1. The Way to Life Lesson 10
To be born again (!?)

2. Up to now:
God is a powerful orderly creative Creator; he does away with chaos
In His creation He has given a special position to mankind. They are made in his imageand set to rule. 
They should live in communication with Him and serve Him
They should represent Him: rule the world as He would
Man and woman fall; yet God seeks them, and questions them.
He promises them a future through defeat and victory by the woman’s seed

3. Two brothers: murder and forgiveness
Genesis 4: (Cain and Abel)
God keeps asking questions: He communicates with man
Luke 15:11-32: the younger son who went away but came back: from repentance to Life! the older son is also invited by his Father
Both should live in the riches that the father provided

4. The human problem: sin (Mark 7)
We are ‘unclean’ not by eating wrong things
Our uncleanness comes from within : SIN
“all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23

5. God forgives, but how? Leviticus
Sacrifices in OT: the way to keep the relationship with God good
They pre-figure the life of Jesus:
Life: perfect submission, well pleasing to God, on behalf of all mankind
Death: punishment of sin, on behalf of all mankind
Resurrection: new life, also on behalf of all mankind
“but are justified freely by his grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus” Romans 3:23 and 24
“But if we confess / admit our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” - I John 1: 9
God only (His grace / forgiveness) sets us free from penalty on sin and power of sin

6. Relationship with God Luke 7:36-50 Mat 22: 36-40
Pharisee and a “sinful” woman: More forgiveness, more love shown to God
Being a Christian is not about rules, but about relationship
Jesus speaks of “love, my Father, faith, trust, asking, ...”
Yet in the old Testament there are many commands, and Jesus also uses that word:, but
“Commands” are not just physical things to do. The first two are:
“Love God and love your neighbour”
In our place means not that we did not undergo it, but that God sees us as if we did undergo it. So we have been punished for sin, we are dead, but also alive again. II Corinthian 5: (Rom 6: 1-14)

7. Relating to Jesus
Paralyzed man with 4 friends come to Jesus (Luke 5:17-26)
Who is Jesus?
What can he do for you?
Paul on the road to Damascus: Acts 22: 6-10

8. Being born again Conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus.
Read John 3:1-19
John 3:1-2 Introduction: “with the compliments of Nicodemus”

9. Understand the vocabulary
Nicodemus was a “Pharisee” (3:1). What did Pharisees believe? They were proud of their racial heritage as descendants of their great ancestor, Abraham, whom God honored. They also tried hard to establish a record of legally perfect performance of their religious laws. They believed that these two merits automatically granted them membership in God’s future kingdom. They confidently depended on their own achievements and goodness to deserve God’s acceptance of them. Therefore, they did not think that they needed to ask God to forgive them for wrongdoing. They did not know that they needed God to give them a new, different moral nature. (For examples of Pharisees and their beliefs, read Philippians 3:4–9 and Luke 18:9–14.) Nicodemus called Jesus “Rabbi” (3:2), a Jewish term of respect for their great religious teachers.

10. Understand the vocabulary
The “kingdom of God” (3:3, 5) is a comprehensive term. Sometimes it refers to the presence and rule of God in the hearts of His people. Sometimes it includes the people God rules over, and that perfect place where God rules with exclusive control—called “Heaven.” Sometimes it means the future time when God will remove all evil and suffering from the world and will make His created world perfect.
“Flesh” (3:6) means human nature, both physical body and inner character—our moral and spiritual nature.
“The Spirit” (with a capital “S,” 3:5–8) refers to God, the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is one of God’s three persons of the single entity or being. The Bible introduces us to God the Father (sometimes just called God), God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit (the Spirit). As three distinct persons, they speak to each other and speak about each other. Yet they are in each other as one infinite spirit. God’s being or substance is spirit, not a material body like ours.

11. Understand the vocabulary
“Heaven” (3:13) is the eternal world where God is directly present in manifested power and glory. There, the angels and people who used to live on earth and trusted God now live. They see God directly in His glory. There, God does not hide Himself, but shows Himself to people. God reigns in His kingdom without any rival or any evil there.
“Eternal life” (3:15, 16) is life with God. It begins when you accept the Son of God, Jesus, into your life as your Savior from sin and Ruler of your life. That new life with God will never end. After your body dies, your conscious mind continues to live. Then, later on, God will give you a new body to live in forever.

12. Questions
Prepare to discuss these questions with your Bible instructor
1. What was Nicodemus’ status in his society? See 3:1, 10.
2. Nicodemus was a well-known, esteemed, religious teacher of his nation. He was not a young man because he was a member of the Jewish ruling council. Jesus was only a little over 30 years old. Most of the Jewish leaders rejected Him. What may have been Nicodemus’ reasons for going to Jesus at night? Why didn’t Nicodemus talk with Jesus during the day when crowds of people around Jesus would have seen and heard him?
3. Do you think it was easy or difficult for Nicodemus to come to Jesus to say what he said in verse 3:2? If so, why did he? Can you see the reasons in 3:2?
4. In the original language used to write the Bible, the word translated as “born again” can mean “born again,” or “born from above.” Jesus said, “You all must be born again” to be able to “enter the kingdom of God.” How does that requirement differ from what the Pharisees believed? (Refer to the vocabulary note above for “Pharisee.”)
5. Compare a person’s second (spiritual) birth as described in 3:5, 6 and 1:12, 13 to their first (natural) birth. List some differences. For example, what are the natures of: • The parents of the first birth • The parent of the new birth Therefore, what are the natures of each of the two new lives produced? What are the relationships, privileges and responsibilities between members of a natural family that are similar to those in the spiritual family?
6. Nicodemus could not imagine how a spiritual birth proceeds. Jesus compared the second birth with the blowing of the wind. Read 3:8 again. How does that illustrate the reality of God’s Spirit, and how He produces a spiritual birth? How would the wind illustration answer the following two difficulties for understanding birth by God’s Spirit? • We understand how a natural, physical baby is produced. But we cannot understand how a new spiritual life is started. • God’s Spirit is invisible.