The Kingdom of God and the New Birth

Questions for the Above Text:

1. Why did Nicodemus come at night?

2. What does "water and the Spirit" have to do with being born again?

3. How does the wind illustrate the birth of the Spirit?

I. The Ruler who came by night vv. 1, 2.

A. All we know about Nicodemus is:

a. He was a Pharisee

b. He was a ruler of the Jews (probably a member of the Sanhedrin--the Elders of Israel)Look Here

c. He came to Jesus by night

d. He was an esteemed teacher in Israel

e. He later spoke on behalf of fairness in judging Jesus (7:50)

f. He assisted Joseph of Arimathaea in removing the body of Jesus from the cross and in burying it (19:39).

g. He was willing to admit the verity of Jesus' miracles and that Jesus was a "teacher from God."

II. Nicodemus came at night.

A. The Reason is unstated. It may have been no more that privacy and leisure.

B. Also mentioned in John 19:39

C. The Sanhedrin ruled over every Jew in the World (Mt. 23:1-3) as far as religion

D. A brief history of the Pharisees according to Josephus.

The Pharisees originated some years before the Maccabean wars. They were a group of men whose righteous indignation was aroused by the worldliness and idolatry that seemed to be taking over the Jewish nation. Read I Maccabees chapters 1 & 2.

About 200 these people made a name for themselves when they reacted against immorality and idolatry and were at first called "hasidim" or Pietiests. The name Pharisee (which means Separatist) took hold around 135 B.C. In order to join this party a man must take a pledge to study and live and obey every detail of the Law of Moses and the "traditions of the fathers" (what we call the Mishna and Talmud).

They believed in YHWY and that man was a free moral agent. They believed in a general resurrection, angels, rewards for good, and punishment for evil. Saul of Tarsus was a Pharisee.

Their main fault as we see so much today was one of moving too far to the right in a reaction to Hellenist Jews who they considered to be liberals. (Yes I am using current political jargon).

They changed the great principles of God's Law (the law of love and caring) into legalism. As often stated: they "strained the gnat and swallowed the camel." They tithed to the final tiny dill seed but neglected the weighter matter of the law.

One good example of their legalism is found in "what does work mean?" The Law merely says "remember the Sabbath and keep it holy" and do no servile work on that day. First they had to define work. Once that was done, they looked at "forms" of work. One form of work was tying knots. Once they decided that tying knots on the Sabbath was work, they realized that all knots are not the same so what kind of knots does the law speak of? The Mishnah says these "are the knots the making of which renders a man guilty: the knot of a camel driver and that of a sailor; and one is guilty by reason of tying them." Knots which can be tied with one hand are legal. "A woman may tie up a slit in her shift and the strings of her cap and those of her girdle, the straps of her shoes or sandals, or wine skins." Now to the absurdity of this system, a man could not tie up a donkey or a goat on the Sabbath unless he tied it one handed, but he could have his wife tie up a goat or a donkey if she tied them up with her girdle.

Verse three

I. Is it born again or born anew?

II. The word probably means both. One is born from above and also has a new beginning.

A. The word "see" means to participate or be involved in.

B. Thus, any man who is not born again has no part in the kingdom of God.

III. Nicodemus "born of water and of spirit."

A. It helps to read this text contextually instead of verse by verse. In this section we have the statement a man must be "born of water" and "Spirit." Now if we move down to verse 22 we find the statement "after these things." After these things is a reference to our conversation with Nicodemus. Next we notice that "after these things" John was in the river baptizing. Based on the context, what is "born of water?"

B. In past classes we have discussed the Jewish concept of "Micvah" or "baptism." Micvah Since Nicodemus was a devoted Jew and Jews already practiced baptism, do you think that Nicodemus understood what Jesus was speaking of?

C. There are several passages in the NT that tell us about being born again.

IV. But what about the "Spirit."

I.  The first thing we notice about this verse is the generally "bad  translations" that are out there. In the Greek text the "water" and "spirit" are not separated. Notice in the text above, we have water (ὕδατος)  and (kai) (πνεύματος). The article "the" is not there and is an addition to translations. 

2. Thus, the water and Spirit happen at the same time. In fact, this is the very language of Acts 2:38.

3. This is the very same Jesus who makes the statement that tells us "to go into all the world, baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit" (Matt. 28: 19-20).

