John 3:1-8 (NLT)
1 There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. 2 After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.”3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” 4 “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?” 5 Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. 7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”

1. WHO WAS NICODEMUS? (VS 1)

INSIGHT:
Although Nicodemus was a religious leader, he still wasn’t saved. Even though he was a Pharisee, who lived by the strictest observance of the written law, he still needed to be born-again. No matter how religious and self-righteous we become, we still fall short of the glory of God.

FACT:
We are all born sinners that need to be saved.

Ecclesiastes 7:20 (CJB)
For there isn’t a righteous person on earth who does [only] good and never sins.

ROMANS 3:23 (NLT)
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

2. What did Jesus say was the precondition to enter the Kingdom of God/Heaven? (VS. 3-5)

INSIGHT:
Jesus emphasized one major truth to Nicodemus, He told him… Unless you are born-again you can not see or enter the Kingdom of God.

3. WHAT CAN HUMANS REPRODUCE? (VS. 6)

INSIGHT:
Humans can only reproduce human life. All of the best efforts of man can not reproduce the miracle of new life or eternal life. Placing our faith in our own works and acts of righteousness will only cause us to end up just like Nicodemus. He was super religious and strict and still lost and disqualified from Heaven. Unless Nicodemus was born-again, he would end up in hell for eternity.

4. What does the Holy Spirit give birth to? (VS. 6)

INSIGHT:
It is only through faith in Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit that we can be born-again and receive a new spiritual life. Unless we are born again, we are not saved. We must be born-again! We need to have two birth dates, our natural birthday and a spiritual birthday.

QUESTION:
When were you born again? If you don’t know then today is the day to place your faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins and the gift of new life through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:38 (NLT)
Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Growth Questions:

1) What is one thing you are grateful for today?




2) What is one thing that you learned from today’s passage that you can share with someone else?