John 3.3-11 - First Teaching: Second Birth

Nicodemus, one of the leaders of the Jews, has come to see Jesus.  VIP Nic has worked a backstage pass to grab some exclusive access to celebrity.  To the One Who’s doing all these signs.  That’s one thing that VIP’s do, don't they - they get exclusive access.  And VIP Nic is so enamored with the signs (like everyone else).  Signs you can see, with your physical eyes.  All the neon lights.  Focused on the external.  Oh, these signs, Rabbi you are clearly from God, cuz you’re doing these signs.  And Jesus is like, no, no, no.  You’ve got it all wrong.  You’re looking at it wrong, Nic.  Message over miracles.

Today we come to Jesus’ first substantial section of teaching.  He is going to lay out the Message in no uncertain terms.  Truly, truly.  3x!!!  Jesus drops a triple helping of doubly truly’s in the span of nine verses.  Truly, truly.  Let’s take a look…

[3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born from above he cannot see the kingdom of God.”] Nic - you’re seeing these signs, and you think, surely the Kingdom of God is showing up in front of you.  But this is not about the signs.  The external.  Nic, you’ve got the cart in front of the horse.  Not that signs aren’t a part of God’s Kingdom, but that’s not what’s most important.  Truly truly - I really mean what I’m about to say - IF you REALLY want to see and experience the Kingdom of God first hand, you MUST be born from above.  You think you’re beginning to see the Kingdom in these signs - but the Kingdom of God actually begins with a SECOND birth.  

Interestingly, the Greek word for ‘birth’ is “genesis”.  It refers to lineage [Genealogy].  The Hebrew word for birth is ‘yalad’.  Whereas the Hebrew word for the first book of the Bible is the first Hebrew word IN the Bible: bereshit, meaning “in the beginning”.  The Greek word for beginning is arche.  Archaelogy.  But so in mentioning birth Jesus is referring to a beginning of LIFE, about lineage.  Our ancestry.  And He is saying that while people are born with a human/physical lineage, what we need if we want to see the kingdom of God, if we want to enter in to eternal life, is a spiritual lineage.  We need this OTHER spiritual birth.  A second beginning of life.  Born from above.

[4 Nicodemus says 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?”] And Nic says, wait.  How is that possible?  How is a second birth even possible for someone who is already living?  And you can see, he is totally focused on the physical, on what he can see.  The external.  I’ve never seen one of these ‘births from above’.  How is that even possible?  A second birth is not physically possible.  It’s not [“scientific”]… Nic makes this declarative truth statement, but in doing so he shows how narrow his thinking is [blinders][there is a whole other spiritual realm in play].

[5 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.] Being born of water is the [earthly human birth] you’re familiar with.  But Nic, you MUST be born from above if you want to see and experience the Kingdom of God.  This second birth is not something physical - it’s spiritual.  It originates in the spiritual heavenly realm.  It is caused not by some human parents or some biological process, but by the Spirit of God [6].  This actually is NOT something external.  This is about what God is doing in human hearts.  A deep radical rebirth and transformation on the inside.

The problem, Nic, is people’s hearts - the spiritual part of them - are dead from birth.  From the moment you were born physically - actually, the instant you were [conceived], that miraculous moment when the seed and the egg came together and your physical life began in your mother’s womb, your spirit was in a state of spiritual death, separation from God, due to the Fall.  The disobedience of the First Parents: when they chose what they wanted over what God wanted, they died spiritually (even as their bodies began to die physically) - and all their offspring on down to you, Nic (and each one of us) are conceived and born with a spirit that is dead.  Separated from God.  Truly, truly.  What needs to happen is a SPIRITUAL birth.  A “second” birth.  Jesus says, Nic, IF you truly want to see the kingdom of God, you need this second birth.  You (and we all) need to be born again, born from above.  By the Spirit.

[7-8 “Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”]  I know this sounds amazing, hard to believe.  But don’t be so focused on trying to fully explain everything in terms of what you can see [btw, wind=spirit in Greek, same word].  

[9  Nicodemus said to Him, “How can these things be?”]  Nic is still stuck on the physical.  How is any of this even possible?  And he’s refusing to accept/trust something he can’t fully understand or explain.