V. In Verse six, Nicodemus tells us the impossibility of being born again "from the mother's womb." "And they that are of the flesh, cannot please God."

From the Old College Press, here is an analogy of the "New Birth."

I. What is the Kingdom of God?

A look at the word Kingdom!

B.  The word "Kingdom then has two meanings. It can, and often does, mean "those under the rule of Chirst" (meaning in a certain mass or area). It can also be defined as those under the "reign of Chirst" meaning those who have submitted to the will of Jesus. In many NT passages the dual meaning is applied.

From Dr. Everett Ferguson My Former Teacher:

“The God of Heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed” (Dan. 2:44).

The “kingdom of God” which was the theme of Jesus' preaching (Mark 1:15), has received many different interpretations. I will bypass these interpretations and try to set forth an accurate account of a basic biblical understanding of the “kingdom of God.”

The Meaning of the Kingdom

In Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, the primary meaning of “kingdom” is “kingship,” that is, royal power or kingly rule. The words more often refer to “those under the reign” than to “those under the realm” in which the rule is exercised, to the dominion rather than the domain. This meaning may be seen quite clearly in the story of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar's madness in Daniel 4. While the king was boasting of the magnificent capital he had built and his power and majesty, “ There came a voice from heaven: “To you, King Nebuchadnezzar, the word is spoken: the kingdom has passed from you” (Dan. 4:30-31, REB). Babylon as a realm, of course remained; it was Nebuchadnezzar's exercise of kingship that was removed. The occasion was a period of insanity. Afterward, the king acknowledged God's sovereignty (Dan. 4:34), and as the story proceeds in the words of Nebuchadnezzar, “At that very time I was restored to my right mind and, for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and royal splendor returned to me..., and I was reestablished in my kingdom and my power was greatly increased” (Dan. 4: 36 REB). The realm was not restored; it was Nebuchadnezzar's rule that was reestablished. A New Testament illustration is provided by Revelation 11:15: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign forever and ever.”

Of course, kingship does not operate in a void, so the word “kingdom” is often used to close connection with the people or territory living under a given reign. That usage gives the secondary meaning of “realm” a meaning evident in references to the “kingdom of Judah” (2Chron. 11:17; 20:30), to Babylon (Dan. 1:20), to Persia (Ezra 1:1). In the New Testament, this derivative meaning occurs in such passages as the temptation narrative, where the devil offers Jesus “all the kingdoms of the world” (Matt. 4:8: Luke 4:5), and in Herod Antipas' offer of half his kingdom to the daughter of Herodias (Mark 6:23).

The political/legal metaphor of a kingdom takes on distinctive connotations when applied to God and his people. The kingdom of God refers to his majesty and activity, more often than to his people. The concept or symbol indicates that God is at work, ruling and accomplishing his purposes. The kingdom is active, not static. The rule of God presupposes a people and seeks a people over whom to exercise his rule, so sometimes God's kingdom is his people.

The Kingdom of God and Israel

God as king and the effects of his sovereignty are common motifs in the Old Testament, even if the exact phrase "kingdom of God” does not occur. The event that lay at the basis of the covenant with Israel, the deliverance from Egypt, was also the time when God's everlasting reign was declared (Exod. 15: 18). God is elsewhere described as ruling over his people (Judges 8:23), and he is often called “king” (e.g. Numbers 23:21; Pss. 74:12; 95:3; Jer. 10:7, 10). He is king over the whole universe and over all nations (Pss. 22:28; 29: 3-4, 10; 47:2, 6-8; 96:10-13; 99:1-4), but especially is he king over Israel (Deut. 33:5; Isa. 41:21; 43:15). Because God was their king, the prophet Samuel argued that Israel should not have a human king (I Sam. 12:12; cf. 8:7). That God is the universal and everlasting king is affirmed in the New Testament, as in the impressive doxology of I Timothy 1:17, “To the king of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever.”

Furthermore, different forms of the Hebrew word for kingdom occur in descriptions of God. Since God is always king, his kingdom is an ever-present reality. The dynamic, active sense of kingdom is particularly evident in the passages using kingdom (or kingship) about God. “The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all” (Ps. 103: 19). The parallelism characteristic of Hebrew poetry helps define the meaning of kingdom through associated words, and that feature should be observed in may of the passages to be cited. Note especially Psalm 145:11-13:

         They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom, and tell of your power

          to make known to all people your mighty deeds,

          and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

          Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

           and your dominion endures throughout all generations.

