John 3:1-2. There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: the same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
When enquirers come to see any of you who are Christians, do not begin talking to them, but let them begin by telling you what they have to say, for it will probably guide you as to what you shall say to them in return. Our Lord Jesus could read all hearts, and he needed no one to tell him what was there, yet, for our sakes, he sets the example of letting Nicodemus speak first. This man was a Pharisee, and consequently was apt to attach too much importance to the outward part of religion, so observe how the Saviour deals with him by dwelling on the inner part of it,-upon the necessity of the new birth. He has less to say to him about believing, and more about experimental godliness, and the work of the Holy Spirit in his heart. Our main business, in dealing with men's souls, is not to teach them what they want to know but what they really need to know, bringing forward ever that truth which, if it be not the most palatable, shall be the most profitable to them.
John 3:3. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
«He has no idea of what it is; he cannot perceive it; he has not the faculty by which he could see or understand the meaning of the kingdom of God.»
John 3:4. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
His religion was external, you see; he could not grasp the spiritual idea which Christ had set before him. This matter of the new birth is very simple to all of us who know what Jesus meant, but it was exceedingly difficult to Nicodemus; as it has been to all but those who have experienced it.
John 3:5. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
The entrance into that kingdom is by a new birth in which water and the Spirit of God are both needful. There is a cleansing, and there is a new creation. There is the cleansing water of the merit of Christ, and there is the divine operation of the Spirit of God. Or, if the Saviour only means entrance into his visible kingdom, then it is through baptism that the man outwardly makes his profession of faith in Christ. It is through the Spirit of God alone, however, that he really enters into the kingdom of God. Note the distinction between seeing the kingdom and entering into it; no man can even see the kingdom of God, much less enter it, except by that new birth which is wrought only by the Holy Spirit.
John 3:6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh;-
No matter who the father is, nor who the mother is, there is no such thing as inherited godliness. «That which is born of the flesh is flesh,» and nothing more; all that is born of the flesh cannot rise beyond its original source. However much the man may improve himself, our Saviour's words will still remain true, «That which is born of the flesh is flesh;»
John 3:6. And that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Everything is according to its birth, and according to its nature. The Spirit of God must, therefore, operate upon us, and we must have a new birth, if we are to see and to enter the kingdom of God.
John 3:7. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
«Do not wonder at this, for it must be so. The first birth, at its best, can only give you flesh; there must be another birth, a birth from above, to bring you into the realm of spirit that you may understand and share in spiritual things.»
John 3:8. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
He is a mysterious personage, not to be understood by carnal man. You see his outward life, but you cannot see the hidden spring by which that life is moved and controlled, for that mysterious inner life is only discerned by those who possess it.
John 3:9-10. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knoweth not these things?
«Dost thou profess to teach others, and hast thou never been taught this first great spiritual truth?» Nicodemus was not the last Rabbi who did not understand what it is to be born again, and it is greatly to be feared that there are still many, who are teachers of others, who yet have never experienced this all-important change. The Lord have mercy upon them!
John 3:11. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
The testimony of Christ, and of his apostles, and of all true disciples of Christ is this,--that there is such a thing as a new birth. Men may not believe that it is true; but, for all that, it is as certain as any other fact in the history of the world. It is foolish for any to deny it because they have not experienced it themselves. Although they have not experienced it, others have, and those who declare that they have been born again are as honest, as reasonable, and as trustworthy as any other people in the world. If any counsel had to prove his case, in a court of law, by the mouth of five or six witnesses, I am sure that he would not want better witnesses than those who declare that they have been born again. Many of them are well known people of high repute, and their testimony ought to be believed. But it is not a question of six, or a dozen, or a dozen thousand witnesses. There have been hundreds of thousands of men and women who have borne witness that a miraculous charge has taken place in them, by which they have been born into a new world, and have received a new life, and the testimony of these witnesses ought to be believed. It was hard that Christ should have to say, «Ye receive not our witness.»
John 3:12. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
For regeneration is, as it were, one of the commonplaces of the Christian religion. It is a thing that very often takes place among men; but if this foundation truth is not believed, how can men expect that yet higher truths shall be revealed to them?
John 3:13. And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
So far, this chapter speaks of the new birth, and there are many people who are much perplexed because they cannot comprehend this great mystery. They ask, «How, then, can we be saved? Is there no way of salvation without the new birth?» Assuredly there is none, yet the way of salvation is very simple and clear. It is, «Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved,» and it is very significant that this chapter, which, beyond any other, teaches the doctrine of the new birth, with equal clearness teaches the doctrine of salvation by faith in Christ. Listen:
John 3:14-18. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
That is the proof of his condemnation; he must be an enemy to God who will not believe on his Son. He who refuses to believe the witness of God is, by that very fact, convicted and condemned; and if he had no other sin, it is sin enough to sink him to the lowest hell to deny the veracity of God, to make God a liar by refusing to believe in Jesus Christ his Son. See, then, how these two truths are blended. «Ye must be born again,» and «he that believeth on him is not condemned.» Why is that? Because he is born again; that new birth has taken place in him, and eternal life is his, because he has believed on the only begotten Son of God.
John 3:19-21. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
Now, my friend, art thou willing to come to the light,-to the light of Scripture,-to the light of Revelation? If so, so far well. God grant us grace to feel that light is our friend, that we do not need to shun it, but desire to walk in it!