“A New Life Through Jesus Christ”
John 3:1-21
Sermon Series: “Getting Acquainted With Jesus”
Introduction: Have you ever felt like you needed a “do over,” “mulligan,” or a “return” in life? Have you ever felt like exchanging your life? Do you need a “new life?” Jesus said that we all do when he said, “You must be born again.” This is a very familiar term, but do we really understand what it means?
Definition: “Born again” – reborn, born from above, born a 2nd time, born of God, regenerated (restoration or renovation).
Significance/Implications:
Act of God-humanly impossible
We are born physically alive but spiritually dead because of sin but being born again makes us spiritually alive also (born once, die twice; born twice, die once).
Given a relationship with God where He is our Father and we are His children
A new beginning or a 2nd chance at life (starting over)
A new and changed life
That’s wonderful! But do I really need a new life? And if I do, how do I receive it? Well, let’s examine this conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus to learn the answers to these questions.
1. A new life is our foremost spiritual need (v. 1-3).
Nicodemus was:
A. Religious-very devoted
B. Righteous-had morality
C. Rich-had money
Ruler-had power
E. Respected-the people looked up to the Pharisees and Nicodemus was “the teacher of Israel”
Nicodemus had everything going for him, but he wasn’t satisfied, and it wasn’t enough. Religion and outward success do not fix our hearts. He needed God. He needed “a new life.” We do as well.
2. A new life is of a fully supernatural nature (v. 3-8). Jesus made a very blunt statement to such a respected teacher. Nicodemus did not seem to grasp how a man could start over and have a new life. He was confusing the spiritual and the physical. Jesus is saying that the new birth is a supernatural work of God (John 1:11-13) through the Holy Spirit where He gives a repentant sinner a new heart (Ezekiel 36:25-27, Titus 3:5). Being born is something we cannot do! We cannot earn or work our way to God, but it is only by His grace (Ephesians 2:8-10). Christianity is the DONE plan instead of the DO plan.
3. A new life is fully provided by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ (v. 9-16). We cannot make it to God on our own. Jesus is the only way to God. He is God who left heaven and came to earth so we can have eternal life (v. 13). Jesus died on the cross for our sins and was raised from the dead (2 Corinthians 5:21, Romans 8:3, Galatians 3:13, 1 Peter 2:22-24). Jesus used the example of the story about the serpents in Numbers 21:4-9 to illustrate this truth.
4. A new life is freely received by repentance of sin and faith in Jesus Christ (v. 14-16). Salvation is the free gift of God. Jesus has DONE the work. However, we must repent of sin and trust Jesus in order to be born again and have eternal life. Jesus made it clear to Nicodemus that his problem was unbelief. Is that your problem?
5. A new life is ultimately characterized by spiritual transformation (v. 16-21). Through Jesus Christ, we are transformed from:
A. Death to Life (v. 16)
B. Condemnation to Salvation (v. 17-18)
C. Darkness to Light (v. 19-20)
D. Evil to Truth (v. 20-21)
Conclusion: Have you been born again and received a new life? If not, trust Christ and give your life to Him!
