New Birth in Jesus Christ

Ruth 4:13-22, Psalm 146, John 3:1-21

Last week we heard Jesus and Philip the disciple say, “Come and See”. This amazing and simple invitation invites us to see and experience the whole new reality of Jesus. This invitation is something any of us can do. Next, we must trust Jesus enough to lead us to something beyond our current knowledge. That brings us to today, where we listen in on a mysterious and profound conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus. We realize through this conversation that Jesus isn’t just trying to show us something, he is hoping to utterly transform us. It might start with a come and see, but it leads to a come and be renewed, come and be reborn, come and become something you could have never been on your own.

The conversation starts with Nicodemus, who has already seen what Jesus can do. Nicodemus says, “We know that you are a teacher from God, because no one can perform the signs you do, without the presence of God”. This is a really important starting place (though not everyone starts here). So, Nicodemus has already come to see. He took up the invitation and was open to what he saw. He had eyes to see, at least partially, that God was working. This is something we need to note. Nicodemus saw Jesus and he allowed what he saw to inform the truth. The sad reality is that for many we invite, sometimes even when we ourselves are invited, we might come and see, yet we can very easily be resistant to the truth that is right in front of us. We can easily limit and belittle the wonderful glory of God and make it earthly. Now, we cannot limit God, but our lack of a godly imagination can limit what we see and experience. I said earlier that Nicodemus has limited vision - because he may be able to see that Jesus comes from God, but the fact he comes to Jesus at night still means that he is hiding something, something is still in the dark, it is still a secret to him, from him or to others. We can too often limit our faith or understanding, instead of allowing God’s truth to expand it and expand our lives with it.

This is one of the reasons I think Jesus responds to Nicodemus’ statement with such a strange and abrupt tangent. Nicodemus just said, “You are a teacher that comes from God” and Jesus responds, “Very truly I tell you that no one can see the kingdom of God without first being born from above”. You see Jesus is acknowledging what Nicodemus can see and yet he is saying “You have not seen the half of it”. You know that thing you want so badly. That kingdom and world of peace, joy, and love that only comes from God. You know that thing all of Israel has been longing for in their heart of hearts. You know that thing the whole world is striving after, but is so elusive. Guess what, it's right in front of you, but you can’t see it. Though what you can see has led you to Jesus. So, the big question is will you be reborn?

I want to acknowledge this for a second before digging into heavenly transformation. In the Gospel of Matthew and Mark, Jesus starts his whole ministry by announcing, “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand”. Repent, turn around, come in a different direction, and see. But notice what Jesus is inviting them into, repent, change your ways, so . . . that you might reach out, touch, see, experience the Kingdom of God, because it is so close you could reach out and touch it. Yet, even as close as it is, the Kingdom of God can be hard to see. It can be hard to know and experience. We know that the world with its wars, fighting for power, wealth, and safety is definitely not the Kingdom of God, so how is it close at hand? Well, it's simple the Kingdom of God is not of this broken world, though the Kingdom of God does shape and impact the world in monumental and lasting ways.

I know that for most of you, faith in Jesus Christ has shown you something that you can’t live without. Something that expands the joy and brings a kind of peace in the struggles and grief. I know that a faith and hope in Christ can point us through anything bad and lead us into something we can barely imagine. All of us can see beyond what is simply physically there. Yet, none of us started here. This was not something that we found out. It is sadly not something just anyone can see - otherwise, everyone would be Christians. It is too easy to enslave ourselves to this world, cloud our eyes with the brokenness, and let evil ensnare us. This is why sadly wise arguments of any kind for social good or even Christian apologetics only go so far. Without a renewed heart and life in Christ, we will let our brokenness stand in the way of the truth, God’s truth that is right in front of us.

I wanted to spend some time on this because I think we too often simplify and belittle what Jesus is calling us into as Christians. We aren’t just called to be better people. I’m not just called to use what God has given me. I’m not just called to follow Jesus and see him as the greater teacher he is. As Christians, we are called to be transformed. We are called to be born from above. All those earthly things that define us, that we think determine us, all the genetics, the family brokenness, the trauma, the anger, the resentment, all the limitedness, all of it is meant to be shed away like nothing. Because we become something new not born of this earth, not born of this substance or place. When we become Christian we become a kind of ambassador for God’s Kingdom. Like ambassadors, we live in these little pockets of a different kingdom, we are citizens of another nation, ruled by another set of laws and yet we live surrounded by a people (mostly) that do not know what it means to belong to and be born in that place.

