You Must Be Born Again

“Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’” — John 3:3-7 NASB

This is the passage where we see Nicodemus core to Christ and ask the question we all need to ask. “What is a Christian? What does it mean to be born again?”  I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. If you don’t understand what it is to be born again and alive in Christ, everything else I write about is worthless to you. Most of my devotionals are on how to live a better life as a Christian in a fallen world, but if you’re not a Christian, that doesn’t do you any good.

Ephesians 2:8-9 states clearly that Salvation is from God. Nothing you or I can do can earn this eternal life talked about in John 3.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” — Ephesians 2:8-9″ NASB

This is just one of the teachings Jesus Christ had been spreading around Israel and the Middle East as he traveled and ministered. But Nicodemus was confused. In verse 10 of John 3, we see Christ almost accusing Nicodemus of being a teacher or preacher who doesn’t know and understand what he’s been teaching.  

To Nicodemus’ credit, he knew that he didn’t fully understand what he was teaching and/or that it was contradictory to Jesus’ teachings. He knew that one of them had to be wrong, and it was probably himself. Even Nicodemus understood that Christ could never be wrong. 

But Jesus Christ didn’t continue with the accusing demeanor. He immediately turned, vs. 11, and began teaching Nicodemus the truth that he needed to hear.  Christ brings him to the point made in John 3:16. I’ll give my David Green Translation for this verse. 

“For God loved the world so much, that he gave His only son, so that whoever decides to believe in Him shall never die but have an eternal existence and life.”  

I’ll finish with Jesus’ words in John 3:7 “Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.'”