The New Birth

John 3:1-12

Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this man came to Him by night, and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You have come from God {as} a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."

1. Nicodemus (John 3:1; 7:50; 19:39).

• "A Pharisee" (Jno. 3:1).
• "A ruler of the Jews" (Jno. 3:2; 7:50). He was likely a member of the Sanhedrin.
• He was likely an old or older man. (Jno. 3:4).
• He is called "the teacher." (Jno. 3:10). ASV, NASB.
• He came to Jesus "by night" which was likely because he was afraid to come to Jesus by day because of the Jewish leaders, or it may reflect the common practice of meeting at night in order to study and converse about the law.

2. Nicodemus called Jesus "Rabbi" (teacher) and acknowledged Jesus "as a teacher" "from God" because of the "signs" He had done.

• "Rabbi" was respected title for recognized teachers.
• It is not known if this was the extent of Nicodemus' conception of Jesus or if he held Him to be the Messiah and the Son of God.

3. Nicodemus used the pronoun "we".

• Though he comes alone Nicodemus speaks in the plural.
• This indicated there were others besides Nicodemus who considered Jesus "as a teacher come from God."
• His "signs" (miracles) were convincing men He was from God.

"Born Again"

Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see [enjoy, enter] God." (Jno. 3:3).

1. The words "truly, truly" are a way of giving positive, absolute affirmation to the truths He is about to utter. See John 1:51

2. Jesus knew what was in man and knew the heart of Nicodemus. (Jno. 2:25).

3. The word "again" comes from the Greek word "anothen" which means "again, from above."

• "from above" (Jno. 3:31; 19:11,23; Jas. 1:17; 3:15,17).
• "Again, anew" (Gal.4:9).

4. The word "anothen" could be used with both meanings here.

• One must experience a new or second birth
• One is born physically through being begotten by an earthly father, but one is born "from above" by being begotten from the heavenly Father.
• Barclay translates "unless a man is reborn from above."

Nicodemus *said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?" (John 3:4)

1. It seems Nicodemus understood Jesus to be talking about a second physical birth.

2. It was absurd to think a man could literally be born a second time.

3. He anticipated a negative answer by his use of the Greek negative particle "me" at the beginning of the sentence in the Greek.

4. His question suggests he was an old man which would usually be the case with those in the Sanhedrin.

"Born Of Water And The Spirit"

Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and 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. Do not marvel that I said to you (singular), 'You (plural) must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit." (Jno. 3:5-8).

1. Jesus argued one must be "born of water and the Spirit."

• John 3:3,5
• "must" - John 3:14; 12:34, 20:9; 4:4,9,10; 10:16; 3:30; 4:20,24.

2. The Greek has literally "born of water and Spirit."

• There is not a definite article before the noun "water" or the noun "Spirit."
• Both nouns are governed by the same preposition "ex."
• The phrase replaces and explains "anew" in verse 3.

1. Some teach Jesus was affirming one must experience two births to enter the kingdom - a physical birth and a spiritual birth.

2. This is done to get rid of any connection of baptism with the new birth. Nearly all that hold this view do reject baptism as essential to salvation.

3. It is argued that "water" refers to the fluid that surrounds the fetus in the womb.

• Some affirm that "water" refers to the male semen.
• There are some Rabbinic sources which show that terms like "water," "rain," "dew," and "drop" were used of male semen.

1. It is argued that "water" is a reference to John's baptism that was in water. (Jno. 3:23). Mk. 1:4; Lk. 7:30.

2. It is further argued that "Spirit" means the new birth would be spiritual and would be the activity of the Holy Spirit.

1. Jesus is here referring to Christian baptism.

2. Jesus is describing not two births, but a single birth - "born of water and Spirit."

• This new birth is brought about by the Spirit of God.
• The Spirit of God, through the word, creates faith and repentance in the heart of the sinner.
• The new birth is complete when the believing, penitent person is immersed in water for the forgiveness of sins and emerges from the water to live a new life. (Rom. 6:1-5; Col. 2:12).

3. Titus 3:5 has the same idea behind it.

• "washing of regeneration [rebirth]"
• "renewing [moulding anew] of the Holy Spirit"

1. The scriptures clearly set forth the necessity of baptism. (Mk. 16:16; Matt.28:19,20; Acts 2:38; 22:16; 10:48; Gal. 3:26,27; Rom.6:1-4; Tit. 3:5; 1 Pet. 3:21).

2. For Nicodemus being a Jew and a child of God was a matter of physical birth into the covenant people of God, Israel.

3. But Jesus says that only those who are born anew "of water and the Spirit," thus receiving spiritual regeneration, could "enter" into the kingdom of God.

4. It is "the spirit" of man that would be changed by the Holy Spirit.

• "That which is born of Spirit is [the human] spirit."
• The "spirit" is the thinking part of man. (1 Cor. 2:11).
• The "spirit" or "soul" is immortal. (Matt. 10:28; Lk. 12:4,5; Dan. 7:15; 1 Cor. 5:5; Jas. 1:21; Heb. 12:9; Eccles. 12:7).
• The Greek word "pneuma" is used 386 times in the New Testament. It is translated "spirit" 384 times. 

5. It can refer to the human spirit. (Acts 7:60; 1 Cor. 5:5).

• It can be translated "wind." NASB, KJV, ASV, NIV

• It makes good sense to render it "wind" in this context. Just as the wind is invisible (one cannot see it coming or going), so is the change of the new birth. You cannot see physical changes. The changes are invisible. They are in the heart. They are in the human spirit.

• It makes sense to render it "Spirit" in this passage. The passage would mean that man cannot predict the movements of the Spirit. The Spirit breathes where He wills. As man cannot comprehend the Spirit neither can he comprehend him that is born of the Spirit.

• A weakness of this interpretation is the man who cannot comprehend the Spirit or him that is born of the Spirit can hardly be said to hear "the voice" of the Spirit.
• The verb "pneo" always refers to the blowing wind in its other 6 occurrences. (Matt. 7:25,27).

Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?" (Jno. 3:9)

Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you (singular), we [probably God witnessing through His Son] speak that which we know, and bear witness of that which we have seen; and you (plural) do not receive our witness. If I told you (plural) earthly things and you (plural) do not believe, how shall you (plural) believe if I tell you (plural) heavenly things? (Jno. 3:10-12).

1. Jesus called Nicodemus "the teacher of Israel."

2. One of the important aspects of the last days in the Old Testament is the pouring out of God's Spirit (Isa. 32:15; Joel 2:28,29), and the promise, "a new spirit I will put within you." (Ezek. 36:26).

3. "Earthly things" must refer to what Jesus has been talking about concerning the new birth as a necessary condition for entering the kingdom of God.

• The teaching of the new birth is possibly called "earthly things" because it takes place on earth and is presented through events of the physical world, such as birth and the blowing wind.

4. The "heavenly things" refer to what Jesus is going to say in the succeeding verses concerning God's plan to save man through the sending of God's Son.

• It may be called "heavenly things" because God is in heaven and He had sent His Son from heaven to save man.

1. Those who enter heaven must not only experience a physical birth, but they must experience a spiritual birth - the new birth.

2. This new birth is not optional, but is absolutely essential to salvation and entrance into the kingdom of God.