WEDNESDAY, 10 March 2021 “Rebirth”

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Hello my “Walking with Jesus” friends,

I have a question for us today: In all of your lifetime, from the moment you take your first breath outside the womb, to the moment you breath your last breath, what moment will be your most significant lifetime moment and have the greatest impact on your life and your legacy?

Now ponder that and I wonder what your answer is? Oh my friends, today let me invite you to consider what I believe history shows us is the PINNACLE moment of a lifetime!

When God visited our planet in the person of Jesus, while in Jerusalem on His first visit there, we saw yesterday that Jesus created quite a stir as He made a whip and cleared the outer courts of the Temple with the outrageous statement “How dare you turn My Father’s house into a market.” (John 2:16) If you didn’t happen to hear or read yesterday’s edition of “Walking with Jesus” I urge you not to miss it. It may be one of the most significant life moments for you! It sure was for those who witnessed this event.

John continues his account of what happened with Jesus in that first Jerusalem visit by writing, “Now while Jesus was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs He was doing and believed in His name.” (John 2:21-23) As far as I can tell, we do not have, in any of the four Gospel accounts, any description of these specific ‘miraculous signs’ that Jesus did on this first Passover visit to Jerusalem, but clearly whatever He did, made an impact on many people.

One specific and important event we do have recorded for us is Jesus’ encounter with a Pharisee named Nicodemus, recorded next for us in John 3:1-21. I believe it’s safe to say this may have been the most important moment of Nicodemus’ lifetime. It’s quite famous, and you’ve probably read it several times.

This is our first encounter with Mr. Nicodemus but not our last, for as you may remember this courageous and influential religious ruler in Jerusalem stepped forward on the day Jesus was crucified, asking Pilate for permission to remove Jesus’ dead body from the cross and bury it. None of Jesus’ disciples did that, in fact they had all run, except John. (John 19:25,26) But this Passover, late night encounter between Jesus and Nicodemus obviously changed Nicodemus forever.

I don’t know for sure but I surmise that Nicodemus had been in the Temple that day when Jesus made the whip, turned over the tables, opened cages and let animals run free and simply made ‘mayhem’ in the Temple courts! No one had ever seen or heard anything like that before in this sacred place.

For Nicodemus, it wasn’t enough to just get angry, this event aroused questions that his heart needed answers for, so it appears he asked around and found out where Jesus might be late that evening. Then carefully, quietly, he searched for Jesus, seeking a private but important life changing, late night conversation.

Do you notice Nicodemus came confused and he wasn’t ashamed to admit it. Nicodemus had studied Jewish history, the Old Testament and all the writings of the most honored Rabbis for many years. He knew every significant teacher, writer anywhere in Israel, but he’d never heard of or met this Jesus. Who was He? Why did He behave and say the things He said with such authority? In response to his questions you’ll recognize two very important statements Jesus made in this conversation with Nicodemus. Today we’ll deal with the first found in John 3:3-7, tomorrow we’ll look at the second.

Jesus said to Nicodemus “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.’ ‘How can a man be born when he is old?’ Nicodemus asked. ‘Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!’ (John 3:3)

This was very likely the most preposterous and confusing statement scholar Nicodemus had ever heard. His entire life had been dedicated to pursuit of understanding and eventually entering the ‘kingdom of God’. But in all his years he’d never read or heard anyone come anywhere close to suggesting this preposterous ceremony of rebirth! Not only was it illogical, it seemed totally unrelated to everything Nicodemus knew about the God of Israel!

What about you friends? Does “born again” seem like a preposterous, illogical, very unspiritual thing? Most of our world has written it off as ludicrous, and replaced it with complex religious systems and traditions that provide pathways people can work and walk to achieve what they are told will be ‘the kingdom of God’. Of course an increasing number of humans simply say ‘there is no such thing as a ‘kingdom of God’ so forget it, don’t bother me with nonsense, I will live my life pursuing my hopes and dreams and that becomes my truth, my reality. Good luck with yours!”

And what about you my ‘walking with Jesus” friends, all over the world? What is your truth, your pathway to living ‘the kingdom of God’ now and eternally? Is there such a thing in your reality? Let’s eavesdrop on the conversation with Nicodemus and Jesus: “Jesus answered ‘I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit of God gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at My saying you must be born again.” (John 3:3-7)

Every person alive understands the miracle of human conception and birth. It’s a remarkable miracle of God. God creates and develops us in our mother’s womb, very carefully over about a 9 month period of time. Then when the time is right God moves the natural process along as we are birthed. We come out of the womb having lived our total dependence upon our mother for life. The umbilical cord is cut, and we begin to live life independently, a new life as we grow through childhood into adulthood.

Jesus is saying the Holy Spirit of God does something just as dramatic, just as authentic, when a person trusts Jesus Christ to be their Redeemer, their Savior and Jesus delivers us from our umbilical connection to sin and our eternal condemnation. As Jesus saves us from sin condemnation through His death sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection, then the Holy Spirit goes to work and that ‘born again’ work of the Holy Spirit is called “regeneration”.

While spiritual, this is just as much a creative, dramatic, authentic work of God in us as our original conception and birth was! That’s why Paul says “Therefore if anyone is in Christ they are a new creation…” (2 Corinthians 5:17) Do you believe that my friends?

Now what’s super important here my friends is that we understand this: just as we did NOT conceive ourselves, create ourselves, birth ourselves… so we do not ‘regenerate’ ourselves! God does BOTH the miraculous work of creation and recreation!

It’s possible Jesus and Nicodemus talked long into the night, about many things, but John only gives us these few verses. But it’s enough my friends! As we follow Jesus these next days, we will see over and over that when Jesus does a miracle, it’s complete, it doesn’t need to be repaired, it isn’t ‘half baked’, God’s work is always right every time, the first time! So, can you celebrate today that you are totally confident that the Holy Spirit of God has done this miraculous, re-creation work IN you and birthed a new spiritual nature in you? That you are ‘Born Again’!

Are you living free from the stranglehold and condemnation of sin, and living IN a vibrant, dynamic, alive relationship with the Holy Spirit who actually lives inside you? That what Jesus is promising Nicodemus, and you and me. Tomorrow we’ll look at the rest of what Jesus said, giving us further understanding. For today… I propose to you that this moment of ‘re-creation’, ‘born-again‘ is the Pinnacle moment in any person’s life. Everything of significance changes in that moment. Tomorrow we’ll look more closely at that. But here’s the question… have you experienced this miracle? If so, when and where? If not, why not? If you’re not sure, are you willing to live the rest of your life with that uncertainty?

I’m going to leave you pondering that today… what if Jesus had walked away from the conversation with no more answers for Nicodemus or any of us? What if Jesus had simply said… “I’m out of here. You humans have made such a mess of this life I designed for you to live, there is no hope. You are beyond help. I’m going to leave you to your folly and I’m going to start all over on some other planet.” What if there had never been Easter?

I want you to ponder that, the rest of today, and when we come back together tomorrow, I’m going to bring you some answers to that. Wonderful answers, God given answers.

Today’s Scripture is John 3:1-21.

Choose below to read or listen.

Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.

Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.

Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)

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