JESUS AMAZING DECLARATION TO NICODEMUS

THE AMAZING DECLARATION FROM THE LIPS OF THE LORD JESUS

"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". John 3:3

 

This follows swiftly upon the admission of Nicodemus. It came like a bolt out of the blue. It came crashing across all the psychologies and the philosophies and the theologies of men. This amazing statement runs contrary to all human reasoning. It transcends human thinking. It announces something never dreamed of by mortal man. Close analysis reveals at least seven things for meditation.

            The certainty of this statement: "Verily, verily".

Jesus was the only man who dared use these words. They appear only once before each statement of Christ in the first three gospels. But in the Gospel of John they always appear twice before each statement. As Son of man he could speak with certainty. But as Son of God He could speak with double certainty. The Greek word translated "verily" is the word AMEN. This is the name of the Lord Jesus (Rev. 3:14). It identifies Him as the God of truth, or as the Hebrew reads, the God of the Amen (Isa. 65:16).

            The intolerance of this statement: "Except... cannot”.

This statement excludes all other proposals for entrance and experience of the Kingdom of God. No matter how scholarly or seemingly plausible other proposals may be, this statement shuts them out. In this sense this statement is intolerant. Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God. But this intolerance is not arbitrary. It is necessary. In the very nature of the case a man must be born again in order to qualify Him for experience of the kingdom of God.

              The universality of its application: “a man" or Greek "anyone".

With extreme finesse Jesus directs this to everyone, to every member of the human race. And thus he includes this revered gentleman to whom he is speak­ing. Among the rabbis it was the conviction that those who studied the law were thereby qualified for the kingdom. So it is very possible that Nicodemus by virtue of his position and prominence had grown cold to his own personal need. He may have fallen into a sort of professionalism that is the very subtle snare of all who minister in holy things.

             The specific subject under discussion: "be born.”

Birth or the communication of seminal substance in the propagation of kind is the point Jesus is making. The order is from parent to offspring. This true of plants, animals, mankind. And it is also true of God. Even though evolution is struggling desperately to discover a movement from lower levels to higher levels. So far it has utterly failed. The parent is the origin, and the child is the result. Never does the child generate himself. The child never has any part in initiating the process. To reach the level with God, God Himself must reach down and impart Himself to men (John 1:13).

             The heavenly source  of this birth. "again" or Greek "Anothen - from above."

The word means essentially from above. Etymologically the word never means anything else. Some insist that the word can mean from the first, as in Luke 1:3. And therefore by extension it can mean "again". But there is some question on this point. In this same chapter of John it is used correctly as from above (see verse 31). Though the response of Nicodemus to Christ may sug­gest the idea of repeated birth, "from above” could carry this sense in such a way that Nicodemus was confused. Another birth of any kind or from any source would be apt to be interpreted by Nicodemus as another birth, one in addition to the birth he had already experienced.

                    The human need for this birth. "Cannot see" or it is "impossible to see." Any number of passages make it clear that the word "see" has reference to experience (cf. John 8:56; Acts 2:27, 31; Heb. 11:5; 1 Pet. 3:10). This has reference not merely with the eyes, but also with every sense and sensibility of the entire person. Inasmuch as this particular thing is something in the realm of spirit, it requires a whole new set of sensibilities for the person to experience the kingdom of God.

                   The grand goal of this entire experience is the kingdom of God. "The KINGDOM of God" or as the Greek reads, "the kingdom of the God".

       This does not have reference to the universal Kingdom of God, for all people are in it, and all in some sense experience it. But it does have reference to the Mediatorial Kingdom which is to be established in the earth, and which is so well set forth in the Old Testament. It is the all-consuming purpose of God to establish this kingdom. This was the passion and purpose of Christ at His first coming. It is the promise of Christ to be realized at His second coming. It is this kingdom for which Christ taught the saints to pray (Matt. 6:10). This kingdom not only refers to domain, but also dominion. For 2000 years Christ has been establishing His dominion in the hearts of believers, and one day these will be ushered into His domain. The church will constitute the aristo­cracy of this kingdom, the Old Testament and the tribulation martyrs, and many others saved during the tribulation-will populate this kingdom in the earth and experience its infinite and ineffable blessing.

Only by means of the New Birth will these people be enabled to enter this Kingdom and experience the rule of God among men. The preparation of this Kingdom is for people who have been made new creatures in Christ Jesus. this is accomplished by no earth-born method. it does not come through heredity, imitation, environment, reformation or inspiration. there are no philosophies of men, no psychologies of men, no theologies of men, no sociologies of men, no species of thinking of men that can propose any solution to this problem. This is a birth which issues from God and it comes from above. If there is anyone who will commit himself to this statement of Christ, by a miraculous and mysterious movement of God he will be ushered into this experience and made eligible for entrance into the kingdom of God and its blessing. The first fruits will be his now, and the harvest will come at the second coming of Christ.