Day 310 - Luke 20 - John 9

ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE

Day 310 - Luke 20 - John 9 (You Must Be Born Again - Jesus)

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"'Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."  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?"  Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Do not marvel that I said to you, "You must be born again.'"  (John 3:3-7)

Sadly, there are too many people who do not even know that the phrase "born again" was coined by none other than the Lord Jesus Himself.  In order to understand this most misunderstood phrase in the Bible, we need to study it in its context, that is, "Who was Jesus talking to and what were they talking about?"

The person Jesus was talkiing to in our text above was a Pharasee and a was a member of the Sanhedrin or the ruling council of the Jews named Nicodemus.  Let's call him Nick for short.  Nick was a seeker of truth and he came to Jesus to try to find it.  Jesus told Nick he needed to be born-again in order to enter the kingdom of God.

At first, Nick thought Jesus was referring to physical birth and naturally questioned how a grown man like him could enter his mother's womb to be born again, LOL!  Jesus lovingly explained to Nick that he was talking about spiritual birth; that he needed to be born into the family of God through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus further taught Nick in the succeeding verses that the way to be born again is by believing in Him.  It was in this same conversation that Jesus spoke what is undoubtedly the most famous verse in the Bible:

         "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him                    should not perish but have everlasting life."  (John 3:16)

To be born again, therefore, means to be saved from the punishment of sin which is everlasting death in hell and, to receive the gift of everlasting life in heaven.  In order to be born again, you must believe or trust in Jesus as your Lord and Savior and that His death served as the substitute for the death that you and I deserved.  If you have done that already, then you are born again.  If not, you must be born again to enter the kingdom of God.