“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God…whoever believes in [the Son of God] may have Eternal Life.” John 3:5 & 15 ESV1
Read John 3:1-21
Nicodemus, a Pharisee, a ruler of the Jews, and a teacher of Israel, came to Jesus under the cover of night. Was he trying to hide, and if so, from whom? The other Jewish religious leaders? the Jewish people? Was he concerned about his reputation, or was he just a very busy man trying to seek an uninterrupted audience with another very busy Man, and late one evening, the opportunity provided itself? We don’t know why Nicodemus came to Jesus because before he even got through his introduction, Jesus cut him off.
Nicodemus began, “’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.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God’” (John 3:2-3).
I can imagine Nicodemus was taken aback. He hadn’t even formulated a question or a proposal when he was presented with a preposterous notion that he must be born again. Nicodemus was a religious teacher. He knew the Law and was likely following it nearly flawlessly. As he understood it, he was pleasing God until this new Teacher made this new, impossible demand.
Nicodemus questioned, “‘How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born’” (John 3:4)? This may sound like a silly question, but it is a question that, in some form, anyone who sincerely wants to please God, and is presented with this requirement, should ask.
Jesus went on to explain, “‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit’” (John 3:5-6). Yet, the concept still baffled Nicodemus, and he again questioned Jesus, “‘How can these things be’” (John 3:9)?
Jesus expounded, “‘Whoever believes in [the Son] may have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have Eternal Life. 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. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the Name of the only Son of God’” (John 3:15-18).
The text doesn’t tell us, we are left to wonder, did a light bulb go on for Nicodemus, or did he leave scratching his head in confusion? But what we do know is that after this encounter with Jesus, Nicodemus continued to stick around. We see Nicodemus later in Scripture defending Jesus in front of his colleagues in the Sanhedrin (see John 7:50-51), and after Jesus’ crucifixion, assisting Joseph of Arimathea in preparing Jesus’ body for burial (see John 19:39-42).
Now, John 3:16 (quoted above) is probably the best-known Scripture in the whole Bible. Most Christians have that verse memorized. Politicians have been known to note it as a favorite verse. Often, someone in a crowd at a sporting event has this Scripture reference printed on a sign. But do we, even those who go to church every Sunday really know what born again means? Do those of us who asked Jesus into our hearts as children in Sunday School have a clue what we have done? Do we know what it means to believe in Jesus? If this is the qualification for gaining Eternal Life, and without it, we are doomed to condemnation, (see John 3:18) isn’t it worth finding out for sure?
I am not going to claim that I know everything there is to know about being born again or believing in Jesus, so I will turn to The Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible2 for help. It includes handy Hebrew and Greek dictionaries. Greek is the language in which the New Testament was written. It is the language Jesus and Nicodemus may have been speaking. So, let’s take a closer look at these Greek words.
Born in Greek is gennao; it means to become the father of, to bear, to give birth to, to be conceived, or to be born. In Greek, again is anothen and means from above, from the beginning, again, or anew. Nicodemus was concentrating on the idea of being birthed a second time. But do you see how Jesus was saying, “No can see the Kingdom of God unless the One from Above is his Father?”
Believe in Greek is pisteuo and means to put one’s faith in, to trust, to entrust. In Greek, in is eis and means to receive, welcome, to invite in, to go in, enter, to rush in, to run in, to bring in, to lead in. These definitions suggest that to gain eternal life one must entrust Jesus with and invite Jesus into his/her life. The phrase ask Jesus into your heart is a pretty accurate explanation for what believe in means.
So, believing in Jesus is more than just believing He exists. And salvation is more than making a decision for Jesus and adding Him to an already crowded shrine of “gods” who demand one’s attention. And entering into eternal life is more than saying a superstitious-like prayer in an attempt to buy eternal fire insurance.
So how does one get born again with God as Father? And how does one believe in Jesus to entrust one’s self to Him to the extent that He actually enters one’s life? And why does God condemn people who don’t do this?
The New Testament is filled with Scriptures that explain that something has to die or be discarded, and once that thing is eliminated, something new can be obtained. In this passage, and elsewhere in Scripture, that thing that must be eradicated is termed the flesh. The thing which must take its place is called the Spirit. I could not possibly list all applicable Scriptures here, but please take the time to look at Romans 6:6, 8:12-13 & 13:14; 2 Corinthians 3:18 & 5:17; Galatians 2:20 & 5:16-18; Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:5-14; 1 Peter 2:24; and 1 John 5:4. You will gain a much better understanding of what God requires, and it will be an encouragement to you, as well.
For now, I will share with you my own parable. It isn’t as pure as one of Jesus’ parables. I apologize in advance for its crudeness, but this thought process helps me understand the concepts of born again and believe in. I hope this unrefined parable will help you gain understanding, as well.
The kingdom of Earth is like a sewer and the Kingdom of Heaven like a gem cutter’s treasure storehouse. Humans are born into slavery in the sewer and have inherited a pile of poop from their father, Adam. Humans have done their best with what they have been given. Through civilization, they have managed the manure. Through education, they have categorized the crap. And through religion, they have learned to polish the poop. There is nothing wrong with civilization, or education, or religion, but, when it is all said and done, humans are still covered with excrement. Unfortunately, unless one is clean, he cannot see the Kingdom of Heaven.
But the Kingdom of Heaven is more than a place or a religion; it is a relationship. The human state of being saturated in sewage wasn’t the Great Gem Cutter’s original plan. He loves humans and hates to see them wallowing in the muck, so He sent His Son to the sewer as a Light. His Son came to open human eyes to the mess they are in. With humans, He crawled through the crap, but it couldn’t stick to Him. Then He made a deal with the Slave-master of the Sewer; with His own blood, the Son bought every single human out of stinking slavery. No human has to stay and shovel the stuff, but if he/she wants to experience all the Great Gem Cutter has for him/her, every human has to do something else.
The Son bought the right to flush the filth. Dung isn’t the currency in the Kingdom of Heaven; diamonds are. The Son is reaching out His hand to each human offering him/her each a diamond in the rough, but humans have to let go of their polished poop and their sewage-moving shovels to receive the diamond.
To those who have worked so long and hard to make their turd neat and shiny, it will be a treasure. And the diamond in the rough, which the Son holds out, will look like a bumpy rock. They will not believe and will refuse to let go of their refuse. Those humans will be condemned because they have chosen sewage over the Son.
But, to those who let go of all they have known and trust the Son, their faith will become sight. The Great Gem Cutter will chisel away at the rock they have been given and will turn it into the beautiful gem He knows it can be. They will be adopted into the Great Gem Cutter’s own Family and receive, right along with His Son, an inheritance in His Giant Gem Collection.
My friend, a polished turd is still a turd, and a diamond in the rough is most definitely a diamond. Don’t choose crap over Christ. Ask God to open your eyes to the mess you are in. Admit you have nothing to offer, and you need what He has to give. Be willing to exchange what you have (your flesh) for what He has (the Spirit). Put down the poop, and grab up the gem. Step out of your crap caked coveralls, and step into a robe of righteousness. Leave slavery behind, and become a child of the King. Believe in Him, and be born again. Then, as you enjoy your new inheritance, thank Him for this amazingly great exchange.
1Scripture quotations marked with ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All Scriptures are taken from the ESV unless otherwise noted. To aid in understanding, I have capitalized references to God.
2The Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible, New International Version, copyright 1996 by AMG International, Inc.