Week 4 John 3:1-3 Born Again

1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him." 3Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." ESV

…Nicodemus may have come to Jesus with good will, but his approach was that of an equal or a patronizer, not that of a believer in his Savior or a worshiper before his God
It is significant that Jesus did not welcome Nicodemus’s advance. Had Jesus been a mere teacher, a mere man, these words would have been music to His ears. He was being recognized, accorded access, and promised support! But Jesus bluntly stated that Nicodemus did not know what he was talking about. Indeed, he could not know. “Truly, truly, I say to you,” Jesus replied, “unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).

A comparison of others’ encounters with Jesus helps us to see this as the reproof it was. To the rich young ruler, so devoted to his money, Jesus commanded, “Sell what you possess and give to the poor” (Matt. 19:21). To the woman at the well, He offered “living water” (John 4:10). Jesus always directs us away from our worldly sources of confidence to the spiritual realities of heaven. So to the confident Pharisee, who was so proud of his lineage, He said, “You must be born again” (John 3:7). Leon Morris observes, “In one sentence he sweeps away all that Nicodemus stood for, and demands that he be remade by the power of God.” We can learn from this reproof to think about what false sources of confidence people we know are relying upon. These are pressure points where we should prayerfully apply the challenges of God’s Word. (Phillips, 61)

Consider where your confidence lies.

To illustrate – if your favorite football team is leading its conference or is in the top 10 in the polls, is there an extra spring in your step? Do you feel just a little superior to others around you? Then what happens when the wins turn into losses? You get the point. If your confidence is rooted in the wrong place, then even as a Christian, your confidence is uncertain and shaky.

Here are some questions that may help to identify misplaced confidence:
· When things don’t go well at home or at work or with your team, are you less confident?
· Are you anxious about the outcome of the presidential election?
· How much confidence does being born again bring to your everyday life?

What about the unbeliever? As a Christian, you know that the unbeliever has a false source of confidence. Only Christ provides true and genuine confidence.
· How might you use this insight in talking to an unbelieving friend?