[10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things?]  Is Jesus surprised here?  Of course not.  But Jesus says, this is Israel 101.  Basic instruction for God’s people.  To which, do we find teaching about a spiritual rebirth of the Spirit in the OT?  Yes we do.

[Is. 44:3  ‘For I will pour out water on the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring and My blessing on your descendants;][Ezek. 36:25-26 “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.  Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.] [Jer. 31:33 “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.]  These are God’s people.  They need a change of heart on the inside, and this would be a work of His Spirit.  But Israel was just so focused on the externals.  On the do’s & don’ts of that First Covenant.  Do this, don’t do that.  And on circumcision.  Get that little surgery & you’re good to go.  But they & we need a different kind of surgery.  Heavenly heart surgery.  Israel is totally missing the truth that no one can ever make themselves clean enough to enter into God’s kingdom through the externals, through our own efforts.  Their teachers, the Pharisees, are missing this big time.  So focused on making the outside clean.  Even Nicodemus.  Jesus is saying, truly, truly - this is a work that only My Spirit can do, on the inside, in your heart.  Only He can fire up this eternal life in your heart.

[11 “Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and witness of what we have seen, and you all do not accept our witness.”]  Jesus uses plural in just verse.  Is Jesus including JTW?  The word ‘witness’ was used 7 times in ch 1 for what JTW was doing.  Witnessing, testifying.  And the Pharisees came to him too, questioning him - are you the One?  The One who is going to usher in God’s Kingdom?  I.e. a [physical] political change of power?  Totally focused on the the temporal.  But what did John testify?  Same thing - you all need a change of heart.  It’s about what’s going on on the inside.  And remember what John said: I’ve seen the One Who is going to make this happen [1.34].

And so here Jesus is saying, John and I both are speaking about what we’ve seen, we are both telling you what we know to be true, and you all are not receiving/trusting our Message.  Message over miracles.  And you are not believing.  Altho, for those who insist on a sign, how about a resurrection…? [2.19][Mt 16.4]  That's all the sign anyone should need in order to believe...

Matt. 16:4 “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonah."

John 2.18-3.3 - First Conflict Part 2: Signs (not)

[18-21 The Jews then said to Him, “What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” But He was speaking of the temple of His body.]  

Jesus has cleaned out all the profiteering from the temple.  And the Jews ask for a SIGN - show us that YOU have the right to do what you just did.   The whole WORLD is looking for a sign, some kind of proof or even a miracle that would show them that Jesus is Who He says He is [esp. skeptics?].  What does Jesus tell them?  He says, OK.  Here's your sign: Destroy this [temple], and I will raise it up in three days.  They mis-hear Him - He wasn't actually referring to THE Jewish temple [Mt 27.40].  [The age-old struggle of faith is seeing the seen vs unseen - Heb 11.1][Lk 17.20-21][Jesus "saw" the unseen in Nathanael: someone from disreputable Nazareth vs “in whom no deceit”][seen water vs unseen Spirit][there's the power of word - you can’t see/touch][unseen Word became seen flesh][and spiritual Light enlightens on the inside!][This reflects God's value of the Eternal over temporal].

[22 So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.]  At this point, first Passover w Jesus, as new disciples, even His followers don’t fully understand what Jesus is saying, not to mention who He fully is.  Yes, they have already believed in Him.  They’ve seen the first sign at Cana.  They know something of His miraculous power.  But they have so much to learn about the [Word Who Was].  One thing we see early on here is the principle that faith grows, like a [muscle].  It grows with a growth which is from God [1Cor 3.6-7].  Growth from Christ’s Spirit IN us.   But fundamentally, our faith grows as a function of the size of our God.  Our understanding of Who He is.  It’s not how strong we are, or HOW MUCH faith we have, but HOW BIG our God is.  In Whom we trust.  Our view of Him.  Where do we get that? [1Pet 2.2].  [The old train diagram: we put our faith/trust (i.e. the coal) in God and His Word (i.e. the engine)(as opposed to the caboose - which represents our feelings - but trusting in unchanging God and His unchanging Word as opposed to our fluctuating feelings our circumstances is how faith grows - because only He and His Word are truly trustworthy].  And there are different seasons of growth, God uses different things to cause growth in our lives, helping us to learn more about Him.  Often lessons and truths are brought home through [hardship].

