Today, I invite you to turn to John chapter 3, John chapter 3, as we take a break from our study in the Sermon on the Mount as we come to the table today and looking at this great chapter, text is really verses 9 through 17, I'm going to back up and read at the end of chapter 2, page 1055, and we'll read through 321, picking up at John 2, verse 23. Let's give our attention this morning to the word of the Lord. Now, when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing, but Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man. Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, 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. Jesus answered him, truly, truly, 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's old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born? Jesus answered, truly, truly, 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 flesh is flesh, and that which is born of Spirit is Spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, you must be born again. The wind blows where it wishes and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who's born of the Spirit. Nicodemus said to him, how can these things be? Jesus answered him, are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, But whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And there we'll end the reading of God's Word. Well, today we come to the table of our Lord. And I thought with all that has happened in these past weeks in light of the deaths of two dear saints of this congregation and in light of the Sermon on the Mount that has challenged us, I think it's important to pause for a minute, especially as we have the privilege of coming to the table of our Lord today and to be reminded that salvation is a free gift of God. This is something that God has given to us in his gracious word through the work of his son. And that is the scriptures do. They do a thorough job, as we've been looking at, of diagnosing the human problem, of diagnosing the problem of sin and the problem that we are in. I think we've really been dealing with that in a certain way in the Sermon on the Mount. Much of the great problem of that sermon that Jesus was exposing is that people were trying to establish their own righteousness and they would not submit to the righteousness that comes from God. As Machen once said, the Sermon on the Mount at the end of the day leads us all to the foot of the cross. But I don't want anyone to think that as we're going through what can be challenging texts of Scripture that God has not done everything to solve this great problem. That's what Jesus is doing here in John chapter 3. I want you to be reminded of this today. I want you to think about this today. I want you to be encouraged by the most beautiful statement that is made in the Scriptures here that we know so, oh, so well in John 3.16. Jesus here doesn't merely diagnose our problem, but he completely remedies the problem. That's why John 3 is such a unique chapter in the revelation of God. And as we come to the table this morning, I want to spend our time thinking about how wonderful the Lord has been to solve our great problem of sin and to announce to the ends of the earth eternal life to all who believe. This whole section of John was preceded by something that I backed up and read that I think is important to set the context to appreciate this, that Jesus said at the end of chapter 2. And if you have your scriptures open, you'll notice there at the end of chapter 2 that people were at the Passover. They were celebrating the Lamb, just like what we're going to do in a bit. Celebrate in the Lord's Supper the shedding of blood for the forgiveness of sins. The celebration was happening in in Israel and we read something startling there that at the Passover at the end of chapter 2 really at verse 23 through 25 many believed in him many believed in him when they saw the signs that he was doing but the same word is chosen of Jesus when it says on his part he did not believe in them he did not believe in their belief it's the same word and then it gives us a reason why for he knew what was in man and he had no need that anyone should testify of what is in man he knew what was in man and it wasn't good. What is in man? Well, putting it in these terms, Jesus did not believe in their belief. It was a sort of false faith, if you will. And you look at the end of chapter 2, the very last verse there says that he knew what was in man, and chapter 3 begins with, now there was a man. So, the connection that John is drawing here is to say, let me show you what was in man. Let us diagnose the problem of what was in man. Let me show you a man of one of the greatest problems in Israel that still exists to this day. So, the whole problem at the end of chapter 2 is diagnosed with Nicodemus. Nicodemus, of course, had come to Jesus with a question. not really a question. He had come to Jesus by night, and he makes really an observation. Rabbi, notice this. We know. Jesus is going to interact with that. We know. We know that you're a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him. It's not really a question. It's more of an observation. Nicodemus is confused and wanting to figure out Jesus, wanting to figure out because he knows that this figure is remarkable, Jesus is doing things that nobody else could do. Jesus says in response, without the question, truly, truly, Nicodemus, I say to you, unless one is born again or from above, he cannot perceive, he cannot see the kingdom of God. As you know, the story, it's a well-known