What did Jesus say to Nicodemus?

But there was a man from among the Pharisees, his name Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, he came to him by night, and said to him, Rabbi, we know that thou art come a teacher from God, for none can do these signs that thou doest unless God be with him. Jesus answered and said to him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except any one be born anew he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus says to him, How can a man be born being old? can he enter a second time into the womb of his mother and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except any one be born of water and of Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not wonder that I said to thee, It is needful that ye should be born anew. The wind blows where it will, and thou hearest its voice, but knowest not whence it comes and where it goes: thus is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said to him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said to him, Thou art the teacher of Israel and knowest not these things! Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that which we know, and we bear witness of that which we have seen, and ye receive not our witness. If I have said the earthly things to you, and ye believe not, how, if I say the heavenly things to you, will ye believe? And no one has gone up into heaven, save he who came down out of heaven, the Son of man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, thus must the Son of man be lifted up, that every one who believes on him may not perish, but have life eternal. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believes on him may not perish, but have life eternal."

Nicodemus did not know that when he came up that night. He came as a scholar, desiring to be taught, but is little prepared for the first lesson he has to learn. He is met at once by the Lord with this statement, "Verily, verily, I say to thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nothing could be more solemn. Nicodemus understands Him not, and anything more absolutely stupid than his reply (ver. 4) can scarcely be conceived. But the Lord passes that over, and amplifies, and emphasises the truth, saying, "Verily, verily, I say to thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." In verse 3, it is "he cannot see," and in verse 5, "he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." None can see God's kingdom, and none enter it, save they who are born again. There must be a nature suited to that kingdom. Unless a man possess that nature by new birth, he does not understand the things of God. That is why, if you talk to an unconverted, an unawakened man, about heavenly things, the subject is most irksome to him. Talk about religion, preachers, sermons, ordinances, ecclesiastical forms, or philanthropy generally, and he will very likely be either a capital listener, or a critic, but tell him of heavenly things, touch the soul, bring in the claims of God, press the guilt of man, and the necessity of this new birth, and it is at once a most irksome subject. He has neither eyes to see, nor ears to hear, unless, unknown to himself, there have first been a work of God's grace - a need created — in his heart.

Nicodemus was a scholar who came to the Lord Jesus by night (John 3). It is remarkable to read what he says to the Lord Jesus, but even more important are the Lord Jesus' answers. If high ranking dignitaries meet each other they start by exchanging compliments. Nicodemus greeted the Lord by saying "Rabbi, we know that thou art come a teacher from God, for none can do these signs that thou doest unless God be with him". He expected the Lord Jesus to answer him 'And you are the great teacher of Israel'. But the Lord Jesus did not say this, he said to him "Except any one be born anew he cannot see the kingdom of God", and Nicodemus had to ask Him what He meant. So the Lord Jesus explained the new birth to him.

It is a remarkable thing in Scripture that we often have to understand earthly things before we can understand spiritual things. This principle we find in 1 Cor.15:46 "But that which is spiritual [was] not first, but that which is natural, then that which is spiritual". In order to understand new birth we have first of all to say something about natural birth. There are two elements involved in natural birth. First of all you see the process of the birth, and secondly you hear the cry of new life. The Lord Jesus gave an explanation of new birth by referring to wind. For years I reflected as to why did he this. It is now some years since my daughter at 8 years of age came home from school and said 'Father, I would like to ask you something. What do you see in nature without hearing?' I thought about it, but could not answer her. She told me 'Fog, or mist'. Then she said 'I would ask you a second thing. What do you hear in nature without seeing?' And then I was quick to answer 'Wind'. I think this is the reason why the Lord Jesus spoke of wind here. With a new birth you cannot see any process of being born, but you hear the cry of new life. Life becomes evident in natural things as well as in spiritual things.

Nicodemus had come as a pupil to Jesus. "We know that Thou art a Teacher come from God," he says; upon which the Lord tells him, at once, that he must be born again. But He does not end His words with him till He directs him to the brazen serpent, teaching him that it is there he must go in order, as it were, to gather up the seed of this needed new life.

He worked many miracles in Jerusalem, which are unreported by John. Many therefore believed in His name, but the Omniscient One knew that they were only convinced, but their hearts had not been touched and so they did not receive Him as the Son of God. But there was one who was more deeply exercised, an earnest, seeking soul, Nicodemus. He came to Jesus by night and addressed Him as Rabbi, acknowledging that He was a teacher come from God. The Lord did not permit him to go on with his address nor to state the object of his visit. The Lord treated him in an abrupt, almost discourteous, way and informed him at once of the absolute necessity of the new birth. "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again (literally: born from above) he cannot see the Kingdom of God." Not teaching, mere knowledge, was the need Nicodemus had to see the Kingdom, but to be born from above.

This is unfolded very simply in John 3. Nicodemus came to the Lord by night. He had been outwardly convinced by the miracles which the Lord was performing, as were many others in Jerusalem at that time (John 2:33). He came "by night," feeling instinctively that the world and Jesus were opposed, and that to be seen going to Him would bring down persecution, or at least reproach upon himself. He opened by saying, "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." The Lord met him instantly with the solemn statement, "Verily, verily, I say to thee except a man he born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

This is Nicodemus's first lesson, and at once he says: "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?" Most foolish, you might say, but the Lord does not rebuke him. He only makes it the occasion of patiently opening out the truth: "Verily, verily, I say to thee, Except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." What this meant Nicodemus did not understand. What it means, many, alas! nowadays do not understand. There are many who think it means baptism. I am persuaded it means nothing of the kind. A man might be baptized, and live the life of a Christian professor, and at the end pass into hell for ever.

But now, what about you, my friend? Have you passed through the new birth? If you have never come to Jesus yet, come now. Nicodemus came by night; but he came to Jesus. Can this be said of you? He came and said, "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." Jesus replied, "Verily, verily, I say to thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." He has no eyes with which to discern God's things. "Nicodemus says to 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?" A very foolish question, but it brought out a gracious answer, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." You say, I suppose, that was baptism. No, what did Nicodemus know about baptism? Baptism was not a Jewish rite. It is very simple. It is the Word of God, used by the Spirit of God.

The Lord met him at once with that great and emphatic pronouncement concerning the absolute necessity of the new birth. Without it no one even sees the kingdom of God. He may see the miracles and signs, but he does not see the kingdom. Nicodemus needed the new birth and not teaching for at once he showed himself quite incapable of understanding the Lord's words, and thereby he illustrated their truth. He could not see anything in them but a mystifying reference to natural birth. This called forth a second emphatic pronouncement in which the matter is carried a step further. The kingdom is not only to be seen but entered, and the birth for this must be of water and of Spirit.

The consequence is, that Nicodemus puts, as we know, a most unintelligent question to our Lord, how such a thing could be: "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb and be born?" But at least his question proves that "born from above" is not at all the true meaning of the verse. Had the Lord given Nicodemus to judge that this was the meaning, such a question could not have been proposed. No; He meant to be born afresh, born from the very outset, so to speak. It appears to be the strongest possible expression of this; at any rate, I do not know a stronger one in Scripture. This accordingly brings out from our Lord Jesus the statement on which I desire to enlarge a little to-night: "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." He that sees the kingdom enters the kingdom; but there is no seeing nor entering, unless there be this new birth. What, then, is its source and character?