NIC AT NIGHT

WHAT DO YOU MEAN...BORN AGAIN?

MOUNT OF OLIVES

Jesus overturned the money tables. Also,God worked miracles through him during the Passover and some people believed in Him. Jesus did not tell personal and private things to the unbelieving religious people.

"While he was in Jerusalem during the Passover Festival, many believed in his name when they saw the signs he was doing.  Jesus, however, would not entrust himself to them, since he knew them all  and because he did not need anyone to testify about man; for he himself knew what was in man." John 2:23-25 CSB

Nic, a teacher of Pharisees may have seen the miracles that Jesus did that day.  Having many questions, he decided to find Jesus at night to get personal answers.

"There was a man from the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.  

This man came to him at night and 

said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could perform these signs you do unless God were with him.”  John 3:1-2  CSB

JESUS KNEW NIC'S HEART.  

"Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is BORN AGAIN, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  John 3:3  CSB

NO ONE CAN SEE HEAVEN WITHOUT BEING BORN AGAIN!

Nic was puzzled.  How can a grown man reenter his mother's womb and be Born Again? 

“How can anyone be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked him. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?”  John 3:4  CSB

JESUS BEGINS CLARIFYING THINGS.

NO MAN CAN ENTER HEAVEN TOO!

"Jesus answered, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  John 3:5  CSB

In John 4, talking to the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus defines what he means by WATER.

"Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. But whoever drinks from the WATER that I will give him will never get thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up in him for eternal life.”  John 4:13:14  CSB

Pharisees understood the importance of living water (flowing water), used in Mikvehs, and temple washings, and purification.

Also, they know the story of Moses smiting the rock in the wilderness; and water rushing out.

Jesus is the rock, smitten on the cross; and out of him comes living water.

"The one who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of LIVING WATER flow from deep within him.”
John 7:38  CSB

LISTEN NIC, FLESHLY BIRTH AND SPIRITUAL BIRTH ARE DIFFERENT

"Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit.  John 3:6  CSB

HERE IS A DESCRIPTION OF BEING BORN OF THE SPIRIT.  On Pentecost believers heard the mighty wind of God's Spirit.  God is invisable.

"Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born again. The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”  John 3:7-8  CSB

NIC, If you have a hard time understanding things that will happen on earth; how are you going to believe in heavenly things.

“How can these things be?” asked Nicodemus.

 “Are you a teacher of Israel and don’t know these things?” Jesus replied. “Truly I tell you, we speak what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you do not accept our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?   John 3:9-12  CSB

SON OF MAN CAME FROM HEAVEN

"No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven—the Son of Man.  John 3:13 CSB

People bitten by a deadly snakes in the wilderness were healed by faith, when they looked at the bronze snake Moses hung on a pole.  In the same manner, Jesus was lifted up on a cross and died for your sins and all who believe in him.

“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. "For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."  John 3:14-16  CSB

THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN JESUS, ARE BORN AGAIN, RECEIVING THE HOLY SPIRIT

 "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.  This is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.  For everyone who does evil hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed.  But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.”  

John 3:17-21  CSB  Christian Standard Bible

DO YOU WANT TO BE BORN AGAIN?