So this poses a difficult problem. How can we be born from above? It seems ridiculous - just as Nicodemus question is rediculous. We can’t enter into our mother’s womb - but at the same time how can we be born of something we don’t know or perceive? It's simple, you trust something or someone who does see, who does know, and who can show you the way. When we are learning anything we turn to a teacher (hopefully), or at least their writings so that we might learn from their knowledge, that we don’t have. It's the same thing with heaven and a godly hope. We turn, lean on, and learn from the one who does know and can do. It’s alright if you don’t know how to be born from above or if you don’t feel like you are there yet. I don’t. The point is to trust in the Spirit enough that we let him do it and know that he will use even the broken physical things of this world like our lives to work this transformation.

That brings us to being reborn by water and the Spirit. You see, there are two substances that we are reborn through: the earthly and the heavenly, Godly. The earthly is water. A substance we can touch and feel. A substance that we know we need. A substance that is a foundation of our life and yet we know can be so dangerous. As we look around the world with flooding, storms, tsunamis, drought, and thirst - we know that water exists within this broken world both as a giver of life, but also as a tool of chaos. Now, God enters into this earthly reality of water that can hold a bit of chaos and uses it to become both our death and our new birth. Jesus is all at once commenting on the chaotic waters at creation, the life giving rivers running through the garden of Eden, the great and deadly flood, deliverance through the parting of the waters, the promised land through the crossing of the Jordan, the washing and cleansing before entering the temple, and so much more. Yet, ultimately Jesus is reminding us that he speaks through and uses this broken world to present, live out, and enact his goodly recreation. Just as the invitation to come and see is an earthly creature inviting you to see and experience God in their midst, in this moment the water also becomes a vessel for meeting, seeing, and knowing God’s work in powerful ways.

Yet, none of it is possible without the Holy Spirit. We need the heavenly. We need the Godly. This broken world and our broken lives are not enough. Water can be just as destructive without godly order. The Holy Spirit is what transforms this water and takes the chaos and uses it as an instrument of good. It hovered over the waters at creation to order it and lead its chaos towards life. This is already an amazing message for any kind of chaos in this world - it is through the Holy Spirit’s active presence that things come to order and life. He is the transforming agent. The only way we can be born from above is through the Spirit. Everything else in this world will just make us more fleshy, more grounded in the things of this world, just as fickle, fleeting, and weak. We can’t know the Kingdom of God and its lasting peace and joy if we are based on such lacking things. We must be born of the Spirit if we ever hope to know heaven in this world and the next. We need to let the godly - the Holy Spirit - take hold of us and redefine us.

Okay, I knew this passage was more than I could chew on in one sermon. We have only got through 5 verses. So now I want to jump ahead to Jesus' action that leads to our rebirth. This is one of the greatest reasons Jesus was sent into this world, to lead us to new birth which leads us to eternal life in Him. Again, this life is only possible if we trust, and believe in something bigger than this world, Jesus. Jesus is the one who descended from heaven, so he knows heavenly things. He is the one lifted like the snake in the wilderness, so he is the one who will heal our sinful and poisoned hearts. He is the one that is going to sacrifice Himself for us so that through his death, we might die to this world, and through his resurrection, we might be reborn as a child of God, born from above, born in the Holy Spirit. Even when we can’t perceive or understand, we can and should still trust Jesus. Why? Not just because he does see and understand, but because he has already done the work. Jesus has already defeated this world. He has already healed. He has already overcome sin, suffering and death. He is now inviting us to live into a new reality, but first, we must be reborn into his resurrection - if we die with him we shall live with him. The first step is faith, the next step is baptism, the next step after that comes right back to faith in thought and deed. You might not realize it, but as Christians, Jesus is making you new. It is through faith and faithfulness that we grab onto him as he does the work of rebirth in us. Jesus has already accomplished it and now we seek its fulfillment. So we pray, Lord Jesus, help us to die to this broken world, so that we may live in you. Renew this world through the pockets of your Kingdom that you create in those who love you. AMEN