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What Nicodemus Teaches Me about Being Born Again

What Nicodemus teaches about being born again title graphic

Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” John 3:4

For a few weeks now we’ve been looking at the words of unbelievers and learning some valuable lessons from them. Today we’ll look at one of the more famous unbelievers, or pre-believers more accurately, in Scripture. A guy named Nicodemus.

His nighttime conversation with Jesus has been dissected and analyzed by scholars, theologians and the rest of us since it was recorded, yet it still yields fresh insights. Hopefully, we can gain a few today.

You’re no doubt familiar with the conversation. Nicodemus begins, “Teacher we know you are from God.” But Jesus cuts to the chase. “You can’t enter the kingdom of God without being born again.”

Born again. How ridiculous.

Isn’t that essentially what Nicodemus says? “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”

Aside from the theological discussion about our sin nature and its needful regeneration, this discussion touches on some points that we as believers still struggle with at times.

Being born again implies not only starting over, but giving up reputation, position, advantage, and progress. It is going back to square one, erasing all our hard work.

Being born again also means we have nothing, no resources, nothing to contribute, nothing to fall back on, and nothing to hide behind. It is an exposure of our helplessness.

Jesus doubled down on this idea later in the gospels. In Mark 10:15, He says, “Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.”

Nicodemus voices our resistance to that exposure and that surrender.

Let’s confess we sometimes operate under the notion that we will eventually reach a point where we don’t need God’s help so much. We figure someday we will have enough practice or experience to handle things, the way our kids eventually learn to feed themselves and tie their own shoes. Yes, we grow in knowledge and understanding. Our relationship with Jesus strengthens and deepens. However, we never reach independence. Being part of the kingdom of God necessitates our admission that we are powerless, that we have no agency and that we are helpless.

Nicodemus didn’t like it when Christ confronted him with that. We don’t care for it much either. But Nicodemus’s protests remind us how much we need Jesus and the power of the gospel to transform us, and not just at the moment of salvation.

A Lesson in Humility and Submission from a Syrian General

By Paula Wiseman

But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’ 2 Kings 5:11

As we continue with our look at the things we can learn from unbelievers, today we have an Old Testament story about a Syrian general named Naaman. Now, years ago, this was a pretty popular story for the Sunday school set, but honestly, I can’t remember it coming up in the twenty plus years that I’ve taught. That’s too bad. There are great lessons in the whole episode. I’m going to highlight just one.

Naaman was a very successful general with important military victories under his belt. But beyond that, he was known as a man a great character and integrity. Not a believer in the One True God, but by all external measures a good man. However 2 Kings 5:1 ends with “but he was a leper.”

In the intervening verses, he gets connected to the prophet Elisha for miraculous healing of his leprosy. Elisha tells him to bathe in the Jordan seven times. That brings us to verse 11 and Naaman’s indignation. He wanted, he expected healing on his terms. But … the fact that Naaman remained afflicted betrayed how little he really knew about healing. It wasn’t until he humbled himself and followed the prophet’s — that is God’s — instructions that healing came.

The required humility and submission were two things Naaman was not in the habit of practicing. Elisha demonstrated to the general that no one approaches God without them. We are beggars before Him and not conquering heroes. We have not earned and we do not deserve the things we receive from God’s hand, whether it is the daily grace He pours out, healing from leprosy or the salvation that this healing pictures.

I see myself in Naaman. All too often I try to lay down terms and attempt to tell God how and when He should intervene. And then I wonder why things don’t change. Naaman teaches me I cannot design or dictate my own solutions. He also teaches me that humility and submission are the keys to approaching God.

And the keys to restoration.

Verse 14 says, “So he went … his flesh was restored … and he was clean.”

Let’s learn from Naaman. Let’s go, and be restored, and be clean.

Jesus Responds to an Existential Crisis

By Paula Wiseman

This is an existential crisis

Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” Matthew 19:16

For several weeks now, we’ve learned from the words of unbelievers. You’re no doubt familiar with the story of the young man who approached Jesus looking for an answer to a theological question, and at its core, for the solution to an existential crisis. He had acquired wealth, position and success that typically required a lifetime to attain yet he remained restless and unfulfilled. If he were around today, we might say he was having a “quarter-life” crisis.

