25. Baptism and Spiritual Rebirth in the New Testament

A Bible Study

Today, we will briefly examine The Meaning of Baptism and Spiritual Rebirth and what it means for you.

For THE CONTEXT read: JOHN 2, 7, AND 19. pritual reb

Chapter 2 tells of the wedding at Cana, where Jesus turned water into wine (2:1-11) and cleansed the temple (2:13-22).

Following the water turning into wine, the narrator says, “This was the first of his signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee. It revealed his glory. And his disciples believed in him” (2:11).

What Are Signs for?

In the New Testament, Jesus’ signs are miracles that bear witness to him as the Son of God, sent by God to save the world.

Some people see Jesus’ signs and believe (2:23), but others ignore the signs he has worked and ask him to work more (2:18).

Jesus, however, maintains a distance from those who believe because of his signs (2:24) and those who ask for additional signs (2:18; 4:48). He knows that sign-induced belief tends to be shallow and pronounces blessings on “those who have not seen and have believed” (20:29).

Enter Nicodemus

When Nicodemus, a respected member of the Jewish ruling council, comes to Jesus, he acknowledges Jesus’ divine authority, saying, ‘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’ (3:2).

However, his belief is sufficiently tentative that he comes by night. Jesus doesn’t even respond to Nicodemus’ reference to signs, but instead begins to teach Nicodemus about the entrance requirements to the kingdom of God.

But while Nicodemus seems puzzled by Jesus’ comments in chapter 3, he will later try to defend Jesus before the council, saying,

“Does our law judge a man, unless it first hears from him and knows what he does?” (7:50; see also 11:47).

After Jesus’ crucifixion, Nicodemus brought a large number of expensive ointments to anoint Jesus’ body (19:39). While Nicodemus didn’t “get it” immediately, Jesus’ words and ministry seem to have had a profound effect on him over time. His actions in chapters 7 and 19 demonstrate his belief and courage.

The Jesus, Nicodemus Encounter

o Nicodemus asks a question

Jesus gives a hard-to-understand answer

o Nicodemus misunderstands

Jesus answers even more cryptically

A sermon follows: “Most certainly, I tell you, unless one is born anew, he can’t see the Kingdom of God” (v. 3).

Let’s break down this verse. Some translations say ‘born anew,’ some say ‘born again,’ and some say ‘born from above.’ They all mean the same thing. Jesus is saying that we must experience a new birth, not physically, but spiritually. We must become the new people we are meant to be to see the kingdom of God.

Nicodemus was surprised! He asked:

“How can a man be born when he is old?

Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb

and be born?” (v. 4).

Good question! Nicodemus assumed that Jesus was talking about a physical birth, but Jesus was talking about a spiritual birth. Jesus said that if we are to see the kingdom of God, we must become new people — people fit for the kingdom.

Fit for the kingdom of God! Fit for that neighbourhood! It isn’t that we must become fit for God’s kingdom by our works. That will never happen, but it does mean that we must allow God to transform us from the old person we used to be into the new person God wants us to be.

We are Not Fit to Live in the Kingdom of God.

Have you ever had someone move into your neighbourhood who didn’t belong there? Several years ago, a generous man bought a house in Port Talbot. He didn’t buy it to live in; he bought it to rent and became a landlord. He wanted to show his generosity by renting that lovely house to someone down on their luck. Sounds good. Who could argue with that? So, the landlord rented the house to a family who were down on their luck. He wanted to help them, but there were some rules.

For a low rent, the new tenants agreed they couldn’t keep pets, smoke on the property, or have loud parties. Yet, they broke all the agreements. They kept two Dobermans in their garden. The dogs barked at everything that moved, day and night. And there were late-night parties. Those parties were fuelled with booze and who knows what else. The poor neighbour couldn’t sleep due to the loud party noises.

The neighbours tried to talk to the new tenants in a reasonable manner, but to no avail. They contacted the landlord, but nothing changed. Exhaustion and frustration led the neighbours to take action. Out of desperation, they contacted the authorities. This happened many times, but nothing changed. The new tenants continued to hold parties, and the dogs kept barking.

more than once. But then came the clincher. The landlord finally faced reality. He evicted them for non-payment of rent. When the landlord took possession of the house, he was shocked! He saw that those people had caused significant damage. Even more of a shock was that the repairs would cost him several thousand pounds.

The problem was that the new tenant lacked the character to live in that house. They didn’t appreciate or respect their home, neighbours, or even themselves.

I hate to sound like that, but it’s true. I don’t know where they should live or are fit to live, but it wasn’t in a family-oriented, quiet neighbourhood.

So, my point is here that we are not fit to live in the kingdom of God. Isaiah 6:5 knew he was not fit to live in the kingdom of God.

Let’s Get Real With Ourselves

Isaiah said, “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”

Jesus said that to be fit for the kingdom of God, something has to happen to us. We have to become new people. We have to leave our old ways behind.

Listen to Jesus tell it in his own words. He said:

I declare to you, the birth of water and spirit is necessary for the Kingdom of God’s entry. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (vv. 5-6).

We Are Like Nicodemus

Nicodemus’ mother had given him physical birth. Jesus was saying that God’s Spirit must give him a spiritual birth.

That which is born of the flesh is flesh.

That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit…

You must be born again from above” (vv. 6-7).

That was true for Nicodemus, and it’s true for us. We must be born again from above. This message is not for a few, but for all of us. It’s a universal call to us of spiritual rebirth. Otherwise, we’ll never see the kingdom of God.

The Purpose of Baptism

The purpose of baptism is to enable the new birth to take place. At our baptism, we are born again. Baptism is not an end, as we read in the Book of Romans. Saint Paul wrote Romans and said we must rely on God’s grace for salvation. We cannot earn salvation but must ask God to forgive our sins.

Are You Born Again?

So, if anyone asks if you’re born again, you should answer, “Of course! I’m a baptised Christian. Every Christian who undergoes baptism experiences being born again!”

Baptism, of course, is just the beginning of the Christian journey. Baptism makes us babes in Christ, beginners, not mature Christians. We have a lot of growing to do, but baptism marks the beginning of a new birth.

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I’m Paula Rose Parish — a former atheist of 21 years, Protestant pastor for over 40 years, and now a Catholic convert. After a powerful encounter where Jesus audibly called me to follow Him, my life was forever changed. I’ve ministered across Australia, the USA, and the UK, and today, I share my journey of faith, hope, and transformation.

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