Words of Jesus Part 49

This is one of the most important chapters in the whole bible. This is the one that tells us the difference between death and life. Herein lies the message that pertains to eternal life. Here is the message that leads us to God.

• John 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
• 2 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.
• 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.

Notice that Jesus emphasized the most important reason why He came to the earth as a human being: To bring us the message that we must be born again. Being "born again" by the spirit of God is the main message that we in turn need to bring to the world. Unless we are "born again" we can never enter the kingdom of God. Jesus got right to the point. The need Nicodemus had was to be born again. Whatever reason Nicodemus came to Jesus for that night, is not stated but Jesus saw the real need in his life and in all of our lives.

• 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?
• 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.
• 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

There are two interpretations of verse 5. Some say that when Jesus mentions that one must be born of water and of the spirit, the water means the natural birth or being born the first time as a baby and the spirit refers to the second birth which is when our sins are washed away by our faith in Jesus to save us from sin and we then experience the second birth which is the only way of salvation. Verse six seems to indicate this version.

I personally get a slightly different understanding which I will explain but either understanding of it will not take away from the truth of the message that we need to be born again to be saved.

I see the "born of water" and "born of the spirit" as both being the means of being "born again".  Here is a few verses to bring out that meaning.

• Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
• 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

The word itself is a cleansing agent. Reading and following the word will cleanse the soul.
When Jesus spoke to the woman at the well He speaks of living water that brings eternal life. A well of living water enters into us when we believe in Jesus as savior and Lord.

• Psalm 51:2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

Jesus was the word made flesh so being born by the water and the spirit seems to indicate what is referred to here that being born of water is the water of the word. Also it could refer to the living water. Which is the Holy Spirit.

• Psalm 119:9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word

I will add here that some interpret that verse to mean water baptism then baptized with the Spirit.

• Ezekiel  36:25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.

There are many more references where water is symbolic of spiritual cleansing.

Being born of the water and the spirit is essential to salvation. The Holy Spirit is what draws us to God. The Holy Spirit comes to us when we believe in Jesus. We become "born again" by the spirit. It all ties in together to bring us the greatest miracle of all. The gift of eternal life. We may disagree on many bible passages but this one chapter is the one we need to understand correctly the way of salvation.

We are not saved by our own good deeds, we are not saved by water baptism, church membership, rituals, rites, mass, taking communion, trusting in the church, trusting in a priest, or any other ordinance. We are saved by the spirit of God. It is a miracle that only God can bring to us.

This miracle above all miracles occurs when we simply believe in the Son of God, Jesus Christ. By believing though, we believe the word which He spoke to us. By believing He came to take away our sins, we turn from sin and turn to Him, Jesus Christ. This is the only way to be saved and inherit eternal life. Jesus came to save us from sin. Sin cannot enter heaven. To be saved from sin is to be Born again by the spirit. Faith in Jesus is the only way. There is no other way to be saved.

• Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Great is the gifts of salvation, freely given, and our hope of eternal life. God's word is so full of hope to those that receive this living word.

• Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

It is vital that we understand that this is an inner spiritual occurrence and it is not done by man. Men and woman may preach this gospel but only God can do the actual saving of the soul. Only God can forgive sins, and only God can give eternal life. Our acts of worship, baptism, rituals, ceremonies, masses and rites cannot save anyone. All salvation and healing is done by the Holy Spirit of God. This will bring a new life and this will bring a change. We become a new person when we truly receive Jesus as savior and Lord.

More verses on water as symbolic of spiritual cleansing.

• John 4:13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
• 14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

We see here another hint that the verse about being born again by water and the spirit, is referring to living water. Spiritual cleansing is involved here. So whether Jesus refers to being born of water from the womb of the mother at birth or the washing of the water of the word, is not to be argued over. Just believe in Jesus, repent of sins and be born again no matter which meaning is correct.

• John 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
• 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.

