Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Please turn in your Bibles to .

Two weeks ago, I spoke about Nicodemus and the need for him to be born again.

We will continue in our study in that passage.

You may remember that in theology, born again is connected to the doctrine of regeneration.

Regeneration is a doctrine that teaches that a person experiences spiritual transformation only and solely by the work of the Holy Spirit.

This spiritual transformation brings the person from being spiritually dead to becoming spiritually alive.

Regeneration is another way of speaking about the new (spiritual) birth, the second birth or being born again.

Nicodemus approached Jesus, and he addresses him as Rabbi and he recognized that Jesus is a teacher who has come from God.

In other words, Nicodemus sees that Jesus is no ordinary teacher because He demonstrated His sign at the wedding and His authority in the cleansing of the temple.

Although Nicodemus may have wanted to know who Jesus was, he was just a man who can never ascertain the heavenly things.

Therefore, Jesus tells Nicodemus that “unless you are born again, you cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Again, if you were not with us two weeks ago, Jesus responds to Nicodemus in that way because Nicodemus only thought of Jesus as a teacher from God, not a prophet or the Messiah.

Nicodemus in his sinful and dark state cannot truly assess who Jesus is.

And Jesus would not allow Nicodemus to make a conjecture of Him.

Jesus is not simply a Rabbi or a Teacher.

He is the Son of God, and He deserves to be glorified and worshipped.

Therefore, Nicodemus needs to be born again if he wants to see or enter the kingdom of God.

Let’s read , and we’ll pick up where we left off and we will consider verses 4-8 for today’s message.

READ.

In verse 4, we notice that Nicodemus responded with questions because in verse 3, Christ’s statement sounds absurd and impossible from his perspective.

“Jesus, what are you talking about?

What do you mean?

How can I as an old man go back to my mother’s womb?

I was born many number of years ago.

I am a senior in my life at this moment.

How could you tell me to be born a second time?”

Some commentators, like MacArthur, suggest that Nicodemus would have understood Jesus’ teachings.

In other words, Jesus used a rabbinical method of using figures of speech to teach truths, and Nicodemus would have picked up on that method.

Nicodemus would have understood that Jesus requires transformation in him.

And right now, Nicodemus cannot imagine himself going back to start a new life now that he’s an old man who maintained the Jewish heritage and have firmly established his teachings for all his life.

But, I think Nicodemus’ response should be interpreted and read naturally without any inference or “reading between the lines.”

From the natural reading of this text, it seems reasonable to see Nicodemus as misunderstanding Jesus’ statement.

Parentheses (I hope I don’t get stoned or called a heretic for disagreeing with John MacArthur).

While I respect MacArthur and other commentators, I think their interpretation misses the point of what the Apostle John is trying to communicate to his readers in the wider context of the Gospel.

I think Nicodemus’ response should be interpreted and read naturally.

From the natural reading of this text, it seems reasonable to see Nicodemus as misunderstanding Jesus’ statement.

He was interpreting Jesus’ statement literally because he took the word “again” to mean being born a second time.

That is why he may have viewed Jesus’ statement as absurd and ridiculous.

Certainly, it is impossible for an old man to be born the second time.

Misunderstanding Jesus’ statement is very common in the gospel of John.

Misunderstanding means failing to interpret or understand something correctly.

Jesus often spoke in figurative speech to his audience, but his audience took his speech and interpret it literally.

Let me give you three examples.

Misunderstanding Jesus’ statement is somewhat common in the gospel of John.

Misunderstanding means failing to interpret or understand something correctly.

Jesus often spoke in figurative speech to his audience, but his audience take his speech and interpret it literally.

Let me give you two examples.

For instance, I want to READ .

For instance, I want to READ .

We see a conversation between Jesus and the Jews.

Jesus is going to destroy this temple and in three days, He will raise it up.

The Jews, on the other hand, took his statement literally.

They thought Jesus would try to physically rebuild the temple in three days.

But, the author provides a commentary on what Jesus meant.

And the temple that Jesus was referring to was His body.

We see a conversation between Jesus and the Jews.

Jesus is going to destroy this temple and in three days, He will raise it up.

The Jews, on the other hand, took his statement literally.

They thought Jesus would try to physically rebuild the temple in three days.

But, the author provides a commentary on what Jesus meant.

And the temple that Jesus was referring to was His body.

We see a conversation between Jesus and the Jews.

Jesus is going to destroy this temple and in three days, He will raise it up.

The Jews, on the other hand, took his statement literally.

They thought Jesus would try to physically rebuild the temple in three days.

But, the author provides a commentary on what Jesus meant.

And the temple that Jesus was referring to was His body.

Furthermore, remember the Samaritan woman in .

Jesus, in figurative speech, tells the Samaritan woman about the living water, but she interpreted it literally.

READ .

The truth is, Jesus was speaking of the Holy Spirit dwelling in believers in , but you want read and study it at your own time.

And finally, in , Jesus tells the Jews about true liberty, but the Jews thought Jesus was speaking about physical slavery.

The truth is, Jesus was not speaking about physical slavery; rather, He was teaching about slavery to sin.

There are more examples in the gospel of John where people often misunderstand Jesus and His teaching.

And there is a reason why John includes these misunderstandings into his gospel.

He was interpreting Jesus’ statement literally because he took the word “again” to mean being born a second time.

That is why he may have viewed Jesus’ statement as absurd and ridiculous.

Certainly, it is impossible for an old man to be born the second time.

[31] So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, [32] and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

[33] They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone.

How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”

You may remember John’s purpose for writing this gospel.

READ .

What John wants to do with the misunderstandings of Jesus’ audience is to help the readers, like us, see what the original participants failed to see.

In other words, John is telling the readers this: “Here are the examples of people who failed to understand and believe in Jesus; and I purposely included them in my gospel because I do not want you to follow in their footsteps.

Through my testimony of Jesus’ life and my commentary to His teachings, I want you to believe in or I want to confirm with you that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.”

[34] Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.

(ESV)

“In trying to bring the reader to belief or to confirm the reader’s belief, John leads the reader to see what the original participants did not see, and thus to reject their lack of insight, to understand what they did not understand, and to believe what they did not believe.”

Many people including churches around the world misunderstand the teachings of Jesus.

Some think that Jesus came to the world only to save people so that they could live in health, wealth, and prosperity.

Believe in Jesus and you might get a BMW or the money in your bank account would increase.

Some think that Jesus love them so much that He does tolerates their sinful lifestyle.

Simply believe in Jesus and you’re saved...you don’t have to obey Him and submit to His Lordship.

Some cults think Jesus was only a man, a created being, and He’s not God.

Ligonier Ministries, a ministry led by R.C Sproul for many years before he passed away last year, released this document known as the state of theology.

It surveys American evangelicals about their view of God, Jesus, morality, etc. Almost 78% of evangelicals think Jesus was a created being.

Listen, if you think Jesus was only a man and not God, which by the way is blatant heresy, you might not be saved.

Listen, if you think Jesus is only a man and not God, which by the way,