Kingdom is associated with power, mighty deeds, and dominion, and God's kingdom is everlasting. The cluster of words in 1 Chronicles 29:11 is significant: “Yours, O Lord, are the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the heavens and on the earth is yours; yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all.” “For dominion belongs to the Lord and He rules over the nations” ( Ps. 22:28). The everlasting nature of God's kingdom is in contrast with earthly kingdoms: “How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his sovereignty is from generation to generation” (Dan. 4:34).

The manifestation of God's kingdom among the nations in the Old Testament was Israel. An example of the meaning of “realm” is Exodus 19:6, where Israel is denominated as the Lord's “dominion” (NRSV). The human king was intended to be the representative and servant of God (Deut. 17:14-20; 2 Sam. 23:1-7; Ps. 61:6-7; and esp. Ps. 72:1-4). Hence, the king was to be God's anointed (1Sam. 24:6, 10; Pss. 45:7; 89:20) and God's “son” (2 Sam. 7:14; Ps. 2:7; 89:27).

The nation of Israel and her kings proved to be quite imperfect manifestations of the reign of God. So, the prophets looked forward to a time when God would invade the affairs of human beings, overthrow evil, and demonstrate his sovereignty. They speak of God's rule in the future tense. Although God is always king and always exercises kingship, there will be a time in the future when this will be manifested among his people in a special way. “The Lord of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before his elders he will manifest his glory” (Isa. 24:23). “Those who have been saved shall go up to Mount Zion to rule Mount Esau; and the kingdom shall be the Lord's” (Obad. 21). “And the Lord will become a king over all the earth” (Zech. 14:9). As a result of subjugation to foreign powers, this expectation of a future exercise of God's kingship was intensified during the inter-testamental period.

The Kingdom of God and Jesus

In the ministry of Jesus as described in the Gospels. We hear much about the kingdom and meet for the first time in the biblical writings the exact phrase “kingdom of God.” Jesus, however was clearly not introducing a new concept. The Old Testament passages referred to above, and others, as well as writings from the apocrypha, the pseudepigrapha, and Qumran texts make it evident that the concept of God's kingdom was a prominent and quite intelligible among Jesus' Jewish hearers. The topic of the kingdom of God in the preaching of Jesus and its relation to him is too large for complete treatment, but we want to call attention to certain features that correlate with themes in this short writing.

All three Synoptic Gospels characterize the central theme of Jesus' preaching as “the kingdom of God.” “From that time [the arrest of John the Baptist] Jesus began to proclaim, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near,” or, “is at hand” (Matt. 4:17; cf. 4:23: “proclaiming the good news of the kingdom”). “Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near [or, “is at hand”]; repent and believe in the good news'” Mark 1:14-15). Jesus “said to them, "I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose” (Luke 4:43).

When Jesus declared “The time if fulfilled,” he was saying that it was time for all God had said and did in Israel's history to be brought to completion. The universal reign of God was about to be manifested in a new and special way. The hopes expressed in the Old Testament prophets were ready to be realized. Jesus sums up that earlier message as “the kingdom of heaven.” The former phrase is used uniformly in Mark's and Luke's reports of Jesus' teaching; the latter, with few exceptions, occurs in Matthew's reports. The phrases are equivalent. The Jews customarily used circumlocutions in order to avoid use of the divine name, and “heaven" was one of the common substitutes (cf. Matt. 21:25; Luke 15:21). What cannot be determined is whether Jesus commonly used “heaven” and Mark and Luke adapted the wording to their Gentile audiences, or whether Matthew accommodated Jewish sensibilities and adopted “heaven” for whatever term Jesus used.

The proximity of the kingdom is expressed by a word (engiken, “come near” or “at hand”) that means to approach or draw near, spatially or temporally. God was ready to act in a new way and overthrow his enemies and manifest his kingship. His kingdom was in the process of coming; it was nearby, even “breaking in.” The nearness required that the people repent and prepare themselves for the rule of God. The imminence of the kingdom meant that all concerns had become secondary (Luke 9:57-62). The age of fulfillment now dominated the scene and transcended all normal life activities.

