Sermon Synopsis
This sermon explores Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus in John 3 and the necessity of being “born again” in order to enter the kingdom of God. It explains humanity’s problem of sin, the certainty of death and judgment, and mankind’s inability to save itself through good works or religion. The message emphasizes that Jesus alone came from heaven, died on the cross for sinners, and provides cleansing, regeneration, and eternal life through faith in Him. The sermon concludes with a clear gospel invitation, calling hearers to trust, believe, and receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour.
Please note: This transcript is provided as close to verbatim record of the sermon.
Born Again: Entering the Kingdom of God
Text: John 3:1–16
Opening Prayer
Good evening. It is nice to see all of you here.
Let us commit this time to the Lord in prayer.
Our Father in heaven, we thank Thee for this time and for this opportunity to open Thy Word again. Father, today we consider the identity of who the Lord Jesus is. We seek Thy presence, that Thy Word will be clear and that Thy message of salvation will be clear to those who are seeking an answer. We commit tonight’s meeting to Thee and pray for Thy presence and for Thy enabling as we share Thy Word. We commit this time to Thee and pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Introduction: Nicodemus Comes to Jesus
The passage we are going to consider today is taken from John chapter 3, verses 1–16.
The subject is “Born Again.” Perhaps the term born again sounds strange because we have already been born physically. Perhaps another way to describe it is spiritual regeneration.
In this passage, we read of a conversation between Nicodemus and the Lord Jesus. Nicodemus came by night. He was a man of importance, a knowledgeable man, and a man in authority. Yet he came at night so that no one would see him coming to Jesus.
He was curious.
His question was essentially this: “You are a teacher from God.”
In other words: Are You from God?
It sounds like a simple yes-or-no question. But to the Lord Jesus, it was much more than that.
Jesus answered:
“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
The Jews were looking forward to a Messianic King who would come from God to rule and reign over them. Nicodemus came thinking that Jesus had been sent from God.
But the Lord Jesus pointed him to something deeper:
“You must be born again to see the kingdom of God.”
The kingdom of God consists of those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Need to Be Born Again
Like many of us, Nicodemus was perplexed.
“How can this be?” he asked.
“Can a man enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born again?”
It was a fair question.
But Jesus replied:
“Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”
And then He explained:
“That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”
We are all born of the flesh, and we are all very fleshly.
When Jesus spoke about being born of water, He spoke of cleansing. When He spoke about the Spirit, He referred to the Spirit of God.
Jesus continued:
“Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
When we become Christians, we do not suddenly become superhuman. But we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit.
We cannot see the Spirit, just as we cannot see the wind. Yet we know His presence. Like the wind that fills the sail of a boat and moves it forward, the Holy Spirit guides us through life.
This is what the Lord Jesus was teaching Nicodemus.
The One Who Came from Heaven
Nicodemus asked again:
“How can these things be?”
Jesus reminded him that he was a teacher in Israel, yet he struggled to understand these truths.
Then the Lord Jesus said:
“Most assuredly, I say to you, we speak what we know and testify what we have seen, and you do not receive our witness.”
And then comes a very important statement:
“No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.”
How can we know whether someone is truly from God?
The answer is found here.
The Lord Jesus came from heaven. He is the Son of Man who came down from heaven and is now glorified in heaven.
Nicodemus asked a simple question: “Are You from God?”
Jesus could simply have answered, “Yes.”
But the heart of God desired much more than merely answering a question. The Lord Jesus wanted Nicodemus to understand the way of salvation.
He explained the necessity of cleansing, regeneration, and new life through the Spirit.
Perhaps you too are seeking God and asking questions such as:
This passage gives us the answer.
The Problem of Sin
The kingdom of God is everlasting life, and it belongs to those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
But why must we be born again?
The Bible tells us:
“For the wages of sin is death.”
No matter who we are—whether we come from a position of importance or from a humble background—we all face death.
The Bible also describes the works of the flesh:
adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like.
This is the reality of sin in our flesh.
Yet God did not create mankind this way.
Genesis tells us that God created man in His own image. He created them male and female and blessed them.
Man was created innocent, without sin, not knowing good and evil.
But then came the temptation in the Garden of Eden.
The serpent, Satan, deceived Eve.
He said:
“You will not surely die.”
He promised wisdom, enlightenment, and greatness.
Eve succumbed to the temptation, took the fruit, ate it, and gave it to her husband.
Their eyes were opened.
They lost their innocence.
Sin entered the world.
Mankind came to know good and evil.
And sadly, we often do more evil than good.
That is why the Bible says:
“What comes out of a man defiles a man.”
When we honestly examine ourselves, we see sin in our hearts.
Perhaps not every sin listed in Scripture applies to us, but can we honestly say there is no jealousy, hatred, selfishness, or uncleanness within us?