His question is not uncommon. We are faced with generations entering adulthood grappling with profound disillusionment. Their college degrees are worth less than promised. Their careers are unfulfilling. The relationships are shallow. Even entertainment is something less than advertised. Where can I find lasting meaning? What do I do?

He was sincere. He wanted to do good. But he also wanted to be recognized as good. He wanted the respected rabbi to tell him that he was good, that he was on the right track. He wanted affirmation and validation. He’s not much different from the people around us.

Jesus responded with, “You know the answer. Keep the commandments.”

But that’s hard, rigid and inflexible. Is that really the answer?

No, because keeping the commandments is impossible. That’s the conclusion Jesus was prompting him to reach.

You see the young man wanted to ADD something to what he was already doing, to what he already had. Acquiring, gaining, those were easy and familiar. But they were completely unprofitable. And that’s the message we need to share with our friends brave enough to ask this question.

Augustine of Hippo, almost two thousand years ago, recognized this angst. “Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee,” he wrote in Confessions.

See, the real answer is to give up. Not in the sense that reaching for the eternal is futile, but in the sense that we recognize we can’t attain it through the things we do.

We will never find the fulfillment we long for in activity or acquisition or even affirmation. It comes only from resting in the completed work of Jesus on our behalf. That’s the thing the young man lacked. That’s the thing our young friends, our friends in midlife, our friends in maturity also lack. Our job is to do everything we can to help them fill in that gap. Once they get it, no more existential crisis

Three Mistakes Abraham Made in Dealing with an Unbelieving King

By Paula Wiseman

Then Abimelech called for Abraham and asked him, “What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you that you would bring such a serious sin on me and my kingdom? You shouldn’t have done this to me.” Genesis 20:9 (GW)

For the last few weeks, we have looked at some of the words of unbelievers and what lessons they teach us. Genesis 20 records one of Abraham’s not-so-great moments in his encounter with Abimelech, the king of Gerar. Abraham had already received the promises from God, including the assurance that he would have a son and that his innumerable descendants would inherit the land of Canaan. This episode falls between the promise and its fulfillment. Incidentally, it’s not far from Kadesh, a place where the entire nation would fail to embrace the promise of land God made to Abraham.

In this account, Sarah has been taken from Abraham and added to Abimelech’s harem. (It’s worth remembering that she was likely in her eighties. She must have been amazingly beautiful.) But God reveals Sarah’s true relationship to Abraham. So where did Abraham go wrong in his dealings with the king of Gerar?

Abraham assumed the worst about Abimelech. In verse 11, he explains, “Because I thought, surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will kill me on account of my wife.” The people in Gerar did not worship Yahweh, but Abimelech immediately acted on the things God revealed to him and displayed some degree of honor. He was deeply offended by the lies and made good, generous overtures to Abraham to ensure things were settled between them.

Granted, there is real evil in the world, and there are truly wicked people out there. However, most of the unbelievers we encounter are a lot like us. They have jobs and families. They worry about paying their bills and what the future may be like. They have hopes and dreams. However, they don’t have Jesus. When we assume we know them, and in turn, assume the worst, we make it difficult to connect with them and reach the place where we can share our faith with them.

Abraham told a wishy-washy half-truth out of fear. In verse 2, he introduced Sarah as his sister. She was his half-sister. But she was his wife. That was a very significant detail to leave out. This is a man who had spoken with God. But when fear overshadowed faith, Abraham said and did a stupid thing. And we are the same way.

When unbelievers ask questions, don’t waver or waffle. Give true, honest answers. That credibility will be crucial to building a foundation of faith.

Abraham led Sarah to be wishy-washy too. In verse 13, Abraham reveals that he had arranged with Sarah to keep the full truth about their relationship a secret. The legal term there is conspiracy, and it is not to be overlooked. We have an awesome responsibility to lead, to be examples, to disciple other believers. What a serious failure it is when instead we lead them to dishonor God and damage their witness before unbelievers.

Thankfully, that’s not the end of the story. There is no question Abraham learned from his mistakes. By Genesis 22, he proves he has an amazing faith in God. But I love the fact that God includes stories like this one in His word. It reminds me that Abraham was human. If he can learn and grow and be a man of unshakeable faith … so can we.