story that's been preached often. I'm sure you've heard many sermons on this text. He has no understanding of much of anything about the spiritual nature of the kingdom of God. Essentially, he asks when he hears this great statement, unless one is born again or born from above with a heavenly birth, I don't know how to do that. how can that be? Do I need to go back and get in my mother's womb? And Jesus follows up. He says, with more clarity, I'm telling you, unless one truly, truly is born of water in the Spirit, he cannot see the kingdom of God. That was a direct reference to an old covenant promise of the new covenant, that when the Spirit came, Ezekiel spoke of this, then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your filthiness and from your idols, and I will cleanse you, and a new heart I will give to you, and a new spirit I will put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh, and I'll put my spirit within you. This is just what Jesus is talking about. He's talking about that necessity of the spirit to come and wash the human heart and give the heart life from its deadness spiritually. This is the great problem that people don't understand about ministry and about the problem of humanity. It is even for religious people that they are indeed, until this happens, until water is sprinkled on the heart. Until that happens, people are dead spiritually. Dead spiritually. The Holy Spirit has to come and the Holy Spirit has to give and regenerate the human heart. He has to give life to the human heart. He has to implant life there. But this was shocking to Nicodemus because he doesn't know what it is. He doesn't get it. he's not born again yet. It still hasn't happened, this older man and teacher in Israel. You realize this was the position of everyone until the Spirit does this. This was Nicodemus. He's a good dad. He was a good figure in the community. He was a teacher in Israel. He, you just name the list of accomplishments on lots of boards, served on boards, well-respected, a good guy, but had no idea what this was. See, that should fundamentally trouble us, that that could be. What is he talking about? What all of us need, John 3 is telling us, is a new heart. A heart where actual life is planted there by the Spirit. And Jesus says something even more shocking. That's troubled the church for many years. You can't produce it. You can't do it. you can't make it happen the wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it did you hear that do not marvel i said this to you you must be born from above the wind verse eight blows where it wishes you hear the sound it's sound but you don't know where it comes from which of you know where the wind is coming from in which direction it turns or where it goes so it is that is exactly how it works with the holy spirit he gives that life to whom he will john wants us to look at nicodemus and think a little bit about this for a minute through the struggle through the lens of the struggle of this man do we have life how do we know how can this happen have we been born from above and this becomes really one of the most beautiful moments i think in the gospel of john for jesus now unfolds how this is possible he answers nicodemus's question jesus had spoke here of the absolute necessity of being born from above, the absolute necessity of spiritual life being given to people. And Nicodemus asks this question in verse 9, the question Jesus is now going to answer for us. He says to him, how can these things be? In other words, maybe to make it a little more clear, how can this happen then, Jesus? And I think you see, though, the sincerity of Nicodemus. He at least cares about this. The key is understanding this question is in Jesus' response. Notice what Jesus does here. It's really fascinating. He says, well, we know and testify what we have seen. And you do not receive our witness. You have not believed yet, Nicodemus. Interesting that people could be in church many years and still not yet believe this witness. What is that a play on? Well, it's not really when Jesus says we. I don't believe it's Trinitarian. I think it's important to see what Jesus is doing. He's engaging Nicodemus' initial question when he had come to Jesus and said, we know that you are a teacher come from God, but he had no spiritual life in him. He hadn't believed the Messiah. He hadn't received the Messiah. And Jesus says, but we know. We know and we testify of what we've seen. And that very division here is the division that Jesus has made of those who are born of the flesh and those who are born of the Spirit. That's the division. There are those who see and those who do not see. There are those who understand, and there are those who do not understand. We know and we testify, but you do not know, Nicodemus. It's interesting when we have funerals, and this has been the case over my many years of doing memorials and funerals, that when people come in from the community, I can visibly see response. Yesterday, I had a man laughing at me while I was preaching Jesus from the community. Jesus is telling us this distinction. Those who are alive know. They comprehend. They know the experience of this. They enjoy spiritual things. But those who are dead have no idea what this is about. Nicodemus is stunned. He's sincere, but he's stunned at this. He's never been touched by the message. He's never understood the scriptures. And Jesus is essentially saying, you don't know? You mean, you're a teacher in Israel? And you teach people about entering the kingdom of God? And you