As the phrase “at hand” indicates, Jesus normally spoke of the kingdom in the imminent future. However, he eschewed setting any timetable for the divine action (Matt. 24:36; Mark13:32; cf. Acts 1:6-7). Sometimes Jesus referred the kingdom to the heavenly bliss of the saved in contrast to the punishment of others (Matt. 8:11-12, which draws on the imagery of Ps. 107:3 and Isa. 25:6-9). As a consequence of the imminence of the kingdom, Jesus could speak of it as present in his miracles (Matt. 12:28; Luke 11:20). The verb phthano in these verses brings out the proleptic nature of the kingdom, for the verb suggests something that it is present but not yet fully attained or realized (cf. Phil. 3:16; I Thes. 2:16). The kingdom was also present in his own proclamation (Luke 16:16; Matt. 11:12) and present (Luke 17:20-21), “among you” or “within your reach”). The power of the kingdom was present in Jesus' ministry. In his teachings, he showed what was required by God's kingdom.

The phrase “kingdom of God” emphasizes the most important thing Jesus had to say about the kingdom: It is God's. And this coincides with the whole ministry of Jesus, which was God-centered. This kingdom is active, working to overthrow the forces of evil (Matt. 12:28). God gives the kingdom to whom he chooses (Luke 12:32). The kingdom must be received, and Jesus taught the qualities necessary to “receive” God's rule: The humble, teachable, receptive spirit of children (Mark 10:15). Similar teaching is found in Matthew 18:3-4, which uses the expression “to enter the kingdom,” terminology associated in Matthew not trusting in riches (Matt. 19:23-24; cf. 5:3). An alternative expression is “to inherit the kingdom” (Matt. 25:34).

Jesus' teaching about the kingdom, its nature, and those who posses it, is summarized in the opening petitions of the Lord's prayer.

“Our Father in heaven,

your name be hallowed;

your kingdom come;

your will be done;

on earth as it is in heaven”

The three central phrases are parallel in structure in Greek. They may be taken as equivalent in significance. For God's name to be sanctified and for His will to be done is for His kingdom (his rule) to come. “On earth as it is in heaven” modifies all three phrases, not just the last. The petition is for the holiness, kingship, and purposes of God to be realized on earth as they are in heaven.

There is implicit within Jesus' ministry a close association of himself with the kingdom. This is particularly evident in Luke's presentation. He interchanges “Jesus” with the “kingdom of God” in the sayings in Luke 14:26 and 18:29, and in Acts he associates the preaching of the kingdom of God with the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 8:12; 28:23, 31). To follow Jesus is to be a follower of the Kingdom of God (Luke 9: 60-62; 18:28-29). In the accounts of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Matthew parallels “Son of David” and “the one who comes in the name of the Lord” (Matt. 21:9); Mark parallels the coming one with the “coming kingdom of David” (Mark 11:9-10); and Luke speaks of “the king who comes in the name of the Lord” (Luke 19:38; cf. John 12:13, “King of Israel”). Luke associates the kingdom with Jesus and the twelve disciples as well as with God (Luke 22:29-30). Luke shares with Matthew the motif of Jesus as king. Whereas Matthew traces this theme throughout the Gospel, from the birth (Matt. 2:2) to the triumphal entry (Matt. 21:5, quoting Zech 9:9), crucifixion (Matt.27:11, 29, 37, 42), and resurrection (Matt. 28:18 “all authority”), using the title “son of David” for Jesus nine times; Luke associates the kingship of Jesus with his occupying the throne of David at his resurrection (Luke 1:32-33; Acts 2:30-31, 34-35; 13:22-23, 34-35; cf. 17:7; see above on the covenant of David associated with Christ's resurrection). A text that may have encouraged this association of kingship with the resurrection was 2 Samuel 7:12, “ I will raise up your [David's] offspring after you..., and I will establish my kingdom."

All three Synoptic Gospels relate that Jesus was tried on a charge of being a messianic pretender, a king (Matt. 27:11, 37; Mark 15:2, 26; Luke 23:2-3, 38). Note the interchange in the different accounts between “king of the Jews” [Matt. 27:42], “Messiah of God” [“God's anointed one”] [Luke 23:35], and the combination of the two titles, “the Messiah, the king of Israel” [Mark 15:32.] John elaborates on the conversation between Pilate and Jesus. In response to Pilate's question, “ Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus declared, “My Kingdom is not from this world, otherwise my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews” (John 18:33-36). After acknowledging that he was a king, Jesus identified his kingly work as testifying to the truth (John 18:37). His kingdom is truth.

Index on John