[23-25  Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing.  But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man.]  Jesus is doing signs.  And many are believing in His Name.  They are trusting in Him.  Which is great.  But wait - which “signs” were these, do you think?  The Jews just asked Him, what sign do You show us?  And the one sign Jesus “shows” them, the only one that John records, is still three years off.  [Also 2nd sign in 4.54] So what are these “signs” that are now persuading people to believe in Jesus here?

John doesn’t tell us.  And the message here is, Message over miracles.  These signs that are getting people in Jerusalem so excited about Jesus?  John doesn’t give us details on even one single miracle.  He’s saying, it’s all about the Message, the Word about The WORD.  Who is Jesus - and who are you in relation to Him?  Ultimately, we don’t trust in the miracles.  In the signs.  We trust in the Person, in the truth of Who Jesus is and what He says.  People here are coming out of the woodwork cuz of the signs.  To see the signs.  The physical.  They’re showing up for the show.  But what John is telling us here is, the Message is more important than the miracles.  Who Jesus is, is more important than what He can do for you.  Of course, BECAUSE of Who He is, He can and will do exactly what He needs to do for each of us…

[23-25] Now, John says many are believing/trusting in Jesus, BUT Jesus is NOT trusting in them.  Why does John tell us this?  And what would it mean for Jesus to “trust Himself” to men?  Why would He even do that?  One thought is that it means that Jesus sees their hearts, and that they are only “believing” in the signs, that they are not really trusting in the person of Jesus.  And so He doesn’t “believe their belief”, so to speak.  They are not really trusting IN Him, committing themselves to Him as their personal Savior, and so He is not committing Himself to them by coming into their hearts and sealing them with salvation.

There is truth to this.  All the time, people say they “believe” in Jesus, they even hang around His people for a time - but the Lord sees into their hearts.  He (alone!) knows whether we’re really trusting in Jesus, OR maybe we’ve only had some emotional experience.  Maybe we have some truth in our head, but we haven’t fully said, “I do” to Jesus in our heart.  We haven’t said, “Jesus, You are the only Way to eternal life.  Your death is the only payment for my sin.”

John says, Jesus [knew all men].  He looks at the inside, sees all the unseen.  Spiritual sight.  Nathanael: before he met Jesus, Jesus knew him.  As we will see, He knows Nicodemus.  He knows the woman at the well.  Jesus knows everyone.  He knows me, AND you.  We can’t hide from Him.  Like the James Webb telescope looking into the deepest reaches of space, Jesus sees into the deepest depths of my heart.  He knew what was in “the man”, John says.  In every person.  For me, this truth is so amazing because Jesus sees all my mess, all my missteps - He knows who I really am, and He still loves me.  Even as He dragged Himself up that hill and onto that Cross, where He died for me and for you, He saw each of us, in all our brokenness, all our rebellion and unfaithfulness.  And He stretched out His hands and said, “I love you.  Just as you are.  Right where you are.  AND I love you too much to let you stay there.  I have a wonderful plan for you - if you’ll trust Me.”

Enter Nicodemus.  Coming to meet w the celebrity Rabbi.  [3:1-3 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this man came to Jesus 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.”  Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”]  The signs!  Everyone is so excited about the signs.  They want to see the signs, they’re clamoring to see this One Who’s doing the signs.  And VIP Nic, this ruler of the Jews, finagles a backstage pass to hang out with the superstar Rabbi.  Exclusive access.  And once he’s there, we see how [enamored he is with the celebrity].  He rolls out the flattery.  Isn’t that what we do when we’re in the presence of greatness?  It’s not insincere - but it’s so focused on the external, the performance, isn’t it?  (Most celebrities are surprised at the flattery and the fanaticism at first, cuz they know they don’t deserve it).  And here’s ol’ Nic: God is with You, honored Teacher!  You are certainly from God.  Cuz these signs - they’re signs that God is with You!  