don't even know how that occurs? Do you mean to tell me you've risen to this great and prominent teacher in Israel and you don't understand this? You've never observed the effect of somebody born from above? Can you really say that? How would I know? Well, we can testify, says Jesus. Nicodemus says, there's been no evidence of this. Jesus says, what do you mean? Are you that blind? And there's the problem right there. We come to church and we do what we're supposed to do. We honor the law. We are Israel. What are you talking about? I'm a rule keeper. I do what I'm supposed to do. How does Jesus answer? Verse 11, truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and we bear witness to what we've seen, but you do not receive our testimony. I have, if I have told you earthly things, and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? We know, we speak, we testify. What's he talking about here? All these people were believing it. Look at the life-giving power everywhere, says Jesus. You really can say, you don't know what this is? You know, Jesus was showing us this everywhere in the gospel ministry. Who was coming to him? The blind, the poor, the tax collectors, the lame, the sinners, woman with a flow of blood, blind Bartimaeus. Remember the man born blind when the Pharisees jumped all over him? And he says, you testify, you testify, what did he do? And the man says, I know this. I once was blind, but now I see. We know, I see. What about the woman everyone criticized when she broke the alabaster flask at Jesus' feet? And Jesus said, you know why she loves? Because she's been forgiven much. We know. We know what this is. We know exactly what this is. All kinds of people are coming to me, Nicodemus, for eternal life. Look at them come. Look at the multitudes. The Lord was doing what he promised. And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart. This is the old covenant way of talking about being born from above, the Lord will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants to do what? To love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul that you may live. I was, if you were at Greg's service, you know in those letters that he wrote, which were very touching, when he spoke of his love for his family and his wife, he said, above all, I love the Lord and I want people to know that. We know. We testify. We can tell you about that. What do you think are the effects, Nicodemus, of the life-transforming power of the Holy Spirit in the lives of those who hear and bear witness to it? What do you think the effects of that is? Look at some of the dear saints at 95 years old who wobble into this church and would never miss a service because they love the Lord. You don't know the effects of this? Are you kidding? You don't know the effects of this? Because it hasn't touched you yet. How does it happen? Big moment. What does Jesus do? Could have done many things that day. You know what Jesus does? He starts preaching the gospel. Verse 13. No one has ascended to heaven, but he who came down from heaven. That is the Son of Man, who is from heaven. No one has ever been able to go get this from heaven, Nicodemus, but I have come down to give it. I've come down to give it. This is Romans 10. Don't say in your heart who ascends. Jesus comes down to us and gives it to us. And Jesus takes Nicodemus to what would have been a known as a Pharisee. One of the most important statements to explain this. Important stories to explain this. He says, Nicodemus, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so the Son of Man must be lifted up. He's preaching. That was the story of Israel in the wilderness. You remember they were complaining about, they were just a bunch of miserable complainers. That's all they did about the kingdom, about God's church, about provisions. They were bitter. That's the evidence of no life. They were stony hearts. And so after all of God's care for them, they had this really blessed life from the Lord. That was how they returned it. What did God do? He sent servants among them to bite them. They weren't little garden snakes. These were deadly snakes. It must have been awful. I mean, I almost stepped over, I stepped over a baby rattler hiking up to Stanley one time, and I'm so glad that little thing didn't latch on. They say they're the worst. They just cling and they inject the venom. That's what happened. Remember, then the Lord said to Moses, make a fiery serpent. Set it on a pole. And so it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live. New birth, born again. So Moses made a bronze serpent and he put it on a pole and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived. That was an Old Testament illustration of the cross. Life had to be imparted to those who were dying. We're all dying. Deadly venom had filled the people. That's an illustration, beloved, of the death that reigns in us. Death is reigning in you. But if they looked to the serpent on the pole, they would be healed. Now, this is a powerful illustration. It's the great message of Christianity today. It is the message of Christianity. You're dying. You're under the judgment of God. We don't ever hear about this much anymore. But it doesn't change the necessity that that's what it is. And the Lord has said and published to the ends of the earth, look to the cross. Look to the cross. I fastened my son there who became sin for you. though he knew no sin. You see, what it requires to be healed is faith. Look to the cross. I'm going to that cross, Nicodemus. I will be lifted up. They saw