Transcript Slide 1

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
Don’t worry about it,
focus on other things
Look for solutions
 Most common response
 Jesus claimed to have the
 Usually just focus on
solution
 Let’s look at what he said
in a conversation with a
man named Nicodemus
obtaining personal
satisfaction
 But disharmony
remains, and the
satisfactions we find do
not last
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
scholarly
 Careful in ethics
 Extremely Religious
John 3
 An important leader
1 Now there was a man of
 High social status
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
 Why do you think he
came to Jesus at night?
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
 Believed Jesus was a
teacher come from God
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.”
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
 Startled
 Uncomprehending
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,
 First, Jesus says you
“Are you the teacher of
should already know
Israel and yet you do not
about this.
understand these things?  Implies this teaching was
in the Old Testament
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.
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 promising
 He will cleanse people
from their uncleannesses
(what makes people
unacceptable to God)
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 promising
 He will cleanse people
from their uncleannesses
 He will put a new spirit
within them (i.e., Spirit
gives birth to spirit)
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 promising
 He 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.)
People in Moses’ Day
People in Our Day
 Had sinned, and were
 Have sinned, and facing
facing impending death
 God provided a cure for
their punishment-he had
Moses lift up a statue
impending eternal death
 God provided a cure for
our punishment-he had
the Son of Man lifted up
People in Moses’ Day
People in Our Day
 Whoever looked to God’s
 Whoever looks to God’s
provision was healed by
God and lived
provision gets a new birth
from God into eternal life
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 that
 Believe in = trust your
whole life with
The French tightrope
walker Blondin asked a
crowd if they believed he
could carry a man on a rope
over Niagra Falls. They
said YES! Then he asked,
“Who will volunteer?”
This is “believe in.”
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—love
 God’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—love
 God’s provision—gave
his only son
 God’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—love
 God’s provision—gave
his only son
 God’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 need
 Involves believing that Jesus is God’s provision for your
need
 Involves 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 Jesus
 You respond with trusting yourself with Jesus
 The new birth happens then, but it is just the start
 Fuller transformation happens with time and ongoing
trust in God
 Changes show new life is present
Don’t Believe It Now:
Believe It Now:
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.
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?