And flattery feels good doesn’t it, when someone dishes it to you?  Feels good to have fans.  How do you think Jesus felt about Nic’s flattery?  How does He respond?  “Why, thank you…That’s very kind of you…Praise the Lord…”  Nope.  Jesus busts out His second [truly-truly].  He cuts to the chase, and gives Nicodemus the truth behind the signs.  The truth is, this is NOT about these signs you’re seeing.  You want to see God’s kingdom?  It’s not about the signs.  It’s not about the external.  It’s not about the show.  It’s not about showing up for the show.  Sometimes we think, I showed up.  All I need to do is show up for the show on Sunday.  And Jesus says, no no no.  It’s about our heart.  What is going on on the inside.  The deeper, more eternal spiritual reality.  Nic, you need to be born again.  No matter who you are, no matter how important, or unimportant for that matter.  You and I, we all need a NEW heart.  And it only comes from the One Who made all this…

Referenced verses:

Matt. 27:40 and saying, “^aYou who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”

1Cor. 15:17 and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless

1Cor. 3:6 ^aI planted, ^bApollos watered, but ^cGod was causing the growth. 7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.

1Pet. 2:2 ^alike newborn babies, long for the ^1bpure ²milk of the word, so that by it you may ^cgrow ³in respect to salvation

John 4:54 This is again a ^asecond ¹sign that Jesus performed when He had ^bcome out of Judea into Galilee.

John 2.12-17 - First Conflict: First Cleansing

[12  After this He went down to Capernaum, He and His mother and His brothers and His disciples; and they stayed there a few days.] [Family time] [Mom is present], but where’s Dad?  Joseph does not show up even one time in John’s book.  Not once.  These are arguably the biggest most important days of Jesus’ life (to this point).  And he’s missing it!  He’s absent.  We know he started out well.  He stayed with Mary, and fathered Jesus just like he would have his own son.  So something happened.  Maybe he died.  That’s a distinct possibility.  Maybe he couldn’t get the time off?  Or maybe he got distracted.  Maybe he got busy, putting career in front of his wife and kids?  Dads, insofar is possible w you, we need to be present [unlike Adam].  Maybe you’ve been absent - but tomorrow is a new day.  [Best gift for mom?  Presence]  By the grace and power Christ gives, don’t be absent.  God will strengthen you to be present.  AND He heals.  He empowers forgiveness.  He restores the years the locust has eaten.  Maybe God will give you the grace to be present for someone else… We all need a dad.  Literally.  Someone who’s watching out for us, a protector, a provider.  Best of all, above all, even if our biological father isn’t in the picture - we have a Father-in-heaven [Psa. 68:5 A father to those who have no father, a judge of the widows, is God in his holy place. ].

[13  The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem].  Jerusalem was ”down south”  for Jesus but you always “go up” to it - situated [on a hill].  Passover of course is the annual feast and celebration of when God brought His people out of slavery in Egypt, and in the process He gave them a picture of Messiah.  How God spared His people from the destroying angel when they had the [blood of the lamb around the door of their house].  And if you can, you want to celebrate in [Jerusalem]!  And here, at long last, here comes the true Lamb of God to celebrate the Feast that points to Him!

Now, none of the other Gospels mention THIS trip.  None of them mention this “other” temple cleansing.  The other three Gospels describe how Jesus does a similar cleansing after He triumphal-enters Jerusalem during the week right before He is crucified.  Some say that this difference is the biggest historical hurdle for John’s Gospel.  Were there two temple cleansings, or just one?

If there was only one temple cleansing, maybe the other three Gospels have it wrong?  Not likely.  OR, maybe John is using some “literary license” - maybe he includes the event here because of how it reinforces what he’s trying to show us about Jesus?  It’s possible - John does jump around back and forth between topics sometimes.

