Introduction

A. There is no way to know exactly what Nicodemus expected from this interview with Jesus, but one could safely deduce that he was shocked to learn that he himself needed to be born again!

B. There are many to whom this news still comes as a shock today, and there are precious few who are willing to submit to it.

I. Nicodemus didn’t realize that the need for rebirth is universal.

A. The fact that the Gentiles needed to be reborn would not have been surmising to him (cf. Galatians 2:14).

B. What Nicodemus failed to see is that the Jews also needed to be born again (cf. Matthew 3:7-10; 1 Corinthians 15:50).

C. As the teacher of Israel, Nicodemus should have anticipated this rebirth (John 3:10; cf. Ezekiel. 36:25-27; Luke 7:30).

II. The new birth involves two elements.

A. The new birth involves water (John 3:5; cf. Leviticus 8:6; Titus 3:5; Ephesians 5:26).

B. The new birth also involves the Spirit (John 3:5; cf. Galatians 2:20; Romans 6:1-7; 2 Corinthians 5:17).

C. This new birth takes place when one is baptized into Jesus Christ (Romans 6:1-7; Colossians 2:12; Galatians 3:26-29).

Conclusion

A. For us to be born again, Jesus Christ had to die (John 3:16-17).

B. As much as heaven gave up in order to make the new birth and salvation a possibility, the sad fact is that many still reject the will of God (Luke 7:30; cf. John 3:18-21).