John 3 – Born again? That’s crazy.

Read & Watch…

Read John 2:12—3:36 or watch the video.

Study…

After Jesus turned the water into wine in Cana, He went to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover.

But when Jesus arrived at the temple, He became furious by what He saw. People looking to make a profit from religious rituals were making the sacred cheap and ripping off the people who came to worship. Jesus made a whip and scattered the marketers and animals.

Right away, the religious leaders in charge questioned why Jesus’ thought He could do this. What right do you think you have? Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” Jesus was referring to His own body, but everyone thought He was talking about Herod’s temple. Years later, after Jesus rose from the dead, Jesus’ disciples remembered what He said here at the beginning and understood.

In the days and years to come, people saw Jesus do miracles and “many believed in his name.” But this belief wasn’t saving faith; they just believed what He did were miracles. Jesus knew their hearts. Literally, it says, “He did not believe in them.” Jesus sees the real us.

Some people, however, were genuinely interested in Jesus. Like Nicodemus, a Jewish ruler. When he came to Jesus at night, he wanted to talk about how Jesus could establish the kingdom of God and help overthrow Rome.

Jesus listened to what Nicodemus said, but interrupted him with: “You can’t even see the kingdom of God unless you’ve been born again.”

Born again? That’s crazy. How can you physically be born again? But the Lord was talking about how your spirit can be born again. God never tries to save or patch up our brokenness. He wants to create something entirely new. He wants to make you entirely new. Jesus compares the wind to how the Spirit gives us new life. Like the wind, we can’t fully explain it, but when God moves in people’s hearts, we can see it happening.

So, how can we get this new life? It takes Jesus’ death to pay the price for our sin’s penalty, and His resurrection (Him coming back to life) to give us this. That’s the only way we can know God and live in connection with Him.

Why would God do this? Love. God loved the world that He gave His only Son, Jesus, that whoever believes on Him will not die but have everlasting life.

To “believe in” Christ means to trust Him as the One who took the punishment for everything you’ve done wrong—your thoughts, actions, everything. He died in your place and paid a debt you never could fully pay. John the Baptist’s life and ministry sum this up: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. You’ll receive a new life.

Next, meet a lady who Jesus went out of His way to talk to.

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