HAVE YOU BEEN BORN AGAIN?

“In reply, Jesus declared (to Nicodemus- author’s note). ‘I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.⁴ “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
⁵ Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. ⁶ Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. ⁷ You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ John 3:3-7

Humans have the strange compulsion to reduce everything to formulae so that we can apply what we understand better. Our attempts at evangelism are no different. We approach people with the “Four Spiritual Laws”, Evangelism Explosion and even “The Born Again” message.

However, when we watch Jesus’ way of interacting with people, He was different. He treated every person as unique. To the woman at the well He offered water that would satisfy her thirst to be truly loved. To Zaccheus, He was the one who freed him from dishonesty and greed, which Jesus called “salvation”. To the woman caught in adultery, He showed mercy by not stoning her, and He delivered her from guilt. To the woman who was bleeding, who touched the tassels of His prayer shawl and was healed, Jesus said, “Go in peace. Your faith has made you whole.” To the paralysed man whose friends let him down through the roof, Jesus responded to their faith and forgave his sin. Now how can we turn any of that into a formula?

Where did the “born again” idea come from? Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a man schooled in the religion and practice of Judaism. He understood what it meant to be “first-born”. In Hebrew culture, the firstborn son in every family stood in the position of privilege and responsibility. He represented his father in making decisions and taking responsibility for his younger siblings’ actions. Hence it was Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, who tried to protect Joseph from his brothers’ murderous intentions because he was responsible for him. Adam was God’s firstborn son and, as the firstborn, he was responsible for his wrong choice and the sin of the whole world. According to the Apostle Paul, then, “In Adam, all die.”

All the other children in the Hebrew family were “second born”. Because the firstborn took their judgment, they received mercy. It is equally true that, since Jesus was the firstborn of the Father, as a human being, he received justice. He is also called the “second Adam”, so that, in Him, people receives mercy.

Nicodemus knew that, in Adam, he was subject to God’s justice for his sin. Hence, as a Pharisee, he tried to keep the Law of God as best he could. Jesus explained that it took a supernatural act of God’s grace to move him from firstborn in Adam to second-born in Christ so that he would receive mercy and not justice. He could not earn mercy by keeping the rules. He could only receive it by faith in the one who would be lifted up like the serpent in the wilderness.

By an act of grace through faith in Jesus, we are moved from justice to mercy by being “born again.” It’s not a formula but a fact. (LAC)