A Lesson about Speaking God’s Words from a Rotten Prophet

By Paula Wiseman

Balaam was a freelance prophet operating in and around Moab. He claimed to have insight into what the local gods were thinking and he could pass that information on to anyone who asked … if the price was right. Yes, speaking God’s words, any god’s words, was a good gig. When Balak, king of Moab, contacted him to curse Israel, he saw a tremendous opportunity. How great would that be for business? Consulted by a king. So, not to look too eager and instead more prophet-y, he had the king’s messengers wait overnight while he consulted with Yahweh. You know, people who know Him call Him that.

But the thing was, it actually fit with God’s plan that Balaam speak His message. So He came to Balaam with the injunction to go and speak only the words he was given. I imagine Balaam’s unrecorded response was something along the lines of, “Look, I’ve been a prophet for a while. I know how the game works. You speak the words from the gods the hearers want to hear and everybody goes home happy.”

Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face. Numbers 22:31

Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes. Ironic, isn’t it? The “seer.” The one who claimed special knowledge and understanding. The prophet who had his finger on the pulse of all that the gods were thinking, all they required or desired. He got his eyes opened by the One True God.

Balaam shows us that speaking for God is not a game. It’s not a means to personal gain. It’s not a way to enhance your reputation or standing. But the cautions are not just for leaders and teachers. Claiming you’ve prayed about something is not a way to justify what you planned to do anyway. You can’t bend God’s words to meet the demands of politics or culture or ambition. You can’t put words in God’s mouth. And you can’t leave out the ones you don’t like.

Although many try.

May we learn from Balaam’s terrible example. May God open our eyes to who He is before we open our mouths.

What Makes Even a Pagan King Take Notice

By Paula Wiseman

Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! … They defied the king’s command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. … There is no other god who can rescue like this!” Daniel 3:28-29

For the last couple of weeks, we have looked at the words of non-believers recorded in Scripture. Today we’ll consider the words of Nebuchadnezzar, the great king of Babylon, recorded in Daniel chapter 3. This is at the tail end of one of the most familiar stories in the Old Testament– Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego and the fiery furnace. If you haven’t read the account in a while, it’s worth looking up.

The quick overview

The king had erected a huge golden statue (probably of himself) and commanded all his officials bow down to it, with the penalty for disobedience being death by furnace. The Hebrews were steeped in the commandments and refused so the sentence was pronounced and immediately carried out. Except the guys didn’t burn up. And the king saw a fourth man in the furnace with them, a man he correctly guessed to be God. When the men were called out of the furnace, Nebuchadnezzar made the declaration in verses 28-29.

There are two important points in the king’s statement that should give us pause.

He recognized the Hebrews were willing to die rather than serve a false god. I have no doubts that Nebuchadnezzar thought Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego were complete and utter fools … until they survived. Does anyone see that kind of faith and commitment in us? Or do they see a faith that wavers, a commitment that accommodates and compromises? Do we go along with the crowd to keep the peace? Or do we go to the other extreme and bully, disparage, and harangue those who disagree with us?

Are we willing to die, are we willing to give up opportunity or advancement, success or position, rather than serve a false god? Are we willing to be thought of as ridiculous, prejudiced, intolerant or whatever to stand firm? Do we trust Him even if the deliverance means removal from this world by death? The Hebrew guys did. And the pagan king noticed.

The king recognized that no other god could deliver like this. Nebuchadnezzar had seen more than his share of false gods. Every nation he had conquered was full of them and he numbered Yahweh among them. After all, he had devastated and conquered Judah. But when it came right down to it, to his credit, he admitted that not even the Babylonian gods he worshipped were capable of anything like this.

Have we seen enough, experienced enough to state that no god delivers like our God? Or do we place our confidence in other things? Perhaps we hold on to God as a back-up in case our plans don’t work out. Perhaps the reason Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego had the kind of confidence they did because they had a firm grasp on who God is.

Let’s resolve to deepen our understanding of the God we worship and serve so it results in this kind of commitment, the kind that makes even the pagans stop and consider.