Bible Study Week 7
Part 1
Jesus Teaches the New Birth
Jesus received mixed reactions to His ministry. The Bible tells us that the common people heard Him gladly (Mark 12:37). He came preaching the gospel to the poor (Luke 4:18), but the "learned" people did not always receive Him (I Corinthians 1:26). Many among the chief rulers also believed on Jesus but would not confess Him for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue. They loved the praise of people more than the praise of God (John 12:42-43).
Jesus and Nicodemus
"There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: the same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, 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 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 3:1-3).
Nicodemus did not come questioning; he came to Jesus with what was essentially a compliment. He knew that Jesus was from God because of the miracles that He did. Jesus quickly brought the focus of the conversation to the most important matter in life: how can a person see God's kingdom and enter into it?
You Must Be Born Again
Jesus said that the only way a person can see and enter this kingdom is to be born again. He used terminology that sounded strange to Nicodemus. Although he was a ruler of the Jews, he had never heard of being born again. He could only associate being born again with his natural birth. Nicodemus asked, "How can a man be born again when he is old?" In response to Nicodemus's question, Jesus replied, "Except a man be born of the water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (John3:5).
Water and Spirit
The new birth, or being born again, consists of two elements: water and Spirit. Water refers to baptism in water and the Spirit of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, or Holy Ghost, which is promised to all who obey the Word of God.
>>> Why do you think Jesus compared salvation to being born again?
Though the metaphor of birth puzzled Nicodemus, we can see in Scripture the idea that we become new creatures when we are transformed by Jesus Christ (II Corinthians 5:17). Our past mistakes are gone, and we get a new start.
The Promise to All Believers
Jesus went to Jerusalem to observe the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles. There he made a dramatic and most significant statement. "In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, if any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shal flow rivers of living water. (But spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified)" (John 7:37-39).
Let us observe the following facts about the statement Jesus made:
The promise is to any person.
The only qualifying factor is that a person must thirst.
The person who would obtain this promise must come to Jesus.
The person who would receive this promise must believe on Jesus.
The rivers of living water that will flow out of the believer is the Spirit, the Holy Ghost.
At that time, the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. Jesus has now been glorified, and the Holy Ghost is given. From the day of Pentecost even to this day, the promise has bee for all who believe.
Fulfillment of Prophecy
Old Testament passages contain promises of a new covenant and the new birth of which Jesus spoke.
A New Covenant
Jeremiah wrote about a future new covenant between God and the houses of Israel and Judah. "Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of Egypt... but this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; after those days saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more" (Jeremiah 31:31-34).
Outpouring of the Spirit
The prophet Joel foretold the outpouring of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (Joel 2:28-29). In his prophecy, he specified that age and gender would not be limiting factors for ministry. "your sons and your daughters shall prophecy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions." More importantly, the promise of the Spirit would be poured out on "all flesh".