another “how” question

Astonishment, but more than astonishment

How can this come to be, i.e., occur?

10     Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?

First, Jesus says you should already know about this.

Implies this teaching was in the Old Testament

Ezekiel 36:25-28I will sprinkle clean water

on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

Ezekiel 36:25-28 I will sprinkle clean water

on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

God is promisingHe will cleanse people

from their uncleannesses (what makes people unacceptable to God)

Ezekiel 36:25-28I will sprinkle clean water

on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

God is promisingHe will cleanse people

from their uncleannesses

He will put a new spirit within them (i.e., Spirit gives birth to spirit)

Ezekiel 36:25-28I will sprinkle clean water

on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

God is promisingHe will cleanse people

from their uncleannesses

He will put a new spirit within them

He will give people a new heart—not stony / insensitive, but responsive

11  Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12  If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13  No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.

11  Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12  If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13  No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.

Next, Jesus says he knows what he is talking about. (How does he know about heavenly matters?)

11  Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12  If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13  No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.

Next, Jesus says he knows what he is talking about

He says he knows about heavenly matters because he came from heaven

14  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15  that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

Finally Jesus answers the question, “How can this be / occur?”

14  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15  that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

Finally Jesus answers the question, “How can this be / occur?”

He starts with a story from the Old Testament

Numbers 21  4 From Mount Hor they

set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. 5  And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.”

The Israelite people had been freed from slavery in Egypt by God and had witnessed many miracles. (God chose them to be his witnesses to the world)

Numbers 21  4 From Mount Hor they

set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. 5  And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.”

The Israelite people had been freed from slavery in Egypt by God and had witnessed many miracles.

After all God had done for them, how did they respond?

6  Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died.

God judged and punished them

7  And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.

7  And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.

The people acknowledged their sin

They asked Moses to pray to God for them to take away the serpents.

8  And the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” 9  So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.

8  And the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” 9  So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.

God did not take away the serpents

Instead he gave a remedy for the fatal consequences of their punishment.

As people followed God’s remedy, they were saved

14  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15  that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

How we can have eternal life is like what happened in this story.

(Eternal life is everlasting life in God’s kingdom. To enter, we must be born again.)

Had sinned, and were facing impending death

God provided a cure for their punishment-he had Moses lift up a statue

Have sinned, and facing impending eternal death

God provided a cure for our punishment-he had the Son of Man lifted up

People in Our Day

Whoever looked to God’s provision was healed by God and lived

Whoever looks to God’s provision gets a new birth from God into eternal life

People in Our Day

14  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15  that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

Jesus says this happens through believing in him

Not just believe thatBelieve in = trust

your whole life withThe French tightrope The French tightrope walker Blondin asked a walker Blondin asked a crowd if they believed crowd if they believed he could carry a man he could carry a man on a rope over Niagra on a rope over Niagra Falls. They said YES! Falls. They said YES! Then he asked, “Who Then he asked, “Who will volunteer?” will volunteer?” This is “believe This is “believe inin.”.”

16  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

16  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

God’s motive—love

16  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

God’s motive—loveGod’s provision—

gave his only son

16  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

God’s motive—loveGod’s provision—

gave his only sonGod’s reason—that

whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life

16  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

God’s motive—loveGod’s provision—

gave his only sonGod’s reason—that

whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life

God’s ultimate end—the world may be saved

What Is It?A New Birth for a New Life

Not an improvement of our old nature but an implantation of a new spiritual nature/life from God

Who Needs Jesus’ Solution?According to Jesus, Everyone

Even the most moral and intellectual and religious

Why Do We Need It?To Enter God’s Kingdom / Have Eternal Life

We have all done wrong and our natures are corrupted

This results in 1) God’s condemnation and 2) alienation / disharmony with God, with others and in ourselves

The new spiritual birth results in 1) reconciliation with God and 2) real personal transformation as this new spiritual life in God’s kingdom is cultivated

This is God’s way to save people and the world

How Do We Experience Jesus’ Solution?By Believing in Jesus

Involves recognizing your needInvolves believing that Jesus is God’s provision

for your needInvolves entrusting your whole life with Jesus

(willingly submitting yourself to God’s kingdom)

When Does It Happen?New life begins when you respond to the

Spirit’s initiative and trust in Jesus

God’s spirit “blows where he wishes” You sense yourself being attracted to JesusYou respond with trusting yourself with JesusThe new birth happens then, but it is just the

startFuller transformation happens with time and

ongoing trust in GodChanges show new life is present

Is there some attraction though?

If no, thanks for listening.

If yes, look into it more. Maybe God is drawing you.

Have you already put your trust in Jesus?

If yes, keep growing in your relationship.

If no, talk with someone about doing this.

Believe It Now:

1. Do you agree something is wrong in all of us—we have corrupted desires and do wrong? If so, how big a problem do you think this is?

2. What questions do you have about Jesus’ solution for our lives and world?

3. If you don’t mind sharing, what response do you have to Jesus’ solution?