But why can’t there be two temple cleansings?  This first cleansing gets Jesus on the radar as a bothersome zealot.  NOW He’s gone public.  The second, 3yrs from this one, will be inexcusable - it will dump a bunch of fuel on the already-burning fires of execution.  For some reason, John only mentions this first one.  But this first cleansing develops Jesus ministry in two ways: 1) it kicks off the conflict that grows between Jesus and the religious establishment.  First conflict.  2) (as we’ll see next time, 18-19, 22) this cleansing strengthens belief in both the prophecies of the OT AND the prophetic words of Jesus.  Here we are, at the very beginning of His ministry, He’s just getting started, His crucifixion is still years away, and He’s already talking in very specific terms about His ultimate execution and resurrection.  Jesus is very clear about why He’s here, and where He’s going [how bout you and me?].  But so, first cleansing, first conflict - let’s see what has Jesus so hot and bothered…

[14 And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables.] Think about this scene.  In the temple.  What is supposed to take place “in the temple”?  Sacrifice.  Incense.  Offering.  Worship.  Whose house?  The place where He had caused His holy Name to dwell [Is 56.7].  A special, sacred place.  And the focus is where?  But at this point, the bottom line for the House of God has become not Almighty God but the mighty dollar [or shekel].  It’s all about the Benjamins.  About selling and changing money.  

This wasn’t a new problem - it had been going on for centuries.  Sadly the religious leaders have a financial stake in this enterprise [and this problem persists, doesn’t it?].  People invariably shift the focus from being about Almighty God, to being about me.  Sometimes, it’s “what do I need to DO for God?"  And more often, it’s “what can I get from God?”  Either way, what’s in it for me?  It’s about me.  When in fact, this, all this, is all about Almighty God. [Is. 58:3-5  “‘Why have we fasted and You do not see? Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?’ Behold, on the day of your fast you find your desire, and drive hard all your workers.’  Behold, you fast for contention and strife and to strike with a wicked fist. You do not fast like you do today to make your voice heard on high.  Is it a fast like this which I choose, a day for a man to humble himself? Is it for bowing one’s head like a reed and for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed? Will you call this a fast, even an acceptable day to the LORD?][Ps. 46:10 “Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”]  Our rituals and rhythms, the disciplines and celebrations of our faith, are not about what WE can get out of it.  They’re not about me.  These are to help US focus on Him.  On the God Who made us for Himself.  They’re to help us see Him, know Him - because only in Him do we find true rest and our greatest heart’s desire.  But here, again right off the bat, Jesus sees at this feast that the focus is WAY off.

[15-16 And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; and to those who were selling the doves He said, “Take these things away; stop making My Father’s house a place of business.”] What does Jesus do?  He makes a scourge.  A phragellion.  Gives us our word, flagellum.  Used to “flagellate” something.  It’s a whip.  Which maybe sounds extreme - but sometimes the Lord needs to resort to extreme measures to get our focus back on Him.  Take these things away, He says.  [Here we see The Extreme NO].  Perhaps there’s something in the temple of your life that ought not be there?  Extreme measures.  What are you prepared to do?  And then what? [1.29 - He will help you!]  Jesus then says, stop making My Father’s house a place of [emporium].  This is not a business, Jesus says.  Church, ministry is not a business.  Church is about people who are learning to make it all about the Lord.  But is "My Father's house" about a building?

[17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house will consume Me.”]  [This is The Extreme YES].  Zeal = to be hot/boiling about something.  Is Jesus’ zeal about a building tho?  Jesus is hot and bothered, for sure.  He’s bothered that people are hot into making money, making it about themselves, and not making it about the glory of God.  But this zeal/heat will DEVOUR Me, it says.  What if anything devours you?  What heats you up and eats you up?  A lot of things can do that to us.  Devour us, consume us.  Eat up our time and attention and money.  Some might insist that such extreme measures, giving ourselves in such an extreme way to anything cannot be healthy.  And for the most part, I would be inclined to agree - with one exception.  Right here.  It is clearly ok, God sanctioned in fact - to be hot and consumed for God’s “house” - not about a building per se - but for the God for Whom it stands.  For His Name.  For His cause.  For the things He cares about.  Like people.  The church, the family is the people.  Zealous for the Lord and His family.  Let Him do that in us.  Cuz He is worthy.  He is better.  So breathtakingly good.  Extreme devotion.  Like Jesus…

Cited verses:

John 1:29   The next day he *saw Jesus coming to him and *said, “Behold, ^athe Lamb of God who ^btakes away the sin of the world!

Is. 56:7  Even ^athose I will bring to My ^bholy mountain and ^cmake them joyful in My house of prayer.  Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on ^dMy altar; for ^eMy house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.”