We see the results of the wind but we cannot see the wind. We can see the results of a life changed by the Holy Spirit but we cannot actually see what is taking place in the inner soul and spirit of man when he or she is born again.

Some have tried to explain away being born again by saying is refers to Israel being born again in 1948 when they became a nation. It is true that they were a nation being born a second time but that is different. We must not use that to explain away our only means of salvation. Verse 8 of John 3 speaks clearly of individual salvation. Verse 3 in John 3 also says the same thing. It is for each and every individual. Exept a man be born again, they cannot see the kingdom of God. The word man includes women and children also. All mankind. We see that from the words of Jesus to the woman at the well in John chapter 4. She was a woman and included. Being born again by the Holy Spirit is not to be changed into some kind of metaphor to mean something else.

• John 3:9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
• John 3:10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?

Those learned in the Old Testament scriptures should have known about the new birth.

• 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.

Jesus said everything His Father in Heaven instructed Him to say. He knew the way and came to show us the way to eternal life.

• 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?

Unbelief is the greatest hindrance to receiving anything from God including this new birth. We have to believe to receive this. It cannot be proven by science. Salvation comes by faith in Jesus. This faith comes by the work of the Holy Spirit. It is done by God. We cannot earn this by our own good works of righteousness. It comes by the mercy and grace of God alone. No priest, prophet or minister can save us from sin. They can only tell us these words but cannot make us "born again" or saved from sin. Only God can save. 

• 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.

This is foretelling of His own resurrection. He came from God and must return to God after His work on earth is completed.

• John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

This is foretelling His death on the cross that was necessary for us to obtain eternal life. We could not have been "born again" if Jesus had not died on the cross to pay for our sins.

• John 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

Jesus makes the way of salvation simply for all to believe. BELIEVE. This opens the door to being born again by the Spirit. Just believe in Jesus Christ. Just remember that to believe is not just believing in His existence but in Him as savior and Lord. We don't have to understand every detail of the bible to be saved. Just simply BELIEVE in the one God sent to save us, JESUS CHRIST.

• John 3:16 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.
• 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
• 18 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.

To ignore, make light of or not believe in the Son will cause our souls to be lost forever and suffer eternal death in hell. Jesus paid a huge price for us to be saved and inherit eternal life escaping the condemnation that will come upon the world.

• John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

People that will not turn from sin but would rather hold onto their sins will not want anything to do with Jesus. Jesus is the light. Light will expose sin.

• John 3:20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
• 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

This is what happens when we believe in Jesus and come to Him for salvation. We also are forgiven and cleansed from the sin that was destroying us.

• John 3:22 After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized.
• 23 And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.

Water baptism is an outward sign of what has taken place in the heart. The actual water baptism does not save the soul from sin. The Sprit of God does that part. The water baptism is an act of obedience and is an ordinance that testifies to what has already taken place in our hearts.

• John 3:24 For John was not yet cast into prison.
• 25 Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying.
• 26 And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.
• 27 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.

We cannot understand these things unless the Spirit of God reveals them to us. The minute one understands the way of salvation, it is the mercy of God that grants us that understanding.

• John 3:28 Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.
• 29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.

John the Baptist was the friend of the bridegroom. Jesus is the bridegroom.

• John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

John's work was coming to an end since Jesus had come and started His public ministry.

• John 3:31 He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.

Jesus came from heaven but John was from the earth.

• John 3:32 And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony.
• 33 He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.
• 34 For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.

Jesus was sent from God and returned to God after His resurrection. He is the Son of God and is eternal. He was with God and was present at the creation of the earth. John the Baptist was a natural man.

• John 3:35 The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.
• 36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

John the Baptist also speaks the message of salvation, "Believe on the Son and have everlasting life."

Why is this? Because our sin will take us to hell and destroy us. Jesus came to remove the sin. If we ignore Him and refuse to believe, our sin will remain and keep us from inheriting eternal life.

Words of Jesus Part 50

Words of Jesus Index