the sign of the cursed one put on the pole and raised up, and they saw with horrors there what the Son of Man would come and do for us. Christ would become the cursed one. And then Jesus preaches with power the cross that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him, Nicodemus, shall not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. I know that's been so diluted today. It's almost lost of all of its effectiveness. How does a preacher make it alive? He doesn't make it alive. The Spirit does. Just listen to it. God so loved this fallen realm that hated him, despises him, that has a stony heart to him, that He gave His Son. And to the ends of the earth today, whoever believes in Him will not perish. But you will have, right now, everlasting life. You don't have to wait until your death to figure out whether that's so. Right now. is that not the most beautiful thing he's ever said? God, in this manner, showed his love to the world. That's how it reads. In this manner, in this way. Here's how he showed his love to this fallen realm. To a world of rebels, he gave his only begotten son to tone for sin. To raise him up on a cross. And today says to the ends of the earth, whoever looks to him, Whoever believes in him in faith, even though you die, you will live. You believe that? Now, our ability to believe this and receive this is absolutely impossible. You understand? That's the point he's made. That's why Jesus is preaching the gospel. That's how the Spirit creates faith in the heart. The Scriptures tell us this everywhere. This is the program right here. It's this passage that motivated the apostles, I'm convinced. Woe is me if I don't preach this gospel, said Paul. Peter, you were born again by the word of God preached to you. The gospel preached to you. Paul, for it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. And Jesus is saying to Nicodemus, look at me, look at me. I'm going to the cross for you. Believe, do not be unbelieving. And beloved, in that message, the Spirit hovers over a valley of dry bones and he raises up people. Have you been raised? Are you a teacher in Israel? Are you a good guy, and still you're dead? Believe this gospel. Is it hard to be saved? Actually impossible for us. Jesus is illustrating the possibility because of the Spirit, a promise, as he preaches himself. That's how desperate our situation is. The God I have never understood, the God I have complained against, the God I've been dead to, the God, maybe I've been mad at the pastor for exposing my sin. Maybe I've been mad at his worship because I don't like the way he does things. Maybe I've just been unhappy with him my whole time. And then you see this gift, and the Spirit opens your eyes, and he says, believe. And you will have eternal life. The question is, why would God ever love me and give me a gift like this when I've been like this to him? I want to close with this. Who can forget Spurgeon's conversion story? It's worth it here. He stumbled into a small chapel and a man, wasn't even the pastor that day, was preaching on Isaiah 45, 22, look to me and be saved. all the ends of the earth, for I am God and there's none else. He had not much to say, thank God, for that compelled him to keep on repeating his text. And there was nothing else needed by me at any rate except his text. I remember how he said it, it is Christ that speaks. I am in the garden in an agony pouring out my soul into death. I'm on a tree dying for sinners. Look unto me, look unto me. That's all you have to do. A child can look, An idiot can look. However weak or however poor a man may be, he can look. And if he looks, the promise is he shall live. Then stopping, he pointed to where I was sitting in the gallery. And he said, that young man looks very miserable. Stop. What if I looked at some of you right now and said, you look miserable? it worked. What if I pointed? Spurgeon said, I expect I did. That's how I felt. How do you feel right now? And he said, there is no hope for you, young man, or any chance of getting rid of your sin unless you look, look to Jesus. And he shouted, look, look, young man, look now. And he says, I did look, and I went home. The words of David kept ringing in my ears. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Jesus follows up. Whoever believes in him is not condemned. But whoever does not believe in him is condemned already because he's not believed in the name of the only Son of God. I think sometimes we so long as people we say, well, they're Christians, we have services, everyone's going to heaven. Not true. we must believe the gospel. We must look to Christ. You. Seek the Lord while he may be found. Call upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return to the Lord. He will have mercy on him. And to our God, he will abundantly pardon. Now, I went in my best Baptist style I could today to preach to you. Do you understand that? I think I sounded a bit like a Baptist. But I want you to believe. Because I want every last one of you to have eternal life. This is God's solution. This is God's answer. Believe him. Do not doubt him. He is that good when you look to Christ to forgive your sins and to give you of a free gift eternal life so that whether you live or whether you die, you belong to the Lord. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we need your spirit to look. Grant us your spirit. May we all leave this place looking to the Son and now beholding him in the sacrament for your praise and glory, the gift of eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.