That is why we are sinners.
Death, Judgment, and Eternity
The Bible says:
“It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.”
Death is not the end.
There is judgment afterward.
Many people think:
“Good people go to heaven, and bad people go to hell.”
But are any of us good enough?
Can we truly meet God’s perfect standard?
We have a past, a present, and a future.
I have known William for almost fifty years. Next year, I think it will be fifty years since we were together in this church.
What is our future?
Our future on earth is not long.
Many of us have already collected CPF Life. We know how quickly life passes.
The Psalmist tells us that our days may be “three score years and ten,” and perhaps more if strength permits.
Life is short.
What happens when it ends?
Is death simply a full stop?
No.
There is judgment.
There is heaven and there is hell.
Because of this reality, people everywhere search for God.
They seek answers through religion.
Religion teaches people to do good.
But religion does not provide a way to eternity.
Most religions tell us that we must do good works and accumulate merit.
But can we ever achieve perfection?
Many religious founders came from this world.
Yet Jesus spoke of One who came from heaven.
If man can become god, then perhaps any of us might become god someday.
But is that truly the answer?
Should we trust someone who comes from this world, or should we trust the One who came from heaven?
The Bible says:
“Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.”
God is not from this earth.
He created the world.
He exists beyond time.
He is eternal.
The Reality of Hell
Many religions teach about hell.
But what does the Bible say?
The Bible speaks of Hades as a place of torment and speaks of the lake of fire prepared for Satan and his angels.
Hell was not created for you and me.
It was created for Satan.
Yet Scripture also warns that those who remain in unbelief and rebellion against God will face the second death.
This is not a truth that delights God.
It grieves His heart.
God does not want people to perish.
That is why He sent His Son.
God’s Provision: Cleansing and New Life
The Lord Jesus repeatedly told Nicodemus:
“You must be born again.”
“You must be born of water and the Spirit.”
Your life must be cleansed.
The prophet Ezekiel records God’s promise:
“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean… I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you.”
God promises cleansing.
God promises a new heart.
God promises new life.
And though:
“The wages of sin is death,”
the verse does not end there.
It continues:
“But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
By believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, we receive eternal life.
Jesus said:
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Only Jesus is the way.
The Bronze Serpent and the Cross
The Lord Jesus then explained salvation to Nicodemus using an illustration from the Old Testament:
“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”
In Numbers 21, the Israelites complained against God.
As judgment, fiery serpents came among them, and many died.
The people repented and cried out to God.
God instructed Moses to lift up a bronze serpent.
Whoever looked upon it in faith would live.
This was a foreshadowing of Christ.
Just as the bronze serpent was lifted up, the Son of Man would be lifted up on the cross.
When we see a medical symbol with a serpent on a staff, it reminds us of healing.
Three days ago, I had the privilege of undergoing a day surgery.
When we see medical signs, we place our trust in the treatment provided.
In the same way, the Lord Jesus calls us to trust, believe, and accept the healing that He offers through His death on the cross.
He was lifted up for your sins and for mine.
Will you trust Him?
Will you believe Him?
Will you accept His cleansing?
God’s Great Salvation
The Lord Jesus then gave one of the most beloved verses in all of Scripture:
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
This is God’s plan of salvation.
The Lord Jesus came from heaven.
From eternity past, He humbled Himself and was born in a manger.
That is why we celebrate Christmas.
He came from heaven.
He died on the cross for our sins.
He rose again.
And He returned to heaven.
Why?
So that when our earthly future comes to an end, we may have peace with God and eternal life.
It cost the heart of God to send His Son to die for us.
Yet He did so because He loves us.
The Lord Jesus said:
“I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
The Invitation
The message tonight is very clear.
Do not place your trust in someone who did not come from heaven.
Believe in the One who came from heaven and ascended back to heaven—the Son of Man, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Trust Him.
Believe Him.
Accept His cleansing and His salvation.
John 1:12 tells us:
“As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God.”
We were created by God.
We were created for relationship with God.
That is why we must be born again.
And the Lord Jesus gives this assurance:
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms… I go to prepare a place for you.”
The Lord Jesus came from heaven, died on the cross, rose again, and returned to heaven to prepare a place for those who trust Him.
This message was for Nicodemus.
It is also for us.
God loves you.
He gave His Son for you.
Will you trust Him tonight?
The Bible says:
“If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
With the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
The Lord Jesus says:
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
If you would like to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour, you may pray and place your trust in Him. If you have questions after the service, please speak to me or to any of the friends who brought you here.
Closing Prayer
Let us pray.
God, we thank You for sending the Lord Jesus Christ to die for us on the cross.
I want to accept Him as my Saviour.
Thank You for saving me, forgiving me, and cleansing me from my sin.
I now receive Him as my Saviour.
I thank You in the name of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.